Chile is one of the more streamlined places in the region to incorporate, partly thanks to a simplified online regime that lets standard companies be formed quickly. Knowing which entity type fits and which formation path to use saves most of the friction.
The main entity types
A handful of structures cover almost every business. Foreign individuals and foreign companies can generally be shareholders in each of them.
- Sociedad por Acciones (SpA) — the flexible share company, very popular and able to have a single shareholder.
- Sociedad Anónima (S.A.) — the corporation, generally used for larger or regulated businesses.
- Sociedad de Responsabilidad Limitada (Ltda.) — the limited-liability company.
Two formation paths
Chile offers a simplified online regime — commonly known as "Empresa en un Día" / Tu Empresa en un Día — that can incorporate standard companies quickly through a government portal. Alongside it sits the traditional route: a public deed executed before a notary, followed by registration in the Commercial Registry. The right path depends on how standard the structure is; bespoke share classes, unusual governance, or special clauses often point toward the notarial route.
Tax and follow-on steps
Formation is the first step, not the last. Once the entity exists, a few registrations make it operational:
- Obtain the tax ID and start of activities (RUT / inicio de actividades) with the tax authority (SII).
- Open a bank account in the company's name.
- Complete any sector-specific permits or licenses the business requires.
What foreign investors should plan for
Foreign shareholders typically need a local representative, plus apostilled and certified-translated copies of their foreign corporate documents, and powers of attorney executed and authenticated for use in Chile. A gap in that authentication chain — a missing apostille, an out-of-date certificate, a power of attorney that doesn't cover the act — is the usual cause of delay. Getting the documents right before filing is far faster than fixing them afterward.
What we handle
We coordinate formation through admitted local professionals on either path — the same-day online regime or the notarial route — and manage the apostille, certified translation, and power-of-attorney work foreign shareholders need. One point of contact reports back to your team at each step.