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Chile - Patagonia Tours & Travel | Traveling To Chile

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Traveling To Chile

Passport and visa requirements

A valid passport is required to enter and leave Chile. A visa is not required for citizens of the USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and most Western European countries, if visiting for less than 90 days. It is the passenger's responsibility to check with local immigration offices or the Chilean consulate prior to travel to determine up-to-date entry requirements. For more information see www.passportexpress.com or www.chile-usa.org

Immunizations

The following vaccinations are recommended when visiting any area of Chile:

Hepatitis A
Hepatitis B
Tetanus-diphtheria and measles (as needed booster doses)
Typhoid
The Centers for Disease Control provides immunization information for travel in Latin America. www.cdc.gov

Customs

Entry During the flight to Santiago, a flight attendant distributes a Chile entrance form to all passengers. At Customs, travelers are asked to show the completed form along with their passport and are asked how many days they plan to be in Chile. Normally, the passport will be stamped, indicating a permissible stay of 90 days, renewable for another 90 days. A copy of the Customs form will be returned to the traveler.
When arriving by air, US citizens must pay a reciprocity fee of $100US (cash or credit card accepted) which is considered a multiple entry visa valid for the life of the passport. The Chilean government levies this fee in response to one levied by the US for processing visas for Chilean nationals. Canadians pay a $55US entry fee, payable in cash or credit card, also valid for the life of the passport; and Australians $30US, payable in cash and valid for 90 days. There is no fee for EU or New Zealand residents.
Exit There is a departure tax of $30US on international flights and $8US for domestic flights.

Exchanging currency

The Peso is the official currency of Chile. Current exchange rate information is available on our website under "Traveler Information." Visa and MasterCard are the most recognized credit cards in Chile. American Express is less widely accepted. ATM machines (Visa/MasterCard/Cirrus/Plus), with directions in English, are widely available 24 hours a day in all major cities and large towns providing a convenient and economical way to obtain pesos. Hotels exchange money, and most offer safe-keeping for valuables. On trips of two weeks or less, we recommend carrying only US cash in $20 denominations to exchange as needed. Before departure, we send booked passengers a packet of trip information that contains operating hours for money exchange offices (Casas de Cambio) and more money tips.

Using electricity

In all of Chile, the electricity is 220 volts and 50 cycles. To use 110-volt American-made electrical appliances in Chile (for a hairdryer or to recharge digital camera batteries, etc.), bring plug adapters and a voltage transformer. For video cameras, we suggest packing an extra set of charged batteries.

For questions about our trips to the Chile side of Patagonia, please see Frequently Asked Questions about our Trips to Patagonia.

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