Tourist Information About Chile For Visitors From The USA

Chile is a country located across a long, narrow strip on the Western border of South America, between the Andes to the East and the Pacific Ocean to the West. In its relatively short history (it has only been about 170 years since it was recognized), Chile has become one of the most prosperous nations on the continent, leading several development charts such as income per capita, economic freedom and competitiveness. It’s a founding member of several unions, most notably the United Nations, yet it’s most known for its beautiful nature (almost unmatched in the region) and unique cultural heritage, including the world-famous one-of-a-kind statues on Eastern Island, which belongs to Chile.

While Chile is a lot more welcoming to tourism than some of the other countries in the region, there are still a lot of important things that American tourists should know, or else they’re going to have a bad time. This includes things such as visa requirements and documentation you need, as well as laws you need to watch out for and emergency phone numbers that you’ll need to memorize just in case. Keep in mind that while the region can definitely be considered safe (it’s definitely way, WAY better certain other countries that encourage tourism), terrorist attacks by local anarchists have been known to happen, so you would definitely do well to prepare for any sort of scenario, even if it’s relatively unlikely that you’ll experience it.

Preparations

You don’t need any special vaccines or medical preparations before visiting Chile, and you also don’t need a visa unless you’re there for more than 90 days. For visits that are shorter than that, all you need is your passport (with one blank page, for an entry stamp) and a tourist card, which will be issued to you upon entering the country. If you’d like to extend your stay for more than 90 days while retaining your status as a tourist, you will need to contact the Chilean Immigration Office and request another card, which will grant you 90 additional days in exchange for a fee of $100. When you leave the country, you have to surrender your tourist card at the airport. Be very careful not to lose your card, as during your stay it’ll essentially act as the only proof that your stay in the country is legal. If you do end up losing your card after all, your only option is to contact local authorities and request a replacement. If you stay in the country for more than 90 days without purchasing an extension you will not be permitted to leave without paying a fine, which is a long and rigorous process that can take up to three weeks, so it’s highly advisable that you keep your card as safe as possible. It’s very important to note that, to prevent child abductions, parents travelling with children under 18 are required to show proof that they are the legal guardians of the child – a copy of the birth certificate should suffice.

Important Information

While most tourists enter and leave Chile without incident, it’s still important to know that demonstrations (often violent ones) tend to happen. Anarchist groups sometimes place explosives in public places, such as attached to ATMs, in an attempt to cause panic. Just like in other countries with a lot of tourists, petty crimes such as pickpocketing are common, so you’re advised to keep your belongings safely. Just in case, keep your tourist card and your credit card separately and away from your wallet, and try not to keep too much cash on hand – pickpockets are generally after your cash, so while losing your wallet is bad, losing your wallet AND your cards (leaving you stranded in a foreign country with no money or documentation to prove you’re there legally) is even worse. In case you need them, the emergency services’ phone numbers are:

• 131 – Ambulancia / Ambulance
• 132 – Bomberos / Fire Department
• 133 – Carabineros / Police Department

Sights/Entertainment

There are lots of places you can visit in Chile in order to have fun. A lot of hotels have indoor casinos, and if yours doesn’t then there’s bound to be at least one big casino in the area. There are also lots of parks and hikes, such as the Parque Nacional Lauca (Chile’s biggest national park) and the Termas de Puyuhuapi (an isolated hot springs resort). In addition, there’s plenty of fun activities you can engage in, such as travelling over Santiago with a lift and watching some of Chile’s signature rodeos. If you’re into hiking, Southern Patagonia and Valle De La Luna are the perfect spots for you, and if instead you’d just like to visit a place with a unique history Easter Island is a boat ride away.

On top of the casinos we already covered, sports betting is extremely popular in Chile, they also have a national lottery and poker is quite loved here as well. Gambling is regulated and taxed in the country, so you’ll have no trouble playing on the ground. On the net the situation is a bit blurrier, since officially you cannot play games of chance online. However, the ban is not really enforced and you will find a lot of English and Spanish international websites being quite popular in the country. If you find yourself overwhelmed with choices, we have got just the thing. On casinobueno.com you will find all the information you need about online casinos in the Spanish speaking world – a great way to practice your skills for later and, why not, win some cash and extend that holiday!

We hope you will find this advice useful and will be adding more to the site as time goes on. Don’t be shy to contact us with your experiences of Chile and anything you want to know about this wonderfully fascinating place.