How to send money to Chile in 2026: pesos or dollars in 1-3 business days and an amount matched to a price in the unit of account
Apartments and rent in Chile are priced in an indexed unit of account: on 7 October 2026 it was worth 41,114.54 pesos and it rises every day. We show how to calculate a transfer for a price in units, why you need a Chilean tax number before sending money and which papers the bank asks for when you buy a home.
In short
- Apartment prices and rents in Chile are set in the unit of account: 41,114.54 pesos on 7 October 2026.
- In a month the unit rose by 0.57%, so an apartment priced at 3,000 units went up by $720.
- The Central Bank of Chile rate is 967.79 pesos per dollar on 7 October 2026.
- Buying without a mortgage costs 1-1.5% of the price on top, and a Chilean tax number is required.
In detail
The easiest way to send money to Chile in 2026 is a bank transfer to your own peso or dollar account: it takes 1-3 business days, tax-free. Chile differs in two ways: homes and rent are priced in a unit of account that rises daily, and every account or deal needs a Chilean tax number.
| Method | On 8 October 2026 | Currency | Time | What you need |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bank transfer from abroad to your own account | works | pesos, dollars | 1-3 business days | account number, an 8- or 11-character bank code, name |
| Transfer between banks inside Chile | works around the clock | pesos | minutes | tax number, bank and the recipient's account number |
| Money transfer service to an account | works | pesos, dollars | from minutes to a day | the recipient's name and account number |
| Paying the seller for an apartment | works | pesos at the unit of account value on the payment day | 1-3 business days | notarised contract, tax number, statements on the source of the money |
Dollar amounts at the Central Bank of Chile rate of 7 October 2026: 967.79 pesos per dollar, rounded up. Rows checked on 8 October 2026.
Chile's unit of account: why an apartment's price rises every day
In apartment listings, rental contracts and mortgages in Chile the price is written not in pesos but in the unit of account. The Central Bank of Chile publishes its value for every day: on 7 October 2026 one unit was worth 41,114.54 pesos, and on 7 September 40,883.00. That is 0.57% growth in a month, and an apartment priced at 3,000 units went up by 694,620 pesos, or $720.
An apartment for 3,000 units on 7 October 2026 is $130,000 (123,343,620 pesos). Rent of 15 units a month is $640 (616,718 pesos). So the transfer amount is calculated not from the listed price but from the unit's value on the payment day, plus a 1-2% margin for the unit's growth and dollar rate moves.
The dollar-to-peso rate moves more than the unit itself: on 7 October 2026 a dollar was worth 967.79 pesos, and on 8 October already 979.85. A 1.2% difference in a day on a $130,000 apartment is $1,600. The money arrives on the account in dollars and is changed into pesos on the day you pay the seller or the developer.
Don't want to lose on the rate on the deal day? A specialist will calculate the transfer to Chile for a price in units of account and a payment date, with a margin for rate moves.
A tax number in Chile: where a transfer for an apartment begins
A Chilean tax number is issued by the Internal Revenue Service. Without it you cannot sign a sale contract before a notary, get a bank account or pay the annual property tax. The number is obtained with a passport, and without a trip to Chile through a representative with a notarised power of attorney.
Inside Chile the tax number works as a payment address: in a transfer between banks the sender gives it together with the bank and the recipient's account number. So the number comes first, then the account, and only then the money from abroad.
What it costs to complete a purchase
A purchase without a mortgage costs 1-1.5% of the price on top of the apartment's value: the notary, registering title in the property register where the property is located, and the document check. The annual property tax is about 1% of the assessed value, paid in four instalments. Prices and districts are in buying an apartment in Chile, and an owner's taxes on the taxes in Chile page.
Life in the capital and moving there are covered in the Santiago guide and in relocating to Chile.
Which papers a Chilean bank asks for at different amounts
There is no upper limit on a transfer to Chile; the bank's questions grow with the amount. Data for 2026:
| Amount | What a bank in Chile asks | What to prepare |
|---|---|---|
| Up to $10,000 | the purpose and the link to the recipient | account details and a short explanation |
| $10,000-100,000 | where the money comes from and what it is for | a 3-6 month statement, an income certificate |
| From $100,000 | the whole path of the money up to the deal | the sale contract for a previous home, a tax return, statements |
How to gather source-of-funds papers is covered in proof of source of funds, sending large sums abroad and moving home sale proceeds abroad.
Bringing $100,000 or more to Chile for an apartment in Santiago or a house by the ocean? A manager will prepare source-of-funds documents for the Chilean bank and the notary and carry out the transfer through licensed partners; moving capital as a whole is on the capital relocation page.
From Santiago to other countries: common destinations
From Chile money most often goes to children's studies, a second apartment and family:
- USA - deposits insured up to $250,000 per bank
- Spain - a foreigner's number and euros in 10 seconds
- Argentina - a dollar account and a tax key
- Canada - Canadian dollars to your own account
Sending money to nearby countries
- Argentina - dollars credited in the same amount
- Peru - soles or dollars, your choice
- Bolivia - a free-floating boliviano since June
- Brazil - reais and a 0.38% tax on exchange
- Paraguay - capital moves in and out freely
Countries where capital is moved as a whole are collected on the capital relocation page.
FAQ
How many pesos is one Chilean unit of account in October 2026?
Do you need a Chilean tax number to buy an apartment?
Is an apartment seller in Chile paid in units of account?
How much does completing a home purchase in Chile cost?
What is the dollar rate to the Chilean peso in October 2026?
How long does a transfer from abroad to a Chilean account take?
We will suggest the best way to send your money
We will choose a transfer method for your amount and country, prepare the documents on the origin of the money for the bank, make the transfer through licensed partners and follow it until the money is credited. Ask your question in the chat - the manager will suggest the best terms and the cost. The legal side with banks and government bodies is handled by Murblz specialists and locally licensed partners.
Details and cost are with the manager in the chat. Describe your situation and we will reply right away.
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