Planet Expat helps international students and young professionals find internship and job opportunities in startups and innovative companies in Chile. This welcome package guides their first steps in Santiago!

1. Welcome to Planet Expat – Chile!

2. Table of Content
1. Administrative
- At the airport (includes transportation)
- Get your registro de visa
- Get your RUT
2. Santiago
- About Santiago
- Some facts
- Get oriented
- The Neighborhoods
3.Home Sweet Home
- Where should you live?
- How to find your accommodation?
4. Money
- The Chilean currency
- Estimated monthly budget
5. Transportation
- The metro
- The taxi
- Bikesantiago
- Out of town
6. Get a phone
7. Hungry? Thirsty?
- Restaurants
- Having a drink
8. Wanna spend money?
- Groceries
- The market, La Vega
- Shopping
9. Going out in Santiago
10. Discover Chile
- Tourism in Santiago
- Out of Santiago
11. Chilean slang words
12. The Planet Expat Community
13. Additional information

3. Administrative

4. At the airport
This is VERY important: once you enter to Chile
you´ll get your passport stamped with your arrival
date. Please make sure that is completely legible.
(Legible means that you can read every part of the
numbers. That a 3 is actually a 3 and not that an 8
missed its left part).
If you arrive in Chile as a tourist, make sure you
keep the ‘tarjeta de turismo’ provided by the PDI
(you’ll need to show it as you leave the country)
Out of the airport, to go to your place, Transvip is
the cheapest way. You just have to give them your
address and they will take you there.
For other options, please check this

5. • Within the first 30 days after your arrival
• What you need: your passport
• Cost: $ 800 CLP
• Where: International Police PDI - Eleuterio Ramírez 852– see map #2
Step 1: Get your “Registro de
Visa”

6. • What you need:
1) On your passport, a photocopy of your identification pages, visa, entry stamp
2) A photocopy of your “Registro de Visa” you got from the International Police
Tip: There is a photocopy shop close from the Civil Registry – see map #3
• Cost: $ 4,050 CLP
• Where: Civil Registry – Huerfanos 1570 (Entry in Manuel Rodriguez street) –
see map #4
You will have to wait at least 3 weeks to withdraw your RUT (same place). Please
don´t forget to pick it up, otherwise you won´t be able to leave the country
Step 2: Get your RUT (Chilean
ID card)

7. Tip: Do steps 1 & 2 on
the same day

8. Santiago

9. About Santiago
This is the heart of Chile's political and cultural life – a third of Chile's
population lives in and around Santiago alone.
Santiago is a great destination to discover. Named many times in the
top 3 “cities of the future”, the Chilean capital was founded in 1541 at
the foot of the small hill called Huelen, today St. Lucia. Located 100 km
from the Pacific beaches and 40 km from the major ski centers in South
America, Santiago has recent buildings, an extensive and efficient
subway system as well as urban centers and large park areas. Santiago
is a must to see for those who seek the heart of Chile. The metropolitan
region has expanded into the mountains, where it is now possible to
experience nature and city in one place.
Today Santiago has become a modern city with a population of over 5
million inhabitants and a large part of the cultural, economic, industrial
and commercial activities of the country.

10. Some facts
• Elements in the Chilean Flag represent many aspects of the country.
The star symbolizes honor and progress; the sky and the Pacific Ocean
are represented by the color blue whereas the snow-covered Andes are
represented by white. The color red symbolizes blood spilled to gain
independence.
• Chile is approximately 4,630 km long and 430 km wide, at its widest
point. The total geographical area of Chile is roughly 756,096 km2.
• Chile has more active volcanoes than any country except Indonesia.
• Minor earthquakes are common in Chile.
• The typical greeting is the one-cheek kiss.
• There are a lot of street dogs (very inoffensive though). 
• The two main football teams are Colo-Colo and U de Chile.

11. Get oriented
North
Cerro San Cristobal/Virgin
East
Los Andes/Costanera Center
West
Bandera/Entel Tower
Reference
Plaza Italia (Baquedano), Movistar tower

12. The neighborhoods
Bellavista
Las Condes
Providencia
Bellas Artes
Lastarria
Downtown
CMI
Residential area
Offices area
Shopping
Restaurants
Bars
Clubs
Tourism
CMI Centro Movistar Innova – StartUp
Chile coworking space
Providencia 229
Baquedano

13. Home Sweet Home

14. Where should I live?
Neighborhood Budget What people are looking for
Las Condes,
“the Chilean Wisteria Lane”
High
more than $ 600 USD/month
“I am looking for a very quiet, safe and
green area and my budget is high. I
am ready to live a bit far from the
center of the city.”
Providencia,
the business heart of the city
Medium
$ 350 – 500 USD/month
“I want a central and very safe
location, my budget is medium.”
Bellas Artes,
the bohemian and artistic
neighborhood
Medium
$ 350 – 500 USD/month
“I want a central and very safe
location, my budget is medium.”
Bellavista,
the nightlife area
Low to Medium
$ 250 – 500 USD/month
“I want to live near by all the clubs,
bars, restaurant, the noise doesn’t
bother me”
Lastarria,
the “fancy European” zone
Medium to high
more than $ 450 USD/month
“I want to live near by all the clubs,
bars, restaurant, the noise doesn’t
bother me”
Downtown,
the “real” Santiago
Low
less than $ 350 USD/month
“I have a very low budget and I mostly
want to live in big house full of foreign
students”
For a room in a shared apartment

15. How to find my
accommodation?
• CompartoDepto.cl
http://www.compartodepto.cl
• Roommates & Flatfinders
https://www.facebook.com/groups/roomflatfinder/
• Portal Inmobiliario
http://www.portalinmobiliario.com/
• GoPlaceIt
http://www.goplaceit.com/cl

16. Money, Money

17. The Chilean currency:
Pesos Chilenos – CLP
$ 1,000 CLP = $ 1.60 USD = 1.50 €
$ 5,000 CLP = $ 8 USD = 7.50 €
$ 1,000 CLP is called a “luca”
$ 1,000,000 CLP is called a “palo”
Regularly check the change rate
If you need to exchange money you can do it at
AFEX.
They offer the best current rate!
You can find them at the airport, and in any Shopping
mall (including Costanera Center – floor -1).
The Chilean Currency

18. Central location (Providencia, Bellavista)
Charges & internet included $ 200,000 to $ 260,000
Food $ 80,000 to $ 120,000
Transport $ 20,000
Phone $ 3,000 to $ 6,000
TOTAL $ 303,000 to $ 460,000 CLP
* In Chilean pesos – Only basic needs considered
Budget in CLP
Accommodation: Room (w/ private bathroom)

19. Central location (Santiago Centro)
Charges & internet included $ 360,000 to $ 420,000
Food $ 80,000 to $ 120,000
Transport $ 20,000
Phone $ 3,000 to $ 6,000
TOTAL $ 463,000 to $ 566,000 CLP
* In Chilean pesos – Only basic needs considered
Budget in CLP
Accommodation: Apartment (1pax – 40 m2)

20. Transportation

21. • The easiest/cheapest way to circulate in
the city.
• Open from 6am until 11pm. Except on
Sunday it opens at 8 am.
• Crowded from 7am to 9am and from 6pm
to 8pm
Ask for the Bip card!
No discount, but
more convenient and
necessary for the
bus 
The Metro

22. Taxi
• Very safe, quite cheap.
• Just raise your hand in the street to get one.
• Some rules:
- Be careful that the driver turns on the taxi-meter.
- No tips to be paid.
- Always say you live in Santiago/you are not a tourist = you won’t get a city
tour.
- Be sure you have at least some idea of the route that should be taken
- Airport-Baquedano shouldn’t cost more than $15 000 CLP.
- Avoid taking a taxi in front of a nightclub, they might raise the prices.
• 2 mobile apps you can download to get a taxi in Santiago:

23. Bikesantiago
http://www.bikesantiago.cl/
You can get your card & more info at:
Bikesantiago is a social undertaking that
puts public bikes at disposal of Santiago
citizens as a sustainable, efficient & safe
solution for their transportation needs.

24. • To go to the airport, Transvip is the cheapest
way.
Book it at: http://www.transvip.cl/
Out of town
• To travel out of Santiago:
- By bus: Turbus www.turbus.cl
- By plane: LAN http://www.lan.com/
• To rent a car:
- Chilean Rent a car:
http://www.chileanrentacar.cl/
- Arriendas.cl: http://arriendas.cl/

25. Allo?

26. Your Phone
Our advice is to buy a pre-paid phone.
You can get one from $ 10,000 CLP, in any mall or phone retailer.
Virgin is the cheapest operator on the Chilean market.
Ex: you can go to the Costanera Center Mall (Metro Tobalaba), to the shop named “Ripley” on the 4th floor
and look for this phone:
With Virgin, it comes with $ 10 000 CLP credit and then you just have to put
money when needed.
To call a mobile phone: +56 9 XXXX XXXX
To call a land line: +56 7 XXXX XXXX
Do not take your IPhone/Android to clubs or parties, and avoid
carrying the phone in your hand while in public.
You won’t really need to get Internet on your phone as most of the
bars/restaurants/etc. have Wi-Fi.

27. Hungry? Thirsty?

28. (Not spicy at all)
Typical Chilean food
Completo Italiano
Hot dog with tomato, avocado and
mayonnaise.
Empanadas
A stuffed baked pastry, filled
with meat, onions and other
condiments. They can also be
fried or have different fillings.
Sopaipillas
A deep fried dough.
There are two versions: one
plain, which is made with
white flour, animal fat and
water, and another in which
pureed pumpkin is mixed to
the dough. In each version,
the dough is form as disks and
then deep fried. It can be
eaten sweet, with icing sugar
or a sweet caramel sauce, or
as a salty snack, topped with a
chili sauce or mustard.
Pastel de Choclo
A layered pie, usually made in a deep
dish or a clay paila with chopped beef at
the bottom prepared “al pino” (a thick
stew of minced or chopped beef,
chopped onions and seasoning),
chicken, olives and a hard-boiled egg,
topped with a mixture of ground fresh
corn and basil, and baked in the oven.
Chorrillana
A typical Chilean dish consisting of a
plate of sliced beef with French fries,
scrambled or fried eggs, and fried
onions.

29. Restaurants
Tips – “Propina” in Chilean – are typically 10% of the bill
- Doña Tina, Chilean restaurant
- Le Bistrot, French restaurant
- Etniko, Oriental/Sushi’s
- El Batan del Inca, Peruvian
restaurant
- Boca y Nariz, Wine tasting
restaurant
- The White Rabbit,
Mediterranean food + Sunday
Brunch
A few good restaurants in Santiago:
- Japon, Japanese restaurant
- Jewel of India, Indian restaurant
- El Tiramisu, Italian restaurant
- Fuente Alemana, Sandwiches
- California Cantina, Hamburgers
(best place to watch sport events)
- Saint Patrick’s, great Chorrillanas

30. Having a Drink
Best areas: LASTARRIA, BELLAVISTA, BARRIO BRASIL

31. Typical drinks:
Pisco Sour
Popular Chilean cocktail,
comprising pisco, lemon
juice, sugar, and one egg
white, shaken together.
Piscola
Pisco with cola and ice.
Terremoto (Earthquake): Vino
pipeño with pineapple ice cream
served in a one-liter glass. The next
round usually contains the same
drink though only in a glass that
holds half a liter. This is called a
Replica (aftershock).
Carmenere
Chilean Wine.
Chela (=Beer)
There are different varieties of
Chilean beer such as Cristal,
Escudo, Kross, Kunstmann, etc.
Michelada
A Mexican drink
made with beer, lime
juice and assorted
sauces, spices and
peppers that it is also
common in Chile.
Having a Drink

32. Wanna spend money?

33. Groceries
Welcome to the Chilean Supermarkets!
- Always bring your ID card or RUT if you want to pay by Credit Card
- Say what the kind of card it is (Credito/Debito)
- “Sin cuotas” – no installments
- Tips for baggers: $ 100 CLP
The Place to find
absolutely EVERYTHING
The cheapest
supermarket

34. La Vega
The cheapest place to buy fruits, vegetables,
spices, fish, etc.
Open everyday on morning until 3pm.
You can also have very cheap lunch 

35. Shopping
• Costanera Center Mall (Metro Tobalaba)
The largest mall in Latin America!
A few shops to know there:
- Easy, the cheapest place to find household
linen, furniture, etc.
- Ripley, Falabella, Paris: the department
stores
Tip: If you aim to shop at H&M – the only one in Latin America-,
go early in the morning!
• Patronato (Between la Vega and Bellavista)
The cheapest area to find clothes – only open on
Saturday
• Biobio flea market (Metro Franklin)
Huge market where you can find anything you
can imagine. They sell antiquities & second-
hand furniture, bikes, etc.

36. Ready to party?

37. Going out in Santiago
As a foreigner (especially girls), most of time you can get into clubs for
free, just be sure to bring your ID card or RUT.
Avoid bringing your credit card, iPhone, or other valuables.
A few parties/clubs to know:
- Miércoles Po https://www.facebook.com/oficialmiercolespo?fref=ts
- After Office https://www.facebook.com/events/693453333998888/?fref=ts
- Monday After https://www.facebook.com/mondaychile
- Hotel W https://www.facebook.com/whotelsantiago?fref=ts
- Ex Fabrica https://www.facebook.com/lafabrica?fref=ts
- La Feria https://www.facebook.com/laferiaclub
- Club Chocolate https://www.facebook.com/clubchocolate?fref=ts
- El Subterraneo https://www.facebook.com/ClubSubterraneo?fref=ts
- Maestra Vida https://www.facebook.com/pages/Salsoteca-Maestra-
Vida/144527135569679?fref=ts
+ a lot of Music Festivals (Lollapalooza, Primavera Fauna, Mysteryland,
Creamfields, Frontera, etc.) – Ask us! 

38. Discover Chile

39. Tourism in Santiago
• Oficina de turismo: www.sernatur.cl
• Some places in and around Santiago to see:
- Pablo Neruda’s house, La Chascona
- Moneda
- Plaza de Armas
- Cerro San Cristobal
- Los Domenicos
- Cerro Santa Lucia
- Museo Bellas Artes
- La Piojera
- The vineyards
- Manquehue
- Parque Arauco

40. Out of Santiago
Viña del Mar
Valparaíso
Atacama
Patagonia
Pucón
Pichilemu

41. Cachai?

42. Chilean Slang words
Cachai? Do you understand?
Al tiro Right now
Si po Yeah sure
Wea A thing (you will have to figure out what it means )
Weon/Weona Dude
Pololo/Polola Boyfriend/Girlfriend
Carretear To go party
Chela A beer
Bacan Great
La raja Awesome
Cuatico Weird
Copete Alcoholic drink
Ya Yes

43. Learn Spanish
Take some intensive Spanish courses with Escuela Bellavista:
www.escuelabellavista.cl
Get a discount* mentioning you are part of StartUp Chile and/or
that you have been recommended by Jarka.
*: Ask Meryl for all the detail information

44. The Planet Expat community

45. The Planet Expat community
As you may know we have now many interns in Santiago,
creating a very nice community of young people.
If haven’t already, join our Facebook group!
This group is an easy way for us to keep in touch, communicate
about events and organize things all together.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/478986698805891/
Any questions or concerns? Ask Meryl:
meryl@planetexpat.org

46. SharEat, an initiative from a former Planet
Expat candidate, is one of the best ways to
meet expats in Santiago.
You can either join or organize a dinner in
town to share experiences, recipes and
good stories 
For more information, please contact Dimitri
at:
www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1000107
45836006
The Planet Expat community

47. Additional information

48. BIO ACCION
Price per month: 30.000 CLP
Activities: Yoga, Steel Training, Pilates, Zumba, Spinning, Bio Jump,
etc.
PACIFIC FITNESS
Price per month:
• 35.850 CLP Free pass to al Pacific Fitness centers.
• 25.980 CLP access to one specific Pacific Fitness center.
Activities: Pilates, Spinning, Zumba, Aerobox, etc.
The World of fitness
If you are interested in joining a Gym, we recommend you the following
ones:

49. Wanna buy/sell stuff?
Join the following Facebook
groups:
FindinChile:
https://www.facebook.com/groups
/206787999352044/
Gringos Garage Sales Chile:
https://www.facebook.com/groups
/GringosGarageSantiago/

50. Welcome Again!