Something to Declare, Entering Chile Without a Fine

Photo courtesy of wakko on Flickr.

First Steps

When you first arrive in Santiago, you’ll stumble confusedly off the plane, (often early in the morning, after an overnight flight), through the duty free store, and to the luggage carousel, where you’ll see green-vested labrador retrievers ready to sniff you, or well, your luggage. Drugs, you’ll be thinking! Is there such a big drug problem in Chile? Perhaps, but most of those are home-made, it would seem. Those dogs are not drug dogs. They are fruit and veggie dogs. That’s right, Rover’s looking for your secret stash of victuals.

“Don’t infect our agriculture” official publication from SAG.
Photo used with permission from bearshapedsphere.

SAG Protects Chile

Chile is a narrow strip of land between the ocean and the Andes, an agricultural island, and a powerhouse at that, producing accoladed wines, salmon, and produce which is exported to much of the world. That being the case, the Chilean government entity, SAG (Servicio Agricola y Ganadero), or the Agriculture and Livestock Service has a vested interest in protecting Chile’s fertile production zones.

Your next stop after the dogs and carousel show is the SAG xray machines. Here you will deliver your declaration (word to the wise, if you carry anything at all edible or drinkable, declare), and send your luggage through the machines. Your purse or daypack goes as well, and they may ask you to take off your coat.

Declare

The rules state clearly that you must declare any fresh or dried fruit or vegetables, grains, legumes, fungi, honey, bee products, meat products or milk products. They also state that the minimum fine you can be assessed is around $200 for failing to declare, and the fines can run into tens of thousands of dollars for wilfull smuggling of agricultural products. You’ll always be asked about anything they see on the xray screen that looks like a glass jar (could contain honey) or anything that looks like seeds, sometimes including packaged coffee. The coffee (which is roasted) is ok, while the bee products are not. But better to declare than to be fined.

Always Declare

Think I’m kidding? I’ve had garlic (oops) and untoasted pecans seized and know more than a handful of stories of people who unwittingly had a dried out clementine at the bottom of their bag, or brought a bag of trail mix with its attendant raisins into the country, to the tune of a $200 fine. I also know one funny German guy who recently had an apple seized, and although he was not fined, he was waylaid for an hour or so and asked to sign a piece of paper giving the government permission to destroy his apple. It’s a good story, but the exception, not the rule. You may not be so lucky.

Short and sweet: When entering Chile always declare that you’re carrying something unless you’re 100% certain you’re not. Dried out clementines and errant raisins included.

For what else to pack (or not) for a Santiago visit, go here.