Chile Forum

CLP$ 250.000 per month is a good estimation of average salary in Chile I think, in my family of 5 we was living during one an half year with my wife salary of CLP$ 250.000 month, we chileans are good making miracles with few money

Minimun wage is around CLP$ 120.000 and many families live with that

Many Chileans prefer to be employed even at crappy wages just so they can have FONASA and a funded AFP plan. If you are self-employed, all medical expenses come from your owm packet at the doctores particulares rates.

The official minimum wage is 144.000 mensual but commission jobs can pay much less than that.

RWS...it's not just work for which you must have a RUN...but for an electric account, for an internet account, and for a local bank account. In fact, when applying for my RUN at the Civil Registry office, I saw a big poster proudly proclaiming the gov't's vigorous campaign to document each and every Chilean. The poster shows an ancient man in front of what looks like a falling down adobe-type hovel, two workers with photographic equipment, another with fingerprint kit, processing his RUN in el campo. Even in the most remote areas, you will find it "wired".

I would expect that if one wanted to live in Chile, had no cause to work, was respectful of laws, and kept their passport up to date, Immigration would have no inclination to bother a virtual tourist.

That said, I do find that not only the government, but local businesses and police, and ordinary people LOVE KNOWING YOUR BUSINESS here. I suppose it's that way in most places, however when I wired $ here, the bank not only required information on the origin of the wire, but amazingly demanded to know what it was going to be used for here. I'm not kidding! With the falling dollar, I felt like telling them I was using it for toilet paper, but reigned myself in.

Vicki

admin wrote:I get asked for my RUT in Chile for everything . . . . It is at least far less malicious than being asked for your social security number in the States. . . .

I'm not persuaded but defer to your superior experience.

I find that when, as a tourist, I purchase anything, I'm asked for my passport number -- sometimes. I don't discern a real pattern (e.g., whether I buy a tangible thing or contract for a service, or if I'm with Chilean cousins or alone), so I suppose that application of the law -- if there is a law regarding tourists -- is erratic. I might have supposed application regarding citizens to be similarly hit-or-miss.

Some business asked for your RUT when you purchase to add you in their databases as customer, this is useful when you need to be invoicing frequently for tax purposes because there are no need to ask for your data once and once again each time you puerchase, normally are big business such as national airlines, Sodimac and such. Anyway is not mandatory to have RUT to purchase, except in case of vehicles and real estate or to sign some specific legal contracts (not all).

I spent 4 months in Chile and was never once asked for my RUT number while purchasing something. Granted I was merely living a student's lifestyle, making no large purchases, still, not a single time was I asked for a RUT number.

At the pharmacy, bus station, ServiPag, etc., they ask because they assume you have their loyalty, points or discount card and they can automatically bring up that info to apply the points or discount as everything is tracked by one's RUT. If they have to enter a number and you are RUTless, give them your passport number or tell them to enter all 9s.

I don't know if...I'm too late in giving out an opinion ;however I think I need to speak out about this, and I can only say it's fifteen years of Concertacion that is giving me a stomach ache, I think Chile is ready for a different political party to take control, the Socialist are just not working out, I think Pinera would be the man for the job

admin wrote:Na, we resurrect old thread all the time.

I have mixed feelings myself about that, but the current one is not doing it. There is talk of Lagos running again possibly.

OH dear lord NO!!! not Lagos again, he has done enough!!

Fully agree with Ignite, I think Chile would not stand another Lakes era