fervorpitch

It has been said already , but just want to clear up that ONLY if you clear immigration in Santiago or the two BA airports do you pay the reciprocity fees for Americans, Canadians and Australians. Thus, you pay none if you air transit through Santiago to Mendoza or through Sao Paulo to Cordoba, for instance.

The on-line payment of the Argentine reciprocity fee has already started as an option`(reports are it is going smoothly so far), but is not required until October 31, 2012, for international arrivals at AEP and, until December 28 for international arrivals at EZE, at which times boarding international flights to these airports will require proof of payment first:
http://www.argentinaindependent.com/...city-fee-visa/

You register for the pre-payment site and pay here:

https://virtual.provinciapagos.com.ar/ArgentineTaxes/

For Chile, you just pay when you arrive and before you pass thru immigration at the Santiago airport.

These are only entry fees, so need to have paid them to leave from anywhere.

Starman

Can you pay the Chilean reciprocity fee in advance of arrival at SCL at a Chilean Consulate in the US? There's one just down the street from where I work, which could be easier than ending up at the end of the immigration line after the overnight flight due to the stop to pay the fee at the airport on arrival.

Eastbay1K

I'd be shocked if the answer is yes.

Viajero Perpetuo

As the Santiago Airport is the only place where payment is taken and where the appropriate stamps and receipts are issued, I too would be very amazed.

Examining mine:

The treasury receipt is numbered and has the details of payment and passport. This is stamped with "BANCO DEL ESTADO" "AEROPUERTO INTERNACIONAL AMB" and the same stamp is on the passport page beneath this stapled to the page receipt.

Even if they hypothetically did, it would still be a pain as payment is not accepted at any government office. You do the paperwork and submit it, then run out to find a bank to pay whatever fee, then go back to the same office with the receipt of payment to complete the process.

og

but thankfully, major credit cards are accepted for payment. Just be quick to get to the queue.

Siempre Viajando

SCL is one of the most efficient airports I have seen anywhere in terms of getting through Immigration and Customs. There is not usually a long lineup to pay the reciprocity fee, and if I'm not mistaken once you pay it you get to go through the Immigration counters that process Chilean citizens, where the lineups are often shorter than the lineups for non-citizens.

Yes there are exceptions to the rule and if you arrive in the third or fourth 767 to dock at the international terminal on a Monday morning, you'll wait in line. But by and large SCL is better than practically any other international airport in terms of keeping your waiting time down.

Even better, once you're through Immigration there's an 80%+ chance that your checked luggage will be waiting for you. This often happens to me even when there is no lineup whatsoever at Immigration. So you'll be on your way quickly, just don't forget to declare any food items you may have with you 'cause the Chilean government is very sensitive to phyto-sanitary risk!

Eastbay1K

You are mistaken, unless they've changed the setup yet again.

I've had some waits up to 30 to 45 minutes, and other "waits" in the single digits. As you've mentioned, the longer you wait, the more likely your bags will be there!

Schultzois

Just to double-check (as it's been more than ten years since I last paid a reciprocity fee to enter Chile)... once you pay the US$160 is the stamp they give you still valid for the life of the passport? I know it was last time (and my passport was brand new then, so it's only just expired within the last year).

Sorry if this seems a mundane question, but the language on the US Dept of State Travel web site (http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_p...y_requirements) looks unfamiliar to me: "U.S. citizens traveling to Chile for recreation, tourism, business, or academic conferences do not need to obtain a visa prior to their arrival in Chile. A Tourist Card will be issued for a stay of up to 90 days upon payment of a reciprocity fee, currently US $160. Currently, the fee is only charged at the Santiago International Airport. Payment can be made in U.S. currency or by credit card. An extension of stay for another 90 days is possible upon payment of an extension fee..."

I've never had a "Tourist Card" in my various visits to Chile, and the language above suggests that a card is needed for each visit (and only issued in exchange for the reciprocity fee).

Is there a (relatively) new policy requiring the fee for each visit, or is the language above just unnecessarily ambiguous (or both)?

Thanks in advance. I'm not actually planning a stay in Chile right now, but certainly will be sometime in the future... and I my travel plans in January may make a short stop in Chile "desirable" (transiting with flights that may not be a direct connection), but not unless my next $160 grants me repeat entries as the $100 back in 2002 did.

AA_EXP09

It should be.
An American colleague that has been to Chile has this on the stamp-VALIDO DEL CANCELACION DEL PASAPORTE-VALID UNTIL CANCELLATION OF PASSPORT

Viajero Perpetuo

Correct, FOR US AND CANADIAN PASSPORTS reciprocity fee payment is valid till passport expiration. This means if your passport is lost, stolen, or the stamp below the stapled receipt gets washed out before expiration, the result is the same as passport expiration.

For Australian passports, the reciprocity fee is good for only 90 days.

The "tourist card" is actually not a card but that flimsy piece of paper that you may remember receiving on your visits that must be kept with your passport and shown to incoming and outgoing passport control.

Eastbay1K

And, most hotels will photocopy the card to keep with your records so that you will not pay the IVA (VAT) on your hotel bill.

Schultzois

I suppose I must have received that and kept it tucked inside my passport (as I always do when visiting Brazil). Sounds simply like the language on the US Travel site is a bit vague, as it does make it sound like you pay the fee to get the "card" (or flimsy piece of paper, as it were). That's true the first time, I suppose, and each subsequent time you enter on a passport that doesn't already show the stamp.

Glad to have that cleared up. Must plan a trip to Atacama to celebrate.