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- - Chile (https://britishexpats.com/forum/central-south-america-mexico-123/chile-910746/)

Hi guys, anyone able to educate me on Chile?
I'm looking at moving there and teaching English for a year while i look at properties and see how i like it.
My plan is to buy land and open my own business.

Very broad, but any info at all would be much appreciated.

Thanks

Looks like Chile is one of the easier countries to get working visas for.
https://www.quora.com/How-can-I-immi...gration-policy

good luck!

The best advice anybody can give you is to go down and check it out in person. Don't even think of selling up and moving down without visiting first!

Quote:

Originally Posted by The wanderer. (Post 12467805)

Good link, thanks

You're welcome.

Quote:

Originally Posted by The wanderer. (Post 12467732)

I’e been living in Chile for the last 20 years, so hopefully I can assist with your questions. There is generally a surplus of English teachers , hence the money is bad and as a max you’d only have 9 months of work in a year. You’d need a temporary visa to work before the schools will take you on. Land in Chile is probably far more expensive than you are imagining, and you wont be able to get any financing , as you are a foreigner and wont have any past history of income in Chile. As far as starting a business, you dont indicate in what area that would be and if you speak Spanish. I would certainly recommend you think very carefully about starting a business or even buying an existing business until you’ve been living here for some years. Chile can be a wonderful place to live, but it would be far better to be employed full time until you know how the country works. Teaching English may just about give you enough money to survive on, butylu’d need to be prepared to work from 8.00 or even earlier, until 21.00 , assuming the institute has enough students that want to take classes. If you want to send me a PM , I’ll give you my email address and you can ask me what you want.

I'm aware of the high prices on land and im in a position to buy without finance, but i wanted to spend about a year there before i bought thats why i thought i could probably teach English. I don't speak any spanish but I'm trying to learn. My partner can speak a little bit.
As for the business it's equestrian based but it's an international market and so not strictly about chile although i could also do an equine tourism business. Thanks for all the information i really appreciate it.

Hello, I am a retired American expat living in Thailand. I've been here eight years and love it, but the government is making it more and more difficult to renew a retirement visa. It's time to move on. Chile is on my list. I plan to visit sometime during the months of December through February. I'm getting on in years and have decided not to own a motor vehicle of any type. Wherever I go must have very good public transportation so that I can easily get around. I should also add that if I do decide to stay and apply for a resident visa that I do not want to own property, so availability of long-term rentals is also a concern.
Thank you, and if you have any questions about retiring in Thailand feel free to send me an email.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Skip (Post 12555754)

As long as you can comply with the regular income requirements, which I think mean an income of around $2000 a month ( but this needs to be checked) you can easily get a retirement visa, and a US renter of an apartment I own, is presently in the process of doing it. The metro system is good and cheap $1.50 for any distance, and there are long term rentals available at whatever level you want. Foreign pensions are not taxable here. Let me know if you have any questions. If you plan to be here in February, you need to remember that Santiago basically closes down for the month, if you want to get anything done, but on the plus side, I find it to be lovely, with little traffic. All the stores etc are open etc.

Thank you, dfjordan.
If the minimum required income is $2000 (I presume you mean US dollars?) then I will easily qualify, but the trick is HOW to verify that? It's one of the reasons I'm thinking of leaving Thailand. Proving my monthly income is getting to be impossibly difficult by their standards.
When you say that the metro system is good, is that in Santiago, or is it just as good in other cities, like Valparaiso?
I am also concerned about crime. I still have all of my mental faculties, but I am elderly and walk slowly with a cane, so do you think I'd be a target? I rise very early in the day and try not to go out after dark, but I would be walking everywhere.
I prefer a warmer climate, or at least not a cold climate, say 15 to 30C, or 65 to 85F. Any suggestions there?
I have looked at climate details and it appears that Chile doesn't get a lot of rain. Are water shortages an issue?
And finally, (I know - I have a lot of questions) I don't want to live in a heavy tourist destination. What places to avoid?
Thank you in advance for your help!

Have you considered Grenada?

Quote:

Originally Posted by Skip (Post 12555863)

In answer to your questions, proof of income, as long as it’s from legal sources and regular, is always able to be substantiated in one way or another. Immigration is used to retirees coming who have some kind of investment income or pension and are pleasant to deal with.
There is a metro system in Valparaiso, but as the city is very small compared with Santiago, the area covered is smaller. It is no cheaper to live there than Santiago.
What can anyone say about crime these days? Nowhere is immune. Everyday crime is more limited to cell phones, jewellery or items left on view in parked cars.
The climate in Chile can be whatever you want except tropical. The south gets lots of rain, and the north , basically nothing. The middle, ie Santiago and its environs, has what I find to be a very pleasant climate. Its mid winter now, with early morning temps about say 4c rising to around 20c, normally with cloudless days. Summer is hot , say 30-32, dropping to 15 at night. Spring and autumn are beautiful. We do get little rain, and what attracts my wife more than anything is the low humidity, as she suffers with arthritis.
The coast, say Valparaiso is humid, often has fog until midday , then sun until about 7pm.Winters tend to be grey and miserable
There are other smaller cities to choose from as well, say Talca which is a 3 hour train ride from Santiago if you need it, and is cheaper and quieter to live in. There really arent any tourist destinations as such, except for Vina del mar, which is full of tourists for Jan - end Feb, so should be avoided, as traffic is bad.

First, I should say that I have posted on other parts of this forum, but it's somewhat confusing, so I may be repeating myself with this post.

I am a retired American expat living in Thailand. I too am considering relocation to Chile. As for criteria, I know that I will need to be near the essential things, such as being able to purchase groceries and drinking water, or even better, have them delivered to my home. I am walking with a cane now so public transportation near home is going to be important. I have decided not to own a motor vehicle of any type. Restaurants would be nice, the kind you can get to easily from home without a taxi. I like things quiet, at least in the evening hours, clean air, and safe neighborhoods. I am also considering splitting my time between the northern and southern hemispheres so as to avoid severe hot and cold weather.

The other thing that will be important is straight-forward visa requirements. Visa requirements here in Thailand are a moving target, and so you never know for sure if your visa renewal each year will be approved, or, will you have to leave the country, and soon.
In the beginning (if I do decide to move to Chile) I think living near other expats will be important. Later, if I really like being in Chile, I'll look into branching out to other areas.