Buying a SIM Card in Chile

One of the narrowest countries in the world (just 150 miles at its widest point), Chile is also one of the longest, with huge diversity both in landscape and potential activities.

With opportunities to explore the deserts of the Atacama, trek the wilds of Patagonia, cycle through vineyards, or explore the beaches & street art of Valparaiso, there’s an outdoor activity for everyone.

Santiago is the place for those looking for a more urban experience, with glitzy malls, world-class dining, and easy access to the wine valleys and coast.

If you’re looking to stay connected, buying a local “chip” (SIM card) is easy and inexpensive. Good data speeds and decent coverage are available throughout a large part of the country.

Companies

• We recommend Entel or Movistar for most travelers
• A Chile eSIM is often the best option if your device supports it

There are four network providers in Chile, Movistar, Claro, Entel, and WOM, plus a couple of resellers, Virgin and VTR Móvil.

Most travelers use Movistar, Claro, or Entel, with Movistar having the best coverage and Entel typically having the highest data speeds.

How to Buy a Prepaid SIM Card in Chile

It’s easy to find places to buy prepaid SIM cards in Chile. They’re typically available in supermarkets, kiosks, and elsewhere, both in Santiago and other major towns and destinations throughout the country.

While you’ll likely pay more to buy at the airport, it is possible if you’re in a hurry to get connected. Claro & Movistar both have outlets at Santiago’s international airport, and SIMs are also available at a kiosk called Fotokina.

All are located in the departure area (top level) of the airport, just across from ticketing and check-in, and are easy to find.

When we arrived around 10 am, the Movistar kiosk didn’t have anyone staffing it at the time, and Claro didn’t have any SIM cards for sale, a common problem at the airport. The staff directed us to Fotokina, a small kiosk which offered prepaid SIMs for both Movistar and Entel.

For the amount of data and length of time, Entel had the best price, so that’s who we went with. The process was super easy, simply selecting and paying for the package we wanted. The person at the kiosk installed the SIM cards in both of our phones, and activated them for us.

It took only a few minutes, and no passports were required.

Prepaid SIM Costs

Fotokina offered a couple of different options.

The Movistar package was 12,000 CLP ($14 USD) for 1 GB of data and 160 minutes, valid for 7 days. The Entel package cost 22,000 CLP ($26 USD) for 3GB of data and 200 minutes, valid for 15 days.

We went with Entel, as it was a better deal for the length of time we were staying in Chile.

Note that these prices are significantly higher than the official rates, so you’re definitely paying for convenience at the airport. The same Entel package purchased in the city would cost 5,000 CLP, plus around 4,000 CLP for the SIM card itself.

If you’re heading into the city and can wait to get connected until then, you’ll definitely save money by doing so. We were only transiting through on our way south, so the ease of purchase was worth the higher price for us.

Registration

If you’ll be using your cell phone in Chile for more than 30 days (with a Chilean SIM), you are required to register it as an anti-theft measure.

Note: Due to COVID-19, this time limit was extended to 90 days for locals and 120 days for foreigners in early 2020.

Entel sent us a text message the day we bought our SIM card, directing us to register our phone within 30 days or the SIM would be blocked. They provided instructions and a link to the registration page.

To register your phone, you will need:

• A photo or scan of your passport.
• Proof of entry to the country (1 of the following):
  • Copy of PDI tourist card you received on arrival
  • passport with entry stamp, not older than 1 month
  • round trip tickets or equivalent document issued by the transport company or travel agency.
• Proof of purchase abroad. A photo or scan of the invoice from the store where you purchased your phone.
• A photo of your physical phone, showing the IMEI number (located on or inside the housing of your phone).
• Photo of the screen of your phone displaying the IMEI (dial *#06# to display the 15 digit number).
• Completed and signed copy of the Application for Registration, which you can download from the website.

Yes, it’s painful.

Registration doesn’t have a fee associated with it if you do it yourself, and you can register one phone per year for free. There are also various companies that can help you register for a fee, usually around 15,000 CLP.

Thankfully we didn’t need to go through the process, as we stayed less than 30 days in Chile.

Topping Up

Topping up was easy, since you can do it just about anywhere from kiosks on the street that sell newspapers and magazines, to supermarkets, convenience stores, and even pharmacies.

All you need to do is say which carrier you’re using, your phone number, and the amount you want to recharge. They’ll apply the credit and you’ll receive a confirmation by text message.

Coverage and Data Speeds

Coverage in the major cities was good, with mostly 4G/LTE service and fast data speeds. It did vary a bit depending on where we were in Santiago and Valparaiso, and which tower we were connecting to.

On day trips out into the valleys, vineyards, and mountains outside of Santiago, we still had good coverage overall (3G or 4G, with occasional dead spots from Santiago all the way to Valparaiso).

Cities further south in Patagonia still had good coverage and speeds, and even the bus route from Punta Arenas to Puerto Natales had decent coverage (3G/4G with occasional dead spots).

Coverage became spotty or non-existent in more remote areas, however. We had zero service while trekking in Torres del Paine or in the Atacama.

Check out our guides to buying SIM cards in many other countries here.

About the Author

Kathy Watts

Kathy is a writer and photographer, who has been eating her way around the world since 2012, and can often be found wandering in the local markets. She & her husband, Kyle, currently live in Oaxaca, Mexico for the quick access to tacos. She shares stories about her life on whereverwithyou.com.