Published: February 19, 2025
This report is intended to supplement the U.S. Department of State Chile Travel Advisory and Chile Country Information Page.
Embassy Contact Information
U.S. Embassy: Av. Andrés Bello 2800, Las Condes, Santiago.
Tel: +56 (2) 2330-3000; Emergencies: +56 2 2330 3321.
Embassy Hours: 0830 – 1700.
OSAC Country Chapter(s)
The Country Chapter in Santiago is active, meeting on an as needed basis.
Contact OSAC’s Americas team with any questions.
Chile Travel Advisory
The current U.S. Department of State Travel Advisory at the date of this report’s publication assesses that travelers should exercise increased caution due to crime and unrest.
Crime
The U.S. Department of State has assessed Santiago as being a HIGH-threat location for crime directed at or affecting official U.S. government interests.
The U.S. Department of State has included a Crime “C” Indicator on the Travel Advisory for Chile, indicating that there may be widespread violent crime and/or organized crime present in the country, and/or that local law enforcement may have limited ability to respond to serious crimes.
Chile has comparatively less violent crime than other Latin American countries. Pickpocketing, telephone scams, vehicle thefts, and residential break-ins are the most common crimes against tourists and resident foreigners. Violent crime has steadily increased over the past decade, most often in the form of carjacking, home invasion, and mugging. A recent survey showed two-thirds of Chileans reporting that crime or violence has increased in their neighborhood in the previous year, and nearly 60% saying the government’s main priority should be addressing the increase in crime. The homicide rate jumped drastically from 2021 to 2022 to 4.6 homicides per 100,000 citizens, and it has continued to increase in 2023 to 6.7 homicides per 100,000. However, comparatively Santiago still has slightly lower homicide rates than other Latin American cities like Mexico City (7.0), Sao Paulo (8.4), or Bogota (12.8).
Theft of all categories increased in 2024, including vehicle theft, theft of objects or accessories from the interior of the vehicle, robbery of an inhabited place, robbery of an uninhabited place, and other robberies with force and theft. Most break-ins occur when residences are empty. It is common for Chileans to return home from work after dark and to leave Santiago altogether on weekends. Summer vacation for students and many Chilean employees starts around December 18 and lasts through early March; this is the peak residential break-in season. When residents are home, burglars use bats, knives, and firearms as intimidation.
Non-violent pickpocketing is more common in Santiago than in other areas of the country, although it may happen anywhere. In downtown Santiago, the risk of being a victim of pickpocketing increases on weekends and after dark. Purse snatching and pickpocketing are more prevalent in crowded tourist locations, pedestrian shopping areas, subway stations, and bus terminals, as well as on crowded buses and the metro. Criminals often work in pairs, with one distracting the victim with a motion or sound while the other steals the victim’s property. Restaurants, pubs, food courts, and major hotel chains are also popular locations for theft of purses, backpacks, briefcases, and laptops. Be aware of groups of youths, who frequently work together to distract people and then rob them. It is common for thieves to dress in a suit and tie to blend in.
There are several common strategies employed by thieves in Chile. Travelers displaying overt signs of wealth may be “tagged” by street criminals while arriving at points of entry, at affluent hotels or lodging, or in shopping districts in Santiago. Once tagged, these criminals wait for an opportunity to steal the traveler’s possessions, whether from their hotel room or their person. One form of this robbery that has increased targets a traveler’s watch or phone; A criminal on a motorbike, often armed, drives directly in front of a traveler, demands the traveler’s phone, watch, or wallet, then flees. Maletazos, another growing criminal trend, occurs when criminals, stand outside of hotel entrances; once taxis or vans pull up to drop off tourists, criminals wait for victims to unload luggage and grab the bags, throwing them into a getaway car and departing.
Phone scams are common in Chile. In most cases, someone will telephone and state that you have won a prize, claim a family member has been in an accident or has been kidnapped, or will insist that the caller is working with your bank and requires your banking/credit card information. It is important that you do not give financial information to anyone you do not know over the phone.
Credit card fraud remains a concern. Police have uncovered various networks engaged in cloning credit cards and producing fraudulent blank credit cards. Some restaurants have been caught scanning clients credit cards through skimmers.
Carjacking continues to be very prevalent. Other vehicle-related crimes include incidents of smash-and-grab on cars left unattended on the street, even in affluent areas.
Most crime in Chile occurs in the Santiago metropolitan area. Recent increases in crime targeting wealthy residents have occurred in Las Condes, Vitacura, and Providencia. Pickpocketing and petty crime can occur anywhere, but tends to target areas where tourists and wealthy Chileans frequent. Crime rates have also increased in Valparaiso, including significant numbers of vehicle-related thefts that impact travelers.
Additionally, there are concerns about narcotrafficking along the northern borders with Bolivia and Ecuador. Transnational criminal groups such as the Venezuelan Tren De Aragua, known for trafficking migrants, are increasingly present in the north of the country. However, this crime typically does not impact tourists.
Kidnapping Threat
The U.S. Department of State has not included a Kidnapping “K” Indicator on the Travel Advisory for Chile. Review OSAC’s reports, Kidnapping: The Basics and Active Shooter and Kidnapping Response Tips.
Kidnapping is a relatively rare crime in Chile. However, express kidnapping increased an estimated 135% from 2015 to 2025, with about half of those occurring in Santiago. Generally, foreigners visiting Santiago are less likely to be victims of traditional kidnapping, but express kidnappings conducted in unofficial taxis or in private vehicles have targeted travelers.
Terrorism
The U.S. Department of State has assessed Santiago as being a LOW-threat location for terrorism directed at or affecting official U.S. government interests.
The U.S. Department of State has not included a Terrorism “T” Indicator on the Travel Advisory for Chile.
Ongoing, small-scale domestic terrorist activity attributed to anarchists has targeted government institutions, banks, and churches, and public areas with improvised explosive devices (IED) detonations. The frequency of IED and other anarchist attacks decreased in 2024.
Mapuche separatist violence in Araucania and Biobio continues to have terrorist elements that commit acts of arson, but it rarely has an impact outside of the region.
Political Violence and Civil Unrest
The U.S. Department of State has assessed Santiago as being a MEDIUM-threat location for political violence directed at or affecting official U.S. government interests.
The U.S. Department of State has included a Civil Unrest “U” Indicator on the Travel Advisory for Chile, indicating that demonstrations, protests, and/or strikes occur frequently, and that local law enforcement may have limited ability to respond adequately. Civil unrest can develop quickly without prior notice, often interrupting logistics and services. Avoid demonstration activity, as even those planned to remain peaceful have the potential to turn violent.
Elections/Political Stability
In December 2021, Chileans voted for President Gabriel Boric in elections that were considered free and fair and were not marked by unrest as some analysts had expected. President Boric is considered further left than the previous Chilean governments and represents the left-wing student movement that drove the social unrest in 2019.
In September 2022 and again in December 2023, Chileans voted against a proposed draft of a new constitution in elections that occurred largely without political violence or protest. The rejection of the constitution was interpreted widely as a rejection of the direction of the Boric administration, and it is assessed to have caused a perceptible shift toward the center in his cabinet and policies.
Chile is expected to hold presidential elections in 2025. Chileans take pride in their peaceful and democratic electoral process and subsequent transfer of power.
Protests & Demonstrations
In October 2019, widespread social unrest began when student protests against an increase in public transit fares escalated into violence. In what became known as the Estallido Social (Social Outbreak), more than 1.2 million protesters occupied and vandalized the city’s public transportation system in protest of inequality and the perceived lack of government accountability. The government deployed the army and declared a state of emergency in Santiago. Protests then spread throughout the country, including major cities such as Concepcion, San Antonio, and Valparaiso. More than 30 people died in the violence and at least 2,500 were injured. Some have accused Carabineros of human rights abuses during and after the unrest.
Since then, protests have occurred annually on the anniversary of the Estallido Social but have not escalated to similar levels. On the 2024 anniversary of the unrest, thousands of protesters gathered in Plaza Baquedano in downtown Santiago, resulting in some violent confrontations with police that resulted in the use of teargas and water cannons. Protests can be expected to continue around this yearly anniversary.
Other social movements continue to drive smaller protests. Most recently, a significant demonstration occurred in April of 2024 when thousands of protesters marched across Santiago demanding pension and wage reforms. While these demonstrations remained relatively peaceful, major traffic and supply chain disruptions were observed. Other unrest continues throughout the country, such as sporadic strikes and demonstrations in Chile’s far north in protest of the government’s immigration policies, as well as indigenous separatist agitation to the south of Santiago. These issues are unlikely to cause disruptive protests in Santiago itself.
Anti-U.S./Anti-Western Sentiment
While some protestors during the 2021 civil unrest manifested anti-U.S./anti-Western Sentiment, Chile has a strong connection to the United States. Local and national government leaders are usually amenable to U.S. interests, and typically look to U.S. counterparts as partners of choice.
Law Enforcement
The Carabineros are the uniformed national police force with primary responsibility for crime prevention, order, and traffic control. The Investigations Police (PDI) is a plain-clothed investigative police agency similar to the FBI in the U.S. Both Carabineros and PDI conduct investigations into burglary, cybercrime, violent crimes, counter terrorism, and migration; once a crime is presented to a prosecutor, the prosecutor determines which agency will lead the investigation.
The Carabineros and PDI have legal responsibility for law enforcement and the preservation of law and order, including migration and border enforcement, within the country. In 2024, Chile created the Ministry of Public Safety to oversee these forces. Civilian authorities generally maintain effective control over the security forces. The constitution of Chile prohibits arbitrary arrest and detention and provides for the right of any person to challenge the lawfulness of their arrest or detention in court. The government has not always observed these requirements, and there have been isolated reports of abuses by law enforcement personnel.
Police Response
The police in Chile respond to most crimes in an effective and professional manner. While the police have excellent street-level police skills, they are impeded by resource limitations that inhibit their ability to respond to every emergency or incident. Rural communities often experience a lack of enforcement and/or response from law enforcement agencies due to this limitation in personnel and resources.
Travelers with Special Considerations
For specific traveler concerns in Chile, review the local laws and circumstances on the Department of State’s Country Information Page.
Rule of Law, Arbitrary Detention, Official Harassment, Corruption, & Transparency
The U.S. Department of State has not included a Risk of Wrongful Detention “D” Indicator on the Travel Advisory for Chile.
The law provides criminal penalties for corruption by officials, and the government generally implemented the law effectively. There were isolated reports of government corruption during the year.
Cybersecurity
There are no specific cybersecurity concerns in Chile.
Import/Export Restrictions
There are no specific concerns about import restrictions other than general precautions with weapons and agricultural products. Chilean agricultural services are known to be very strict, especially at ports of entry. Declare everything as required by law and expect the agricultural authority to inspect luggage at ports of entry. The import of satellite phones for personal use is not prohibited.
A country-specific listing of items/goods prohibited from being exported to the country or that are otherwise restricted is available from the U.S. International Trade Agency website.
Additional resources and reports can be found in the OSAC Traveler Toolkit.
