Chile Launches Free Digital Work Authorization Certificate for Foreign Nationals

Chile's National Immigration Service (SERMIG) has launched a free digital Certificado de Habilitación Laboral, or Work Authorization Certificate, through its online Portal de Trámites Digitales. The certificate includes a QR code that employers can scan to verify its validity.

The certificate is designed to confirm whether a foreign national currently holds valid immigration permission to work in Chile. It is important to note that the certificate itself does not grant work authorization, change a person's immigration status, or replace any required work or immigration permit.

The digital certificate is available only to foreign nationals who are in regular, or legal, migratory status. Employers are still expected to carry out a complete immigration review before confirming a worker's eligibility. This includes checking the relevant permits, entry records, and residence status rather than relying on the certificate alone.

For foreign workers and employers in Chile, the new digital system provides an additional way to verify current work authorization status while keeping the existing immigration compliance checks in place.