Language
Overview
The official language is Spanish. English is common, and various Native American languages are spoken.
Public Holidays
01/01/2022 New Year
04/15/2022 Good Friday
04/16/2022 holy saturday
05/01/2022 Labor Day
05/21/2022 Day of the Navy
06/29/2022 Feast of St. Peter and St. Paul
08/15/2022 Assumption Day
05.09.2022 National Unity Day
09/18/2022 Independence Day
09/19/2022 Memorial day in honor of the military
10/12/2022 Day of Discovery of the Two Worlds
11/01/2022 all saints day
08.12.2022 Immaculate conception
12/25/2022 Christmas
Source: Top-mba-universities.com
* If Corpus Christi, St. Peter and Paul and Columbus Day fall on a Saturday or Sunday, the holidays are observed on the following Monday.
Duty free shopping
Overview
The following items can be imported duty-free into Chile: 400 cigarettes and 500 g of pipe tobacco and 50 cigars (persons aged 18 and over); 2.5 l spirits (over 18s); perfume for personal use; Gifts valued at US$300 or less; Items purchased in duty-free shops at Chilean airports up to a value of US$ 500 (persons aged 15 and over).
Prohibited Imports
Pornographic products, drugs, weapons, fresh food (fruit, vegetables, meat and meat products (e.g. sausages), milk and milk products), plants, parts of plants and seeds may not be imported. Violations (including an accidentally undeclared apple in hand luggage) are punished with high fines and imprisonment. More information is available from Countryaah.com.
Contact addresses
Embassy of the Republic of Chile
Consulate in Waedenswil. Honorary Consulate in Zurich.
Eigerplatz 5, 12th floor
Bern
Switzerland
+41 (31) 370 00 50. Consular section: +41 (31) 370 00 58/59.
http://chile.gob.cl/suiza/en/
http://chile.gob.cl/suiza/en/
Mon-Fri 09.00-17.00. Consular section: Mon-Fri 2-3 p.m. (telephone information).
Embassy of the Republic of Chile
Honorary consulates in Klagenfurt and St. Pölten.
Lugeck 1, 3rd floor, door 10
Wien
Austria
+43 (1) 512 92 08. Consular section: +43 (1) 512 23 53.
http://chile.gob.cl/austria/en/
http://chile.gob.cl/austria/en/
Consular section: Mon-Fri 09.00-13.00.
Embassy of the Republic of Chile
Consulates General with visas in Frankfurt/M., Hamburg and Munich. Honorary consulates without issuing a visa in Bremen, Cologne and Stuttgart.
Mohrenstrasse 42
Berlin
Germany
+49 (30) 72 62 035. Consular Section: +49 (30) 72 62 03 90 1/2.
http://www.echile.de
http://www.echile.de
Mon-Fri 09.00-13.00.
Business
Business etiquette
Business circles are quite formal. Punctuality is important; shaking hands to greet and say goodbye. Business cards will be exchanged after the performance. Business trips are best scheduled between April and December. Business hours: Mon-Fri 09.00-18.30.
Business contacts
Cámara Chileno-Alemana de Comercio e Industria (German-Chilean Chamber of Industry and Commerce) Av. El Bosque Norte 0440, of. 601, Las Condes, Santiago de Chile, Chile Tel. +56 (0)2 22 03 53 20. Website: chile.ahk.de Latin American Chamber of Commerce in Switzerland Kasernenstrasse 11, 8004 Zurich, Switzerland Tel. +41 (0)44 240 33 00. Website: www.latcam.ch Cámara de Comercio de Santiago SA (Chamber of Commerce) Monjitas 392, Santiago de Chile, Chile Tel. +56 (0)2 23 60 70 00. Website: www.ccs.cl
Communication
Phone
According to Abbreviationfinder.org, the country code for Chile is 0056. Mon-Fri 6pm-5am and weekends, phone calls are cheaper.
Mobile phone
GSM 850 / 1900, 3G and 4G. Mobile phones are very common in Chile. Network coverage is poor in remote areas. Mobile numbers start with 09. When calling within the mobile phone network, the 0 must be omitted. Network operators include Entel PCS Telecomunicaciones SA and Movistar. Mobile phones from abroad can only be used in combination with a Chilean SIM card after prior registration of the mobile phone you have brought with you in Chile. Prepaid SIM cards from Chilean providers can be used again with mobile phones brought from abroad. Data roaming via SIM cards from other European countries without registration is a possible, albeit relatively expensive, way of using cell phones in Chile.
Internet
There are internet cafes in larger cities. Subway stations, bus stations, airports, shopping malls, public buildings and other public places such as central squares in cities often offer free WiFi. Numerous hotels, cafés and restaurants also make WLAN available to their customers.
Post office
Airmail to Europe takes about 3-4 days to arrive. Post offices in Santiago are open Mon-Fri 9am-6pm and Sat 9am-1pm.
