Chile Forum

by **jalundberg** » Mon Mar 03, 2008 9:57 pm

I was just wondering if I would have any problems entering Chile on a tourist visa with one-way ticket. Will I be required to show a ticket to leave the country that is within the 90-day tourist visa period? Any info on this subject would be much appreciated.

by **Chuck J 3.0** » Mon Mar 03, 2008 11:51 pm

It's not a problem. One way is OK. Most travel agents will want to sell you a roundtrip ticket but you don't need it.

If you have a USA passport you will have to pay a 100 dollar "reciprocity" fee on entry before they will stamp your passport. British? no reciprocity fee. Canadian, I dunno if they pay or not. This is only the first time though, it's good for the life of your passport. Don't lose that little piece of paper they attach to your passport or it will cost you to replace it.

The 90 day tourist visa is how a lot of people live in Chile. I know one guy that's lived here for 7 years like that. Every 90 days I go over the border on a "visa run." Makes a nice little mini-vacation.

Plenty of info on this subject in past threads here.

by **eeuunikkeiexpat** » Tue Mar 04, 2008 12:36 am

Oh my favorite rant.

OK, here's the deal. IT IS NOT CHILE IMMIGRATIONS THAT MAY GIVE YOU A PROBLEM IT IS THE AIRLINE.

The real legal deal according to TIMATIC, the database the entire travel industry uses to determine entry and other requirements:.

(bold and large emphasis mine)

the public interface of Timatic wrote:
/ 04MAR08 / 0311 UTC

National U.S.A. (US) /Destination CHILE (CL)

CHILE (CL)

Passport required.

Visa not required for a stay of max. 90 days.
(Extension of 90 days possible).

Passengers entering for touristic purposes are charged a

reciprocity fee of USD 100.- (in cash).
The receipt issued upon payment of the reciprocity fee is
regarded as a multiple entry visa and is valid until the

passport expires.
Exempt: holders of student visas and their dependants.

In all cases:
if passenger holds an APEC Business Travel Card:
visa not required, provided back of card states it is valid
for travel to Chile.

Passenger must hold:
- Tourist Card, issued free of charge, on board aircraft or on
arrival. Validity is 90 days (extension possible); and
- sufficient funds; and
- return or onward ticket.

Exempt from holding return/onward ticket:

when arriving for touristic purposes and holding credit card

or sufficient funds to purchase a ticket.

Minors: foreign minors up to 18 years old travelling:
- alone, are recommended to hold notarised authorisation from

both parents/guardians;
- with one parent or one legal guardian, are recommended to
hold notarised authorisation by the absent parent.

In case minor is adopted, legal permission from both parents
is required (Tribunal Permission/court order).

Non-compliance with entry regulations may result in heavy

fines and deportation at carrier's expense.

Timaticweb Version 1.3
04 March 2008

So the deal is the airline may threaten you with a denial of a boarding pass on your day of travel because that misinformed agent believes you need a return ticket or onward travel. THEY ARE IN 100% ERROR IF THEY SAY THIS.

So what do you do? YOU DIRECT/ORDER THEM TO LOOK UP THE "EXEMPT" LINE IN TIMATIC which is at their fingertips and slap your valid credit card down on the counter. Call over a supervisor or manager if needed. Diplomatically explain the facts with confidence and do not back down.

Once you have your boarding pass, you are home free.

From my experience, LAN has never has given me a check-in problem whereas I've had to explain reality to the American Airlines agent about 20% of the time. I've also heard Delta can be quite clueless.

I will not be responding to any wiseass cracks why this is not true as I am proof that this works as a 7 year tourist visa "resident".

by **Vicki and Greg Lansen** » Tue Mar 04, 2008 2:19 am

eeuunikkeiexpat ABSOLUTELY on the money! Do NOT BACK DOWN! I did not have any problem in Chile, but in Costa Rica and Panama, I have had to stand nose-to-nose with AIRLINE officials, not immigration, about the return, onward ticket, financial solvency issue. Officials trying to force me to buy a return ticket at the airline ticket counter when I was traveling from Costa Rica by bus to Panama. Nope. And I refuse, REFUSE to be bullied by these people who rely on the fact that most people will be too tired from travel, or too confused, or just frustrated, and fall into that trap.

In Costa Rica, at the Pacific border into Panama, the border folks actually tried to tell me (and it is posted, although not the actual law) that I had to have $500 cash on hand before crossing the border. It is a hideous, almost lawless border, and they post that you have to carry CASH? Bull. Anyway, eeuu is quite correct about the valid cc, or money order. Good, good advice, don't back down.

One of the many nice things about Chile is that, to renew your 90-day tourist visa status, you only have to travel to Argentina for the day, not the three day ordeal as in other Central American countries. It's really easy, and there are no stamps, or fees to pay.

by **jalundberg** » Tue Mar 04, 2008 9:59 am

I do intend to get a visa sujeta a contracto after securing a job in Viña, and I still have that stamp on my passport from when I came to Chile on a student visa and if I remember correctly that will be valid for the life of my passport, no?

And if I can summarize just to make sure I have understood everything correctly, I can legally enter Chile without a return ticket (on a tourist visa) so long as I have a valid credit card, and if there is a dispute it will be with the airline rather than immigration. Is this correct?

by **eeuunikkeiexpat** » Tue Mar 04, 2008 10:35 am

jalundberg wrote:... I can legally enter Chile without a return ticket (on a tourist visa) so long as I have a valid credit card, and if there is a dispute it will be with the airline rather than immigration. Is this correct?

100% correcto.

by **eeuunikkeiexpat** » Tue Mar 04, 2008 10:37 am

First time I noticed an error in Timatic.

The reciprocity fee for USA passport holders is now $131.

by **mlightheart** » Tue Mar 04, 2008 11:40 am

For clarification, in Chile it doesn't have to span a day (ie. leave Monday and come back on Tuesday). You can go for a day trip cross the border in the morning and come back in the afternoon.

On the weekends (Saturday & Sunday), the Argentine side charges $$ to enter and leave. This was a couple of weeks ago (Feb 16) I forget how much it was per person, but coming in, it was $4.50 for the guys stamping the passports, and $51 to the guy at the other counter. Coming back it was just $4.50 for the guys stamping the passports. You have to show the receipts before they let you in. This was for 8 people though. The tour guy had told us before hand that it was going to be about $10 per person. All in Argentinian pesos. This was at the border at Avanzada Puesco.

by **jalundberg** » Tue Mar 04, 2008 12:03 pm

I noticed that increase as well when I was looking at the Chilean embassy's website. Probably a reaction to a US price increase for Chilean citizens or just trying to increase revenues?

by **MikieO** » Tue Mar 04, 2008 12:12 pm

More likely a reflection of the true (current) value of the USD

by **eeuunikkeiexpat** » Tue Mar 04, 2008 12:24 pm

Actually it is because of the US increase for Chileans.

The last thing Chile needs is more USDs flowing into the country. They should drop the fee or charge it in a different currency IMO.

by **BrookW** » Tue Mar 04, 2008 8:08 pm

This is good to know. American Airlines did this to me on my way to Curacao (near Venezuela) to board a boat. Atrocious service. My flight was pushed back a day and a half (spent on the phone), and I ended up having to find lodging in Philly for the night, then had to give up my ticket from Dominican Republic to Aruba to Curacao (because, they insisted, it was my fault). I entered Dominican without documents and through some luck of the young and stupid I got an "in transito" stamp on my passport and bought my ticket on to Curacao. What a nightmare!

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Who is online

Need Help In Chile?

Phone From Outside Chile: 1-917-470-9653 ( USA to Chile)
In Chile Land Line: (56) 65 421 024
Cell Phone 747 97974 (From a Cell Phone in Chile dial with no other numbers)

Chile Forum

Who is online

Need Help In Chile?

Phone From Outside Chile: 1-917-470-9653 ( USA to Chile) In Chile Land Line: (56) 65 421 024 Cell Phone 747 97974 (From a Cell Phone in Chile dial with no other numbers)

Phone From Outside Chile: 1-917-470-9653 ( USA to Chile)
In Chile Land Line: (56) 65 421 024
Cell Phone 747 97974 (From a Cell Phone in Chile dial with no other numbers)