Santiago Airport Fee (USA)

[raetime]

Does anyone know for sure if we are allowed to pay the $140.00 fee with a credit card or is cash required? We will be going on Celebrity's Infinity in Jan. and I want to make sure. I hate to carry the extra cash if they accept credit cards.

[wavesurfer]

Does anyone know for sure if we are allowed to pay the $140.00 fee with a credit card or is cash required? We will be going on Celebrity's Infinity in Jan. and I want to make sure. I hate to carry the extra cash if they accept credit cards.

 

Yes, there is no problem, you can pay with a Credit Card

[greatam]

Yes, there is no problem, you can pay with a Credit Card

 

There are VERY often problems with the credit card machines at the airport. Internet connections/phone connections are NOT as good as in the USA and there are often glitches. I would guess about 45% of the time they DO NOT WORK for whatever reason including one time someone forgot to reload the paper for receipts. LOTS of PO'd people that trip. Thank goodness, they opened another line for those who had already paid the fee. I fly through the Santiago airport a minimum of 6 times per year (business) and I frequently see people scrounging for dollars to pay the reciprocity fee.

 

OP

 

PLEASE be prepared with the cash. NEW $20 bills stuck in a envelope BEFORE you leave home is a very efficient way to handle the situation. IF the credit card machines are not working, there will be loooooong lines at the ATM and very often, the airport ATM machines either run out of money OR they limit the amount you can get. I have seen the airport ATM's give no more than $100 so that everyone can get a little bit of money. Then you have to run around the airport to the Travelex (money exchange) booth and take a VERY expensive cash advance to get your money.

[raetime]

Thanks for the info. I guess We will have the money in hand. I don't want to chance waiting in line if the machine breaks down. I'll be sure and let everyone else know on our thread.

[Bowie MeMe]

Is this an exit fee? We have a visa for Brazil and will enter Chile by ship (Star Princess). Will we owe $140 reprocity fee when we LEAVE Chile to go back to USA? Thank You.

[Mary Ellen]

The reciprocity fee is only paid at the time of arrival when entering Chile by air.

[estebofarr]

So, to be clear, I arrive by air in Santiago then...go thru immigration and pay? or pay before immigration? Is it to the right, left or where is it paid? and $140 correct?

[bcnvcanada]

You have to pay before immigration. You will be turned away if you don't have the paper (small) with stamp on it. You will see a line, if I rember it was to the left upon entrance, may have a second location. Last time we already had the paper and stamp on it, so we didn't have to wait. It is good for the life of your passport.

[travelfreelasvegas]

You have to pay before immigration. You will be turned away if you don't have the paper (small) with stamp on it. You will see a line, if I rember it was to the left upon entrance, may have a second location. Last time we already had the paper and stamp on it, so we didn't have to wait. It is good for the life of your passport.

 

 

 

All passengers that are citizens from USA, Canada, Australia, Mexico, Albany, arriving by air to SCL (Santiago´s airport) must pay the Recirpocity Fee

USA ...............US$ 140

Canada ..........US$ 132

Australia .......US$ 62

Mexico ...........US$ 23

Albania ..........US$ 30

 

After you disembark, follow the general movement toward Passport Control and Customs.

 

At the bottom of the escalator turn sharp left, almost a U-turn.

 

Here you will find the desk for Reciprocity Fee.

 

You can pay cash US Dollars (only bills in perfect conditions), or Credit Card.

 

Once you´ve done this you can join the lines for passport control.

 

Your passport will be stamped and the original copy of the tourist card will be removed. Keep it, you will need it for your departure from Chile.

 

This lasts for the life of your passport. (Australia and Mexico 90 days)

 

Now you can collect your luggage.

 

Go to Customs and Agricultural Control, this is very strict you must declare any vegetable or animal items in your luggage...etc, failure to do so,

means that the goods will be confiscated and you will be fined around US$ 400.

 

The exits to the public areas of the airport are right or left of this, so you please exit by the exit door that will be at YOUR LEFT HAND.

[Traveling Library]

Our cruise ends in Valpairso. We are staying an extra day in Santiago. We are flying out of the Santiago airport. Our TA told us that we needed to pay the fee when we leave Chile. Is that correct?

[Bowie MeMe]

The answer is that flying out of Santiago there is NO fee. Cruise lines have a deal with arriving by sea. Brazil you must have a visa and we paid the fee for arriving in Brazil. There may be a fee/visa or not when you arrive in South America.

[greatam]

Our cruise ends in Valpairso. We are staying an extra day in Santiago. We are flying out of the Santiago airport. Our TA told us that we needed to pay the fee when we leave Chile. Is that correct?

 

What your TA probably meant-you MAY have to pay the international DEPARTURE tax at the airport. You will have to look at the RECEIPT for your ticket, not just the e ticket info. MOST US airlines INCLUDE the fee. Some other airlines do not. You will have to study your receipt or call your airline to see if the Chilean departure tax is included in the price of your airline ticket.

 

You will NOT pay the reciprocity fee to ENTER Chile via ship (it is included at a reduced rate in the port/fees portion of your cruise fare but it is only good for one time entry BY SHIP).

[greatam]

The reciprocity fee is only paid at the time of arrival when entering Chile by air.

 

This is only partially correct. Flying into Mendoza Argentina and taking the LAN provided bus to Santiago will also incur paying the reciprocity fee at the Chilean border. Also, SOMETIMES, the fee is also collected at the Peruvian/Chilean border entering Chile. BUT only for the few countries that charge Chileans astronomical fees to enter their country. The local bus passengers are rarely charged the fee. The deluxe buses (which are the primary way tourist transit South America) are generally charged the fee, depending on which passport they have.

[greatam]

The answer is that flying out of Santiago there is NO fee. Cruise lines have a deal with arriving by sea. Brazil you must have a visa and we paid the fee for arriving in Brazil. There may be a fee/visa or not when you arrive in South America.

 

And again, depending on how the airline tickets are written, there may be a DEPARTURE tax when you fly out of Chile (about $30) to other South American countries. You have to check the receipts very carefully to see if the departure tax was included in the price of your tickets. Or call your airline.

[Mary Ellen]

This is only partially correct. Flying into Mendoza Argentina and taking the LAN provided bus to Santiago will also incur paying the reciprocity fee at the Chilean border. Also, SOMETIMES, the fee is also collected at the Peruvian/Chilean border entering Chile. BUT only for the few countries that charge Chileans astronomical fees to enter their country. The local bus passengers are rarely charged the fee. The deluxe buses (which are the primary way tourist transit South America) are generally charged the fee, depending on which passport they have.

Thanks for the clarification. For our next trip we're looking into flying into BA and taking the bus to Santiago, possibly with a few nights in Mendoza along the way. We're doing this because of airline logistics and wanting to see the Andes. I thought not having to pay the reciprocity fee was just going to be an added benefit. Oh well. Good to have the heads up.

[greatam]

Thanks for the clarification. For our next trip we're looking into flying into BA and taking the bus to Santiago, possibly with a few nights in Mendoza along the way. We're doing this because of airline logistics and wanting to see the Andes. I thought not having to pay the reciprocity fee was just going to be an added benefit. Oh well. Good to have the heads up.

 

IF you are taking the bus all the way from BA, you will be fine with no reciprocity fee. It is the LAN flights INTO Mendoza with the FREE LAN bus to Santiago that incur the fee (the Chilean government imposed the fee as LAN is the Chilean National airline and the Chilean government thought LAN was just trying to get around the fee).

 

Make sure you book cama class at the minimum. Executive cama class is better than first class on domestic USA flights-flat bed, clean sheets and blankets, food, games, movies and a lot of fun. Enjoy!!!!

[dancingmolly]

There is always a lot of confusion over this issue of the reciprocity fee.

 

The fee is only charged to a handful of nationalities, the USA being one of them. For USA citizens it is good for the life of the passport.

 

The fee is only collected on arrival at the international airport in Santiago if arriving on an international flight. It is an arrival only fee and is not charged on exiting the country.

 

You can fly into any other airport on an international flight, for instance from Perú to one of the airports in northern Chile and you will not pay the fee. It is only collected at SCL.

 

You can arrive by cruise ship and you do not pay the fee. It has nothing to do with the cruise lines, no one arriving by sea pays it.

 

You can enter Chile at any land border: Mendoza/Santiago, Tacna/Arica etc, and you do not pay the fee. It is not collected at any land border.

 

If you are connecting to another international flight in Santiago: flying on to Mendoza for instance, as long as you stay in the transit lounge you will not pay the fee. Note that you must have your luggage tagged all the way through to your final destination or you will have to pay the fee, go through passport control and collect it. Make sure that your airlines for both legs have an agreement about tagging luggage. Beware of buying two cheap tickets separately for the two legs of the trip as you may find you cannot have your luggage tagged all the way through.

 

An advantage of the above is that you would be entering Argentina at Mendoza and would not have to pay the Argentine fee, which is only collected at the two airports in Buenos Aires if arriving on an international flight. (If you need to connect from one airport to the other in BA, arriving and departing on international flights, they will usually allow this without collecting the fee.)

[traveling mama]

Oh lord!!! There needs to be a book w/ each of our particular needs listed! :)

 

Ok. I come into Valipariso on a cruise = No fee! Got it!

 

I stay in Santiago 48 hours and then fly to Easter Island. No fee...right?

 

I return from Easter Island on LAN. Will then have to go get my luggage and re check in at COPA for the flight home to LAX. (I do not want to check my luggage straight thru as I am flying 2 seperate airlines and if luggage is lost ..no one will know me!)

 

At this point I will have fees right? How much?

 

Thank you.

[dancingmolly]

You have entered Chile by sea = no fee.

 

Your flight from Easter Island to Santiago is a domestic flight = no fee.

 

You leave Chile to wherever = no fee on departure, only arrival.

[dr__dawggy]

Thanks for the clarification. For our next trip we're looking into flying into BA and taking the bus to Santiago, possibly with a few nights in Mendoza along the way. We're doing this because of airline logistics and wanting to see the Andes. I thought not having to pay the reciprocity fee was just going to be an added benefit. Oh well. Good to have the heads up.

I assume you know that by flying into BA you will be required to pay the Argenina reciprocity fee of $140?

[Mary Ellen]

I assume you know that by flying into BA you will be required to pay the Argenina reciprocity fee of $140?

Yes. As I said, our decision to fly into BA was because of airline logistics and wanting to take the drive over the Andes. The FF miles we want to use don't have very good connections into Santiago. I'd rather not pay the fee to Argentina and Chile, but will pay what is required by both.

 

greatam - yes, we are planning on booking the top cama class. I can't remember off the top of my head if that is executive or if there is another category. We're also brushing up on our Spanish for the journey.

[greatam]

You can arrive by cruise ship and you do not pay the fee. It has nothing to do with the cruise lines, no one arriving by sea pays it.

 

It is a reduced one time entry only fee ADDED into the port charges/fee portion of the cruise fare. This was finally negotiated between the cruise lines and the Chilean government in either 2004 or 2005 because previously, SOME cruises got tagged with the fee and some didn't (and back then, it was only $60.00)

 

You can enter Chile at any land border: Mendoza/Santiago, Tacna/Arica etc, and you do not pay the fee. It is not collected at any land border.

 

This is PARTIALLY incorrect. IF you fly LAN into Mendoza and take the FREE LAN bus into Santiago, you have to pay the fee. The Chilean government looks at the FREE bus ride into Santiago the same as flying into SCL as it is all LAN operated and a continuing part of the flight. Take one of the other buses into Santiago from Mendoza and NO FEE. Makes no sense but that is the way it is.

 

It is also only PARTIALLY correct that there is no reciprocity fee on the land border between Peru and Chile. ON the local buses, no. On the Cruz de Sur/Turbus route from Lima to Santiago, you ARE charged the reciprocity fee if you are from one of the few countries that are required to pay the fee. Has to to with the "authority" each bus company has to operate in the others country.

[greatam]

Oh lord!!! There needs to be a book w/ each of our particular needs listed! :)

 

Ok. I come into Valipariso on a cruise = No fee! Got it!

 

I stay in Santiago 48 hours and then fly to Easter Island. No fee...right?

 

I return from Easter Island on LAN. Will then have to go get my luggage and re check in at COPA for the flight home to LAX. (I do not want to check my luggage straight thru as I am flying 2 seperate airlines and if luggage is lost ..no one will know me!)

 

At this point I will have fees right? How much?

 

Thank you.

 

 

You won't have to pay the reciprocity fee. You MAY have to pay airline departure taxes. All depends on how your COPA ticket is written. PLEASE look at your RECEIPT to see if the Chilean international departure tax is included with your COPA ticket. IF you can't find it on the receipt (it will usually be stated something like cl-$$$), then call COPA and ask. You may also have to pay DOMESTIC departure tax on your flight to Easter Island. Again, all in how the ticket was written. Check the receipt or call LAN. Domestic departure tax is about $6.00 and international departure tax is about $30.00.

[Kristen38]

I just returned from my cruise in November and started my cruise in Valpariso. We had to pay the landing fee prior to going through customs. My father wanted to pay with cash but his bills were not accepted because they old. Make sure that you have new crisp (unwrikled) bills. He paid with a credit card and had no problems with that.

Have a great cruise, mine was amazing.

Kristen

[estebofarr]

Does it matter if the cash is in 20's, two 50's and 2 20's or 1 100 and 2 20's? Do they have an adversion to large bills as is the case some places? And is MC all right or do they just prefer VISA? I prefer cash to avoid the whole bank fee and conversion rate. I am flying into Santiago from Cuzco and I probably will have a fee there as well, won't I?