Chile Forum

Hi all,
As you can see I'm entirely new to this, but this definitely seems to be the place to seek out advice. I'm British, 23 and currently working in London. However, I really would love to move to South America to work for a few years (if not longer) within the next couple of years. So, I have a few questions:

1)Would you recommend Chile as a good choice?
2)How difficult is it to find work in Chile for a Brit?
3)How difficult is it to establish a life if you move over on your own (which I will be doing)?
4)Would you guys who have taken the plunge recommend it?

Any advice would be greatly appreciated - I have always had a fascination with South America and truly think that may be where I am supposed to be! I speak fairly good Spanish, and I'm currently working hard at improving it so hopefully would be at a good standard before the move.

Thanks in advance!

Search is your friend, these questions have been answered many many times.

Work visas anywhere in South America are a red tape hassle and you need someone to offer a work contract in order to get them. The cost is usually reciprocal and the UK has one of the highest price tags for a work contract visa, nearly US$1000. You need some skills to offer and should have very good Spanish.

There is a PDF link under Valor y Tiempo de las Visas ( Obtener Cuadro de Visaciones). There you can see the different costs of different visas. You are Reino Unido. As a tourist there is no cost to enter Chile for UK citizens.

http://www.minrel.gob.cl/prontus_minrel ... 154024.php

Sorry, forgot the link the first time around.

patagoniax wrote:

Beranda wrote:Hi all,
.....would love to move to South America to work for a few years

Why? Why not Albania or Andorra or Zambia? Or Paraguay?

Beranda wrote: Would you recommend Chile as a good choice?

No

Beranda wrote:
How difficult is it to find work in Chile for a Brit?

Impossible. Ever since your folks locked up Pinochet while he was visiting, Poms have been forbidden here. Besides, what you do, nobody wants or needs or is willing to pay anything for.

Beranda wrote:
How difficult is it to establish a life if you move over on your own (which I will be doing)?

Impossible. There is no oxygen here.

Beranda wrote:
Would you guys who have taken the plunge recommend it?

No. Is it possible to un-plunge?

Thanks for that extremely helpful reply.


On the Visa note - is it difficult to get a work visa if you have a skill to offer? I have accounting and business qualifications. I will make sure my Spanish is very good before I try to go. Is it just Chile where there are difficulties, or does it range across the majority of Latin American countries?

Thanks for any (helpful) advice provided

Just added a link re visas above which I had forgotten.

If you can show a job offer and have a degree, there is a Visa Temporaria for professionals you can apply for. You only have to show an offer, you don't have to work for that company, unlike a Sujeto a Contrato visa that only allows you to work for the company that gives you the contract.

Unfortunately, if you look at older posts, you will come to realize that it is getting a job offer that is not going to be easy. So much of getting hired here is pitutos, or who you know. If you have only recently arrived and don't have any connections, it is tough to even get an interview.

Just a suggestion: Try getting a working holiday job in Spain and see what dealing with a foreign bueracracy, foreign attitudes and foreign laws is like a little closer to home, then if you cope with that, assume that it will all be at least twice as difficult (and the Spanish almost incomprehensible) in Chile. Then give it a go. You're young, you've got time to explore the world.

Don´t worry mate; I´m also from the UK , and if you have accounting/financial qualifications you´ll have no problem; it also helps that you speak some Spanish. While working in the major accounting firms may not be attractive long term, it´s a good way to get into the system and from there you shouldn´t find it difficult to get yourself a different job. The big companies, KPMG etc are crying out for fluent English speaking accountants, as the locals, while qualified , generally have a poor level of English and as a lot of their work is with foreign owned companies, they have problems communicating. I know of two other young Brits, one moved out here just over 2 years ago on spec, with no idea whatsover as to what Chile was like, with his wife and 2 suitcases , and both found jobs very quickly ( they aren´t accountants). The other moved over about one year ago and has experience in credit insurance. He also got a job within a couple of weeks just by writing to a local branch of an international insurance company, who got him in immediately for an interview and he literally started the next day. Once you have your job offer, you´ll have no problem with getting your work permit.