Rights and Duties of Chilean Citizens

The Chilean Constitution, adopted in 1980 and updated in 2019, serves as the founding document that defines both the individual rights and the duties of every Chilean.

Foreign nationals who have taken up Chilean citizenship, or who are planning to do so, need to understand that along with rights they also acquire a certain list of duties, failure to fulfill which can lead to administrative or criminal liability.

Rights of Chilean Citizens

The right to life in Chile is a fundamental principle enshrined in the constitution and protected by the country's laws. From birth, people have inalienable rights and freedoms, including the right to life, which must be protected and cannot be arbitrarily violated.

Chilean law attaches particular importance to life at its earliest stages. The government seeks to safeguard and protect the rights of unborn children. This involves taking the measures necessary to ensure the health and safety of expectant mothers and their children.

The death penalty has been abolished in Chile, and this decision reflects the high human rights standards adopted in the country.

The Chilean Constitution also enshrines the following civil rights:

• Equality before the law. All citizens are equal before the law, with no privileged groups.
• The right to legal protection. Everyone has the right to legal defense and the ability to consult a lawyer.
• Protection of private life. Respect for personal life and protection of citizens' personal data.
• Inviolability of the home. Searches and forced entry are only permitted in cases established by law.
• Freedom of movement. The right to move around and stay anywhere in the country while complying with the law.
• Prohibition of arbitrary arrest. No one may be unlawfully detained or arrested.
• The right to health protection. Access to medical services and protection of citizens' health.
• The right to education. Everyone has the right to schooling.
• Freedom of expression without prior censorship.
• Freedom of labor. The right to freely choose a profession and receive fair pay.
• The right to social security.
• The right to property. This concerns acquiring, using and disposing of tangible and intangible assets.

The government of Chile exists to serve the people, protecting citizens' rights and promoting the common good of the nation. The purpose of the Chilean Constitution is to create the social conditions under which every citizen can realize their spiritual and material potential to the fullest.

The state must actively protect national security, which includes protecting citizens' rights, their rights to life, liberty and personal inviolability. It is obliged to ensure the protection of the population and families, striving to strengthen social cohesion and the harmonious integration of most segments of society.

Every Chilean citizen must have equal opportunities to take part in the life of the country, including access to education, healthcare and social services.

Thus, the state bears responsibility for creating conditions in which every citizen can develop freely and contribute to the prosperity of society, thereby strengthening Chile's democratic foundations.

Duties of Chilean Citizens

The Chilean Constitution sets out the key duties of citizens that ensure stable and harmonious development of society. These obligations are aimed at creating the basic conditions for raising, educating and protecting the rights and freedoms of all members of society. Each citizen's sense of responsibility, in turn, contributes to shaping an active and conscious civil society.

Let's look at the basic list of duties:

• Raising children. Parents must raise their children with respect for family and cultural values, which forms the basis for cultivating civic-mindedness.
• Education. Children are required to receive basic and secondary education, which guarantees their personal and professional development. The state, for its part, is obliged to fund this system and ensure access to education for everyone. Responsibility for fulfilling this obligation falls on the parents.
• Contribution to education. Society must actively participate in developing and improving the education system, supporting initiatives aimed at improving the quality of knowledge.
• Respect for national symbols. Every resident is required to respect the country's national symbols (anthem, coat of arms and flag), which strengthens the sense of unity and patriotism among citizens.
• Military service. There are some minor legislative inconsistencies on this point. Since 2009, the government has recommended using contract-based enlistment for people aged 18 to 45 (both men and women). But mandatory conscription remains applicable to men aged 18-45 in special circumstances (war, border conflicts, natural disasters, civil unrest).
• Registration of firearms. Chileans who own firearms are required to register them, which ensures control over their use and compliance with the law.
• Paying taxes. Citizens are required to pay taxes proportional to their income, which forms the financial basis of the state and its social programs.

It should also be remembered that all Chilean citizens without exception, as well as foreigners temporarily or permanently residing on the territory of the country, are required to comply with the requirements of current legislation. Ignorance of applicable legal norms does not exempt anyone from liability.

If you have already obtained a passport or are only planning to take up Chilean citizenship, we recommend seeking assistance from the specialists at MIRBEZVIZ. This is especially relevant if you are planning to add to your family in the near future, since in Chile a child receives citizenship based on their place of birth. We will advise you on obtaining a residence permit for parents and citizenship for children, and will also help you choose a suitable clinic.