One of Chile’s customs agent associations, ANFACH, declared an indefinite strike on May 24, 2017. As a result, some border crossings are currently closed. In the Magallanes Region, all border crossings are closed including Paso Dorotea (between Puerto Natales and El Calafate).
Border crossings that remain open may be operating at reduced staffing levels causing delays. The international airport in Santiago and Chilean sea ports are currently operational.
The Embassy cannot confirm when the strike will end or when the affected border crossings will reopen. Visit the Chilean Ministry of Foreign Affairs website for the contact information of each border crossing, and monitor local media for the latest information on the strike.
With travel into and out of some parts of Chile temporarily cut off, the U.S. Embassy is currently trying to assess how many U.S. citizens are affected by the ANFACH strike and subsequent border crossing closures. We request that any U.S. citizens currently affected please notify the Embassy as soon as possible. You can email us at SantiagoUSA@state.gov or call our emergency line at +56 22 330 3716.
For further information:
- See the State Department’s travel website for the Worldwide Caution, Travel Warnings, Travel Alerts, and Country Specific Information for Chile.
- Enroll in the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) to receive security messages and make it easier to locate you in an emergency.
- Contact the U.S. Embassy in Chile, located at Andres Bello 2800, Las Condes, Santiago, at +56 22 330 3000, Monday to Friday from 8:30 am to 5:00 pm. The after-hours emergency number for U.S. citizens is +56 22 330 3000.
- Call 1-888-407-4747 toll-free in the United States and Canada or 1-202-501-4444 from other countries from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Eastern Standard Time, Monday through Friday (except U.S. federal holidays).
- Follow us on Twitter and Facebook.
