CUSTOMS FORMALITIES


The tourist may enter the country without declare and tax free the travel articles (suitcases, bags, personal effects), garments, toilet electrical articles (shaving machine, hair cutter, manual hairdryer), articles for personal use (alarm clock, camera, typewriter and portable calculator), articles for professional use only, 400 cigarettes, 50 cigars, 500 grams of pipe tobacco, 2.5 liters of alcoholic drinks.

The tourist that enters the country with personal effects such as film camera, video equipment, furs and similar, must fill in a temporary interment request, which must be presented at International Police when leaving the country, so not to pay customs duties.

Customs service carries out inspections at random to check that the luggage includes only the items specified previously.

If other kinds of goods are detected, the passenger stays at disposal of Customs Court, that may retain goods, fix money fines or even impose custodial sentences.

For further information you may visit the web page of Servicio Nacional de Aduanas.

BORDER CROSSINGS


There are five border crossings to enter to Region de Magallanes y Antartica Chilena enabled all over the year: Dorotea and Casas Viejas, at Ultima Esperanza province, that links Chilean city of Puerto Natales with Argentinean city of Rio Turbio; Monte Aymond, at Magallanes province, that links Punta Arenas with Rio Gallegos, capital city of Argentinean Santa Cruz province; San Sebastian, in Tierra del Fuego province, that links Porvenir (Chile) with Rio Grande and Ushuaia (Argentina); and Rio Don Guillermo, in Cerro Castillo, Chile.

There is a sixth border crossing, Bellavista, that allows crossing from Chilean Tierra del Fuego to Rio Grande (Argentina), only opened in summer, from 8 to 20 o'clock.

For the current season, the border crossings have the following opening hours:

FORMALITIES FOR ENTRANCE TO THE COUNTRY

TOURISTS FROM COUNTRIES WITH DIPLOMATIC RELATIONS

Natives from countries with diplomatic relations with Chile may enter with the only requirement of having passports current.

Nationals of Argentina, Brasil, Uruguay and Paraguay may also enter with identity cards or equal documents.

Argentineans under 21 travelling alone need legal authorization from their father or guardian.
Other foreigners under 18 travelling alone need the same preceding authorization but endorsed by the resident Chilean consul in the origin country.

The exception to this rule is the case of naturals from countries with diplomatic relations who, nevertheless, require a Tourism approval to enter the country and, in some cases, a previous authorization from the Foreign Office. This is the case, among others, of nationals from Peru, Francia, Venezuela and New Zealand.

International Police bureau, at the moment of entrance to the country, supplies a personal duplicate form called "Tourism Card", 90 days lasting, which can be extended for another 90 days.

The tourist must keep the copy as long as he stays in the country.

The extension of the Card should be requested at province Government, foreigner's bureau.

TOURISTS FROM COUNTRIES WITHOUT DIPLOMATIC RELATIONS

Nationals from countries without diplomatic relations with Chile may enter the country with a Tourism Approval, demanding a previous authorization from the Foreign Office to be granted.

At the moment of requesting this authorization it is necessary to inform the reason of the travel, the length of the visit, date of arrival and possession of return ticket to his country or to a third country, showing the approval, visa or entrance permission.

The exception to the rule are nationals from Croacia, who may enter to the country with valid passport without tourism approval, and those from Bolivia, who need the approval, without previous enquiry.

TOURISTS IN SPECIAL SITUATION, SUCH AS REFUGEES AND STATELESS. THEY MUST HAVE TOURISM APPROVAL WITH FOREIGN OFFICE PREVIOUS ENQUIRY

EXPORT INVOICE

To promote tourism Chile has a law that exempt foreign tourists from payment of VAT (value added tax of 18%) in lodging.

Foreigners may ask an Export Invoice to cargo and passengers air transport companies with international flights, to overland cargo transport companies, to shipping companies and hotel business (D.S. 348,1975) provided that theses companies have authorization to issue said invoices.

The export invoice is issued -and must be paid- in USA dollars, or credit cards if accepted, but it cannot be issued if it is paid with Chilean pesos.

As for hotel trades, this regulation is only valid for tourism lodging and not for restaurants, excursions, car rentals, etc. However, it can be accepted in case of full board lodging or a tourist package that includes excursions.

Important: Foreign tourist may ask for an export invoice, but if the company does not have this benefit, he has no right to demand this 18% discount in his bill.

TEMPORAL ENTRANCE OF VEHICLES

Foreign tourists who come into the country through border crossings between Chile and Argentina must fill at Customs a sole form for "Exit and Temporal Admission of Vehicles" (Chilean Argentinean agreement).

Tourist coming in bay border crossings with Peru and Bolivia receive form the Customs a form called "Certificate of Temporal Importation", required for the entrance of vehicles to the country.


In both cases it is necessary to prove tourist position, present current documents of the vehicle, and in case the driver should not be the owner, a notarial authorized proxy, endorsed by the Chilean consul in the origin country.


Temporal importation of vehicles lasts only 90 days, even if the tourist extends his stay in the country.

In case the vehicle remains in national territory, Customs regulations presume unlawful stay.

In Chile the driving is on the right and with safety belt.

Argentinean driving licenses are valid for tourists from that country.

Rest of foreigners must hold International Driving License granted by the origin country.

Source: SERNATUR Magallanes