Chile Getting There & Away

Getting There & Away

Please be aware that American citizens need a valid passport to enter the country, no visa is necessary. Regarding entry fees, there is a reciprocity fee of 100 dollars to be paid in U.S. dollars or credit cards (Mastercard, Visa and American Express). This entry fee is for only for tourists entering by plane, and the one-time charge is good for the life of your passport. When entering Chile (By cruise, vehicle or plane), at customs, travelers will need to fill out a tourist card that allows visitors to stay for up to 90 days. Travelers will have to present the tourist card to Custom officials when leaving the country. Be aware that hotels waive Chile's 18% sales tax applied to rooms when the guest shows this card and pays with U.S. dollars. On flights leaving Chile, there is an airport tax of US$18, or the equivalent in Chilean Pesos. On domestic flights, airport tax is included in the airline ticket. Agriculture is very important to Chile, and to avoid contamination all passengers entering Chile are not allowed to carry fruits, vegetable, meats, eggs, honey, etc., not even an apple! so don't bring them to Chile. By plane The most common entry point for oversea visitors is the international airport of the capital Santiago. There are airports in major towns but Santiago offers the best connections. LAN Airlines in Chile's flagship airline. By bus If you are already in South America a cheaper and still reliable way is to go by bus to Chile. Chile has borders with Argentina (daily bus from Mendoza), Peru (bus from Arequipa) and Bolivia.