Can you bring your household goods to Chile duty-free?

Some laws let people who return or move to Chile bring their household goods without paying import duties and taxes. Whether you qualify depends on who you are and your situation. This check tells you what we found in the official texts, what is missing, and what to prepare.

• Chileans returning — household goods and work tools (Arancel Sección 0, partida 0009.04)A Chilean who lived abroad 6 months or more, without a break, and returns for good can bring used household goods free of duty and IVA up to a small cap in used value (FOB): US$ 675 after 6 to 12 months abroad, US$ 4,050 after more than 1 and up to 5 years (work tools included), US$ 6,750 after more than 5 years (work tools included). The goods must be bought before you return and arrive with you or within 120 days before or after. You can use it once every three years and cannot sell or lend the goods for one year. Most of a container is above these caps: the rest pays the ordinary 6% duty and 19% IVA, so the estimate shows both parts. Service fees and the agent still apply. Our team prepares and files everything.
• Foreigners with a temporary residence visa or contract of one year or more — household goods (Arancel Sección 0, partida 0009.05)A foreigner who enters Chile with a temporary residence visa, or one tied to a work contract, for one year or more can bring used household goods free of duty and IVA up to US$ 6,750 FOB of used value; used work tools up to US$ 2,025 pay 6% duty and no IVA. The goods must be bought before you arrive, come from the country where you lived and arrive with you or within 120 days before or after. You can use it once every three years and cannot sell or lend the goods for one year. Whether a definitive resident or a permit shorter than a year can use it is not written: if your permit is a temporary one or tied to a contract of a year or more, you may qualify and our team confirms your permit with customs before you ship. Above the cap the rest pays the ordinary 6% duty and 19% IVA.
• Chilean officials and employees back from a post abroad — personal effects, household goods and work tools (Arancel Sección 0, partida 00.04)Chilean officials and employees of the foreign ministry, the defence ministry, the police, international organisations Chile belongs to, state companies and state bodies who served abroad for one year or more can bring their used effects, household goods and work tools free of duty and IVA, up to a value (FOB) of 50% of the pay they earned abroad, with a minimum of US$ 5,000 and a maximum of US$ 25,000. The goods must come from the country where you lived and have been bought before your duties ended. You ask the customs director within 60 days of the end of your duties and the goods arrive within 90 days of the resolution. Above the cap the rest pays the ordinary 6% duty and 19% IVA. Staff of international organisations can use it only once. Our team prepares and files the request.
• Foreign diplomats — effects and household goods within the installation or annual quota (Arancel Sección 0, partida 00.05)Heads of mission and the staff of embassies and consular posts accredited in Chile can bring effects for their use and consumption free of duty up to a quota in customs value: an installation quota in the first 12 months from accreditation (US$ 120,000 for heads of mission, US$ 80,000 for embassy staff, US$ 25,000 once for administrative and technical staff) and an annual quota afterwards (US$ 15,000 and US$ 5,000). The quotas include cars. The franchise is granted only with reciprocity, to a non-Chilean who carries out no other gainful activity, with the "Formulario de Liberación" of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. IVA is also exempt for diplomats under the conventions Chile signed. Above the quota the rest pays the ordinary import taxes. Our team prepares the request with you.
• Staff of international organisations — assimilated to diplomatic levels by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (partida 00.05 / 00.30)Officials of international organisations accredited in Chile are assimilated by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, after review, to the diplomatic levels each organisation reports, and the goods the treaty names enter under partida 00.30 as the treaty says. IVA is exempt for international officials under the conventions Chile signed. Which quota applies to your move depends on the assimilation and on your headquarters agreement, and the procedure was read only on an old Aduanas page: no amount, quota or deadline is shown. Our team confirms the requirements for your case before you ship.

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