Looking at my maps today I will be going in and out of chile/argentina couple time , did any of you had to do the same and did you have to pay extra every time for the bike and yourself, I can't remember what I did during my last trip there.

Thanks

hendi

As an American, you don't pay at all for yourself or bike, no matter how many entries into Chile or Argentina (unless arriving by air, which I assume you're not). As whatever-you-are, I don't know...but I doubt it's different.

When asking questions about entry, visas and fees, it sure makes sense to state your nationality.

Mark

you are right about putting my nationality , I carry two passport 1 french 1 US

No fees for overland entry on a US passport. However, if you fly in with a US passport, they will charge you $135 for some kind of visa. The bottom line is that its a reciprocity fee since Argentinos pay $135 for a US visa.

What's interesting is that when I was getting on the ferry in Buenos Aires to go to Uruguay I had to of course check out at migracion.

They asked where my visa was since I had a US passport. They said I could not leave the country without that $135 visa. I showed them all the Argentina entry stamps in my passport, about a dozen of them, and told them that not one single time in all these border crossings was I ever asked to buy a $135 visa. However, they still refused to let me leave the country.

There was some discussion about putting me in some kind of holding cell since one of the agents was arguing to his boss that I was in the country illegally and should not be free to travel around. Then I pointed again to all the entry stamps and argued that if i was in the country illegally, why did they stamp my passport and let me in so many times over the last 6 months? I then very politely asked them for a phone so I could call the US embassy and inform them that I was being held in Argentina. They refused to let me use a phone and continued talking amongst themselves so fast that I could only get about 50% of what they were saying.

So then, trying to be diplomatic, I told them that I would be happy to get this $135 visa and asked them where I needed to go to get it, but they had no clue.

So, politely, I said "so I cant leave the country without this visa, and you dont know where I can get one, so what do you want me to do?" They then just sat there with stupid looks on their faces and stared at me. After some time they finally let me get on the ferry about 2 minutes before departure time but told me that if i entered Argentina again and did not buy this visa I would be put in some kind of holding cell. I of course entered and exited Argentina 3 more times without this visa, and without issues.

The migracion agents were totally confused and I think just finally gave up and let me pass. It was actually quite comical, but I was polite and cooperative the entire time so I think that helped matters.

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http://www.southontwowheels.com

thanks for the info Crashmaster , don't you lovr to see confusion in the face of official , great example of what attitude sometime we need to keep while in adverse position.

Funny story Vince. I (and others) used the same ferry to Uruguay, carrying passports chock full of the same entry and exit stamps. In fact, I did it once without my bike in addition to once with it. No one mentioned visas either time. You must've caught the boss during his first day on the job.

Mark

Chile also has a USA reciprocity fee if arriving by air. It is good for the remaining life of you passport. I considered moving mine forward, since it is only stapled into a special page of your pp & they don´t seem to look closely, but a review of the federal penalties for fraudulent passport modification scared me enough to cough up another $135 when I arrived by air in Santiago.

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India Himal, 3mo,2x; Kazak/Krygyz/Tajik, 3 mo; Kashi-Lhasa, China 219! 6 wk; Nepal, 4 days/trekked 55; Santiago-Ushuia-Cusco, 7 mo; Peru, 3 mo; Chile-Medellin 3 mo; Medillin-Arica, 3 mo

Just underscoring what others have said -- there is no fee for a Chilean visa,, at least with either a US or a Canadian passport.

The reciprocity fee is for air arrival and is not a visa.

Back and forth with Argentina, there's never money needed at the borders in either direction.

Just a note -- the Chilean agricultural inspection can be very thorough. Since we always had food with us, I always declared Yes. Then explained what we had. Sometimes they wanted to see. Once we had to relinquish some sunflower seeds and some salami. Perfect time for a picnic!

Have fun!

-Laura
ridingaround.wordpress.com