Chilean Immigration and Customs – Paso Roballos | Customs and Immigration
Chile
Details
- Verified:
- about 1 month ago
- GPS:
- -47.18398, -71.97397
- Altitude:
- 605.5 masl
- Contributor:
-
vremsbottom
Amenities
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Description
Chile Border station. One person. 11 miles to Border. the road is very good and open all year. highly recommended route and border.
Entering Chile is possible with a dog without any problems, although dogs are not allowed in the National Park. (24.03.2023)
Make sure you have your salvoconducto done before arriving at this border if you are EXITING Chile (not required to enter Chile). Do it at https://pdivirtual.cerofilas.gob.cl
Why? By checking in after you’ve visited a place you let others know this place is still functional. You can also add or correct any information.
Latest Check-Ins
Nothing special to add on top of what everybody already wrote. Do not forget salvoconducto and you are good to go. Officers were friendly and the process smooth.
Report Check-InDo not forget your Salvo Conducto document! No problem if you've lost your PDI slip, like me. Friendly officer. Took about 10mins.
If you get your S.C. at the visitor center of Patagonia N.P.; check if the open WiFi network named "STINKY" is still there before paying 5k for an hour of internet (our docs didn't arrive within an hour so we saved 10k).
Report Check-InMore salvo conducto info: You get a confirmation email when it is submitted. We had to try a couple times each to get the form to submit. Comment below about being related to the vehicle is incorrect, it is related to immigration and each person crossing the border must have one. The cafe at the national park visitors center is now charging 5000 pesos for 1 hour of wifi. It took a little more than an hour to get ours back, so we had to pay for the wifi 2 times. Much better to get this sorted before you get there.
Report Check-InTAKE NOTE....if you are leaving Chile you now need to apply online for a salvoconducto in order to leave the country or you will be turned back. This is a brand new process. It must be applied for with the exact date of crossing and must be done within 24 hours. People have been turned away and had to head north to Chile Chico.
Report Check-InCrossing from Chile to Argentina with UK-registered motorcycle. As others have said, this is a small border station so you MUST have done the salvoconducto (police check) before arriving at the border (if you cross at a larger border they can check on the system for you, but here they don't seem to be connected). You can do it online before, but if like me, you didn't, it's possible to do it online at the national park visitor center cafe. You need to buy a coffee (or similar) to get access to their wifi. It's slow and you only get 200MB / 1 hr (whichever comes first). There is a QR code and printed instructions on the desk (Spanish/English) so they're very used to people with this problem. Despite what is says about having to do the salvoconducto a number of days ahead, you can actually do it same day. I completed the form and the salvoconducto arrived via email within an hour. I then went to the border and all good! Border staff were super-friendly and didn't take too long. Only a couple of other travelers there at the same time.
Report Check-In! To avoid confusion: salvoconducto is only needed to EXIT Chile
Arg -> Chile easy bordercross. Had to wait 10 minutes at chilean side for confirmation from PDI, they were very friendly and only had a quick look in the fridge.
Report Check-InWe crossed this border without any problems. We did the salvoconducto 2 days before and it only took 30 minutes to receive it.
BTW, it is the most beautiful and astonishing scenic road we saw in South America.
Report Check-Inwhen you go to the website to fill in the form for the salvoconducto certificate it says that you can do this 5-10 days in advance. thinking "better early than to late" we filled in the form 10 days in advance. DON'T, because it says it expires after 5 working days... So our certificate seemed to expire before the dat we would cross.We filled in the form again two days before crossing and received a new one within an hour. My guess is it's an automated system and there's only human involvement when the system gives of some kind alarm, in which case it will take longer to receive the certificate. At the border crossing there was actually a note saying it takes about twenty minutes. The border itself was easy and quick. A cursory glance in our refrigerator and that was it. The drive through the NP was nice but nothing special, it's better at the AR site.
Report Check-InWe were able to get the Salvoconducto online the day before crossing. We were emailed the form almost instantaneously. Note we selected a day five days in advance from filling out the form, but crossed prior to this date. No issues with passing through with our dog either.
Report Check-In5 days before crossing the border fill up the Salvoconducto form https://pdivirtual.cerofilas.gob.cl/etapas/ver/35129521/0 for each person (without it you don’t cross the border in the Chilean side)
On the Chilean side they took everything that was open in our fridge (mayonnaise, margarine, plant based milk).
No Border Crossing without a "Salvaconducto", which takes 5 days to be approved.
At this time, this border crossing is not an option, as Ruta 41 is not passable due too high amount of snow.
Same thing happened to us 😅 i had even read these comments and looked up the salvoconducto form online and only read something quick that said it was only for Chilean residents so didn’t think it was necessary for us (US residents with US plates car). as soon as we got there one unfriendly officer said no form no pass and we would have to go to chile chico instead. a nicer officer followed us to our car and said it would be quicker to go back to Cochrane and get wifi there instead and come back because it’s a lot less kms . (there is also wifi at the patagonia park gift shop). amazing drive!!!! but we decided to cross from chile chico as it was a new route for us and we didn’t want to risk filling out the form incorrectly and getting turned away again
Report Check-InExiting Chile
WARNING : as it is a small border, you have to fill up a paper online beforehand that can take 5 days to have. We did not know so had to turn back. There is no wifi there.
I put the form in the pictures
We were turned back, we could not leave Chile due to not having a form filled in online days ago.
I’m not sure now what the form is but if you haven’t filled in anything online, chances are you don’t have it.
This form was only needed at this border crossing due to it being very small and not prepared for non-Arg/Chl vehicles.
We were prepared to fill it our right there and then online, but the guy said it takes days to get it back from the relevant office.
Still, it was an amazing drive.
Report Check-InWe were turned away from this border because we had not filled out a salvoconducto form online prior to driving to the border. They told us they didn't have wifi for us to fill it out (though we could see a network on our phones) and told us to go to the Chile Chico crossing instead. Highly recommend filling the form out online if you intend to cross here.
Report Check-Inchile customs. small, uncrowded office where it takes about half an hour to get through. friendly customs officer, he climbed into our truck to see if everything was in order, but didn't really bother us. it seems that you don't need fruit and vegetables or meat or fish except vacuum-packed. here they mainly control household appliances and electronic devices. we spent the night next to the euro barracks. there is wifi.
douane du chili. petit bureau peu fréquenté où il faut compter une petite demi-heure pour passer. douanier sympathique, il est monté dans notre camion pour voir si tout était en ordre, mais ne nous pas vraiment embêté. il semble qu’il ne faut pas de fruit et légumes ni de viande ou poisson sauf sous vide. ici ils contrôlent surtout l’électroménager et les appareils électroniques. nous avons passé la nuit la à côté d’euros baraquement. il y a le wifi.
Report Check-InEasy border crossing. Friendly staff. If you want to go alone keep in mind the road is not very frequented. Staff told me about a dozen vehicles a day, sometimes none.
Gravel road. Washboard. Rather thick layer of gravel outside the two tracks. Road condition deteriorates on Argentinian side.
Came from Argentina, entered Chile here. Very friendly staff, we had to wait the usual 20 minutes. Then they waived us through, no inspection of our motorhome, not even questions about food. And there was also no possibility to declare any food items, not on the form we had to fill in and no online declaration (no WiFi available).
Report Check-InExiting Argentina:
The process itself was quick and easy
BUT BEWARE: The office said that alcoholic drinks were illegal to take into Chile so he would have to take them from us to "prevent" problems for us entering Chile. Only after 4 times telling him that it is not illegal he let us pass.
Entering Chile:
We passed into Chile with a dog. No problems at all, although dogs are not allowed in the national park. They stamped our documents and the ones of the dog and did not have a look in the vehicle. Of course they did not take our beers, as stated from the Argentinian officer.
It took 15 minutes. Supernice carabineros. Closed at 20.00h. Besides this place is really amazing (Parque Patagonia).
Report Check-InFriendly and professional. Notices in English say it may take 20 minutes for them to confirm , it took 3 minutes. Really easy
Report Check-InBorder crossing Argentina to Chile: very friendly officers. As everything is a manual process it takes some time. They need to wait for an approval from the immigration office, which takes usually 20 minutes (but depending on the internet connection). They didn't even ask about goods to declare and didn't check the car (very unusual for chilean customs 😊).
Report Check-InTravelling from Argentina to Chile
It took 1h30. Very nice and quick people at Argentina aduana. But Not very friendly at all in Chile !!!
Same as our comments for the Argentina side of the border - super friendly staff in this remote border crossing. Takes a little longer because the whole process is done “hard copy” (no computer links). Same restriction as for other Chile/Argentina crossings. But best of all is the route you will take to get here - Argentina 41 / Chile X83. In our opinion one of the best drives in Patagonia. Road conditions were better than the southern Carretera Austral when we drove it in Jan 23. And, yes, it does “officially” close at 2000.
Report Check-InEntering Chile 8/12/2022. IMPORTANT NOTICE, another check-in states they close at 22:00 in december but when we crossed they said they close at 20:00! We arrived at 20:15 but the border officers were very friendly and still allowed us to cross.
Well organized border crossing.
Open 11/11/22. Fast and friendly. Road in Chile side decent with stunning scenery.
Report Check-InFast and easy exit of Chile.
To the 14/01/19 comment: there is no fuel station 6km north on ruta 40, the closest one is south in Bajo Caracoles, overlander point "Fuel station opened" (but expensive, they also change US$ at an expensive rate) Think that you'll burn more fuel on the Argentinian side because of the wind.
Maybe change some money before leaving Chile to have Argentinian pesos once in Argentina, going south the closest city is 330km far and getting money can be difficult (see overlander points)
A really quick pass to Argentina! We were the only travellers at the office around 19:00.
Report Check-InNice agent. He really applied the documents, our, those of the dog and those of the car, wanted to be sure we could get easy in Argentina without any problems. The two control posts are separated by about 11 km.
Report Check-InOne super friendly officer here. Going to Argentina took <15 minutes to cancel our TIP
Report Check-InLeaving Chile with our chilean car as a foreigner: no problem at all! they were totally ok with the „autorication“ from the car. Very nice policeman! Took us about 10min
Report Check-Infast and easy, very welcoming people.
maybe they are happy to meet people.
the road to come here is very beautifull through the Patagonia NP. The park is also very good, many wildlife, many hikes possibility, and few people.
worth it! must do!
Chile —-> Argentina. Quick and easy- 15 minutes tops. Very nice border officer checked all our paperwork quite closely. No issues.
Report Check-InWe went into Chile at 7pm in the dark and met the most friendly border officer you can imagine! He only asked if we had the typical forbidden food with us and if yes to throw it away but didn’t check our car. We were honest and threw away the last egg and garlic we had on our behalf.
Report Check-InHours of Operation: 8am - 10pm
Easy border crossing but the guard dog is a bit aggressive! I have a new hole in my jacket from him.
very nice and friendly staffs here, we crossed the border with out our padron cause its still on process, but we had declaracion jurada. they allowed us to cross the border.. dont miss this border no inspection, very fast and we even took a photo with them..😊😊
Report Check-InReally easy crossing boarder and Nice carabineiros !
we have the proper papers for our chillean car: padron with our name, technical control & insurance.
no control about the content of the car.
taking 15 min
Easy border crossing with our Chilean vehicle. Few seconds car check, but he gave us our onion back in the end and kept nothing. In contrast to other Chilean borders you don’t get the PDI (that paper that looks like a bill from a supermarket). Instead you have to fill in another document by yourself and keep the copy. Also a different stamp in the passport and no declaration about meat, vegetables etc was asked. Very easy and nice officers.
The road was no problem with 2wd. In Argentina the lakes were completely dry. Take RP39 and not RP103, it’s better and more beautiful.
The chilean road was worse with lots of washboard, but totally doable.
Great border crossing, took only a few minutes and no problems with being foreign owner of Chilean car. Make sure you have enough petrol to make it a few hundred kilometers to Gobernador Gregores because nothing until then.
Report Check-InWanted ALL paperwork for Chilean vehicle. No inspection. No english.
Report Check-InSuper easy crossing. But if you’re driving south in Argentina PLEASE drive north at the Ruta 40 for 6kms to fuel up before driving south. You probably won’t make it from Cochrane to Tres Lagos on one tank and terrible roads. Learnt the hard way haha
Report Check-InChile -> Argentina with Chilean plated car.
No issues at all, Argentinian did 3 second car check. Be warned that there is just an expensive (42 ARG/l for 95) gas station in Bajo Caracoles dealing only with cash (possible to pay in dollars, but the exchange rate is bad). Be prepared.
Report Check-InGreat guy works here. After all is done and through the gate we gave him a small bottle of whiskey. And said Happy new year.
Report Check-InChile->Argentina. We could really recommend this border. Very nice view, good road and very friendly people. Don‘t miss this road! No problem for passing with chilean car that we bought in santiago. There are two water holes at the argentina side, but it was adventure and fun. Look first where you can pass this holes, there are some big stones in it. No Problem with 2WD. (Van, Suzuki APV)
Report Check-InThe road on Chilean side is good but Argentinian part much more rough - 100km to RN40 takes ~3 hours and almost no traffic at all.
Report Check-Ineasy crossing Chile to arg just had in papers and get passport Stamps. 5 minutes.
Report Check-Ineasy peasy exit of Chile. 5minutes to hand over tip and stamp passports.
Report Check-InExit from Chile into Argentina. Easy process. Handed over our passports, TIP and PDI’s paper slip entry to the Carabinero. We got back our passports and car TIP stamped and dated and were on our way to Argentina in 10 min.
Report Check-InWe left Chile here in a German motor home which we transferred the rights to drive from a German guy in Valparaiso with a Podar. The policeman here just photocopied our podar, stamped out our TVIP and stamped our passports out. Asked what veg we had, I said garlic and he didn't even check the van. Easy peasy.
Report Check-InExited Chile as foreign owners of a Chilean plated vehicle. Super quick and easy - had to show the Padrón and manually complete and sign a 'Salida y Admisión Temporal de Vehículos' form, provided by the Aduana which includes a 'Declaración Jurada' section, confirming that we will return the vehicle to Chile. No questions asked about when we plan to return.. Definitely recommend this crossing, a little washboard but worth it for the beautiful drive through Parque Patagonia, with sightings of Flamingos, Guanacos, Rheas, and Huemul along the way... Note: If you're travelling south once you arrive in Argentina, Bajo Caracoles is the first town you'll pass and there's only one gas station/shop attached to the hotel there, and the selection is very limited and very expensive! Before you leave Chile, stock up on (border safe) snacks for the drive and enough gas to get you to Gobernador Gregores, further south.
Report Check-InWe, from Holland, entered Argentina here with Chilean motorcycle, no problems other than we needed an international insurance for Argentina which the Chileans helped us with.
Report Check-InTake this border if you own your Chilean vehicle but have no residence permit. This border is run by carabineros, whereas at Chile Chico it's PDI+Aduana, so the form, rules and stamps are different, you can exit here without problems even if Chile Chico turned you away four hours ago.
Report Check-InWe confirm stated below. Very friendly, polite, easy and fast border crossing. Did not even look at the car, neither in the car, both arg and chile. Recomended to cross here, especially if you have poder, authorization, own chilean car etc...
Report Check-InVery easy, had to fill the papers myself (no internet connection) and did not have to unpack and open my bags. OK drive in Chile, little washboard towards the boarder. Did road 41 in Argentina, so don't know the state of the road down the pass.
Report Check-InVery rural remote border crossing. We only saw one police officer. He quickly stamped through our paperwork. After using the clean restrooms we were on our way in less than 10 minutes. No search of the vehicle (S.A.G. Or otherwise). Fastest and easiest border crossing yet.
Report Check-InNo Problems, 5min crossing, even got offered a coffe from the border patrol
Report Check-InQuick and easy border crossing heading north. We met a nice customs officer, who checked our car within 90 second and let us keep everything we had (incl. onions and wurst)
Report Check-InChile side of border. Efficient. Least thorough chech so far.
Correct coordinates:-47.183983,-71.97397
Argentina small border. 1 person show. 11 miles to Chile. My car was searched more thoroughly than any other time. They would not let me have my extra tanks full and it had to be in the gas tank.
Report Check-In