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Visas and travel authorisations

Chile visa photo requirements

The 50 × 50 mm photo rules set by Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores, Dirección General de Asuntos Consulares for the Chile visa, with the official wording and sources.

Based on 9 official sources · last checked Official sources Page history

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Quick answer

What size is the Chile visa photo?

It depends on the channel. Nationals who need a visa (autorización previa) apply through the Foreign Ministry's online consular system and upload a colour, passport-size photo of 5 x 5 cm (50 x 50 mm) on a white background, full face, with no glasses, headscarf or cap. Residence permits from the Servicio Nacional de Migraciones take a recent colour JPG or PNG on white, facing the camera with a neutral expression and eyes open. No official source gives 2 x 3 cm.

Most visitors to Chile need no visa. They enter with Permanencia Transitoria, a stay of up to 90 days that the PDI records on the Tarjeta Única Migratoria at the border. Nationals of certain countries must first obtain a prior authorisation or visa (autorización previa o visa) from a Chilean consulate. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs runs this through its online consular services platform, and an approved visa is emailed to you as an electronic document that you print and carry with your passport.

Residence permits are a separate track. The Servicio Nacional de Migraciones (SERMIG), which took over from the former Departamento de Extranjería y Migración, decides Residencia Temporal and Residencia Definitiva applications through its Portal de Trámites Digitales. Temporary residence is normally requested from abroad, with exceptions set by law. The photo is uploaded with the application, while every other document goes in as a PDF.

After a temporary residence permit is granted, you download the electronic stamp (Estampado Electrónico). From your entry to Chile, or from the download if you applied inside the country, you have 30 days to book an appointment at the Registro Civil for a foreigners' identity card.

Chile visa photo size and specifications

The requirements as published by Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores, Dirección General de Asuntos Consulares:[1]

Print sizeConsular visa: 5 x 5 cm (50 x 50 mm), uploaded; residence permits: no dimensions published
Digital sizeNo pixel size published for either channel
BackgroundWhite
ColourColour
Photo ageResidence permits: recent, taken close to the application date
File formatResidence permits: JPG or PNG (other documents PDF); consular visa: no photo format stated
Pixels when printed591 × 591 px at 300 dpi · 1181 × 1181 px at 600 dpi (calculated)
50 mm50 mm
50 × 50 mm photo drawn to scale. Background: white.

In the official words

Exact wording from the official sources, quoted because the details matter:

Servicio Nacional de Migraciones (ex Departamento de Extranjería y Migración)

Cédula de identidad para extranjeros (obtención y renovación)[8]

Key requirements

  • 5 x 5 cm for the consular visa

    The Foreign Ministry's requirements for a prior authorisation or visa ask you to upload a colour photo with a white background, passport size (5 x 5 cm), showing the full face. It is attached in the online consular services platform, not posted.

  • No accessories over the head or eyes

    The consular rule names glasses, headscarves and caps as accessories to leave out. SERMIG's residence rule likewise excludes accessories such as glasses or hats.

  • Face the camera, eyes open

    For residence permits, SERMIG asks you to look straight at the camera, showing the whole face, with a neutral expression and your eyes open.

  • JPG or PNG for SERMIG

    The SERMIG portal takes the photo as a JPG or PNG file, while every supporting document must be a PDF. No pixel dimensions or file-size limit are published.

  • Recent photo

    SERMIG wants a recent photo taken close to the date you apply. The San Francisco consulate's visa page sets a firmer limit of six months.

  • Consulates can add their own rules

    San Francisco's own tourist and business visa page, valid only for that consulate, asks for a 2 x 2 inch passport-type photo on white with the full face shown, attached through its online system. Consulates may also ask for further documents or call you to an interview with the originals.

Do's and don'ts

Do

  • Use a plain white background.
  • Upload a colour photo showing your whole face.
  • Look straight at the camera with your eyes open.
  • Save the residence-permit photo as a JPG or PNG.
  • Use a photo taken shortly before you apply.
  • Check your consulate's page for any extra photo rule.

Don't

  • Do not wear glasses in the photo.
  • Do not wear a hat, cap or headscarf.
  • Do not smile broadly or look away from the camera.
  • Do not upload the photo as a PDF to the SERMIG portal.
  • Do not reuse an old photo for a residence application.
  • Do not crop to 2 x 3 cm: no official channel asks for it.

Sample photos

How a Chile visa photo should look, and the mistakes that most often get photos rejected. Each example is drawn to this document's 50 × 50 mm and background colour.

Correct
Open-mouth smile
Head tilted
Too close: head too big
Too far: head too small
Busy background
Shadows on face or background
Glare on glasses

Illustrations, not real photos. The official rules above always take priority; some documents do not allow glasses at all.

Glasses

Glasses are out in both channels. The consular visa requirements list glasses ("lentes") among the accessories that must not appear, and SERMIG's residence-permit photo rule says no accessories such as glasses. Neither source mentions a medical exception, so take them off before the photo.

Headwear and religious dress

The consular visa rule excludes headscarves and caps as well as glasses, with an "etc." that covers similar items. SERMIG's rule names hats. Neither the Foreign Ministry nor SERMIG publishes an exception for religious head coverings, so if you wear one for religious reasons, ask the consulate handling your application before you upload the photo.

Babies and children

For a consular visa, parents or legal representatives submit the application of a child under 18, attaching a certificate that proves the relationship or the court ruling that gives them guardianship, apostilled or legalised. Children entering Chile must travel with a parent, guardian or carer, or carry a written authorisation from one of them or from a court.

For residence permits, a child's photo follows the same rules as an adult's: colour, white background, full face, neutral expression, eyes open, no glasses or hat, JPG or PNG. Under SERMIG's humanitarian permit for children already in Chile, which is free, the responsible adult applies through an account created in the child's own name.

Neither channel uses a printed photo. The consular visa photo is uploaded with the online form and the visa itself is issued electronically; the only thing you print is the visa you receive by email. Residence permits are applied for entirely through the SERMIG portal, and the permit arrives as a downloadable electronic stamp rather than a label in your passport.

If you apply for a consular visa, crop a digital photo to a square for the 5 x 5 cm rule; for a residence permit, save a recent photo as a JPG or PNG. In both cases the background must be white and the face fully visible.

Where to submit the photo

Prior authorisations and visas are requested on the Foreign Ministry's Servicios Consulares en línea platform: fill in the form explaining the reason and length of the trip, then upload the photo, the passport data page, proof of means and the other documents. If you apply outside your country of nationality, prove your residence or status there. The decision is emailed, and an approved visa must be paid within 30 days.

Residence permits go through SERMIG's Portal de Trámites Digitales. From abroad, SERMIG may ask you to visit the nearest Chilean consulate to complete your documents during the review. Once you are in Chile with an activated permit, book the Registro Civil appointment for your identity card within 30 days, or you face a fine.

How to get your Chile visa photo

  1. Check the official requirements. Read the official specification for the Chile visa: 50 × 50 mm print, white background. Check the rules on pose, expression, glasses and headwear below.
  2. Take the photo. Follow the key requirements: 5 x 5 cm for the consular visa; no accessories over the head or eyes; face the camera, eyes open; jPG or PNG for SERMIG.
  3. Prepare a print or digital file. Neither channel uses a printed photo. The consular visa photo is uploaded with the online form and the visa itself is issued electronically; the only thing you print is the visa you receive by email.
  4. Submit the photo with your application. Prior authorisations and visas are requested on the Foreign Ministry's Servicios Consulares en línea platform: fill in the form explaining the reason and length of the trip, then upload the photo, the passport data page, proof of means and the other…

Make this photo online

Chile visa photo FAQ

For a prior authorisation or visa from a Chilean consulate, the Foreign Ministry asks for a passport-size colour photo of 5 x 5 cm (50 x 50 mm) on a white background, uploaded online. For residence permits, SERMIG publishes no dimensions, only a recent colour JPG or PNG on white.

No official page read asks for 2 x 3 cm. The Foreign Ministry's consular rule is 5 x 5 cm, the San Francisco consulate asks for 2 x 2 inches, and SERMIG sets no size for residence-permit uploads.

A recent colour photo with a white background, looking straight at the camera, showing your whole face with a neutral expression and eyes open, with no glasses or hat. Upload it to the SERMIG portal as a JPG or PNG, taken close to the date you apply.

No. The consular visa rule lists glasses among the accessories to leave out, and SERMIG's residence-permit rule excludes accessories such as glasses. No medical exception is published.

The consular visa rule names headscarves and caps as accessories to leave out, and SERMIG excludes hats. Neither publishes a religious exception, so ask the consulate handling your application before you take the photo if you wear a head covering for religious reasons.

Most visitors do not: they receive Permanencia Transitoria for up to 90 days on arrival. Nationals of certain countries need a prior authorisation or visa from a Chilean consulate, applied for online. The Foreign Ministry's consular site lets you check the rule for your nationality.

At a Registro Civil office that serves foreigners, after booking an appointment. The foreigners' cédula carries your photo, signature and fingerprint, and you apply in person within 30 days of your residence permit taking effect. Consulates abroad do not issue it.

Related photo specifications

Other Chile documents

Visas and travel authorisations nearby

Also 50 × 50 mm

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Official sources

  1. Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores, Dirección General de Asuntos Consulares. Autorización previa o visa consulado.gob.cl. Checked 2 November 2026.
  2. Servicio Nacional de Migraciones (SERMIG). Residencia Temporal (requirements) serviciomigraciones.cl. Checked 2 November 2026.
  3. Servicio Nacional de Migraciones (SERMIG). Residencia Temporal permit (English) serviciomigraciones.cl. Checked 2 November 2026.
  4. Servicio Nacional de Migraciones (SERMIG). Niñas, niños y adolescentes en Chile (Residencia Temporal) serviciomigraciones.cl. Checked 2 November 2026.
  5. Servicio Nacional de Migraciones (SERMIG). Estampado Electrónico serviciomigraciones.cl. Checked 2 November 2026.
  6. Servicio Nacional de Migraciones (SERMIG). Etapas de solicitud de Residencia Temporal serviciomigraciones.cl. Checked 2 November 2026.
  7. Servicio Nacional de Migraciones (SERMIG). Permanencia Transitoria serviciomigraciones.cl. Checked 2 November 2026.
  8. ChileAtiende (information from the Servicio de Registro Civil e Identificación). Cédula de identidad para extranjeros (obtención y renovación) chileatiende.gob.cl. Checked 2 November 2026.
  9. Consulado General de Chile en San Francisco. Requisitos para solicitud de visa de turista y negocios chile.gob.cl. Checked 2 November 2026.

Requirements can change, so always confirm with Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores, Dirección General de Asuntos Consulares before you apply. WorldPhotoSpecs is independent and not affiliated with any government.

Cite this page

"Chile visa photo". WorldPhotoSpecs. Last updated 4 November 2026. https://worldphotospecs.org/chile/visa-photo

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