Chile visa and travel medical insurance guide

January 04, 2019

Chile is located in South America and is packed with exciting things to do. You can visit its stunning glaciers, luscious rainforests, dry deserts and relax on its picturesque sandy beaches. There’s a lot to get excited about when organizing your visit. To fully enjoy your adventure, make sure you give yourself peace of mind and organize your travel insurance policy as soon as possible, so you can kick back, relax and enjoy your vacation knowing that you have got all your bases covered.
 
Aside from finding the right cover for you, here are some other important travel tips to be aware of before you set off on your adventure:

Visa Information for Chile

Do I Need a Visa to Visit Chile?    

No

Upon arrival, a tourist card will be issued for a stay for up to 90 days. An extension for an extra 90 days is possible, but you will have to pay an extension fee at the Chilean Immigration Office. Upon departure, the tourist card must be surrendered.

U.S. Citizens traveling to Chile will need to have a U.S. passport that is valid for at least six months from date of arrival.

Health and Medical Advice

Before jetting off on your travels, you should check for any health risks, required vaccinations and any epidemic breakouts occurring in Chile. It’s also a good idea to find out where the nearest hospital is in case of an emergency.

Do I Need to be Vaccinated When Travelling to Chile?

There are no obligatory vaccination shots for Chile, but we would highly recommend that you get protected against Typhoid, Hepatitis A and B and Rabies as well as getting your routine vaccinations updated. The standard vaccines are:

-    MMR (Measles, Mumps, Rubella)
-    Tetanus, Diphtheria and Pertussis
-    Influenza
-    Polio
-    Chickenpox

Book an appointment at your local practitioner or find your local Passport health clinic. You should book an appointment, at the latest, four to six weeks before your trip, giving enough time for the vaccinations to take effect.

Travel Health Updates in Chile

Some cases of Dengue fever have been confirmed in Easter Island. This is a mosquito-borne infection and can be a threat to tourists. Make sure to use mosquito repellent to prevent getting bitten.

Major hospitals in Chile accept credit cards, health insurance is strongly recommended to cover medical evacuation.

Emergency Contact Information in Chile

No one ever wants to have to call the emergency services while they’re on vacation, but unfortunately, accidents happen and it’s important to be prepared for when they do.

Emergency Ambulance number is: 131

Police Emergency number is: 133

Firefighters Emergency number: 132

Chile Local Laws and Customs

•    Use and possession of drugs is illegal and can result in imprisonment.
•    Homosexuality is legal in Chile and is increasingly becoming more socially accepted. However much of the Chilean society is very conservative, as such, public displays of affection should be kept to a modest level.

Safety and Security

Crime threats

The safety threat in Chile is relatively low. However, keep an eye out for pickpockets and bag snatchers particularly in busy and crowded areas such as airports, buses and popular areas. Avoid walking on your own and limit the amount of cash you carry; if possible, make use of the hotel safe.

Extreme Weather

In Chile, the rain fall is extremely heavy and the infrastructure is not built to handle heavy rain fall. This means public transport is often stopped and traveling is limited due to road and station flooding.

U.S. Embassy in Chile
US Embassy
Andres Bello 2800,
Las Condes, Region Metropolitana
Chile

Tel: +56 2330 3000

Useful Tips for Chile

Official Languages: Spanish
The official language of Chile is Spanish.

Currency: Chilean peso
Before your trip make sure to exchange enough Chilean peso for your spending requirements and to get the best exchange rates.

Plug Sockets: Type C and Type L
Chile uses two types of plug sockets: C and L. The standard voltage and frequency is 220V and 50 Hz. We would recommend that you buy a plug adapter if you don’t have one already.

You can determine if you need a converter or a transformer by looking at the appliance rating plate. A dual voltage rated appliance will display for example ‘INPUT: 110-240 V’ on the appliance body. In this case, you wouldn’t need a converter or transformer.

© 2018 UnitedHealth Group Incorporated. For informational purposes, UHG does not guarantee the correctness or completeness of the information.