Citizens of the following countries may be exempted from tourist visa requirements:a Nationals of Australia, Britain, Canada, Japan, United States, and the EU for a stay of up to 90 days except nationals of Greece, who can stay up to 60 days.b Nationals of Antigua & Barbuda, Argentina, Bahamas, Barbados, Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Croatia, Czech Republic, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Fiji, Grenada, Guatemala, Hong Kong, Hungary, Iceland, Israel, Jamaica, Liechtenstein, Macau, Malta, Mexico, Monaco, Morocco, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Norway, Panama, Paraguay, Poland, St Kitts & Nevis, St Lucia, San Marino, Slovenia, South Africa, Surinam, Switzerland, Tonga, Tunisia, Turkey, Uruguay, Vatican City, Venezuela and Serbia & Montenegro for a stay of up to 90 days. c Nationals of Peru for a stay of up to 60 days.d Nationals of Belize, Costa Rica, Honduras, Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore for a stay of up to 30 days. Citizens of Guyana, South America along with several African nationalities will not be able to enter Chile, without applying for a special visa from a Chile consulate before entry.
However, citizens of four countries must pay a "reciprocity fee" of varying amounts. The fee is USD 132 for Canadian citizens, USD 140 for American citizens, USD 61 for Australian citizens and USD 15 for Mexican citizens. This fee is equivalent to the amount that country requires for entry visas from Chilean citizens. The fee is only for tourists entering by plane, and the one-time charge is good for the life of your passport. US citizens should have cash or a credit card to pay the $140 fee. Citizens of other countries, such as the UK, do not have to pay a fee.
When entering Chile by cruise, vehicle or plane, at customs, travelers will need to fill out a tourist card that allows them to stay for up to 90 days. Travelers will have to present the tourist card to Customs officials when leaving the country. Be aware that hotels waive Chile's 19% room tax when the guest shows this card and pays with U.S. dollars. On flights leaving Chile, there is an airport tax of US$18, or the equivalent in Chilean pesos. On domestic flights, airport tax is included in the price of the ticket. For tourism information of Chile, please visit: www.visitchile.org. For consulate information, please visit the Chilean Embassy in the U.S. web site: www.chile-usa.org. More info at Embassy of Chile, UK: www.echileuk.demon.co.uk/consulatevisas.htm.
Chile is a geographically isolated country, bared from its neighbours by desert, mountain and ocean. This protects it from many pests and desieses that can hit agriculture. Due to this, importation of certain fresh, perishable o wooden goods such as meat products, fruits & vegetables, honey, untreated wood, etc. can be either restricted or even prohibited. Beware of hefty fines by the SAG, the agricultural oversight body.
Remember that Chile is a centralized country, so the laws stay the same regardless of region.
Negatives
A word of warning for families moving to Chile. All documents other than your passports will be rejected in Chile, unless legalized by specifically a foreign Chilean consulate/embassy before coming to Chile. No certified or notarised document will be accepted in Chile, if not done so by a Chilean consulate or embassy. They will not accept birth certificates or school transfers. All documents brought into Chile are considered legally worthless, unless you first get them legalised outside of Chile. This will be especially important if you wish to submit documents for either a temporary residency or permanent residency. For reference see (http://chileabroad.gov.cl...).
Secondly, other than Uruguay and Argentina, the cost of living in Chile is much higher than several Latin American Countries.