Border Crossing

[Wisconsin]

Has anyone crossed the chilean border by mendoza instead of the usual trip to colonia for the visa renewal? Is it difficult? I'm planning on crossing by car.
Thanks for the help!

 

[lejohnson]

It's not difficult, but it is a long trip and there can be extremely long waits at the border crossing. In crossed over in January of this year and they were doing some construction at the border crossing and on the roads around. We had to wait 4-5 hours to go through immigration.... If anyone has done it more recently they might have more updated information, though...

 

[Nika_R]

Crossed that border few times - sometimes fast, sometimes... not 4-5, but 8+ hrs. You must be ready to spent ~30hrs in bus (one way!), and you would must to stay at Santiago overnight (all buses starts from Santiago at morning only - no traffic cross Ands in darness).

Better try to trip to Brazil (instead of Uruguay) - not so far, and only )) 9+9 hrs by bus - no big delay at Paso de los Libres...

 

[elhombresinnombre]

I've made the crossing many times though never for the purpose of visa renewal so I have no idea how they feel there about passports with multiple stamps. I have seen them take apart one person's luggage to discover that this foreign 'tourist' had approximately 120 mens' two piece suits in different sizes in his bags so they are not sleepy, country cops. I've never had to wait more than 2hrs and while Nika_R is right about the journey time from BsAs I've always gone from Mendoza itself and it's taken overall about eight hours. Fantastic scenery if the weather is in your favour. The old road and derelict railway line, Puenta del Inca and Aconcagua itself if you are lucky. Take your camera.

 

[Alex_H]

We did santiago-mendoza with no issues (apart from one poor guy who was smuggling in about 100 tea cosys and table cloths - who got thumped with import duties).

it was one of the most beautiful trips I have ever taken - if you can try to time it so you cross the andes in the late afternoon/dusk. But don't forget to wear your brown trousers - the road down the mountain on the Chilean side is terrifying!

 

[El Duderino]

You might avoid the $140 reciprocity fee (if you're coming from the states) if you cross by bus. I flew into the Santiago airport, and the lady there told me that airport is the only place you'll have to pay it.

 

[lejohnson]

My 4-5 hour wait at the border was not normal, I've definitely done the trip much faster and I've done it many times as I have family in Santiago. Just warning that in January there was construction, and it's possible they have not finished yet. It is a beautiful trip, though and I still reccommend it. Make sure to bring a sweater for when you're at the border though because even though it is summer, it will be pretty cold on the top of the Andes, and I almost always seem to forget!

Here's a picture of that road into Chile:

 

[mendozanow]

You might avoid the $140 reciprocity fee (if you're coming from the states) if you cross by bus. I flew into the Santiago airport, and the lady there told me that airport is the only place you'll have to pay it.

Yes, you certainly will avoid the reciprocity fee for Americans, Aussies and Canucks. The fee is only payable on ENTRY at the Santiago airport on international flights (similiar to the entry into Argentina where payable only on international arrival at EZE or AEP), no to entries at other airports, land entries,
or sea entries.

 

[Empshel]

I'm making the trip next weekend. I'll let you know how I fare.

 

[Mark IV]

Anybody know if there's a reciprocity fee if you go by land, Yacuiba, to Bolivia? I know Santa Cruz Airport has one.