Chile Forum

admin wrote:Well say you want to buy a car or have an emergency, those cards will seem stuck in the ATM. Another reason to keep more than a few handy, is I have had them simply not work in every ATM or be eaten by an ATM. Having only one method to get cash out in a foreign country can make for a very cold night.

Or make it a habit to stockpile CLP depending on the fluctuating exchange rate.

I agree. Have multiple cards split between separate banking entities and between PLUS and CIRRUS networks.

Thanks for the info. I think you are correct in bringing a choice of cards to use. I did on my last trip to Santiago have a problem with American Express Travelers Checks so when I finally found a bank to change them I changed all of them, problem solved. Did find out that Bank of America does have an office in Santiago but is only a commercial lending office. A friend suggested asking the US Embassy, yea right. My experiance with them has not been good and I will never rely on the embassy for anything.
Now with online banking one can just transfer into a card acc. whatever you need.

In referance to the $100. fee charged at the customs in SCL. Do you think bringing my old passport with the receipt stapled in the back that just expired might get them to not charge me another $100. I do have a new current passport and of course will bring it also.

fellas-

u guys say that it's been stapled onto your passport? if that's the case, then why don't you guys just get a staple remover and place it back by restapling it onto the new passport?

i'm not exactly sure what this piece of paper entail, but i wouldn't mind bein' enlightened. or can someone scan me a copy as to how it looks like and post it here? i'm intrigued (sp?) with this 100 dollar fine and trying to avoid it 100 percent of the time.

There is a stamp BELOW the stapled receipt and that is what really counts as I've lost my piece of paper years ago and have reentered Chile at SCL many times since then.

I might just try it (the two passport presentation) early next year after I get a new passport if the Immigrations line is not too long or someone reports back before then that it would be in vain.

this last time in chile (14 nov 06) i watched very carefully as custums checked my passport and he looked beneath the stapled reciept for the stamp that goes with it....i have a friend that carefully pulled the reciept out and staple through the same holes into the new passport and has said as to date that he has had no problem (may 06).

ciao, el puelche

The little paper that gets stapled into your passport is an "entry fee", and is basically thanks to our wonderful U.S. government. After we started doing those types of things to foreigners entering the U.S. (gotten crazy since 9/11), many other countries have started to "reciprocate". The piece of paper reads (on the bottom) "Valid until the expiration of the passport". Yes, it is a "legal" chunk of paper, and if you fancy trying to play James Bond, by all means take it out and replace it into a new passport. Just doesn't seem like it's worth the risk of pi**ing off an official customs agent - no telling exactly what garbage you might end up getting put through. Personally, I think it's a small price to pay for the U.S. government being such buttheads. Could be worse. Also, my personal passport was "stapled" in 2005, my passport is good until 2014, so my $100.00 is good for any trip I take to Chile through 2014 (another 7 years from now) - truly not a terrible deal.

I opened a savings account (cuenta ahorro) at BancoEstado with my temporary visa and my bad spanish, no questions asked. I haven't tried getting an ATM card yet. That's the next task.

FYI for confirming research:

LP's TT SA forum wrote:Posted by:
melburnian23
Tue 30 Jan 2007
6:59pm


Bank Accounts in Chile

Hello people working in Chile,

I have found a great option for people working in Chile to open a bank account with a visa debit card at el Banco del Desarrollo in Santiago. Normally people can't open bank acounts until they have permenant residency, which is such a hassle, because of all of those international fees. All you need is a visa sujeto a contrato.

The account with a visa debit cards only takes 5 days to open (super fast for Chile). All I had to do was call their branch at the metro station República (linea 1) +56 2 6951 766. The receptionist doesn't speak English, but the girl who opens the accounts does.

Good luck, and I hope you find the information useful!

That is, due banking checks has been traditionaly used as instruments for credit ("cheques a fecha" issued to a later date, 30, 60, 90 days).

For a chilean citizen you must comply with several requisites such as cashflow and guarantees, not to mention a 100% clean credit record. For aliens this is out of question.

Here in Arica we had solved this problem, specially for people who want to start a business quick, as follow:

1. We opened a new company (sociedad anonima o limitada) with chilean partners, able to open a banking accoubt (solvency, clean history, etc.)

2. Then we transfer 100% stocks of the company to the aliens

3. In order to be able to sign checks they must have a chilean representative (manager, accountant, etc.), in order to prevent problems checks are signed both by the manager and one of the alien shareholders

It is not a simple way but allow to work inmediatly, no need to wait the temporary visa of the shareholders, which entitles them to sign checks

I found that it is difficult to opening a checking acct in Chile without proving that you have income in Chile but most banks will allow you to register/validate income obtained in another country in my case (USA) at the Chilean consulate in that country or at the cancilleria in Santiago.

In any case, I was able to open a checking acct with ATM, line of credit , and mastercard at the Vina del Mar branch of Bank Boston which is now Banco Itau without a problem.

Again, I have no income in Chile.