Chile Entry Requirements

Chile enforces child travel rules strictly at land borders,. The rules are designed to prevent international child abduction. Children traveling with both parents require no additional documentation beyond a valid passport or travel document. Children traveling with only one parent or with a person who is not their legal guardian require a notarized authorization letter from the absent parent(s), authenticated (apostilled) by the relevant authority in the issuing country and ideally translated into Spanish. Single parents with sole custody should carry certified copies of the relevant court order. Unaccompanied minors require a notarized letter of authorization from both parents or legal guardians and may require advance coordination with the airline.

Skip one form and your pet sits in a Santiago k-ennel, Chile won't blink. Dogs and cats may enter Chile only if SAG officers at the port of find: (1) A vet health certificate, signed by an accredited vet in the home country, dated no more than 10 days before arrival, swearing the animal is healthy and free from infectious disease; (2) Proof of rabies shot given minimum 30 days before travel and still valid within 12 months; (3) Extra jabs, distemper, parvovirus, leptospirosis, depending on where you're flying from; (4) An ISO 15-digit microchip implanted before the rabies vaccine. Arrive with missing papers and your pet may be quarantined at your cost or refused outright. Email Chile's SAG long before wheels-up, https://www.sag.gob.cl, because rules shift by origin country. Exotic pets, birds, and other species face tougher import rules and can be banned outright.

Need more than 90 days in Chile? One extension, exactly 90 days, exists. File the prórroga de turismo at any Migraciones Chile office before your stamp runs dry. Bring your passport, the form, and the fee. That pushes your total tourist stay to 180 days per year. After that, you'll need a residency visa. Choices: Temporary Residency Visa (Visado de Residencia Temporaria) for work, study, or family reunification, or the Visa de Trabajo if a Chilean employer sponsors you. The old "visa run", ducking out for a day to reset the 90-day clock, isn't allowed. Officers can refuse re-entry if they smell a pattern. Planning a long stay? Talk to an immigration lawyer and check the official Migraciones Chile website.

Easter Island (Isla de Pascua / Rapa Nui) is a special territory of Chile 3,700 km off the Pacific coast. Here's the catch, as of August 2018, your maximum stay drops to 30 days. Not 90. No exceptions, regardless of nationality. You'll need proof of accommodation. Return ticket too. Rapa Nui residents get first dibs on local resources, water, food, everything. The regulations aren't suggestions, they manage environmental impact on this UNESCO World Heritage Site. These rules apply whether you fly direct to Easter Island or connect via Santiago.

Chile lets most visitors skip the visa line and still close deals. If your passport comes from a country with a visa-free agreement, you can land, stamp in, and spend up to 90 days in meetings, conferences, or negotiations on a standard tourist entry. Simple. But, there is a hard line. The moment you take payment from a Chilean source, sign a contract for services, or clock in as an employee, you need the right work visa before you start. Tourist status does not cover paid work. Ignore this and you risk fines, deportation, and a ban on future visits. No warnings, no second chances. For road warriors who return often, Chile issues a Multiple-Entry Business Visa to nationals of the countries where it applies.

Chile will turn you away if your rap sheet lists drug trafficking, terrorism, or crimes against minors. No computer scans every passport, just one officer's call. If you've got a record and you're not sure, phone the nearest Chilean consulate months before you fly. They'll give you a straight yes or no.