Chile is well-known for its breathtaking geography, deep-rooted Inca heritage, and the iconic moai statues of Easter Island. However, the country is also setting ambitious goals in identity verification. As Omar Morales, the national director of the Civil Registry, states, Chile aims to "be among the five countries with the best identification level in the world.”
In 2024, the country took a major leap forward by enhancing the security features of its passports and national ID cards. For the first time in history, these documents also became available in digital format.
What makes Chilean IDs stand out in the global context? We’ll explore that in this blog post.
The challenges of processing Chilean IDs
As is often the case following updates, various series of identity documents are now in circulation in Chile. Their diverse and bright designs add a layer of complexity to online identity verification.
Let’s dive deeper.
Updated passports with vibrant design
Since 2013, all Chilean passports have been biometric. These documents include information in both Spanish and English and, as of February 1, 2020, have adopted the ICAO-recommended 10-year validity term. Previously, Chilean citizens needed to renew their passports every five years. By the way, passports are primarily used for international travel, making them uncommon in domestic verification contexts.
In 2024, the passport got another update, introducing changes to its design and security features.
The Chilean passport 2024 series features a new design, enhanced security features, and a navy blue cover for regular documents, replacing the previous burgundy red.
The new Chilean passport includes 70 security features, such as an MLI ghost portrait, OVI elements, and a Braille identifier on the polycarbonate data page, allowing visually impaired individuals to verify their documents. By the way, the presence of dynamic security features can be checked during liveness detection.
This vibrant background of the data page is visually striking, but it’s essential to fine-tune image capture algorithms in online identity verification solutions. The intricate details and vivid colors may make it difficult for some users to take a clear, focused image on the first attempt.
A high-quality scan is also crucial due to the presence of diacritic symbols like ñ, á, and é in data fields and names. This advice applies to documents from any Spanish-speaking country, including Argentina and Mexico.
Speaking of Chilean names, they can often be too long to fit entirely in the machine-readable zone (MRZ). Many Chilean people have a first name, middle name, paternal last name, and maternal last name. This aspect of the verification task can be handled by partially matching data between the visual inspection zone and the MRZ.
Another machine-readable feature in the passport is the RUN (Rol Único Nacional), a unique nine-digit identification number given by every Chilean resident. It includes a check digit that IDV software can use for verification.
Multiple ID card series in circulation
Chilean national identification cards (Cédula de identidad) are more commonly used for online IDV purposes than passports. They also serve as travel documents for Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Paraguay, Peru, and Uruguay. This document is mandatory for all residents of Chile, including international students and workers aged 18 or older.
The Chilean ID card is a Spanish-only biometric document made of polycarbonate. It contains standard personal information, such as the holder’s name and residency address, and has a 10-year validity period.
Like the passport, the ID card was updated in 2024. The current version resembles a more compact version of the passport, sharing the same background design and several security features. For example, it includes the same violet OVI “chip inside” emblem on the front, and Braille text on the reverse side.
The Chilean ID card was updated in 2024, adopting a more passport-like design.
The updated ID card contains the holder’s profession, a digitally printed fingerprint, and the RUN, verified similarly to the passport through a check digit. On the reverse side, there is a QR code with personal information such as the RUN, document number, date of birth, and expiration date. Authorized inspectors can use the QR code to access this information via a government website.
Starting December 16, 2024, Chilean citizens will be able to obtain a digital ID card and passport in addition to the physical documents. Obtaining these digital documents will be voluntary, and will complement the current physical formats.
Chilean residence permits (Residencia Temporal) have the same design and data as national ID cards. Foreigners are also required to have a RUN, which is mandatory for all residents in Chile.
Chilean residence permits resemble national ID cards but feature the “Extranjero” (“Foreign” in English) inscription at the top of the front page. Also, the visa type is specified instead of the Place of birth (Nació en) field on the reverse side.
The main difference between a regular ID card and a residence permit is the validity period. While ID cards are always valid for 10 years, residence permits may have varying validity terms, ranging from several months to five years. The latter is common for permits issued to seasonal workers.
Laminated driver’s licenses
The recent updates didn’t affect Chilean driver’s licenses (Licencias de conducir), which are still based on the 2003 series.
Unlike passports and ID cards, Chilean driver’s licenses have remained unchanged since 2003.
As with all laminated, paper-based identity documents, verifying driver’s licenses online can be challenging due to glare when scanned with a smartphone. These documents are in Spanish only, so capturing a clear image is essential, especially to address issues with diacritic symbols.
What’s more, Chilean driver’s licenses may use various font styles and sizes, which can confuse IDV algorithms.
Driver’s licenses in Chile are divided into three main categories, specified at the top front side:
Non-professional: A1-A5 classes
Professional: B, C, CR classes
Special: D, E, F classes
The validity of a license depends on its class, ranging from two to seven years. However, all licenses require the holder to be at least 18 years old.
In addition to standard personal data, the licenses include donor status. The printed license number is also encoded in a 1D barcode on the reverse side.
Interestingly, individuals listed in the Registry of Offending Passengers (RPI) can’t obtain a driver’s license in Chile. If someone is registered, their case details are displayed, while information about third parties can only be accessed via the RUN.
How to effectively process Chilean IDs
In conclusion, companies verifying Chilean residents online should consider the following:
Updated document templates: The 2024 updates to Chilean passports and ID cards require up-to-date specimens in the document template database. Regula provides these along with over 14,600 templates from 251 countries and territories.
Spanish language support for OCR algorithms: Since most Chilean IDs are Spanish-only, it’s essential to ensure your OCR algorithms are optimized for Spanish. For global companies operating in Chile, offering Spanish as a language option in IDV apps is also highly beneficial.
Image quality assessment and advanced image capture: The updated Chilean passport and ID card feature intricate and colorful designs on the data pages. To capture these details accurately, high-quality scans are necessary. Pre-processing tools, like those in Regula Document Reader SDK, ensure perfect image capture on the first attempt.
Learn more about Regula’s solutions for digital verification of Chilean IDs.
