I planned my third trip to Chile with my boyfriend, Reuben, during the 2021-2022 holiday season. We had first talked about visiting the Atacama Desert almost a year prior, when Chile’s borders were still closed to foreign travelers. As soon as the Chilean government announced that it would open to fully-vaccinated foreigners for (essentially) quarantine-free travel, we jumped on booking the trip we had envisioned so many months earlier.

Chile still required us to jump through a lot of hoops to enter the country–more than any other destination I had visited since the onset of the pandemic. It was daunting, but not impossible, and Reuben and I were always up for a challenge. I had also recently embarked on a side hustle planning travel for others (my official title: Luxury Travel Designer with Cartology Travel), and already had a couple clients lined up to visit Chile in early 2022. Thus, I was diligently tracking the requirements and restrictions for traveling in Chile during these ever-changing and often confounding times.

I will post more about my most recent Chile adventures (including staying at Vik Chile in wine country, exploring Atacama in a camper van, and experiencing a more luxurious version of Atacama with Tierra Hotels). You can also read more about my prior Chile travels (Santiago recommendations, wine tasting in the Casablanca Valley, staying at Tierra Patagonia, visiting Easter Island, and spending a couple nights in Valaparaíso). However, given the complexity associated with traveling to Chile during the pandemic, I thought a post solely about navigating the entry requirements was warranted.

Setting the Scene: Enter Omicron

Reuben and I pulled the trigger on booking our December 2021-January 2022 Chile trip in early November, less than eight weeks before we’d depart. Typically, I’d recommend planning a trip to Chile’s most popular and far-flung destinations (including the Atacama Desert, Easter Island and Torres del Paine National Park in Chilean Patagonia) 6-12+ months in advance, as the top-rated accommodations sell out quickly. However, we were still in a pandemic and things weren’t exactly “typical.”

We felt pretty confident when we booked in November–Chile was again welcoming foreigners, vaccines seemed to be doing their job at preventing severe illness, and booster shots were available for additional protection. The trend was for the world to reopen: restrictions were being eased, rather than additional mandates and border closures being put in place.

Well, we all know how that story ended. Omicron showed up at our doorstep shortly thereafter, throwing everything into a tailspin and reigniting anxiety based on the shocks that had traumatized us starting in March 2020 (or earlier for people in some parts of the world). Living in New York City, Reuben and I were once again at the epicenter of the virus in the U.S., witnessing an explosion of COVID cases around us. Lines for tests wrapped around city blocks as people were exposed to the virus during holiday gatherings or preparing for upcoming holiday travel (or both).

Fortunately, we were fully vaccinated and had gotten our booster shots in late November, so that gave us some peace of mind going into the trip. We agreed to be particularly careful in the days leading up to our travels, avoiding unnecessary risks, as we didn’t want a positive test to force us to cancel. Additionally, with cases spiking so quickly in New York, going to Chile felt like a safe option. The country was stringent on its entry requirements, had high levels of vaccinations and boosters, and case numbers per capita had been significantly below those of the U.S. for some time. Plus, it was summer in the southern hemisphere and we could safely enjoy outdoor activities there without freezing our asses off. We just didn’t want to be irresponsible jerks bringing a highly transmissible variant to a foreign country.

Preparing to Travel to Chile

As I mentioned previously, Chile had quite the list of entry requirements for foreigners. However, with some advance planning and preparation, the trip was completely doable. The steps required prior to entry*:

• Validate your vaccines at https://mevacuno.gob.cl/. To do this, you need a picture of your passport, a picture of your vaccine card, and a picture of you holding your passport to your chin. Once your identity and vaccines have been validated, you will receive your Chilean mobility pass, essentially a QR code that will enable you to travel around the country freely.
  • Timing: The website recommends that you submit your information at least 30 days but no earlier than 45 days prior to your visit. I would advise adhering to that timing to be safe, but I experienced much faster turnarounds (1-2 weeks) personally and with my clients.
  • Also note: All vaccines need to be submitted in either English or Spanish.
• Obtain medical insurance that covers a minimum of $30k in emergency medical expenses related to COVID-19
  • Timing: This can be done any time prior to travel, although if you also want to get trip cancellation or cancel for any reason (CFAR) coverage, you may need to purchase shortly after you make your first deposit for your trip. While CFAR coverage comes with a hefty price tag, trip cancellation insurance is more reasonable, and can provide valuable coverage if your trip is nonrefundable and you need to cancel due to illness (COVID included).
  • Shameless plug: My host agency offers insurance through Travelex and I’m happy to offer a quote if you are interested.
• Obtain a negative PCR test
  • Timing: The sample must be collected at least 72 hours prior to your last flight boarded. So, if you have a connecting flight to Chile, be sure to calculate from the time that you board your last flight.
• Complete a Travelers Affidavit form at https://c19.cl/
  • Timing: This must be completed within 48 hours of travel–no earlier. While technically a different site from Me Vacuno, you access the C19 site using the same login details used to validate your vaccines
    • Information that you need at this stage: the address of your local quarantine site (as Chile requires you to isolate at a home or hotel until you receive negative results from a PCR test upon arrival), your pre-departure negative PCR test results, and your travel insurance policy with emergency medical coverage. Once you complete the process, you are rewarded with yet another certificate and QR code.

*All of this information is current as of January 2022; I recommend checking https://www.chile.travel/en/traveltochileplan and https://cl.usembassy.gov/u-s-citizen-services/security-and-travel-information/covid-19-information to confirm the most up-to-date policies

Day of Travel

Because we were traveling with American Airlines, who partners with an app called Verifly, we were able to upload all required travel documents in advance of our flight and check in from home. We weren’t checking bags, so we could head straight to security when we arrived at the airport and avoid any delays waiting to verify all our documentation with a ticketing agent. While AA is not my first choice airline (I’m a Delta gal), the ease of Verifly was much appreciated, and I would absolutely recommend using it if flying with American.

We still arrived at JFK several hours early for our 9pm December 24th flight. Although not at all necessary since we both have TSA Pre-Check, we were bored at home and figured a couple glasses of Christmas Eve bubbly and appetizers at the Flagship Lounge would be a good way to start our trip. Well, you may recall hearing that U.S. airlines were canceling thousands of flights during this time partially due to Omicron-related staffing shortages. Unfortunately, our flight was one of the ones impacted, first being delayed by twelve hours, and ultimately being canceled altogether.

The next nonstop JFK-SCL AA flight wasn’t until the 26th–two days later. While this was obviously disappointing because we were all ready to leave and would now lose two days of our trip, it was particularly distressing because our pre-flight PCR test results would expire the next morning. We now had to scramble to get another PCR test–during the holidays, in the middle of a surge in cases, amidst widespread testing delays. While we ultimately figured it out, two learnings from this experience if you want to be extra careful:

1) Try to book a flight scheduled as regularly as possible. We prioritized having a nonstop flight, but that came with the trade-off that it only ran a few times a week. When it was canceled, we had to wait two days for the next flight. We possibly could have changed to a flight with a connection in Miami or Dallas and flown out the next day, but we still would’ve had to figure out how to get PCR test results with an incredibly quick turnaround–on Christmas Day in a city whose testing scene we were unfamiliar with.
2) That brings me to my second point. We opted to take our PCR tests the morning of the 22nd just in case there was any delay in results. If we had waited until the 23rd, the results still would have been valid for a flight out the evening of the 25th. So, if you find a lab that can guarantee a quick turnaround of results, it may not be a bad idea to schedule your test closer to your flight to provide a bit of wiggle room in case of any delays.

All that being said, travel brings with it a lot of uncertainty and complexity, especially in this day and age. As much as I pride myself on my attention to detail in planning, there is only so much that you can anticipate and control for. Sometimes you just have to admit that you’re powerless against the travel gods, allow for some flexibility in your plans, and be positive and grateful for the pieces you are able to salvage.

What to Expect Upon Arrival in Chile

After our disheartening attempt to leave the U.S. on the 24th, I’m happy to report that our rescheduled flight on the 26th went without a hitch. While we were slightly delayed out of JFK, we were able to make up the time in the air and arrived at Santiago’s Arturo Merino Benítez airport more or less on time. It was time for the next test (literally and figuratively): getting into Chile.

We still had a few more hoops to jump through before we would be free to travel around the country:

• Complete a health screening, including showing negative PCR test results and proof of emergency medical insurance
• Take another PCR test at the airport
• Isolate at our hotel until the PCR test results came back negative (estimated between 12-24 hours)

Then, we would also need to submit a daily health survey online here for the first ten days of our trip to confirm that we weren’t experiencing any COVID symptoms. The Chile government has also created iOS and Android apps, which we downloaded upon arrival. This made it very easy submit our surveys (took less than a minute each day).

The first step: clearing the health screening. After disembarking the plane, we followed clearly marked instructions to a long line of podiums (but thankfully, no queue of waiting people). We walked right up to one of the open podiums where a woman asked to see our negative COVID tests and proof of emergency medical insurance. After a brief scan to confirm that we met the requirements, she handed us stickers to place on our shirts, marking us as recent arrivals. Then she sent us to complete the next step: taking another PCR test.

Next we came to a group of digital kiosks, where we registered for the test with a few personal details (name, date of birth, passport number, email address). The kiosk printed out a piece of paper with the information we’d need to access our test results, and we headed to the makeshift “clinic” rooms to take the tests. It was the first PCR test I’d taken where they collected samples from my mouth and both nostrils. They were not messing around.

After less than ten minutes, we were free to continue on to the standard immigration and customs checkpoints before we could leave the airport. Overall, the process was much more efficient than I expected, but we were lucky that there were no lines at any step. I can’t guarantee that it is always this fast and easy, and would advise planning to spend a couple hours completing all of the requirements as the airport may likely be a lot more crowded at other times.

We also lucked out with immigration and customs (again, no lines and no questions), so we were out of the airport in less than an hour. Finally, things were starting to go our way.

To get to our hotel/isolation place, we had to take private transportation (taxis, rental cars, private transfers were all permitted–just no buses or shared transfers). We had arranged a private transfer through our hotel, Vik Chile, and eventually found our driver waiting for us with a sign at the arrivals lobby.

Next, it was on to the hotel to complete our “quarantine.” We hard originally planned to start our trip in Santiago, expecting that our first day was going to be a throwaway day anyway since everything would be closed on Christmas. When our flight was rescheduled, we asked Vik if we could push back our stay by a couple days so we didn’t waste any of our time at their beautiful wine country hotel in the Cachapoal Valley. Vik was much pricier than even the nicest hotels in Santiago and I wanted to be able to make the most of our time there. However, their team urged us to head straight to their property upon arrival in the country as we would be “much more comfortable” waiting for our results there.

Well, that was the right call. Because Vik is a small, rural property (just 22 rooms and 7 bungalows) located on a nature preserve, we were essentially free to roam around as we wanted while we “isolated.” We had lunch at the restaurant, hung out by the pool, and could’ve even gone on a winery tour on our first day. It felt quite safe there as the property wasn’t crowded and featured an airy indoor-outdoor design, so there was always a bit of a breeze wherever you were in the common areas.

I first tried to check my test results at www.sclbionet.cl around 6pm, about eight hours after the sample had been collected. Perfect timing! The results had come through at 5:43pm. And thankfully they were “negativo” for both of us. Now we could officially end our isolation, travel throughout the country and eat indoors at restaurants. Once again, I think we were lucky. My clients who arrived in Chile two weeks later had to wait sixteen hours for their results, which meant they were stuck in their Santiago hotel all day and could not go out to dinner that evening.

After the Isolation Period

As I mentioned earlier, we still had to complete a daily survey for the first ten days of our trip, self-reporting any COVID-19 symptoms (fortunately, none). This survey can be found here, or can be accessed by the Android and iOS apps specifically created for this purpose. We received an email every day reminding us to complete the survey and it took less than a minute to complete. I think we both skipped a day when we were roaming around the Atacama Desert in a van without cell service, but nothing happened. I am not sure if there would be any consequences for skipping the survey altogether, but I personally don’t think it’s worth finding out. Just follow the rules.

While mobility passes are technically required to travel in Chile and dine at restaurants, we found that not all places would check for them. The restaurants in Santiago seemed to be pretty strict for indoor dining, and Tierra, our hotel in the Atacama Desert, also asked to see them, alongside our negative PCR tests. We kept the documents on our phones, which was acceptable everywhere.

One final note: masks are still required to be worn outdoors in urban areas in Chile, and indoors in all public places. We found the locals to be very diligent rule-followers, and were told that the police are quick to enforce the mask law with fines. So we got used to wearing our masks when strolling the streets of Santiago, but we took them off when hiking or biking in more remote areas.

Returning to the U.S. from Chile

Sadly, our twelve-day-turned-ten-day trip had to come to an end, and it was eventually time to return back to the U.S. just as COVID cases were reaching their peak in NYC. Perfect timing. Did we have to go home? I technically did not, but Reuben didn’t seem too thrilled about the idea of staying in Chile for the foreseeable future, so homeward it would be.

With the new(ish) requirement in place for all U.S.-bound travelers to obtain a negative COVID test within one day of departure from a foreign country, the final step for us would be figuring out where to get a test. While tests are not too difficult to come by in Santiago, they can be a challenge in more rural locations in the country, and tests are only offered at clinics, not at hotels. Additionally, PCR tests seem to be much more common than antigen tests, although turnaround times for PCR results can take up to 24 hours.

Fortunately, staying at Tierra Atacama made it easy for us. Paula, the manager, consulted with us about our flight times home during our stay, and the team booked us appointments for antigen tests at IST in the Santiago airport, approximately thirty minutes after our flight from Calama was scheduled to land. We also could’ve done the tests in Calama before boarding our flight; similarly, Tierra can drive its Patagonia guests to a nearby lab if connections in Santiago are too tight. The cost for testing is included for guests on Tierra’s all-inclusive plan.

It was a bit of a challenge to find the clinic in Santiago (we were told it was located between doors 5 and 6–we had to figure out that meant not boarding gates 5 and 6, not baggage carousels 5 and 6, but arrivals doors 5 and 6). Then the two staff members didn’t speak any English and seemed very confused about our arrival. Um, we had an appointment for 3pm? They finally figured it out, collected our samples using a standard at-home kit, and announced our results (“negativo”) after fifteen minutes. We then went through another broken Spanish discussion about getting a document to show our results to the airline. It turned out that someone at the lab needed to certify the results, which took another fifteen minutes or so. Thankfully, we had plenty of time. Finally, they printed out the results and we were good to go.

I wasn’t sure exactly what the situation would be for departure testing in Chile, so I had done a bit of research for myself and my clients just to know what the options would be if Tierra couldn’t help us out. Other than IST, I’m not sure where else one would be able to get an antigen test in Santiago, but here are other options that I found for PCR tests in the capital:

• BioNet – The same clinic that processed our arrival tests also has a location in the Santiago airport by door 5 on the first floor. They are open from 8am-8pm Monday-Saturday and results are delivered within 12 hours. The cost of the test is ~$30 and they accept walk-ins.
• GenoSUR – If you’re looking for a faster turnaround and/or prefer the convenience of making an appointment, GenoSur guarantees results within four hours. The cost is ~$45 and they have several locations: one at the Hilton Garden Inn by the airport, one in Las Condes, and one in Buin.
• PCR a Domicilio Express – This service will come to a house, hotel or office in Santiago to take your sample. Results are promised the same day, between 6-10pm, and the cost is ~$55.

As I mentioned earlier, Chile wasn’t the easiest country to visit in late 2021/early 2022, but all the effort was well worth it. We felt quite safe throughout our entire trip; it provided peace of mind to know that all other foreign visitors had gone through the same rigid process to enter the country and that the locals were careful about following the rules themselves. Don’t be intimidated by all the requirements–if you do a bit of planning and ensure you do everything that is needed in advance, you should be able to enjoy your trip with minimal stress.