La Serena

Passport validity requirements

Your passport should have an ‘expiry date’ after the day you plan to leave Chile.

Check with your travel provider that your passport and other travel documents meet requirements. Renew your passport if you need to.

You will be denied entry if you do not have a valid travel document or try to use a passport that has been reported lost or stolen.

Dual nationals

When returning to the UK, British citizens must carry a valid British passport or certificate of entitlement. See Dual citizenship.

British-Chilean dual nationals

British-Chilean dual nationals must enter and leave Chile using their Chilean passport. Chilean entry and exit requirements for dual nationals may change without notice. For further information check with the Chilean Embassy in the UK.

Visa requirements

You can visit Chile for up to 90 days without a visa.

The Chilean immigration authorities will give you a tourist card (‘tarjeta de turismo’), an A5-sized white form. Keep it safe and give it to immigration when you leave the country. If you lose it, Chilean police investigations (PDI) allows you to request a copy online (choose ‘Duplicado de tarjeta de turismo’). You can also go to the nearest PDI office.

To stay longer (to work or study, for business travel or for other reasons), you must meet the Chilean Government’s entry requirements.

Travelling with children

Chile requires children travelling with only one parent, with a guardian or alone, to have permission from the non-travelling parent or parents. Parents travelling with children for tourism have faced difficulty leaving Chile at the end of their visit when only one parent is present. You must have 

• a written notarised authorisation from the non-travelling parent(s)  
• an original birth certificate

If you’re travelling with children aged 17 and under, check the website of the Chilean Ministry of Foreign Affairs (website in Spanish) for what documents you need to show.

Travelling with dual national children

Before a dual national child aged 17 or under leaves Chile, you must get authorisation to travel from a Chilean notary  (‘notaría’) if the child is travelling:

• alone
• with only one parent or guardian
• with friends or relatives

If a child was born in Chile, they must have a Chilean passport to leave the country.

Travelling to Rapa Nui (Easter Island)

To enter Rapa Nui (Easter Island) you must:

• complete a Rapa Nui entry form
• show a return ticket
• show a reservation registered with SERNATUR, the national tourism service (select region ‘Valparaiso’ and comuna ‘Rapa Nui’ to refine your search for accommodation) or an invitation letter from the provincial delegation

Vaccine requirements

For details about medical entry requirements and recommended vaccinations, see TravelHealthPro’s Chile guide.   

Customs rules

There are strict rules about goods you can take into or out of Chile. You must declare anything that may be prohibited or subject to tax or duty.

Customs rules

There are strict rules about goods you can take into or out of Chile. You must declare anything that may be prohibited or subject to tax or duty.

Emergency services in Chile

Ambulance: 131

Fire: 132

Police: 133

Contact your travel provider and insurer

Contact your travel provider and your insurer if you are involved in a serious incident or emergency abroad. They will tell you if they can help and what you need to do.

Refunds and changes to travel

For refunds or changes to travel, contact your travel provider. You may also be able to make a claim through insurance. However, insurers usually require you to talk to your travel provider first.

Find out more about changing or cancelling travel plans, including:

• where to get advice if you are in a dispute with a provider
• how to access previous versions of travel advice to support a claim

Support from FCDO

FCDO has guidance on staying safe and what to do if you need help or support abroad, including:

• finding English-speaking lawyers, funeral directors and translators and interpreters in Chile
• dealing with a death in Chile
• being arrested or imprisoned in Chile
• getting help if you’re a victim of crime
• what to do if you’re in hospital
• if you’re affected by a crisis, such as a terrorist attack

Contacting FCDO  

Help abroad   

See how to get help from the UK government abroad including in an emergency.  

Help in the UK   

You can call FCDO in London if you need urgent help because something has happened to a friend or relative abroad.   

Telephone: 020 7008 5000 (24 hours)   

Find out about call charges 

Get travel advice updates   

Sign up to get email notifications when this travel advice is updated.   

Follow FCDO:  

• travel advice on X 

• travel advice on Facebook

Risk information for British companies

The Overseas Business Risk service offers information and advice for British companies operating in Chile on how to manage political, economic, and business security-related risks.

Heavy rain and severe mudslides in eastern Santiago

The National Disaster Prevention and Response Service (SENAPRED) has declared a Red Alert in the following areas of Santiago due to heavy rain and severe mudslides affecting the Andean and pre-Andean areas in the eastern sector of the Metropolitan Region:

• San José de Maipo
• Puente Alto
• Pirque
• La Florida
• Peñalolén
• La Reina
• Las Condes
• Lo Barnechea
• Vitacura
• Colina

Follow the advice of local authorities, including any evacuation orders. Check for updates and safety alerts from Chilean civil protection @Senapred and local officials.

If you need consular assistance contact the British Embassy on +56 (0) 22 370 4100 and select the option for consular assistance.

Before you travel

No travel can be guaranteed safe. Read all the advice in this guide. If you have onward travel plans within the region, check travel advice for all destinations you plan to travel through. You may also find it helpful to: 

• see general advice for women travellers
• read our guide on disability and travel abroad
• see general advice for LGBT+ travellers
• read about safety for solo and independent travel
• see advice on volunteering and adventure travel abroad

Travel insurance

If you choose to travel, research your destinations and get appropriate travel insurance. Insurance should cover your itinerary, planned activities and expenses in an emergency.

About FCDO travel advice

The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) provides advice about risks of travel to help you make informed decisions. Find out more about FCDO travel advice.

Get travel advice updates 

Sign up to get email notifications when this travel advice is updated.  

Follow FCDO:    

• travel advice on X 

• travel advice on Facebook 

• Travel Aware on Instagram

Laws and cultural differences

Personal ID

Always carry a printed copy of the photo page of your passport with you. 

Alcohol laws and bans

It’s illegal to drink alcohol in public places including streets, roads, squares and promenades.

Illegal drugs and prison sentences

Using or possessing drugs is illegal and can lead to prison sentences.

LGBT+ travellers

Same-sex relationships are legal in Chile and are increasingly widely accepted socially, although much of Chilean society is conservative.

Read more advice for LGBT+ travellers.