Banking and payments in Chile: first the cédula, then the CuentaRUT
The simplest Chilean account, BancoEstado's CuentaRUT, can only be opened once your cédula is ready. It is for anyone with a valid cédula, without an income requirement and without fixed charges. Until then you pay with your Dutch card. Cash above 10,000 dollars you declare to customs on arrival.
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For the simplest account in Chile you need your cédula de identidad. According to ChileAtiende, BancoEstado's CuentaRUT is open to any Chilean or foreigner with a valid cédula, from age 12. You do not have to show any income. Because you only collect the cédula about 20 working days after your appointment at the Registro Civil, you pay with your Dutch card for the first weeks.
| What | Amount or rule |
|---|---|
| Opening and keeping a CuentaRUT | free |
| Account number | your RUN without the check digit |
| Transfers to other banks | free since 15 April 2026 |
| Cash withdrawal at another bank | 300 pesos |
| Paying or withdrawing abroad | 1.9% of the amount, at least US$ 0.5 |
| Money abroad through the app | at most US$ 5,000 a month per recipient |
| First transfer to a new recipient | at most US$ 300 in the first 24 hours |
| Cash on arrival | above 10,000 dollars declare to customs |
How do you open a CuentaRUT?
You fill in the form on BancoEstado's website, or use the app, with your cédula. You then sign the contract and collect the card at a BancoEstado or BancoEstado Express office. If you are under 18, you come with a parent or legal representative. The account number is your RUN, without the check digit; see registration and numbers.
The account is a current account with a debit card. Transfers within BancoEstado and to other banks, cash withdrawals at BancoEstado and card payments are free. If you want to use the card abroad, you first switch that on in the app or on the website. A new card after loss or theft costs 1,000 pesos at the counter, or 4,900 pesos if it is delivered to your home. The contract runs indefinitely; you and the bank can end it at any time.
What works without a cédula?
Some of it. As a tourist you buy, rent and pay with your passport; according to the SII you need no RUT for that. An international payment order at a BancoEstado office can, according to ChileAtiende, be made with a cédula or with a valid passport. Only the CuentaRUT itself waits for the cédula.
How do you send money to the Netherlands?
With the BancoEstado app you can send money to, among others, the European Union, with the Netherlands ("Holanda") among the countries listed. According to ChileAtiende the maximum is US$ 5,000 a month per user and per recipient. For a new recipient at most US$ 300 can go in the first 24 hours, and the transfer is held for three hours for a check. The money arrives within five minutes to three working days. At an office you can also give an international payment order, with your cédula or passport; it takes about 72 working hours.
The bank may call you to check a transfer, but according to ChileAtiende it never asks for passwords or financial details. If you get such a request, it is not the bank.
What do you do with money you bring?
If on arrival you carry cash or negotiable instruments above 10,000 dollars, or the equivalent in another currency, you report to customs to fill in a declaration. That is in the Aduana's frequently asked questions. See also household goods to Chile.
If you want to invest in Chile before you live there, for example in a term deposit, you need a RUT according to the SII. Anyone without a domicile in Chile who receives income from such an investment appoints a representative in the country.
Why keep your Dutch account?
Because your AOW and pension come from the Netherlands, and in the first weeks everything runs through your Dutch card. Whether your bank may close your account when you live outside the EU, and how to keep your DigiD, is in keeping your bank account and DigiD. How your AOW and pension are taxed in Chile is in AOW, pension and tax. When to arrange what is in the first weeks.
In Vertrekklaar this is phase 5 of 5 of the journey, step 5.3: the same steps, but for your situation — in your order, tickable, and with the deadlines watched. See the whole journey to Chile or go straight to step 5.3 in the open plan.
What this rests on
The facts in this article come from these official pages. Rules change. When in doubt, go by the source, not this article.
- ChileAtiende — BancoEstado's CuentaRUT, conditions and charges — chileatiende.gob.cl
- ChileAtiende — sending money from Chile abroad, with the limits — chileatiende.gob.cl
- ChileAtiende — the cédula de identidad para extranjeros, cost and delivery time — chileatiende.gob.cl
- Aduana — frequently asked questions for travellers, cash above 10,000 dollars — aduana.cl
- SII — a RUT for anyone investing without a domicile in Chile, including in term deposits — sii.cl
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