Travel Insurance for the Chile Working Holiday Visa

Redaccion Volare | March 31, 2026

The Chile Working Holiday program is based on an exchange model where visitor safety is a priority. Within this framework, the academic offer allowed by each destination —such as language courses or professional development— constitutes one of the core categories, provided it remains a complementary activity to the primary purpose of recreation.

For an application to be processed, it is imperative that the applicant meets the basic requirements: proving sufficient financial solvency and mandatorily presenting a return ticket or, failing that, the necessary funds for its acquisition before the end of the visa period.

Health Risk Governance and Coverage

The management of health risks for foreigners under this program is based on the total outsourcing of medical coverage to the international private sector. Unlike other international models that require residents to transition to local medical insurance upon starting work activities, Chilean regulations require maintaining a valid international policy throughout the entire stay.

Mandatory Policy Requirements:

• Uninterrupted Validity: The insurance must be contracted for the full 12 months of the visa, regardless of whether the applicant plans a shorter actual stay.

• Scope of Coverage: It must mandatorily guarantee coverage for medical expenses due to illness or accident, hospitalization and, critically, medical and funeral repatriation.

• Financial Responsibility: Since there is no automatic affiliation mechanism to the local public system (FONASA) for incidental workers, the Chilean State requires the holder to be financially responsible for their health through their insurance from their country of origin.

  
  

Exceptions and Requirements by Nationality

There are specific provisions derived from reciprocity agreements that certain applicants must consider when contracting their travel assistance:

• Exception 1 (France and Germany): Citizens of these nations require that their policy explicitly include additional coverage for maternity and disability within the certificate of benefits.

  
  

Operational Management of the Application

To formalize the residency application, the certificate of coverage must be attached in PDF format to the SERMIG Digital Procedures Portal. It is essential to ensure that the documentation is legible and that both the full name of the holder and the start and end dates of validity are clearly visible to the migration analyst.

More Information at Volare

If you need assistance choosing a policy that meets all the standards required by the National Migration Service, we invite you to visit the Working Holiday Visa for Chile section on our Volare website.