Chile Environmental Assessment Regulatory System
A key component of advancing projects in Chile is understanding the complexity of Chile’s Environmental Assessment System (Sistema Evaluación de Impacto Ambiental or SEIA). SEIA, established under Law No. 19,300 on General Environmental Bases and regulated by the SEIA Regulations, is a regulatory framework designed to evaluate and mitigate the environmental effects of projects and activities. According to Chilean authorities, it aims to ensure sustainable development while safeguarding ecosystems, public health, and cultural heritage.
U.S. companies interested in pursuing projects in Chile may be subject to environmental permitting and reviews. Understanding Chile’s Environmental Assessment System (SEIA) is an important step in growing your business with Chile.
In 2024, environmental permitting in Chile lasted an average of between 386 days for Environmental Impact Declaration (Declaración de Impacto Ambiental or DIA) and 1,051 days for Environmental Impact Study (Estudio de Impacto Ambiental, or EIA). The Chilean government has recently made efforts to improve the timeliness of the environmental permitting process through a proposal to eliminate the last step, which requires the presentation of the project to, and vote of, the Committee of Ministers. However, it’s unclear when this change would happen and by how much this may impact the amount of time needed for the environmental permitting process. The main steps of the SEIA are:
1. Determining the need for a SEIA evaluation based on Article 10 of Law No. 19,300 and Article 3 of the SEIA Regulations.
2. Submission of an evaluation instrument
The project owner must prepare and submit one of the following instruments, depending on the project’s nature and scope:
• Environmental Impact Declaration (DIA)
• Environmental Impact Study (EIA)
3. Servicio de Evaluación Ambiental (SEA) Admissibility review
4. SEA Technical evaluation process
5. Citizen participation (when applicable)
6. Opinions from agencies with environmental competence
7. Consolidation and Environmental Qualification Resolution (Resolución de calificación ambiental or RCA)
8. Monitoring and follow-up of remediation measures in the RCA
9. Access to appeals with the Committee of Ministers or the Environmental Court
Please refer to SEIA Webpage where you can find updated information and file your applications.
Please note that circumstances are likely to vary for individual companies, and it is advisable to work with an in-country agent or representative to have an on-the-ground presence to help manage this process. Commercial Service Chile is ready to help qualified U.S. companies connect with potential agents or representatives in Chile.
The U.S. Commercial Service in Chile can help you find the projects within your company’s area of focus that may be a good fit for your company.