How to send money abroad from Chile

If you are looking at options for sending money to another country, chances are you have considered services such as Western Union. I personally chose not to use this service (called Chile Express here), because it seemed cumbersome and expensive.

First, you need to go to a branch with a pile of cash. If you haven’t already converted it to USD, you can have them convert it for you (at an exchange rate that’s not too great, most likely).  At the receiving end, you need to have someone who goes to a branch, takes out the cash, converts it to local currency if necessary, and deposits it in your account. On top of this, you will pay a fee for the transfer itself.

In Chile they also use AFEX, which does similar work. I read online that they can deposit funds directly into a recipient account, however when I went to a branch they told me they can’t. But that’s ok, I found a better way!

The secret is having a local friend you can trust, who has a checking account with full privileges. In my case one of my coworkers was there to help me. We went to her bank together (it helped that it was in the same building we worked, as most banks close at 2 pm), I deposited cash into her account, and filled out a form with my bank’s wire instructions (if you’re not sure, you should ask your home bank for this information). In my case, I had to convert the funds to USD, and my bank in Canada converted them to CAD, so those of you sending money to USD accounts will pay fewer foreign exchange commissions. The transfer fee on US$1,000 was USD $30 plus VAT of 19%. The funds were deposited into my Canadian bank account in about 3 business days.

This process should also work in reverse, although I personally haven’t had to send money to Chile. I only sent relatively small amounts (under US$5,000). If you want to transfer a large sum it is best to have your own properly set up checking account, which as you may already know is not so easy here.

Disclaimer: I have no affiliation with Western Union or AFEX.

Getting your Chilean RUT

Plaza de Armas, Santiago

The RUT, or Rol Único Tributario, is the Chilean tax ID, similar to the Social Security Number in the US, or the Social Insurance Number in Canada. Well, technically, it’s called the RUN (Rol Único Nacional), which is used by individuals, whereas the RUT is used by non-natural persons (such as corporations). However, you will find that everyone just uses the term RUT, so that’s what I will continue to call it.

The RUT is used for everything. You present your RUT ID card (also called carnet, or cédula) for almost everything, from banking to medical services to parking your bike at the mall, so it’s a good idea to get this card early on.

If you live in Santiago, I recommend getting your RUT in Santiago Centro, because all the various offices you may be sent to are within walking distance, and given that most public-service offices close at 2 pm and you may need to wait in multiple lines, it’s a good idea to get there early and reduce your travel time.

You will most likely need to visit three places:

1. Departamento de Extranjería y Migración – located in Santiago Centro on San Antonio 580, second floor. There you present your visa documents and Passport, and obtain a document that you will present to the PDI. Note if you waited more than a month since entering Chile to obtain this document, you may be subject to a fine. I was late by a few days, as I didn’t know about this rule at the time, however since it was my first time in the country they waived the fine.

2. Policía de Investigaciones de Chile (PDI) – located on Morande 672. Here you get a security clearance.

3. Registro Civil – the main branch is located on Huerfanos 1570. Here you will have your picture and fingerprints taken, and will then get a form that allows you to pick up your picture ID about two weeks later.

Note that I did these steps backwards. First I went to Registro Civil where I was told I was missing a form from the PDI. At the PDI I was told to go to Departamento de Extranjería y Migración and then return with the correct form in order for the PDI to give me the clearance form. From there I returned to the Registro Civil. In my case, I would have saved some time if I went through steps 1-3 in order, however that may not be the case for you (for example, you may have some of the forms from the airport, or you got to the PDI before the one month time period expired). I recommend heading to the Registro Civil first to see what information they need from you.

At the Registro Civil you wait in line and then talk to someone at a desk. They take your picture and direct you towards the fingerprint station. They need prints from all fingers and it’s a bit messy. There’s some white cream and paper towels you can use to wipe your hands. And you’re done! You now have a RUT, however you still need to come back for the carnet (the ID card itself) at the specified date.

Smoking in Chile

A lot of people in Chile smoke. According to a recent statistic, smokers make up 40% of Chileans. Chileans start smoking quite young, often before age 15. A pack of 20 cigarettes currently costs about US$6.

When I first arrived in Santiago, smoking was still allowed indoors. In crowded areas like dance clubs one had to be careful not to get burned by a butt! Then Chile passed a law stating that from March 1^st, 2013, smoking would be banned in all indoor public spaces, including patios with a roof.

There was lot of resistance.  Restaurants that do not provide an uncovered outdoor patio are losing business. One of my coworkers was telling me it was difficult to agree on a dining spot with her friend (a smoker) who was frantically looking for a restaurant where one didn’t need to leave the table to have a smoke. I think eventually Chileans will get used to taking it outside, though, just like all of us in gringo-land.

Is Santiago, Chile safe?

One major consideration I have when choosing a travel destination is safety. While there are a few unsafe comunas in Santiago, most parts of the city where extranjeros (foreigners) tend to live are fine. One thing to note, as explained to me by my Spanish teacher, is the opinion of one comuna’s habitants regarding another comuna. When I lived in Las Condes, people were shocked that I used to live in Recoleta. “It’s so unsafe!” However, as my teacher explained, people who live in Las Condes, a well-to-do area, not only live there, but they work there, shop there, go to school there, and basically almost never leave, unless they need to go to the airport or otherwise leave Santiago. For this reason, their views of lower income comunas are a bit exaggerated.

Having said that, I don’t recommend going out late at night alone, especially while intoxicated. As in any other place, use your street-smarts and be careful.

How Chileans view extranjeros (foreigners)

Santiago Centro, Chile

Chilean views of foreigners vary from person to person. My coworker, Marcela, explained that when she worked in retail, some of her coworkers didn’t like dealing with customers who needed more attention because they didn’t speak Spanish. Indeed, I’ve come across a few grumpy salespeople on my own shopping excursions. However, Marcela herself enjoyed dealing with extranjeros, so it really depends on whom you meet (thanks, Marcela, for being so patient with Chipamogli here!). Chileans are not overly politically correct, and just like they split their own society into groups, they also apply this practice to extranjeros. Here are some of the terms I heard:

Gringo – this is a well-known term, and is commonly used throughout Latin America and the Spanish-speaking world. There is some disagreement on who exactly is a gringo. For example, some people only refer to English-speakers as gringos. Others use the term to refer to all fair-skinned and/or blond individuals, including those born in Latin America, even if they speak perfect Spanish. In general, the term is not derogatory.

Chino – anyone of Asian descent is referred to as “chino”, even if they are not actually Chinese. Some time ago Chile opened its borders to investment from Korea, and now there are many Korean-owned shops, especially in the central areas of Santaigo. Such a shop would be referred to as la tienda china (the Chinese store). The term is not derogatory.

Negrito – refers to individuals with dark skin. The word “negrito” is not considered derogatory, as opposed to “negro”, which is considered more offensive.

Peruanos – as Chile’s economy soared, there was an increase in immigration from its poorer neighbor to the north. Immigrants from Peru tend to take on lower-status jobs, in areas such as janitorial services and childcare. Calling someone a peruano can be considered offensive.

Living as an expat in Chile

Plaza de Armas, Santiago, Chile

Sometime in mid 2012, this Chipamogli here decided to escape the Canadian winter and head to South America. I had the following criteria: where I was going needed to be safe, economically and politically stable, and be a good place to brush up on my Spanish. I picked Chile! I highly recommend visiting this faraway gem of a country.

There are many extranjeros, or foreigners, living in Chile, especially in Santiago. My first roommate pointed out some barrios, or comunas (neighbourhoods) where expats like to live. These include Providencia and Centro.

There are several expatriate organizations active in the country. For example, I attended events through Internations. There are lots of tour groups and excursions, such as for hiking and horseback riding (look up Pathway*Chile Horseback Riding on Facebook).  In general, though, I tried to avoid places and events where I knew English would be spoken, as I wanted to focus on my Spanish.

There is no need to spend a lot of money to have fun in Santiago. If you enjoy film, and would like to make it part of your language learning experience, there is a number of cinemas around the city that have free or very cheap screenings. I particularly enjoyed the cinema at La Moneda. They don’t show Hollywood blockbusters, but if you like foreign or indie films, you will be able to watch plenty. They normally have five or more screenings daily. Note, most films are in Spanish, or with Spanish-only subtitles.

At this cineteca I met a movie-goer named Antonio. He told me he lived nearby and watched over 800 movies a year.  That’s more than two per day! I imagine he’s retired, though.

 

Disclaimer: I have no affiliation with Internations.