Listed below is some information about Chile that most foreign travelers should find useful. In case you are interested in entry and customs requirements, safety tips, and information about communications in Chile please head on over to the Top Travel Tips in Chile article on this website.
Health Information
There are no mandatory vaccinations for tourists as entry requirement to Chile.
Tourists are advised to drink bottled water though the tap water in Chile is generally potable.
Buy seafood only in established supermarkets since those sold by vendors might be infected by the “red tide” and can lead to food poisoning.
The Hanta virus, a mouse borne disease, is present in Chile. So take proper precautions when entering abandoned cabins or houses.
Hospitals and emergency services in the Chilean Health Service are required to give medical attention to people who require emergency services at once even without cash or medical insurance produced before hand.
For emergency ambulance services please call: 131.
General Information
Office Hours: 9am to 6pm with a lunch break from 1pm to 2pm.
It is customary to call for an appointment before dropping into anyone’s office during work hours.
Banking Hours: Monday to Friday 9am to 2pm. Banks are especially busy from 12nn till closing time so you might want to visit earlier for shorter lines.
Exchange Office Hours: Monday to Friday 9am to 6pm with a lunch break from 2pm to 3pm.
Exchange offices in hotels tend to have longer hours though this varies for each hotel. If you can’t find an open exchange office just wait for the next day and never have your money changed on the streets.
Shop Hours: All week from 10am till 8pm. Some shops are open all day while some close for lunch from either 1pm till 3pm or 2pm till 4pm.
Electric current in Chile is supplied at 220Volts, 50 Hertz so you might need to request for transformers from your hotel if you’ve brought with you electronic equipment that has no internal adapter of its own.
You can also purchase two way adapters at any local electrical goods shop.
Public Holidays
Chilean shops, restaurants, and public transportation usually operate as usual even during public holidays except for changes in open and closing hours.
The only holiday when everything closes down is on May 1, which is Labour Day. So avoid going out during Labour Day.
You can expect more festivities during holidays and festivals. For a list of festivals that are usually celebrated in Chile please read the Top Festivals and Events in Chile article on this site.
List of Public Holidays in Chile:
- New Year’s Day - 1st January
- Good Friday - March or April (Variable)
- Labour Day - 1st May
- Navy Day - 21st May
- Corpus Christi - June (Variable)
- St Peter and St Paul - 29th June
- Assumption of the Virgin - 15th August
- Independence Day - 18th September
- Army Day -19th September
- Discovery Day - 12th October
- All Saints - 1st November
- Immaculate Conception - 8th December
- Christmas Day - 25th December