Chile to Brazil Cruise Visas Help

[JayS]

I just pif for my 12/6 cruise from Valpariso to Rio

 

I as far as I can determine I need a visa for Chile ($100) payable at the airport w/ credit cards accepted.

 

For Argentina I only need a passport.

 

I am not sure what is needed for Uruguay.

 

For Brazil I am only take a flight out and hope to take an exercusion to see RIO without an overnight stay.

I have to either go to NY(I live in PA) with my passport, picture, copy of tickets, and $100 postal money order (Trusting souls) one day and pick up my Visa the next day. My TA also gave me a service that will handlethis for a fee.

 

Is my info correct? The HAL brochure does not give any info :(

 

Thanks

[franu]

Hi JayS,

Your information is good. Arriving in Chile, you will need to stand on a long line to pay and have your passport stamped. Otherwise it is no problem. For a reason unknown to me aome people paid more while others paid less. It may just be a whim of the individual assessing. I don't think that I would complain too loudly as they are in power.

 

You may be turning in your passport onboard. There is nothing needed in either Argentina or Uraguay. For Brazil you must have a visa stamped into your passport. Different offices charge different amounts so bring extra money with you when you go to the Visa office.

 

In both cases, Chile and Brazil, the visa is good for the life of the passport. Have a great time.

Fran

[dileep]

In both cases, Chile and Brazil, the visa is good for the life of the passport. Have a great time.

Fran

 

Chile is strange. If you fly in, you need to get a visa at the airport. If you end your cruise there and debark, there is no charge!

 

My Brazil visa has a 5 year validity.

[Aussie Gal]

You are all so lucky as our Brazilian visa is only good for 30 days. We needed one for our 5 day stay in January.

 

We are returning in October as we are doing a cruise up the Amazon and once again we have had to go through the whole process of getting another Brazilian visa. I feel it is a wonderful way of making money for the Brazilian government at $90Aud p.p.

 

By the way, we flew out of Chile at the end of our cruise and did not have to pay a cent but in Lima we had to pay $30US p.p. to leave the country and we had only been in transit!!

 

Jennie

[Keith1010]

A couple of things and one item concerning terminology.

 

When you fly into Chile you pay an entry fee of $100.00. It is not a visa but an entry fee although they do place something in your passport. It is good for the lifetime of your passport. They do charge $100.00 per person. Some lines take credit card and all lines take cash. Bring cash just in case there are problems with the credit card. They want crisp bills. In US currency.

 

For Brazil, you do need a visa. You can't get it too early so be sure you get it so it doesn't expire during your trip. Be sure that you fill out your Visa form answering all questions.

 

You need passports for the other two locations.

 

Keith

[etkyeoh]

Just wonder what if you do not have VISA, can you just opt to stay onboard the ship and do not join any land excusion ?

[Keith1010]

A visa will be required regardless of whether or not you say you'll stay on board.

 

Keith

[dileep]

A visa will be required regardless of whether or not you say you'll stay on board.

 

Keith

 

Really? are you sure. We were in transit in Sao Paolo on our return and we did not need a visa to cahnge from one international flight to another.

[Keith1010]

Based on what the poster has said, their ship is stopping in Brazil. Since a visa is required for stops in Brazil I don't see how there would be an exception here. We have a cruise coming up there and I know that there are no exceptions for those on our cruise.

 

When you think about it, aside from what the local country would say it would be too complicated to administer. Someone could say that they will stasy on the ship, but when they get to the port could just walk off the ship as they would do in any port. Just don't see how the cruise ship could administer this.

 

Keith

[Aussie Gal]

Also being in transit in an airport is completely different from being on a ship in a port. As Keith has mentioned, the customs officers when they come on board the ship, to inspect all the passports, do not know if you are electing to stay on board or if you wish to get off.

 

I have heard that on some lines like HAL, if you haven't the proper visa in your passport, they will not let you embark the ship. That is the case for us when we board in Vancouver in September. If we do not have our Brazilian visas in our passport, we will not be allowed on board and we will not be entitled to a refund for the cruise of 34 days - we are going up the Amazon.

 

Jennie

[Bahama Kid]

When you arrive by air in Santiago, as you go down the escalator you will see five windows on the left where US citizens can pay the $100 by cash or credit card. Do this first before entering the line for immigration.

 

At customs, our luggage was picked up by men in tan uniforms and placed on a conveyor to be exrayed. They are not needed, really, and they will expect a tip. You can handle your own luggage without their help.

 

If you are staying at a hotel, if you pay in American dollars, you can avoid the 18% VAT tax. Just show your "$100 visitors tax stamp in your psssport" as proof you are a visitor when registering.

 

Chile is a wonderful country to visit! Our four days there was not enough time.

[Francine]

We will be going on Golden Princess in March from Buenos Aires to Santiago. Our plan is to spend several days in hotels pre and post cruise. Will we be expected to pay any charges when arriving in Argentina and departing from Chile? Do we need to fill out any forms for these visits?

I appreciate you help.

Fran

[traveller123]

Fran, re: entry fee for Chile, you mentioned that some people pay more and some less and didn't know why. US citizens pay about twice what Canadian citizens pay. Why that is, I don't know. But that is why you see some people paying more than others. I'm not sure what the rules are for European countries... for some reason I think some countries don't pay anything.

 

I had to enter the Brazilian visa number onto my Immigration Form that was given to HAL when I embarked in Valparaiso. As was mentioned in a previous post, if the ship is docking in a city in Brazil, then the passengers need a Brazilian visa. It was a very simple procedure to get a visa... took 5 working days and I received my passport and visa by courier with no problems. I think you can't apply for a Brazilian visa more than 90 days prior to your arrival in Brazil. There should be lots of info re: getting a visa on the Brazilian Consulate website. That is where I downloaded my forms, and got all the info I needed.

[traveller123]

Francine, have you checked with your TA? You can also check the Argentina and Chile government travel sites for info re: entry fees. I don't believe you pay to leave Chile, just to enter.

[Aussie Gal]

We will be going on Golden Princess in March from Buenos Aires to Santiago. Our plan is to spend several days in hotels pre and post cruise. Will we be expected to pay any charges when arriving in Argentina and departing from Chile? Do we need to fill out any forms for these visits?

I appreciate you help.

 

Fran

 

You will not need a visa for Argentina and when you leave Chile you will not need to pay any money. I think you may have to fill out an immigration form which the ship gives you to leave Chile, I could be mistaken as we filled out so many forms in January/February for the various countries.

 

Jennie

[Francine]

Thanks. I really appreciate all of your help.

Jennie,

Did you once stay at Relais Ste. Honore in Paris?

Fran

[Aussie Gal]

Francine,

 

Hi, yes we did back in 2004. We loved the hotel and would return. Have you stayed there in the meantime.

 

Jennie

[Francine]

Jennie,

We did the Galaxy Transatlantic last year from Galveston to Rome, and then flew to Paris for four days. It was our first time in Paris. We stayed at Relais Ste. Honore based on your recommendation. We loved the hotel. It was so charming. And the location could not have been more perfect. Thank you so much (a little late) for all of your help, then and now.

Fran

[Pumbaamd]

We plan to do a Cape Horn cruise in 2008. For those that have done it, is there any advantage going East to West, or going West to East? Other than saving the $100 Chile fee?

[Keith1010]

The only advantage might be if you want to only do a pre-cruise stay rather than a post cruise stay in order to fly in a few days before your ship leaves. If that's the case, then think through which city you would rather spend a few days in. If that's not the case, then it doesn't matter.

 

Keith

[Pumbaamd]

Thanks, Keith. One more question . . . If we stay post cruise in Santiago, not that it's a big deal, just would like to know, do we pay the $100?

[Aussie Gal]

No you do not pay the $100 to exit Santiago.

 

Jennie

[Pumbaamd]

Thanks, Jennie. Do you have any thoughts on the Cape Horn cruise? Is there any advantage to an East to West or the West to East cruise?

[Aussie Gal]

Pumbaamd,

 

We chose to go from Rio via Antarctica to Valpariso. We wanted to do the Iguazu falls at the beginning of our trip and at the end we wanted to go to Machu Picchu and the Galapagos Islands so it made sense for us to do it that way.

 

We had a Starboard cabin which going the way we went was perfect. It just seemed to have the best views all the way.

 

Jennie

[gerena]

When you arrive by air in Santiago, as you go down the escalator you will see five windows on the left where US citizens can pay the $100 by cash or credit card. Do this first before entering the line for immigration.

 

At customs, our luggage was picked up by men in tan uniforms and placed on a conveyor to be exrayed. They are not needed, really, and they will expect a tip. You can handle your own luggage without their help.

 

If you are staying at a hotel, if you pay in American dollars, you can avoid the 18% VAT tax. Just show your "$100 visitors tax stamp in your psssport" as proof you are a visitor when registering.

 

Chile is a wonderful country to visit! Our four days there was not enough time.

 

HOw very true about the entrance fee. Be sure to look to your left as you go down the elevator. I was looking for it and almost missed it in the excitement. Our traveling companions saw it first. That way you can avoid going to immigration and being told to turn around and go back which MANY did!!!

 

When we were there they would not accept $100 with AB/CB letters on the bills. Also would not accept $50 in AB. We were not sure whether they would accept the credit cards, so we were prepared with cash. Faster, too. We were OK, but our friends had one bill rejected---don't know why, but was of the above letters.

 

We were not aware of the guys putting our luggage on the conveyor. They expected a tip and "asked for it." I don't mind tipping, but this was not necessary and they took it no where!