Chile Travel Guide

Visas

Passport holders of the following countries do not need a visa to enter Chile when the purpose of the visit is tourism for up to 90 days (unless otherwise noted): Albania, Andorra, Antigua and Barbuda, Australia, Austria, Bahamas, Barbados, Belgium, Belize, Bolivia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada, Colombia, Costa Rica, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Ecuador, El Salvador, Estonia, Fiji, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Grenada, Guatemala, Guyana, Honduras, Hong Kong, Hungary, Iceland, Indonesia, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Repub…

Chile's currency is the Chilean peso (ISO code: CLP), denoted by the symbol "$". Wikivoyage uses the notation "pesos" for clarity. Other currencies are not widely accepted, but most cities have exchange bureaux with reasonable rates for euros and US dollars. The rates should be published on widely visible boards.

By plane

Chile has a rather good airport infrastructure. The main hub for flights in Chile is the Arturo Merino Benitez International Airport () in Santiago, from where several airlines serve even the remotest corners of the country. These airlines are the three Chilean airlines: LATAM Airlines, Sky Airline and JetSmart. Although LATAM is by far the largest company, Sky and JetSmart offer good services to the main cities.

Spanish is the official language in the country and is spoken everywhere. Chileans use a distinct dialect called Castellano de Chile with a variety of differences in pronunciation, grammar, vocabulary and slang usage. Spanish-speaking foreigners won't have problems understanding it and will only think it sounds funny, but non-native speakers often struggle to understand it, even with years of practice. For example, Chileans tend to drop the "S" sound at the ends of their words. Instead they repl…

is a prime place for astronomical observations.]] Chile usually ranks as one of the safest countries on the continent. In the early 2020s though, gun violence and car hijacking have increased. Cartels from Mexico, Venezuela and Colombia have established themselves in the country. The police were not prepared for this and it has worried a lot of locals and caused resentment against foreigners, especially Venezuelans.

Having relatively good standards in medicine throughout the country, it is not difficult to stay healthy. However, one will usually find more refined resources at a private medical facility. In case of emergency, call 131, but don't expect an operator fluent in English.

Television

Since 2015, TV broadcasts in Chile are digital in the Japanese ISDB standard (also used in Brazil, Uruguay and Argentina). The main free-to-air television networks are the public TVN (Televisión Nacional de Chile) and the private national networks Mega, Chilevisión, Canal 13 and La Red. 24-hour free-to-air channels are rare; most signs-off around 2 am. On the other hand, many Chileans have access to pay TV and streaming, which are available 24/7.

Although the Roman Catholic Church has historically played a major role in Chilean society, Chile has become increasingly secular since the mid-20th century. For example, divorce was legalized in the mid-2000s, the Catholic church was separated from the state in the mid-1920s, and an increasing number of Chileans identify as irreligious. When visiting sites of religious importance, you should always act and dress respectfully. As is the case everywhere, proselytizing, or anything hinting at it, is neither welcomed nor appreciated.