RUN, RUT, Carnet, Carné…What’s the difference?

RUN (“Rol Único Nacional”)

It is the unique and unrepeatable identification number that every Chilean has, whether residing in Chile or not, as well as every foreigner remaining temporary or definitely in Chile (25.XXX.XXX – X).

The organism in Chile in charge of granting the RUN (shown in the “cédula de identidad”) is the Civil Registry and Identification Service (“Servicio de Registro Civil e Identificación”).

Identity Card

The Identity Card (“cédula de identidad”) is the document that contains your Rol Único Nacional, full name, nationality, sex, date of birth, document number, date of issue, expiry date, signature, profession and type of visa in case of being a foreigner. It must be renewed every 5 to 10 years depending on the age of the holder in case of being Chilean, every 5 years in case of being a foreigner with Permanent Residency in Chile and every 1 or 2 years in case of being a foreigner with a temporary visa.

RUT (“Rol Único Tributario”)

All natural and legal persons, in addition to entities or groups without legal personality, but susceptible to being subject to taxes, who because of their activity or condition may cause taxes in Chile, must be registered at the Rol Único Tributario. The organism in charge of making, maintaining and updating this registry is the Servicio de Impuestos Internos.

RUT’s registration for foreigners

All foreigners without domicile nor residence in Chile wanting to make any kind of investment within the country must be previously registered at the Rol ÚnicoTributario. In order to do so, they will have to present their passport, identity card from the country of origin (if Chile has an agreement that doesn’t require the passport), or Chilean identity card (if already obtained) and fill the RUT’s registration form (Form N° 4415).

Foreigners with domicile and residence in Chile must also complete the registration process at the Rol Único Tributario and Initiation of Activities when applicable.

What the Servicio de Impuestos Internos considers as “investments” are, among others: the purchase of shares and real estate, acquisition of goods (vehicles) or rights that require special formalities and their registration in public records.

The physical RUT contains the name or company name in case of being a legal entity, the RUT number and date of issue.

When RUN and RUT numbers match

The RUN and RUT numbers will be the same only in the case of natural persons, whether they are Chile nationals or foreigners.

Carné, carnet…

The word “carné” is used in Spain to refer to “the document issued in favor of a person, contaning his/her photograph and which allows its holder to carry out certain activities or proves being a member of a certain group” (RAE – Dictionary of the Spanish Royal Academy), and which has its origin in the French word “carnet” (“notebook”).

Both words are used also in Chile (former Spanish colony) in order to refer to the identity card (cédula de identidad) or driver’s license (licencia de conducir).