Marriage to a Chilean Citizen

Every country has laws that apply to its citizens marrying a person from a different country. Getting married to a Chilean citizen to eventually bring them to Canada to live is a process with many steps. The Chilean government imposes strict requirements on foreigners who marry Chileans as an indirect way of discouraging Chilean citizens from moving to other countries.

You must demonstrate to Chilean officials that they are not currently married to anyone else – either you have never been married, or all divorces are finalized – that your identity is proven and that you have never committed any crimes in Chile. This is done by providing various documents, including an Affidavit of Single Status, to the Chilean government either in Chile or via a Chilean embassy.

If you want to bring your Chilean spouse or partner to live in Canada, you must then file a sponsorship application for them to become a permanent resident. If they would like to visit you in Canada while their application is in process, they must also apply for an Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA). For more information, please see our family sponsorship page and our eTA page.

 

Chilean Marriage Basic Requirements

In order to marry a citizen of Chile, you must demonstrate to the Chilean government that you are eligible to do so. This includes:

• Proof of country of birth
• Proof of single status
• Proof of age requirement

The documents must be translated into Spanish.

 

Family Members

If your Chilean spouse has dependent children, this does not affect the Chilean Marriage document application.

If you have dependent children, they have no effect on the application to marry a Chilean citizen.

 

List of Chilean Consulates in Canada

 

Calling Chile from Canada

• The exit code for Canada is 011
• The country code for Chile is 56
• Dial 011 – 56 – area code – local number

Area Codes of Major Centres in Chile

Alto Hospicio	57	La Calera	33	San Antonio	35
Angol	45	La Serena	51	San Bernardo	2
Antofagasta	55	Linares	73	San Felipe	34
Arica	58	Los Andes	34	San Fernando	72
Calama	55	Los Angeles	43	San Pedro de la Paz	41
Chiguayante	41	Lota	41	Santiago	2
Chillan	42	Melipilla	2	Talca	71
Cohyaique	67	Osorno	64	Talcahuano	41
Colina	2	Ovalle	53	Temuco	45
Concepcion	41	Penaflor	2	Tome	41
Copiapo	52	Penco	41	Quillota	33
Coquimbo	51	Puente Alto	2	Valdivia	63
Coronel	41	Puerto Montt	65	Vallenar	51
Curico	75	Punta Arenas	61	Valparaiso	32
Hualpen	41	Quilpue	32	Villa Alemana	32
Iquique	57	Rancagua	72	Vina del Mar	32

 

Calling Canada from Chile

• The international calling code is 00
• The country code for Canada is 1
• Dial 00 – 1 – area code – local number

List of Area Codes of Canada

Province	Code	Province	Code
Alberta	403 / 587 (southern Alberta) 587 / 780 (central and northern Alberta)	Nunavut	867
BC	236 / 250 / 778 (majority of BC) 236 / 604 / 778 (Metro Vancouver)	Ontario	226 / 519 (southwestern Ontario) 249 / 705 (northeastern Ontario) 289 / 365 / 905 (Greater Toronto Area) 343 / 613 (eastern Ontario) 416 / 647 (Toronto) 807 (northwestern Ontario)
Manitoba	204 / 431	PEI	782 / 902
New  Brunswick	506	Quebec	418 / 581 (eastern Quebec) 438 / 514 (Montreal) 450 / 579 (Greater Montreal) 819 / 873 (remainder of Quebec)
Newfoundland and Labrador	709	Saskatchewan	306 / 639
Northwest Territories	867	Yukon	867
Nova Scotia	782 / 902

 

Time Difference

Like most of Canada (except Saskatchewan), Chile participates in Daylight Saving Time. However, Chile’s DST is September to April which complicates things when calculating time differences.

Please note: Easter Island is a further 2 hours behind regular Chilean time – it is basically in the same time zone as Central Time when DST isn’t taking place – so remember to take that into consideration if calling Easter Island.

Canadian Time Zone	# of Hours Chile is Ahead or Behind (November – March)	# of Hours Chile is Ahead or Behind (April – September)	# of Hours Chile is Ahead or Behind (Second Sunday of September to First Sunday of November and Second Sunday of March to First Sunday of April)
Pacific (BC, Yukon)	Chile is 5 hours ahead	Chile is 3 hours ahead	Chile is 4 hours ahead
Mountain (Alberta, western Nunvaut, Lloydminster, Saskatchewan)	Chile is 4 hours ahead	Chile is 2 hours ahead	Chile is 3 hours ahead
Saskatchewan	Chile 3 hours ahead	Chile is 2 hours ahead	Chile is 2 hours ahead
Central (Manitoba, Northwest Territories, central Nunavut, northwestern Ontario)	Chile is 3 hours ahead	Chile is 1 hour ahead	Chile is 2 hours ahead
Eastern (most of Ontario, most of Quebec)	Chile is 2 hours ahead	Same	Chile is 1 hour ahead
Atlantic (Labrador, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, PEI, eastern Quebec)	Chile is 1 hour ahead	Chile is 1 hour behind	Same
Newfoundland	Chile is 30 minutes ahead	Chile is 90 minutes behind	Chile is 30 minutes behind

 

Chilean Currency

The official currency for Chile is the peso. It has been in circulation since 1975 and has the same symbol as the dollar, which is $.

The peso is divided into 100 Centavos. Coins in circulation are $1, $5, $10, $50, $100 and $500 while banknotes used are $1000, $2000, $5000, $10000 and $20000.

Central bank rate for the peso is 5%, the Peso is highly influenced by prices in oil which is one of Chile’s main revenue earners.

GDP of Chile is $4,600 USD as of studies done in 2004.

 

Emergency Information for Canadians in Chile

It is safe to travel to Chile despite a few demonstrations in Santiago and Valparaiso from fishermen. This has resulted to blockage of some roads.

Some areas are hazardous due to landmines that have not yet been cleared, the remote areas in Chile like Tarapaca, Antofagasta in the north and Magallanes are some of them.

 

Canadian Embassy Information

Embassy of Canada in Santiago Nueva Tajamar 481 Torre Norte, 12th Floor Las Condes, Santiago Chile Postal Address: P.O. Box Casilla 139, Correo 10, Santiago, Chile Telephone: 56 (2) 2652-3800 Fax: 56 (2) 2652-3916 E-mail: [email protected] Website: chile.gc.ca	View Larger Map
Honorary Consul of Canada in Antofagasta No Street Address Provided Telephone: 56 (55) 294-6880 Fax: 56 (2) 2652-3916 E-mail: [email protected] Website: No Website	View Larger Map
Honorary Consul of Canada in Concepcion No Address Provided Telephone: 56 (41) 236-1712 Fax: 56 (2) 2652-3916 [email protected] No Website	View Larger Map

 

Canadian Government’s Travel Alerts for Chile

Chilean Wedding Traditions

Marriage in Bolivia begins when the man proposes marriage to a lady, when she accepts he offers her a ring which he places on her finger, similar to the procedure followed in the West.

When a wedding date has been decided upon, the couple goes to the civil service office of the registrar to get married. This is just the official marriage ceremony which is afterwards followed by the Church wedding.

The official ceremony is attended by close friends and family, the couple exchange rings and later on have dinner and a small occasion.

After a month or so, the wedding ceremony can start, invitations are sent out to family, friends and other people who are known to the couple. The ceremony takes place in Church where the couple exchanges vows, readings are carried out and the priest blesses the couple.

Attire

The bride is usually dressed in traditional white dress which is can be complimented by veils, trains and other accessories.

The groom wears the traditional attire for Huasos, which is the Latino equivalent of cowboys. He can also wear a tuxedo. Other clothes that the groom adorns are ponchos, cowboy hats, boots and straw hats known as chupallas.

Horses

In Chilean culture, horses play a significant role whether it is daily life or ceremonies, horses draw carriages that carry the couple. They are adorned with bright saddle blankets, most times the couple leaves the Church after the wedding ceremony on horseback.

Dancers

The highlight of any Chilean wedding is dancing lead by professional dance groups dressed in costumes. The national dance of Chile is known as cueca, male dancers wear black pants, white shirt and a bolero jacket and a poncho across the shoulders.

The men also wear leather boots with spurs. Female dancers wear white blouses, black bolero jacket, and chupalla hat just like the men.

 

Reception

After the wedding, a lavish celebration follows where the couple and the rest of the guests eat, drink and make merry.

Champagne is usually served by waiters dressed in tuxedos as well as caviar. Throughout the reception celebrations, the couple move from table to table to thank guests and family for attending the wedding.

The guests in return hand out envelopes that contain cards, good wish messages and cash to the couple. Dinner is followed by Latin music and the couple opens the dance floor. Afterwards, this is usually late into the night, the couple retreat for their honeymoon.

 

Chilean Food for Weddings

Chilean Salad

Chilean salad is very tasty and can be served with any type of grilled meat or fish. The salad is a common dish for any occasion including wedding ceremonies.

 

Oven-Baked Sweet Plantains

This is another Chilean delicacy which is basically sweetened South American potatoes sautéed or baked. They are sweetened with butter and sugar among other ingredients.

Several ingredients can be used in place of potatoes like yams, bananas and other tubers.

 

Chilean Butternut Squash Casserole

A very tasty and famous Chilean dish consisting of yams, pumpkins, and butternut mashed together and baked in a casserole. Other ingredients like rice can be added and the many different types of tubers can also be used instead of yam.

 

Chilean Tortilla

This dish is a mix of Spanish tortilla, eggs and shredded potatoes and carrots. Other ingredients can be used to spice it up more.

 

Chilean Pastel de Choclo

This dish is a chicken and corn casserole. The corn is cooked with milk until thick and then whirled in the food processor until smooth. The other ingredients are added in turns and the final mixture baked until brown.

 

Chilean Empanadas

Empanadas are stuffed pastry then baked or fried. The stuffing can be a whole range of ingredients from vegetables to meats and pork to cheese and fruits.

They can be served as snacks or starters to any meal for any occasion like party, wedding, or daily meals.

 

Chliean Pisco Sour

This is a Chilean brandy made from grapes which are distilled and mixed with lemon juice. Egg whites can be used. It is a drink that is popular throughout Chile and Peru.

 

Chicken with Mustard Cream

This is sautéed chicken and spiced up with different ingredients like sour cream, spices and cheese all served with rice or noodles.

 

Chilean Avocado and Shrimp Salad

This dish is shrimp soaked in milk and made with sauce made with different ingredients all put together and served with avocado and cabbage salad.

 

Chilean BBQ Bass with Orange

Sea bass fillet is cut into serving potions after the bones are removed. Marinating ingredients thank include orange, honey, cloves and different spices are added and the fish is grilled over charcoal or grill.

 

Chilean Cilantro Salsa (Pebre)

This is a kind of a sauce that can accompany other dishes like meat or used as a dip. It is cilantro leaves mixed with peppers, Serrano chillies and garlic all mixed with vinegar and blended into a smooth paste like mixture.

 

Chili-Dusted Pork

This dish is made with pork rubbed with spices, garlic cloves and other ingredients to add flavour. The pork is then roasted until ready.

 

Chilean Lime Black Beans and Rice

This is a mixture of black beans cooked together with rice, lime, champagne and a variety of herbs and spices making a very interesting tangy and sweet taste. It is an easy to make dish that can be served at weddings or other occasions.

 

Chilean Fish with Honey-Mango Sauce

Fish fillet is fried with sauces and different spices, sweet corn is an addition to this dish as well as a honey and mango sauce.

 

Chilean Meat Pie

This meat pie is made with ground beef, milk, different spices and aji panca and baked in a casserole. It is ideal as a tea snack or dessert for any occasion including wedding parties.

 

Chilean Coffee Cake

This is a coffee cake made with citrus, lemon extracts and vanilla extracts. Different ingredients can be substituted for others depending on personal taste, the cake can make a lovely tea snack or dessert.

 

Chilean Rice

This is normal rice cooked in a Chilean special way by spicing it up with flavours and spices. It can be served with fish, pork or beef at any occasion.

 

Pitas with Fruit

This is pastry stuffed with different sautéed ingredients including raisins, apples and greens

 

Religion in Chile

The most dominant religion in Chile is Roman Catholic Church with an estimated 63% of the population confessing to it.

The Chilean constitution provides freedom of religion and the policies are generally supportive of free practice of any religion.

The Church and government are officially separate, that gives the Catholic Church freedom and privileged status because government officials normally attend religious ceremonies and functions.

The Government does not also reject registration petitions for new churches, the petition is usually valid for 60 days within which to object any challenges presented by the Ministry of Justice which is mandated to license and register new Churches.

The Catholic Church has a lot of influence in many institutions such as public hospitals, prisons, and military units.

There are 5 archdioceses, 18 dioceses, 2 prelatures, 1 apostolic vicariate, 1 military ordinaries and Opus Dei. The Catholic Church was introduced in Chile by Spanish colonialists in the 16th century.

 

Mormonism

These one arrived in Chile as missionaries in 1851 to spread the gospel and do charity. The missionary work officially begun in 1956 and in the later years this Church grew in numbers opening up new Churches.

 

Protestantism

Protestants are 15% of the Chilean population. During the first half of the 19^th Century, Protestants arrived together with American and German missionaries. Later on other followed that included Lutherans, Anglicans, Presbyterians, Baptists, Seventh day Adventists, Pentecostal and Methodists.

 

Baha’i

The Baha’i faith started in Chile in 1916. The first temple was built in 2002 and since then numbers have grown to about 25,000 followers in 2005.

 

Islam

Muslims represent 0.02% about 3,196. The first Muslim institution in Chile was the Muslim Union Society founded in 1926.

 

Other Religions

18% of the populations in Chile are either atheist or agnostic.

 

Romantic, Scenic and Historic Places in Chile

Scenic and Historic Places

Valle de la Luna – Antofagasta

This magnificent and magical landscape is located in the heart of the Atacama Desert where the forces of nature mainly wind, floods and the sun which have transformed the rocks and created sand dunes.

 

Pucon – Araucania

This is a small town in the middle of the southern Lake District in Chile. The volcano, lake, recreational activities like water skiing, snow skiing, kayaking and horseback riding make it a hot tourist attraction.

 

Villarica – Araucania

Chile is known for having spectacular scenery from mountains to beaches. Mount Villarica is an active volcano whose red magma is visible at the top.

 

Lauca National Park – Arica-Parinacota

This national park is one of the most famous tourist attractions in Chile because of Lake Lago Chungara, one of the world’s highest lakes.

Behind it is a dormant volcano known as Volcan Pomerape which extends onto the border with Bolivia.

 

Laguna San Rafael National Park – Aysen

It is difficult to visit Chile and not go to the Laguna San Rafael National Park, where the San Rafael Glacier is located. It is a giant glacier that calves into the Laguna San Rafael, the area is accessible only by boat or plane.

 

Easter Island

This is the most isolated island on earth located in the southern Pacific Ocean. There are famous monumental statues made of stone called Moai. Diving and surfing are some of the favourite tourist activities.

 

Chiloe Island – Los Lagos

This island is the largest in the Chiloe archipelago and the second largest island in South America. The architecture and culture is strongly influenced by the Spanish who settled there in the 16^th Century.

 

Termas Geometricas – Los Rios

Located in the Lake District, this area is 21 slate covered pools with hot and cold thermal water from hot springs. This the perfect place to relax after a long day.

 

Torres del Paine – Magallanes

Torres Del Paine is a national park in the southernmost region of Chile endowed with mountains, lakes and glaciers. The centre of attention here are three granite peaks shaped like cones, the highest peak is 2,500 meters roughly 8,200 feet.

 

Los Pinguinos – Punta Arenas

Chile is home to the largest colony of penguins in Southern Chile in the small island of Magdalena. The best time to see the penguins is during migration season in September and October, this is a perfect honeymoon vacation destinations for couples.

 

Cerro San Cristobal – Santiago

This is a hill in the northern side of Santiago with a view overlooking the land as well as the Andes Mountains.

There is a cable car that goes all the way to the top, tourists can also hike to the top of the hill on foot.

 

Museo Interactivo Mirador – Santiago

This is an interactive museum in Santiago that offers lots of activities for any discerning art lovers, couples on vacation or even scientists.

Valparaiso

This charming little town is very colourful because of the differently painted houses and it is known for the vibrant Bohemian culture. Located on the Pacific coast of central Chile, there are many steep hills overlooking the Pacific Ocean creating magical scenery.

 

Palacio Baburizza

Art and culture that dates back to 16^th Century is preserved in this museum. All art lovers and tourists can enjoy visiting to learn about the Spanish culture.

 

Paseo Gervasoni – Valparaiso

This is a hilly street that features Classic Chilean vintage buildings, a fantastic area for tourists to take a tour and learn more about Chile.

 

Playa Ancha Hill – Valparaiso

This is the perfect location in Chile for tourists to take photos, enjoy the scenery or even paint because of the elevated view.

 

Casablanca Valley – Valparaiso

This is a winery in Santiago that offers wine tasting and tours of the vineyard.

 

Resorts

Termas de Chillan – Bio Bio

Termas De Chillan is an outdoor activities resort that offers skiing, snowboarding, spas and other winter sports.

 

Horse Riding Chile – Santiago

Horse riding Chile is a ranch that keeps horses and ponies for customized horse riding tours, camping and other outdoor activities.

 

La Parva Ski Village – Santiago

This is another very popular and magnificent skiing resort commonly referred to as the Alps of Chile, it is also located in the city of Santiago.

 

Bringing Gifts with you to Chile

Duty Free Items

• 400 Cigarettes
• 500 grams of Tobacco
• 50 cigars
• 2 .05 litres of alcohol
• A fair amount of perfume

 

Restricted Items

• Cats and Dogs imported into Chile require a rabies vaccination certificate;
• Guns, Ammunition, Explosives, contraband goods and pornography are prohibited from both importation and exportation;
• Edible animal products, flowers, fruits and vegetables are only permitted accompanied by a certificate   issued by the Department of Agriculture in Chile;

 

Taking Items Out of Chile

Prohibited Items

• Guns, ammunition, explosives, contraband goods and pornography

 

Salaries in Chile

The minimum wage in Chile is 182,000 (375$ USD) Chilean Pesos for workers who are aged 18-65 years, 128,000 Pesos for those under 18 years and older than 65 years and 110,950 Pesos as non – salary allowance.

 

Sponsoring You Chilean Spouse to Canada

Sponsorship can be a complicated process. To learn more, click the button below:

 

Sponsorship Review

Immigroup will review your completed spousal sponsorship application. . Immigroup will make sure you have not made any mistakes on your application or in gathering the documentation of your relationship. We will assess your sponsorship letter and give you peace of mind that you are submitting an application with a very good chance of success. Don’t lose sleep at night worrying about whether you’ve done enough. Call us at 1-866-760-2623 for a review.