Travel to and from Santiago, Chile: Participants should make their own travel arrangements to and from Santiago. It is advisable to confirm your return trip upon arriving to Santiago, in order to ensure your flight on the required date.

Airport and Customs: Citizens from Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay, Peru, Colombia and Ecuador can travel to Chile with their national identity card, but citizens from other countries need a valid passport. A visa is required to enter Chile for a stay of 30-90 days, which for citizens of most countries can be obtained when entering the country. Please see the list of countries for which a visa will be required prior to entering Chile. (List of countries that require visa)

Due to a reciprocity system, the Chilean Government levies a special tax which has to be paid in cash (American dollars) when entering the country, at the immigration counter. Participants with passports from the following countries have to pay taxes before entering the country:

 

• Albania US$ 30
• Australia US$ 61
• Canada US$ 132
• USA US$ 131
• Mexico US$ 23

 

Customs International travellers must clear customs upon entrance. Electronic articles such as video cameras, personal computers and others have to be declared upon arrival in Chile as ”temporary entrance objects¨. Foreign tourists rarely have any customs problems while they travel with their personal articles only, but cannot carry:

• Fruits, vegetables, seeds or unprocessed goods of animal origin.
• Firearms, ammunition or explosives.
• Illegal drugs.

 

Agricultural Controls: Animal products and vegetables can only be allowed to enter the country with prior authorization from the Agricultural and Livestock Service of Chile.

Money: Chilean currency is the peso. Notes are of 1.000, 2.000, 5.000, 10.000 and 20.000 pesos. Coins are of 1, 5, 10, 50, 100 and 500 pesos. The exchange rate is currently about USD 1.00 = 500 Chilean pesos (November 17th , 2009).

Use of Foreign Currency: Cash in foreign currency is not generally accepted, except at some hotels which offer tax discounts for foreigners paying in cash with US dollars.

Credit Cards: Credit cards are widely accepted including Visa, Master Card, Diners Club and American Express.

Currency Exchange: Cash in foreign currencies is generally not accepted, so we recommend exchanging foreign currency in banks or money exchange agencies (“Casas de Cambio”). These are located at the airport, in downtown Santiago and in some Shopping Centers.

 

Automatic Teller Machines (ATMs): Automatic Teller Machines (Red banc), which dispense Chilean pesos 24 hours a day to card holders of most major international networks (including Cirrus, Plus, and Maestro), are ubiquitous in all major towns and cities in Chile. In addition to banks, they can be found in most commercial areas, including gas stations, pharmacies and supermarkets.

Taxes and Tips: Value-added Tax (VAT) is 19% and is normally included in the price. It is usual to leave 10% of the amount of the service in Cafeterias, Pubs and Restaurants, and to tip valet services. Tips to taxi drivers are not mandatory.

TRANSPORTATION

Car Rental: To rent a car for a week can cost approximately $250.000 CLP or US$500. Most car rental companies lease vehicles for hours, days and weeks. Rental prerequisites include: possession of a valid driver's license, over 21 years of age, and submission of a signed, blank credit card receipt for a security deposit. Several of the major car rental companies operate in Chile, including Avis, Budget or Herz, all of which have booths at all major airports.

Taxis Taxis are distinguishable by their black bodies and yellow roofs. All legitimate taxis have registration numbers and taxi meters. The cost of a trip is typically $200 (US$ 0.40 aprox.) for the first 100 meters and $200 (US$ 0.40 aprox.) for each additional 200 meters or 60 seconds of waiting. These charges are published on the windshield of the taxi and are fixed 24 hours per day. Smoking is prohibited in all public transportation vehicles.

Public Buses (micros): In Santiago, public buses on principal routes are white with a diagonal green stripe on each side. Local routes are serviced by busses of different colours, always with a contrasting diagonal stripe. Each ride costs $400 CLP or US$0.80 and you have the option of switching buses in a period of an hour and a half without any extra cost. Payment is performed using pre-paid “Bip” cards, which can be purchased at designated shops or at all metro stations.

The Metro system: Runs seven days per week. Services are more limited on Weekends.

 

Subway/Metro Schedules Costs	Hight Time	Average Time	Economic Time
	07:00 to 08:59	06:30 to 06:59	06:00 to 06:29
	18:00 to 19:59	09:00 to 18:00	20:45 to 23:00
		20:00 to 20:44
	$460 (US$ 0.92 aprox.)	$400 (US$ 0.80 aprox.)	$380 (US$ 0.76 aprox.)

 

COMMUNICATIONS

Internet: Most hotels offer Internet services in their business center. Also one may check email accounts or surf the Internet from the many Cyber cafes in the city.

Cellular Phones: Cell Phones can be rented at the Business Center of most hotels.

International Telephone Calls: Chile has one of the most modern telecommunications networks in the world. This system has been completely digitized for several years. From Chile, international phone calls are cheap and the service efficient. All of the downtown malls have call centers where one may obtain information about telephone services; make phone calls, including collect calls; purchase prepaid calling cards; and select a carrier.

 

National Telephone Calls: There is a complete distribution of Public Phones around the city, to use them we suggest you to buy a phone card or carry a number of $100 with you. If you want to call a cell phone from one of this public phones, the cost is $200 per minute, the same as any long distance calls within the country.

OTHERS

Clothes: We suggest you to bring summer clothing.

City Schedules: In general, commercial malls, restaurants, public offices and public transportation function within the following hours:

 

Banks	Mon to Fri	09:00 AM	02:00 PM
Commercial Malls	Mon to Sun	11:00 AM	09:00 PM
Supermarkets	Mon to Sun	08:30 AM	10:00 PM
Shops	Mon to Sat	10:00 AM	08:00 PM

 

Dietary Requirements Vegetarian meals as well as other dietary requirements can be obtained upon request.

Health: Free, public health services in Chile are poor, but many 1st class private clinics are available, particularly in Santiago. It is recommended that visitors take out their own medical insurance to cover any expenses incurred during their stay.

Time zone: Chilean Continental standard time corresponds to the time zone UTC-4:00 (Universal Time Coordinate; formerly, Greenwich Mean Time). Between mid October to early march, Chgile switches to daylight savings time, (UTC-3:00) Chile uses a 24-hour military clock (e.g. 3:00 PM is 15:00 hours) and the European format for writing dates (Day, Month, Year, e.g. 19 November 1997 is 19-11-1997).

Units: In Chile, the metric system and the Celsius scale are used.

Electricity: Electrical voltage in Chile is 220 volts, 50 cycles (220V 50 Hz). All electronic devices designed for 110V require a transformer. All portable appliances, including portable computers, usually have transformers of high voltage (110V-240V) which are adaptable to the Chilean electrical system. Some hotels have 110V lines.

 

Water In general, tap water in all major cities is completely safe for drinking. However, for people who are generally more susceptible to changes in their environment, we suggest drinking only bottled mineral water (you can choose between effervescent water, "con gas" and water without gas, "sin gas") during your first days in Chile. Mineral water is commonly found in supermarkets, corner stores and restaurants.

 

Raw Vegetables Eating raw vegetables is not recommended, especially those that grow at ground level (e.g.: lettuce, carrot, berries, etc.), unless you buy them in established supermarkets or restaurants, as these sources normally supervise the origin of their products or sterilize them prior to sale.

Personal safety: Although Santiago is a safe city for foreigners, it is recommendable that you pay attention to your personal belongings and avoid walking alone at night far away from the place you are staying.