During Monday’s weekly update on the evolution of the pandemic in Chile, Public Health Undersecretary Paula Daza announced important changes to the Plan Fronteras Protegidas (Protected Borders Plan) from December 1.
One of the most important changes is the lifting of restrictions for travelers leaving the country, as well as the opening of three new land borders for entering Chile and increased benefits for those who have a valid Pase de Movilidad (Mobility Pass).
These are the new modifications to that plan that will come into effect on December 1:
1. Restrictions on leaving the country will be lifted
- Restrictions on leaving the country will be lifted for all Chilean residents from December 1, independent of age, vaccination status or travel purpose. Requirements for entering the country through authorized border crossings will continue.
2. Border crossings authorized for entering Chile
- There are currently four airports authorized for entering the country: Santiago, Iquique, Antofagasta and Punta Arenas. Three land border crossings will be opened from December 1: Chacalluta (Arica and Parinacota); Colchane (Tarapacá) and Pino Hachado (La Araucanía).
3. The following groups will be able to enter Chile via the seven aforementioned authorized border crossings:
- All Chileans and foreign residents.
- All foreign non-residents with vaccines previously validated by the Health Ministry.
- All foreign non-residents who meet the exceptional requirements of Interior Ministry Decree 102.
- All children under the age of six, independent of nationality or vaccine status.
4. Requirements for entering the country
Chileans and foreign residents
- Negative PCR test taken in the country of origin within 72 hours of boarding the flight (from two years of age).
- Signed affidavit.
Foreign non-residents
- Negative PCR test taken in the country of origin within 72 hours of boarding the flight (from two years of age).
- Signed affidavit.
- Medical insurance with coverage of at least US$30,000 that covers illnesses associated with COVID-19.
- Approved vaccines validated by the Health Ministry.
5. Testing and isolating in Chile for travelers from December 1
- All those, independent of nationality, who have had a booster shot applied in the six months before traveling, which is registered and validated on their Mobility Pass, will be exempt from testing and isolating on entering the country.
- All those who have a Mobility Pass but have not had a booster shot must be tested at the point of entry into Chile and self-isolate until receiving a negative result.
- All those, independent of nationality, who do not have validated vaccines must be tested and self-isolate. They must quarantine for five days, even if their test result is negative.
Encourage vaccination
Public Health Undersecretary Paula Daza spoke about the modifications to the Protected Borders Plan, explaining, “we are aware that this process has taken longer than we would have liked, but we have already taken concrete steps to cut the review time by about half (in airports). We hope that it keeps decreasing in the coming days”.
Undersecretary Daza took the opportunity to explain the situation of those under six years of age who, in the majority of countries around the world, still do not have access to vaccination: “if the family group that the minor is traveling with has a valid vaccination scheme, either with or without a booster dose, the child will only have to isolate until receiving a negative result from the test taken on entering the country”.
For those traveling abroad, Undersecretary Daza emphasized, “it is of the utmost importance that you get tested before leaving Chile, as a preventative measure to avoid getting sick in another country, even if it’s not required in the destination country”.
Lastly, she reaffirmed that all these measures “are a way of encouraging vaccination, but also to look after citizens, so that the majority of people who circulate in the country are protected”.