How to homologate your cell phone purchased outside of Chile?

If you purchased a cell phone outside of Chile, or any other device such as a tablet, smartwatch, or GPS, you must certify it so that it can be used with any telephone company in Chile.

If you install a chip from any Chilean telephone company in your foreign device without having it certified, you will receive a message warning you that you must have it certified within a certain period of time, otherwise it will be blocked.

Approving your cell phone isn't that complicated, but you do need to follow a series of procedures and keep certain deadlines in mind to ensure everything goes smoothly.

For your convenience, at GSMPRO.CL we offer a homologation service to enable foreign cell phones and other devices in Chile in just 24 hours. All you need to provide are three pieces of information: manufacturer, model, and IMEI.

In this article, we'll tell you everything you need to do to get your cell phone approved for certification if you purchased it outside of Chile.

What is cell phone homologation?

Cell phone homologation involves registering the device in a government system to report the entry of foreign equipment into the country. If you don't register it, the device will be blocked within 30 days of inserting a Chilean SIM card, or 90 days if a foreign SIM card is identified.

You can do this process yourself for free with a little patience, or you can hire a trusted service provider and pay to have it approved within 24 hours without requiring extensive documentation.

Step by step to homologate your cell phone in Chile yourself

1. You need to have some documents on hand and loaded on your PC, such as:

• Your identity card
• The cell phone purchase receipt to identify the IMEI (International Mobile Equipment Identity) of the device.

Please note that the receipt or invoice is required if the device is new. If you purchase a used device from a store like eBay, you'll need the purchase confirmation email to identify the IMEI. If it doesn't appear, it's not a problem because it's considered a secondhand device, and you'll need to search for it inside the device.

2. Go to the multibanda.cl website and find the model of the cell phone you want to homologate.
3. Fill out all the requested information, such as: name, ID number, contact phone number, email address, phone brand, and IMEI. Some phones have two IMEIs: one physical and one virtual.
4. Select the type of record, this can be:

• Registration of a Chilean who traveled abroad
• Buy online
• Registration by a third party
• Registration for foreigners.

One tip I can give you for this step is that if you purchase from an online store, you'll save yourself a series of steps and paperwork.

5. Upload the requested documents, such as a photo of your ID (both sides) or passport. You'll also be asked to upload a digital receipt or invoice.
6. Identify the IMEI on your device and take a screenshot to attach to the requested documents.
7. Check that you have read and agree to all terms.
8. Finally, apply for registration.

You will receive an email confirming your registration and the wait time, approximately 2 weeks.

Although the steps are often complicated, at GSMPRO.CL we've simplified the process. Now, with just one click here , you can access our homologation service. All we need is for you to provide the make, model, and IMEI of your device to carry out the process quickly and efficiently. In just 24 hours, you'll have your device homologated.