Embajadas, Consulados y Misiones Multilaterales de Chile
To enter into Chile as a tourist you must bear in mind certain information.
Note: All passengers holding passports from Albania, Australia, Canada, the United States and Mexico must pay a Reciprocity Fee before going through International Police.
Foreign Tourists entering the country through customs at border crossings between Chile and Argentina must fill in a form for 'Temporary Exit and Admission of Motor Vehicles' (Chile-Argentina Agreement)
For those tourists entering the country through border crossings between Peru and Bolivia, the Customs Office provides a document called Temporary Import Certificate, requirement for the entry of a motor vehicle into the country.
In both cases, your status as tourist must be accredited at International Police producing updated documents of the motor vehicle and if the driver were not the owner, an authorized Power of Attorney, endorsed by the Chilean Consul at the country of origin.
The temporary import of motor vehicles is valid for up to 90 days, even if the tourist extends its permanency in the country. In case the vehicle continues in national territory shall be presumed to have stayed illegally, pursuant to regulations issued by the National Customs Service of Chile.
In Chile, we drive on the right and wearing a seat belt is mandatory.
For Argentine tourists the Driver's License issued in their country is valid. The rest of the foreigners must produce and International Driver's License issued by the country of origin.
For further information, please visit: www.aduana.cl
Passengers are entitled to carry – upon entry – free of customs duties and taxes, travel items (suitcase, bags, personal effects), clothes, electric toiletry items (shaving machine, hair cutter, hair dryer), personal use items (alarm clock, camera, typewriter and calculator).
Items that are exclusively used in exercising their profession or occupation, provided they are used, portable, manual, of simple manufacture, not requiring any installation for their regular use, and corresponding to the traveler's profession or occupation.
An adult may enter into the country, a maximum of 400 individual cigarettes, 50 individual cigars, 500 grams of pipe tobacco and 2, 5 liters of alcoholic beverages.
Tourists entering the country with personal effects such as film cameras, VCRs, fur or the like, must fill in a temporary import application form, which must be submitted to International Police. This way, you will avoid having to pay customs duty.
The National Customs Service of Chile carries out random inspections aimed at verifying that baggage contains only the aforementioned goods. If other kinds of goods are detected, the offender is brought before the Customs Court, which may order to retain the goods, apply monetary fines and custodial sentences, inclusive.
For further information, please visit: www.aduana.cl
Chile applies a comprehensive sanitary legislation through its Agricultural and Livestock Service (SAG) enforcing the prohibition to carry plant or animal products and by-products in tourists' bags and suitcases.
You must declare all products of plant or animal origin you are carrying upon entering Chile.
Non-compliance with the above obligation shall be fined with 3 to 300 UTM (monthly tax unit).
The steps in the proceeding are:
Noteworthy is to bear in mind that a sworn statement failing to tell the truth constitutes a crime and may be prosecuted by law.
Tourists may enter domestic animals such as cats or dogs, the latter require a Vaccination Certificate against canine distemper and rabies that must be endorsed by the respective Chilean consulate.
For further information, please visit: www.sag.cl
Currently no vaccinations or medical exams are requested to enter Chile.
Water is drinkable, but you must get used to it gradually. We recommend drinking mineral water available in the market.
Santiago is much safer that most Latin American cities, however, as in other large cites you may be the victim of theft and/or mugging. We recommend you not to take unnecessary risks and to be precautious.
In case of emergency call the police (Carabineros) to 133 or appear at the nearer police station. Carabineros personnel wear an olive green uniform, while the army personnel's is grey. Carabineros take great pride in their honesty and we recommend you to ask them for help if facing any problem or simply to ask for information on location of streets.
It is very important to mention bribery (called "coima" in Chile) is not customary, so we recommend you to never even suggest Carabineros a bribe since it may bring you serious consequences.
Website on immigration information at: www.extranjeria.gov.cl
580 San Antonio Street, (Downtown).Opening hours: 9.00 a.m. to 4.00 p.m.
International Police
1052 General Borgoño, Telephone: 737 1292
Opening hours: 8.30 a.m. to 12.30 p.m., and 3.00 p.m. to 6.00 p.m.
For further information on phone numbers and schedules of on-duty and emergency pharmacies, weather forecast, arrivals and departures of domestic and international flights, air quality standard, etc., check the newspaper or please visit: www.sitios.cl