How do you open a bank account in Chile in 2026?

Bring your foreigner cédula, passport, and proof of address when the branch asks for it. Residence must already be real enough for Registro Civil to have issued the card: Get a RUT and Apply for a residence permit. Some products also want an employment contract, pension letter, or bank statements that match your SERMIG story. Spanish forms are the default; ask for slow explanations rather than signing unread stacks.

CuentaRUT (BancoEstado) is designed as an accessible RUN-based account for people who already hold the Chilean ID card. Private banks may offer cuenta vista or full checking with debit cards once compliance likes your file. Remote workers should clarify whether foreign income wires are accepted and which supporting papers the compliance desk wants before you promise a landlord a local transfer date.

Pay rent, gastos comunes, electricity, and fibre from the Chilean account when you can: Utilities, internet, and transport. Keep a small foreign buffer for the months before the cédula arrives, then migrate standing payments so FX fees stop eating the budget: Monthly budget. ClaveÚnica helps with government trámites but is not a bank login; each bank has its own app credentials: Set up ClaveÚnica.

Health contributions and some clinic co-pays also run smoother once payroll or personal payments can reference your RUN: Enrol in public health. Photograph the account contract, save the account number and RUT format exactly, and enable transaction alerts. If a branch rejects you, ask whether the issue is missing residence evidence, incomplete income proof, or an internal product rule, then fix that item instead of hopping banks blindly.