Passengers must hold a Tourist Card (issued free of charge on arrival for 90 days) and sufficient funds to cover intended period of stay. A return or onward ticket is not required if holding a credit card or sufficient funds to purchase a ticket. Passengers with a passport from
Australia,
Canada,
United States or
Mexico are required to pay a reciprocity tax on entering
Santiago airport before passing through Customs. Fees are US$61 for Australians, US$132 for Canadians, US$131 for US nationals and US$23 for Mexican passport holders. This tax must be paid in US dollars cash; it is paid once and
remains valid until the passport expires (for Canadians and Americans) or for three months (for Mexicans and Australians).
Americans: No visa is required by US nationals for visits of up to 90 days, but a US$131 reciprocity fee, payable in USD cash on arrival, will be charged for tourists. The receipt is regarded as a multiple entry visa and is valid until expiry of passport. A passport is required for travel to
Chile.
UK nationals: UK nationals do not require a visa for visits of up to 90 days. A passport is required.
Canadians: No visa is required by Canadians for visits of up to 90 days, but a US$132 reciprocity fee, payable in USD cash on arrival, will be charged for tourists. The receipt is regarded as a multiple entry visa and is valid until expiry of passport. A passport is required for travel to Chile.
Australians: No visa is required by Australians for visits of up to 90 days, but a US$61 reciprocity fee, payable in USD cash on arrival, will be charged for tourists. The receipt is regarded as a multiple entry visa and is valid for three months. A passport is required.
South Africans: South African nationals must hold a passport. A visa is not required for stays of up to 90 days.
Irish nationals: Irish nationals must hold a passport, but a visa for a stay of up to 90 days is not required.
New Zealanders: New Zealand nationals must hold a passport. A visa is not required for a stay of up to 90 days.
Health
There are no vaccination requirements for entry to Chile, but a typhoid vaccine is recommended for travelers other than short term travelers who restrict their meals to major restaurants, hotels or cruise ships. Dengue fever is on the increase and visitors should take precautions against mosquito bites. Water is generally safe in the cities, but should be treated in the rural areas; bottled water is widely available for drinking. Santiago is severely polluted and this could cause respiratory problems or eye irritations, particularly from May to August. Travelers visiting the
Andes Mountains should be aware of altitude sickness, and ascend slowly to allow the body to adjust. Health care in urban areas is adequate, but hospitals and clinics are extremely expensive and usually require payment in cash. Health insurance is strongly recommended.
Safety
Chile is a politically stable country with very few threats to the traveller. Incidences of pick pocketing and mugging are on the increase and travelers should take care of their belongings, especially around tourist areas and bus stations, and avoid walking alone late at night. Tourists should be particularly cautious in the Lake District as theft is on the increase, and muggings are becoming more common in popular walking areas such as
Cerro San Cristobal, Cerro Santa Lucia and Cerro Manquehue. There has been an increase in reports regarding people receiving spiked drinks at nightclubs and bars particularly in Santiago. Avoid any involvement in demonstrations, which take place from time to time. Chile has a landmine problem, mainly restricted to border areas adjacent to
Peru and
Bolivia in regions I and II, and
Argentina in region XII, and also in wilderness areas in those regions. Visitors are advised to stick to marked roads, obey all signs and seek the advise of local authorities if traveling to the border areas of regions I, II or XII. A powerful earthquake hit northern Chile on 14 November 2007 injuring hundreds. The Chaiten volcano erupted on 2 May 2008 resulting in major ash fall and the evacuation of residents in the areas of Chaiten and Futaleufu. The exclusion zone has been reduced to 15 miles (24km) surrounding the volcano, but it is still active and visitors are warned that a threat still exits.
