Travelling to Chile

Page updated: 11th January 2022

As of 1st November 2021, international travellers can enter Chile* without a mandatory quarantine, if they adhere to the entry requirements shown in the What do I need to do? section. 

*Entry into Chile will initially be only via the airports of Santiago, Antofagasta and Iquique, and not via road across any of the land borders. Other border crossings may open up over the coming weeks and months.

Currently, international travellers who are not Chilean nationals can enter Chile if they:

1. Are fully vaccinated against Covid-19 with an approved vaccine – if you are eligible for a booster jab, you must ensure you have had it done – and have validated their vaccination status online (as far in advance of travelling as possible!)
2. Complete a PCR test and receive a negative result 72 hours before departure from their home country
3. Have a travel insurance policy with a minimum coverage of $30,000 USD, to cover any expenses relating to Covid-19 (and travel with evidence of this)
4. Complete an online written declaration within 48 hours of arrival
5. Complete a further mandatory PCR test on arrival, and isolate at your final destination until receiving a negative result (including those with a booster dose of the vaccine)
   
6. Complete a daily follow-up form for 10 days from entry

All international travellers entering Chile must take a PCR test 72 hours before boarding their flight to Chile, and provide evidence of a negative result on arrival. If your journey involves multiple flights, take the test 72 hours before the final flight. You must complete a PCR test, not a rapid flow (lateral flow, antigen) test, and it must be processed by a laboratory that is recognised by your local health authority. Please check with your airline if you have any doubts about this.

In order to prove your negative PCR result, you must receive a digital copy of your test certificate which will need to be uploaded when completing your online written declaration within 48 hours of arrival. We also recommend carrying a digital and/or paper copy of your negative PCR test result while travelling.

You may be contacted within the first 10 days of being in the country by the local authority to take another PCR or antigen test where you are staying. This is requested of international travellers at random. If you are selected, you will be given details of where to go and how to get the test. Tests are widely accessible at pharmacies, hospitals and airports; as soon as we have more information about PCR testing, we will share it with you.

Please note that you are also required to take a PCR test on arrival. For information about PCR testing on arrival, please see our guide in section 5 below. 

All international travellers must have medical insurance with a minimum coverage of $30,000 USD which explicitly covers any expenses relating to Covid-19. Please check with your insurance provider to ensure that you have the appropriate cover in place.

Please note that you must bring your complete insurance policy with you when travelling in order to provide evidence of Covid-19 coverage.

As well as ensuring your full policy is available on your phone, you should carry a printout (and possibly a spare copy in case you lose one). Have the page marked and ready to show the airline when boarding your flight(s).

If your insurance policy does not explicitly mention Covid-19 – for example, if it is included as standard – then you should request evidence in writing (maybe an email you can print off) from your insurer to confirm that a minimum of $30,000 USD is included.

All international travellers must complete an online written declaration within 48 hours of arrival, in order to provide their contact details, health information, and travel details. When completing this declaration you will need to enter the identification number emailed to you when your vaccination validation is approved. You will be issued a QR code as a means of verification, which you may need to show on arrival in Chile.

You must declare your address for isolating when completing your online written declaration in advance of travelling (see section 5).

In order to complete your declaration, you will be required to upload a digital copy of your negative PCR test result (see section 2), so please bear this in mind when completing the form.

If you need any help completing this form, we’d be pleased to help.

When you arrive in Chile, you will be asked to take a PCR test at the airport, even if you have received a booster dose of the vaccine within 6 months of travelling. We have been informed that this PCR test will cost between $40 and $50 USD.

You can isolate at your final destination until you receive a negative test result. For example, if your final destination is Puerto Varas, you will take a PCR test on arrival at Santiago airport and will be allowed to connect with your domestic flight without leaving the airport. Upon landing at Punta Arenas airport, you must take a private vehicle/taxi to your chosen hotel or private residence for isolation. The address you plan to use for isolating must be declared in your online written declaration or affidavit, which must be completed within 48 hours of arrival.

The Chilean authorities have not yet stated how long it will take for results to be shared, but we anticipate it could take around 24 hours.

Children under the age of 6 may enter, even if not vaccinated, so long as they are accompanied by a vaccinated adult or adults. Children above the age of 2 will need to take a PCR test on arrival and isolate at their final destination whilst awaiting the result. 

For the first 10 days after arrival in Chile, international travellers will be emailed a follow-up form asking for details of their current location and health. Prompt completion of the form is mandatory.

When you arrive in Chile and your Covid-19 documentation is approved you will be sent an approval email in which you will be instructed (in Spanish) that self-reporting can be done via the government website or via a mobile application, the link to which will be in the email.

It is not yet clear if Antarctic travellers must continue to complete this form once they have boarded their voyage to Antarctica. As soon as we have this information, we will update this guide.

International travellers can enter Chile without a mandatory quarantine so long as they meet the current entry requirements. The Chilean authorities have not yet stated how long it will take for the results of PCR tests taken on arrival to be shared – it could take up to 24 hours – or what the associated logistics or costs will be. 

You can isolate at your final destination until you receive a negative test result. For example, if your final destination prior to your voyage is Punta Arenas, you will take a PCR test on arrival at Santiago airport and will be allowed to connect with your domestic flight without leaving the airport. Upon landing at the local airport, you must take a private vehicle/taxi to your chosen hotel or private residence for isolation. The address you plan to use for isolating must be declared in your online written declaration or affidavit, which must be completed within 48 hours of arrival.

The Chilean government has published the following telephone numbers for international travellers who need assistance regarding Covid-19:

+56 22 8717800 (when calling from your home country)
800 123 668 (when calling whilst in Chile)

Calls are answered both in English and Spanish, and run through the following options:

• Affidavit enquiries
• Chile entry requirements
• Self-reports and email tracking
• All other enquiries