Cheap car rental Chile - Entry and Exit Requirements

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Entry and Exit Requirements

ENTRY AND EXIT REQUIREMENTS: A passport is required to enter Chile. U.S. citizens traveling on tourism or business do not need a visa for a stay of up to three months. At the international airport, a substantial fee, which must be paid in U.S. dollars in cash only, is levied on U.S. citizens traveling on tourist passports (check the Chilean Embassy’s web page in Washington for the current amount). The receipt for paying the fee permits multiple entries into Chile during the validity of the traveler's passport.

Beginning in February 2004, the government of Chile instituted enhanced security checks for all arriving passengers. These security checks include the taking of photographs and, in some cases, inkless fingerprints.

For further information concerning entry, exit, and customs requirements, travelers may contact the Chilean Embassy at 1732 Massachusetts Avenue, N.W., Washington, DC 20036, tel. (202) 785-1746, Internet: http://www.chile-usa.org. Travelers may also contact the Chilean consulates in Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, Philadelphia, San Francisco, and San Juan. Contact details for each of the Chilean Consulates is available on the Chilean Embassy’s Internet web site.

In an effort to prevent international child abduction, many governments have initiated procedures at entry/exit points. These often include requiring documentary evidence of relationship and permission for the child's travel from the parent(s) or legal guardian not present.

Dependent children under age 18 arriving in Chile alone, with one parent, or in someone else's custody, are required to present a letter notarized before a Chilean consular officer in the United States certifying that both parents agree to their travel. To exit Chile, children traveling under one of these scenarios must present either the notarized letter used to enter the country or a letter of authorization signed before a Chilean notary if executed in Chile. Parents of children traveling under these scenarios are encouraged to contact the nearest Chilean Consulate for the latest information.

Travelers considering scientific, technical, or mountaineering activities in areas classified as frontier areas are required to obtain authorization from the Chilean government at least 90 days prior to the beginning of the expedition. Permission is obtained from the Direccion Nacional de Fronteras y Limites del Estado (Difrol). The portions of Antarctica claimed by Chile are exempt from these pre-approval requirementsexcept in the case of a scientific trip. Travelers who will merely trek at the Torres del Paine Park do not need a permit. The application for permission may be submitted directly to Difrol by letter, fax, or e-mail (www.difrol.cl) or it can be processed through the Chilean Embassy or Chilean Consulates in the United States.