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Chile, one of the last places in the Western Hemisphere to reopen, is finally allowing tourism to return November 23, after being closed for over 8 months.
The Ministry of Health made the announcement this week confirming Chile’s official reopening of their borders starting late November. Upon original publishing of this article the speculated date was within the first week of December, but now the reopening date has been confirmed as November 23rd.
The government of Chile has been very clear about all entry requirements and biosecurity protocols, including which countries are permitted to enter for tourism, and under what rules.
Chile’s daily case numbers have been in a plateau for months after their largest spike in June, which is one of the major factors in their decision to finally reopen the borders for tourism.
Chile's Daily Cases. Credit: Worldometers
Chile's Reopening Date
November 23, 2020
Countries Allowed To Visit
All countries
The government has been very clear that all nations, regardless of their epidemiological situation, may enter Chile for tourism.
PCR Testing Requirements
PCR tests mandatory
All arrivals into Chile, both citizens and tourists, will be required to present proof of a negative PCR test, taken no longer than 72 hours before arrival into the country.
Quarantine Requirements
None
For all arrivals that comply with the above PCR testing requirements, there will be no mandatory 14-day quarantine. However, if a passenger does not provide proof of a negative result, or is showing symptoms upon arrival, they are subject to a quarantine.
Important Update Jan 1, 2021: Due to virus strains, Chile is now requiring ALL arrivals to complete a 10-day quarantine. The only exception is getting a PCR test on day 7, of which a negative result will release the passenger from quarantine 3 days early.
Contact Tracing App
In development
In order for tourists to arrive in Chile and immediately go sightseeing and travel freely without quarantine, the government wants to implement a contact tracing app to reduce the risk of possible community spread. At time of publishing this article, details of the app are not yet available.
Paula Daza, undersecretary of Health in Chile stated: “The most important thing is the principle of traceability and we have to have it very well implemented before opening the borders: all the people who enter the country, Chileans and foreigners, will be under a surveillance period of 14 days. They will have to report their symptoms and location,”
Estamos preparando el protocolo para la apertura de fronteras de manera segura y que evitemos más contagios de #COVID_19. https://t.co/jtqTRH1LDx
— Paula Daza (@pdazan) November 10, 2020
SCL Airport Reopening
Santiago de Chile airport (SCL) is the only airport set to reopen in December for the purposes of tourism.
Thankfully, it is Chile’s largest and busiest airport, which will allow for the best connectivity for tourists.
At this time, we have no information on land borders or other air borders.
Flights to Chile
As the news of Chile’s reopening is still quite recent, many airlines will soon reschedule flights in and out of the country.
As of now, there is already direct flights scheduled to resume in December to SCL from: Madrid, Amsterdam, New York, Miami, Panama, Guayaquil, Lima, Sao Paulo, and Buenos Aires.
Health Declaration Form
Like most countries worldwide, Chile will also be requiring all passengers, both citizens and tourists, to fill out this online health declaration form at most 48 hours before arriving in Chile.
Health Protocols While Visiting Chile
All visitors in Chile are asked to follow all health protocols in place. As of right now that includes:
- National curfew from 11:00pm to 5:00am
- Wearing masks in all public places
- Social distancing and frequent hand washing
Travel Health Insurance
When Chile first reopened on November 23, travel insurance was not mandatory, but now as of December 1 2020, ALL tourists visiting Chile must have travel health insurance that covers covid and has at least $30,000 USD of coverage.
What’s happening with the countries surrounding Chile?
Many other nations in South America have already reopened for tourism, with Chile being one of the last.
Argentina reopened for neighboring countries (including Chile) on October 30. Peru reopened October 5, with Colombia just prior to that on September 21. Both Brazil and Ecuador reopened earlier on in summer. Uruguay still remains closed and is not expected to reopen for tourism in 2020.
Read More: See the top 10 countries to visit during the pandemic, destinations with NO quarantines or tests, and travel insurance that covers covid
Sources: gob.cl / infobae.com / sernatur.cl / latercera.com /
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Disclaimer: Current travel rules and restrictions can change without notice. The decision to travel is ultimately your responsibility. Contact your consulate and/or local authorities to confirm your nationality’s entry and/or any changes to travel requirements before traveling. Travel Off Path does not endorse traveling against government advisories
Originally published November 11, 2020 with updates
Al
Tuesday 19th of January 2021
I’m ok with getting the test. I’m not ok with this 10 day quarantine. Why chile? What’s the purpose if you already have a negative test before boarding? Bad editions.
Wolfgang
Tuesday 8th of December 2020
I wanted to travel to the lake region to see the solar eclipse. I received a message this morning (12/8) that movements within regions are restricted starting 12/10 at 5 a.m. local time in Santiago. I would not be able to leave the Santiago region, therefore, I cancelled my trip. I learned this from a local who wanted to rent out his RV to me. Thus, I think this information is reliable and hopefully helpful for others.
patrick.london@hotmail.co.uk
Monday 16th of November 2020
I concur with the previous post. From the European perspective, from where a flight takes more than 12 hours, airlines would not let you board if you don't have a negative result. That means the 72h period shrinks even further and it would be pretty much impossible to get test results back in the required time.
Also, looking at the internal travel restrictions at (link), I doubt tourists will put up with the hassle of travel affidavits, quarantined cities and sanitary cordons.
So, it's a shame that we can't visit Chile during the solar eclipse, but I'm looking forward to come in 2021.
Jeff Moriarty
Friday 13th of November 2020
Almost impossible to get a PCR test that quickly. I had a tough time getting results back with 96 hours for the Galapagos. This is coming from Chicago.
Cesar
Thursday 12th of November 2020
Nice so we can all get Covid 19 at no extra cost 🤣😂 No thank you!!!