What you can bring into Chile

• Luggage and personal effects. Luggage includes all those articles, new or used, carried by the traveller for his personal use or as presents, excluding goods which may be presumed from their value or quantity to be for sale.
• Articles bought duty-free, and not for sale, up to a value of US$ 500.
• Items such as those listed below may be brought in but must first be declared to the Customs Service: still cameras and accessories, movie and slide cameras; portable typewriters; record players and records; recorders and cassettes, portable radios; binoculars; sporting equipment in general, camping equipment and other used items, so long as they are such as are normally carried by tourists for their personal use, and are taken out again on leaving the country.
• A vehicle or motor car may be brought in for a maximum of 90 days from the date of entry as a tourist.

What you may not bring into Chile

• Fruits, seeds, unprocessed vegetables or animal products.
• Firearms, munitions or explosives.
• Illegal drugs of any kind.

Animals

• Chile applies overall health legislation, enforced by the Agricultural and Livestock Service (Servicio Agrícola y Ganadero or S.A.G., www.sag.gob.cl ), which makes it illegal for tourists to bring animal and vegetable products or sub-products into the country in their luggage. However some products may be brought in provided that they are accompanied by an Official Health Certificate issued in the country of origin.
• Tourists may bring in certain animals as pets, for example dogs and cats. These require a vaccination certificate for distemper and rabies, which must be stamped by the appropriate Chilean consulate.

Temporary import of vehicles

• Foreign tourists who enter the country through customs at border posts from Argentina must fill in a form for the temporary departure and entry of vehicles (Salida y Admisión Temporal de Vehículos) under a Chilean-Argentinian Agreement).
• Tourists entering the country through border posts from Peru and Bolivia will be given a form at customs called "Título de Importación Temporal" (temporary import document), which is required to bring a vehicle into the country. Proof of tourist status must be given to the International Police Service (Policía Internacional), and valid documents for the vehicle must be shown. If the driver is not the owner, he must also produce an authorisation, signed before a notary public and stamped by the Chilean consul in the country of originli
The temporary import of vehicles into Chile is valid for 90 days only, even if the tourist obtains an extension of his tourist visa. If the vehicle remains in Chile for a longer period, it will be treated as illegal, in accordance with Chilean customs regulations.
• Argentinian tourists may drive on driving licences issued in their own country. All other foreigners require an international driving licence issued in their country of origin. In Chile you must drive on the right and the use of a seat belt is obligatory.
Chilean Customs Formalities
• Customs may carry out random checks of luggage to ensure that it contains only permitted articles.
• If other articles or goods are found, the person will be subject to the customs tribunal, which may order the confiscation of the goods, apply monetary fines and even prison sentences.
When the Tourist leaves Chile
• A foreign tourist who is leaving the country must comply with general regulations on the export of goods, under which any article other than prohibited goods may be exported.
• There are no duties or taxes on articles exported from Chile, however the goods are subject to certain checks by other monitoring organisations, which may be done prior to export or at the time when they are checked out of the country.
• On exit, customs should compare the outgoing goods with those originally declared on entry to ensure that duty-free regulations are complied with.
• Chilean goods carried by tourists are subject to normal export regulations.
Links
For more information:
• visit the Customs website www.aduana.cl
• Visit the Chilean Civil Register and Identification Service