On March 5, 2025, the Urban Development Division (the “DDU”) of the Ministerio de Vivienda y Urbanismo issued Ordinary Circular No. 130, DDU No. 535, which revokes a total of 68 general and specific circulars previously issued by that Division.
- Purpose of DDU No. 535.
La DDU N°535 tiene por objeto dejar sin efecto aquellas circulares cuyas instrucciones han perdido vigencia, pertinencia o aplicabilidad, como consecuencia de:
- Modificaciones legales posteriores a la LGUC y la OGUC;
- The repeal of the regulations that those circulars interpreted or implemented;
- Opinions issued by the Contraloría General de la República that modified or superseded the criteria contained in such circulars;
- The expiration of statutory time limits for the application of special laws; and
- Loss of relevance over time.
The initiative seeks to update and simplify the framework of administrative instructions applicable to Municipal Works Directors, Urban Planning Advisors, and other stakeholders involved in the urban planning and permitting system, eliminating instructions that could generate confusion or conflict with current regulations.
- Content of DDU No. 535.
A total of 38 general circulars and 30 specific circulars issued between 1996 and 2025 are revoked. The affected matters can mainly be grouped into the following categories:
- Planificación territorial y planes reguladores[1]: Se dejan sin efecto circulares relativas a los Planes Regionales de Desarrollo Urbano (“PRDU”), derogados por la Ley N°21.074 de Fortalecimiento de la Regionalización; a los Planos Seccionales, en virtud a que hoy aplican los Planos de detalle conforme al artículo 28 ter de la LGUC introducido por la Ley N°20.958; y a procedimientos de elaboración y enmienda de Planes Reguladores Comunales, cuya regulación fue actualizada por los D.S. N°57 del Ministerio de Vivienda y Urbanismo, publicado en el Diario Oficial de fecha 6 de abril de 2023, así como por la Ley N°21.078 sobre Transparencia del Mercado del Suelo y la Ley N°21.807 que modifica diversos cuerpos legales con el objeto de fortalecer y modernizar el sistema de planificación territorial del país.
- Urban Transport Impact Studies (EISTU) and Road Reports All circulars related to Urban Transport System Impact Studies (EISTU) are repealed. Article 2.4.3 of the OGUC, which regulated EISTU, was repealed by Supreme Decree No. 14 of the Ministry of Housing and Urbanism, published on February 22, 2018. EISTU were replaced by Traffic Impact Mitigation Reports (IMIV) under Law No. 20,958. Likewise, the circular concerning Basic Road Reports (IVB) is revoked, as such instruments are no longer part of the regulatory framework of the LGUC and OGUC.
- Condominium Property Several circulars interpreting Law No. 19,537 on Condominium Property are revoked, as that statute has been repealed and replaced by Law No. 21,442, the new Condominium Property Law. DDU No. 535 expressly indicates that the matters addressed in those circulars are now governed by Articles 48, 53, 54, and 66 of Law No. 21,442, as applicable.
- Reglamentación térmica[4]: Se dejan sin efecto las circulares relativas a la zonificación térmica y al listado de soluciones constructivas para acondicionamiento térmico (artículo 4.1.10. de la OGUC), en atención a la entrada en vigencia de la nueva reglamentación térmica introducida por el D.S. N°15 publicado en el Diario Oficial con fecha 9 de julio de 2024, cuyas normas entraron en vigencia el 28 de noviembre de 2025.
- Article 116 of the LGUC and Building Permits DDU No. 519, concerning Article 116 of the LGUC, is repealed following Opinion No. D8 of 2026 issued by the Contraloría General de la República, which reconsidered the criteria previously set forth in Opinion E14360 of 2025, on which that circular had been based.
- Regularization of Buildings and Expired Special Laws Circulars related to building regularization procedures whose enabling statutes have expired are revoked. Notable examples include:
- • Law No. 19,532 – expiration of the period for regularizing educational buildings.
- • Law No. 20,671 – expiration of the period for regularizing social housing extensions.
- • Law No. 21,031, including its extension by Law No. 21,570 – both effective until December 31, 2025, for the regularization of fire station buildings. Projects currently under review before Municipal Works Directorates may continue using the relevant forms.
- • Law No. 19,583, and its extensions under Laws No. 19,667 and No. 19,727 – definitively expired on March 31, 2002.
- • Law No. 20,324 – no longer in force.
- • Law No. 20,563 – no longer in force.
- Article 6.2.9 of the OGUC Circulars relating to Article 6.2.9 of the OGUC are revoked, as that provision was replaced by Supreme Decree No. 21 of the Ministry of Housing and Urbanism, published on September 26, 2025.
- Distribución de la DDU N°535.
According to the circular, its instructions are addressed to authorities and stakeholders involved in the urban planning and construction system, including:
- • Regional Secretariats of the Ministry of Housing and Urbanism (SEREMIs);
- • Municipal Works Directors;
- • Urban Planning Advisors;
- • Municipal Planning Secretaries;
- • Regional Governors;
- • Regional Directors of SERVIU.
The circular was also distributed to major industry associations, including: • the Colegio de Arquitectos de Chile, • the Cámara Chilena de la Construcción, • the Asociación de Oficinas de Arquitectos de Chile, • the Asociación de Desarrolladores Inmobiliarios, • the Asociación Nacional de Revisores Independientes, • the Instituto de la Construcción, • the Asociación Chilena de Municipalidades, and • the Asociación de Municipalidades de Chile, among others.
- Considerations for the Real Estate Sector.
The main implications arising from DDU No. 535 include:
- • Definitive elimination of all administrative instructions related to EISTU and Basic Road Reports (IVB). Projects must now comply exclusively with the Traffic Impact Mitigation Report (IMIV) regime under Law No. 20,958.
- • All instructions based on Law No. 19,537 have been revoked. Condominium projects must now comply fully with Law No. 21,442.
- • Previous thermal zoning and construction solution instructions have been repealed, requiring compliance with the new thermal regulation in force since November 28, 2025.
- • Instructions concerning sectional plans, PRDU, and territorial planning procedures have been updated pursuant to Laws No. 20,958, 21,074, 21,078, and 21,807, and Supreme Decrees No. 57, 4, 25, and 29.
- • DDU No. 519 has been repealed following the reconsideration of Opinion E14360 of 2025 through Opinion No. D8 of 2026 issued by the Comptroller General’s Office. The criteria established by that authority must therefore be followed.
- • Expiration of special building regularization laws is confirmed (Laws No. 19,532, 20,324, 20,563, 20,671, and 21,031), subject to the exception noted for projects already in process under Law No. 21,031.
En caso de requerir información adicional sobre esta materia, puede contactar a Julio Trucco Vera (jtrucco@jdf.cl) y a Germán Guerrero Lehuedé (gguerrero@jdf.cl).
[1] Entre las circulares afectadas se encuentran las DDU N°9, 78, 176, 257, 392, 410, 486, y las Específicas 09-07, 21-08, 20-09, 29-09, 44-09, 02-10 y 06-15.
[2] Circulares afectadas: DDU 114, 253, 397, 426, y Específicas 34-07, 93-07, 25-08, 26-08 y 53-09.
[3] Circulares afectadas: DDU 95, 172, 199, 412, 422, y Específicas 26-07, 44-07, 18-08, 16-09 y 27-09.
[4] Circulares afectadas: DDU 59, 72, y Específica 38-09.
[5] Se deja sin efecto la Específica 40-07, sobre aplicación del artículo 116 de la LGUC y 1.4.2 de la OGUC, por actualización de dicho artículo.
[6] Circulares afectadas: DDU 35, 265, 399, y Específicas 67-07, 28-09, 01-12 y 02-14.
[7] Circulares afectadas: DDU 191 y Específica 81-07.
