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[naturegirl321]

I got this from a friend. HOpe it helps someone.


There was no $100 fee to enter Chile, that was either just a rumor or just somebody who got ripped off at the border, however once I entered into Chile the exchange rate was terrible and prices were outrageously high.

The Dollar/Peso exchange rate is approximately 535 chilean pesos per 1 USD (in Arica). A taxi to the consulate from the bus terminal will cost you a minimum of 1500 pesos and to hire the taxi driver per hour will cost you 8000 pesos.

The visa payment must be made in Chilean Pesos and after the exchange rate, the visa actually comes out to 91 USD or 48800 Chilean Pesos.

This is the process:
1. You go to the consulate, give them the oficio number, fill out a form, hand over two passport size photos along with your passport, and receive a deposit slip from them in exchange to take the bank and deposit the payment.
2. After receiving the deposit slip, you have to take a taxi to the center of the city and exchange your dollars into Pesos (approximately $100 USD are needed if exchanging in multiples of $20.) The bank does not exchange dollars.
3. With your deposit slip and pesos in hand you go to the bank yet again by taxi and deposit the money. They will in turn give you a receipt for your deposit which you must take back to the consulate.
4. Finally you present the consulate with your receipt of deposit and they will then begin the process of completing your residency visa. They tend to do it faster if you�re with a young child, however they seem to get distracted very easily over there, so it could take a minimum of one hour for them to complete everything and stamp your passport.
5. Finally with stamped passport in hand you go back to the bus terminal where Peruvian collectives are waiting to take you back to Tacna.

Here�s my advice for people who want to go to Arica from Tacna:
1. Exchange money in Tacna, the exchange rate may be more favorable than in Chile, this will eliminate the process and the taxi ride to the center of the city to exchange your dollars into Pesos.

2. The Chilean border doesn�t open until 7 A.M., but it�s a good idea to leave Tacna early with a collective and wait in line until the border opens. The border becomes very busy and confusing, just follow the driver and the other passengers in the vehicle. You can�t pass through unless you are with your driver. The collectives cost anywhere from S./10 - S./16. (I paid S./12 to go down there) or a private taxi will charge anywhere from S./25-30. There are plenty of forms to fill out when exiting and re-entering the country and the drivers are always in a rush to get their people through for the obvious reasons.

3. When in Chile pay the taxi driver 1500 pesos to take you to the consulate and do not take him up on his offer to charge you per hour and take you everywhere you need to go. It�s better to pay 1500 pesos per trip.

4. From the consulate, go directly to the bank with the deposit slip and pesos in hand, after depositing the money take the receipt and head back to the consulate.

5. In the consulate turn in your slip and wait for them to complete the Visa. Once the visa has been received take a taxi back to the bus terminal where a Peruvian collective or private Taxi can be taken back to Tacna. If pressed for time a private taxi is the best way to go. The taxi drivers take care of everything for you whether it�s via a collective or private taxi. A trip back via collective is S./10 or private Taxi S./30.

My recommendation is don�t stay in Chile, it�s VERY EXPENSIVE, in two hours I spent over $140 USD. I was so happy to go back to Peru!

The collectivos run out of the bus terminals in Tacna and Chile, so there�s no going wrong or getting lost, it�s the processes inbetween that are long and hard. I recommend that people who are asking for their visa in Arica have a good handle on Spanish and the exchange rates. I had one of the two when I arrived and both of them when I left.