The following are the health requirements applicable to Chileans and resident foreign nationals flying into AMB Airport

Starting today, Thursday, January 7 at 5:00 a.m. the following requirements for resident foreigners or Chileans arriving in Chile on international flights at Arturo Merino Benítez International Airport (SCL) have come into effect.

What are the requirements that air travelers coming to Chile must follow?

• Travelers must show proof of a negative PCR test taken 72 hours prior to boarding.

• Air travelers must follow mandatory quarantine requirements for 10 days upon arrival in Chile. Quarantine can only be suspended by showing proof of a negative PCR result based on a test taken on or after the seventh day of quarantine. 

They must also:

• Fill out an online form known as a sanitary passport available at www.c19.cl 

• Fill out an online form requesting them to report one’s location over a period of 14 days post-arrival in Chile.

• Only non-resident foreigners entering the country must have valid medical insurance taken in the country of origin with international medical coverage in case they develop COVID-19 symptoms while in Chile. This insurance must have a minimum coverage of US$30,000. 

 All these documents must be shown prior to boarding the flight to Chile.

 What happens to travelers arriving in Chile without proof of a negative PCR result?

Chileans and resident foreigners alike who fly into the Santiago airport without proof of a negative PCR result may have to follow mandatory quarantine requirements in a health residence after paying a fine of 58 monthly tax units (UTM) (equivalent to US$4,028).

Will children also be required to show proof of a negative PCR result before entering Chile?

Only children under the age of 2 are exempt from having to show proof of a PCR test result.

Will stopovers during the flight to Chile affect the expiry date of a PCR test result?

If after the departure time from the point of origin to the time of arrival in Chile the air traveler has taken several means of transportation, the 72-hour period will begin at the time of boarding the last flight. 

Are medical certificates issued to justify the mandatory days of quarantine on return to Chile? 

No, the Health Ministry’s Regional Office does not issue or grant medical certificates to travelers. In this case, this is a matter to be determined with one’s employer(s).

Are passengers in transit also obliged to have proof of a negative PCR test result and must they follow a mandatory 10-day quarantine requirement? 

The quarantine requirement and negative PCR test result is only for passengers entering Chile. Passengers in transit -that is, those with a connecting flight to another international destination- are not required to meet these prerequisites. However, the passenger must not leave the boarding area to pick up luggage or carry out any immigration procedures. 

What happens if my final destination or my place of residence is not in the Metropolitan Region where the airport is located? 

If the passenger lives in a region outside the Metropolitan Region, he or she can quarantine in their respective region, but they must travel there within 24 hours from the time of arrival to the country by private or public transportation, complying with the proper prevention measures. 

Must the PCR test be a throat-swab or a nasal-swab test? 

The test sample can be taken either by using a throat or a nasal swab. The laboratory method used must be a real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test that detects the presence of the virus.

What if I must travel abroad?

In that case, you should find out what the health measures and the entry restrictions are pertaining to the country you wish to travel to by consulting its official web pages and contacting your airline. For transfers to the Santiago Airport you can use your plane ticket as a safe-conduct and take your international flight without any other additional document.