Santiago Chile Reciprocity Fee

[MTJtraveller]

I had a silly question...I keep seeing that when you fly into Santiago Chile there is a reciprocity fee collected at the airport...$130pp I believe....do they charge this fee when you are flying OUT of Santiago Chile?

 

Want to be prepared.:rolleyes:

[Minoushka]

I was told paying it BEFORE you enter ...crisp NEW US$$$$ .I'm not sure if there is one when you leave BA

[greatam]

I had a silly question...I keep seeing that when you fly into Santiago Chile there is a reciprocity fee collected at the airport...$130pp I believe....do they charge this fee when you are flying OUT of Santiago Chile?

 

Want to be prepared.:rolleyes:

 

NO

 

A little history about the "reciprocity fee". After 9/11, the USA raised prices considerably for a lot of visas from different countries. Homeland Security said it was due to heavily increased "processing fees" (take that however you want to-it's the US government, after all). The visa fee for Chile was raised to $60.00pp from $12.00. Chile retaliated. Since NO visa is or was required to visit Chile by US citizens, they instituted the "reciprocity" fee (actually, it is an airport fee now, but it wasn't when it was first started).

 

Some cruisers in 2002/2003 got tagged with the fee separately, some didn't. Some cruise lines added it into the cruise fare, some didn't. There were major uproars over the disparity. So the cruise lines went to the Chilean government and negotiated a deal. The current "airport reciprocity fee" is $131 dollars, payable at the airport BEFORE you get to Customs (luggage) but AFTER you clear immigration. The fee (and receipt they staple in your passport) is good for the life of your passport (10 years in the US if you have a new passport). The deal the cruise lines negotiated-ONE time entry for cruisers, with the heavily reduced fee included in the port/government fees. Chile still got their retaliation and cruisers who disembark/port stop in Chile only get tagged a small portion of the fee, which is well hidden in all the government fees. Win-win situation for a lot of hurt feelings.

[greatam]

I was told paying it BEFORE you enter ...crisp NEW US$$$$ .I'm not sure if there is one when you leave BA

 

There ARE airport departure taxes in BA, DEPENDING on how your ticket is written. Some have the fee included in the ticket price, some don't. You have to look at your ticket receipt to find out. LAN generally DOES NOT include the fee, so leave enough time to stand in an additional line to pay the fee. It is currently $30.00pp, international departure.

[Keith1010]

I had a silly question...I keep seeing that when you fly into Santiago Chile there is a reciprocity fee collected at the airport...$130pp I believe....do they charge this fee when you are flying OUT of Santiago Chile?

 

Want to be prepared.:rolleyes:

 

You pay the fee when you arrive. You can pay by credit card but be prepared with cash. Be sure that the bills are crisp. They will not take torn or worn bills. Bring more than you need just in case.

 

Keith

[MTJtraveller]

Thanks for the info...don't you just love cruisecritic?:)

[SelectSys]

From the SCL airport website:

http://www.aeropuertosantiago.cl/english/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=35&Itemid=51

 

"International Arrivals

 

 

 

Reciprocity Tax

All passengers with passports form Australia, Canada, United States and Mexico must pay areciprocity tax before entering Interpol control.

 

 

Tax Amount per Country

• Australia US$ 61

• Canada US$ 132

• United States US$ 131

• México US$ 23

 

 

Any inquiry can be made at Cashier Boxes. Telephone number (56 2) 690 10 63 Once the Entry Reciprocity Fee receipt is attached to your passport, you have to proceed to immigration control."

 

Just a note - when you go down the stairs/escalator to the immigration hall the windows for paying the reciprocity fee are to the far left. Don't get confused and enter the main line unless you have already paid the fee and have the receipt stapled in your passport.

[Hamburg Avon Lady]

:) IF your ship makes a port stop for the day or two in Valpariso --- and you

leave the country via your cruise ship --- there is no fee. This only applies to passengers arriving by plane into Santiago. (We flew home in

Feb. from there to the states and paid NO departure tax as we had arrived by ship.)

[Fabian52]

To bad you are not flying the reverse. We flew from Buenas Aires, Argentina, then did our cruise around the horn, then flew out of Santiago, Chile and the fee was included in our airline ticket with LAN.

[sej67]

:) IF your ship makes a port stop for the day or two in Valpariso --- and you

leave the country via your cruise ship --- there is no fee. This only applies to passengers arriving by plane into Santiago. (We flew home in

Feb. from there to the states and paid NO departure tax as we had arrived by ship.)

 

So if I arrive in Valparaiso by boat, take a flight from Santiago airport to Easter Island and back, do I get charged the fee when I fly into Santiago from EI?

[greatam]

So if I arrive in Valparaiso by boat, take a flight from Santiago airport to Easter Island and back, do I get charged the fee when I fly into Santiago from EI?

 

You should not have to pay because the flight is an intra Chile, domestic flight. You have already entered Chile and are just going to another area of Chile. No immigration, which is when you are tagged with the reciprocity fee.