Peru, Tacna → Chile, Arica. Border crossing.
In the morning, I had breakfast at Takuna's accommodation and then headed towards the border.
Since there is a 2-hour time difference, when I arrived at the border, it was already lunchtime in Chile. I am about to cross the border.
■Peru/Chile Border
It is divided into two buildings.
□Peru Exit
I first completed the exit procedures at the Peruvian building.
If you come by bus, the driver or crew will guide you, so it seems like you should follow them.
In my case, I went to the exit immigration officer's desk and was given a paper to fill out. I had put my pen away, so I borrowed one. I filled in the information about my motorcycle, including the model number, license plate, and my personal information (passport number, etc.). The paper was only in Spanish, so I used Google Translate to check it while entering the information, as the Peruvian bitel signal was available in that area.
The paper was a triplicate.
After filling out the paper, I went back to the exit immigration officer.
The items to submit are:
- Passport
- Copy of the entry form
- Filled-out paper
I received an exit stamp on my passport.
The exit immigration officer took one of the three copies of the paper, and I received two copies.
With those papers, I went to a place that looked like a toll booth next to the parking lot, and I was asked, "Do you speak Spanish?" I answered "No," and I was taken with my motorcycle to the other side of the building, where there was another place that looked like a toll booth, and I was told to go through the procedures there.
I submitted the following items:
- Two copies of the paper
- Passport
- Peruvian entry customs form: copy of the motorcycle temporary import permit
Then, one of the copies of the paper was taken by the staff, and I received one copy.
Also, a certificate or copy was returned, which seems to be proof that the customs form had been processed.
The exit procedures for Peru were completed.
I moved about a few hundred meters to the Chilean building by motorcycle, but there was a check when exiting Peru, where the staff checked the contents of one of the copies of the paper, and if it was okay, I could go to the Chilean side.
I wish there was such a check at the Colombia/Ecuador and Ecuador/Peru borders, so I wouldn't make a mistake. At those borders, you can pass through without any document procedures.
□Chile Entry
I drove a little and parked in the parking lot in front of the Chilean building.
There are several immigration counters in a place that looks like a large toll booth, so I went there to have my immigration procedures done and receive an entry stamp.
I had to fill out something on a paper, but I received it there and quickly wrote on it before handing it over. I also borrowed a pen from that person.
I could only speak Spanish, but I managed to get through by using something like "Moto (motorcycle)."
After receiving the stamp, I was instructed to line up in the row in front of me.
I wasn't sure what to do with the motorcycle, but since everyone was carrying their luggage, I went back to the motorcycle to get my luggage and then joined the line.
I realized later that you didn't actually have to line up with your luggage, as the staff would approve it on a case-by-case basis. You could have just ridden your motorcycle in the car line and had the staff approve your luggage. However, since the immigration officer told me to line up, I lined up, and even though my turn came quickly after the luggage check, I ended up waiting for 3.5 hours. It wasn't as if there was a long line, but it didn't move at all.
What is this? Perhaps people with tour guides have priority and can skip the line, so people on tours probably don't have to experience this.
While I was waiting in line, a staff member came to ask me about a questionnaire. Since that person could speak English, I asked them what to do, and they said that yesterday, a group of motorcycles came, and they were instructed to line up with their motorcycles. I didn't understand that because I don't speak Spanish very well.
While waiting in line, I filled out the customs declaration form. Everyone seemed to have received it from somewhere, but I didn't have one, so I asked the staff member who was doing the luggage check, "Can I have a form?" and filled it out myself.
So, after waiting in line for about 3 hours, I brought my motorcycle closer when I was about to go, and since the luggage check line was right next to the car lane, I moved my motorcycle a little bit each time my turn came, and after the luggage check was completed, I was able to pass through with my motorcycle quickly.
Before entering the luggage check room, I handed over the customs declaration form. It takes a long time, but why does it take so long to complete the luggage check? I can't understand it...
After completing the luggage check, I didn't know what to do with the motorcycle, so I asked the staff member, and it seems like the following procedure is necessary:
First, line up in the car queue. When it's your turn, receive the following two stamps on the paper receipt you received from the Peruvian side (the last one):
- Immigration officer's stamp
- Tax official's stamp
When receiving the stamps, cars undergo a detailed inspection, but motorcycles are almost always waved through.
Once you have these two stamps, the gate opens and you move to the parking lot on the other side of what looks like a toll booth.
It seems possible to pass through without entering the baggage check room by handing the customs declaration form to the checking officer.
It seemed that drivers were doing this, passing through without going through the baggage check room and getting into their cars.
Passing through the gate does not mean the customs process is complete. You need to go to a small building on the other side of the toll booth to complete the "temporary import permit" procedure for the vehicle.
You will need the following:
- Receive and fill out the form on the spot (I filled out what I could understand).
- The paper receipt you received from the Peruvian side (the last one).
- Passport
- Motorcycle ownership certificate (Colombian card)
After completing the procedure, you will receive the following:
- A copy of the temporary import permit for the vehicle. This will be needed when you leave.
- The paper receipt you received from the Peruvian side (the last one). I believe one stamp was added.
You can enter the Chilean territory by showing the paper receipt you received from the Peruvian side (the last one) to the officer checking at the entrance and receiving approval. This is reassuring because there is a check. You will hand this paper over to the officer, so you will not have it with you.
While I was processing the motorcycle, I left all my luggage in the area after the baggage check, but it was in a visible location, so I didn't have to worry about it being taken.
There are many security guards, so there's not much to worry about.
It was quite complicated, but I managed to get through it. Whew. Several people spoke English, which was helpful.
It took 30 minutes to exit Peru, 3.5 hours to enter Chile, for a total of 4 hours.
The time difference between Peru and Chile is 2 hours, so you can estimate a total of 6 hours.
The day before, I stayed in a town near the border, and after breakfast, I came to the border, which was already lunchtime in Chilean time. From there, the process took so long that I crossed the border in the evening, so I ended up staying in a town on the other side of the border, Arica. I'm glad I didn't book a hotel in a town further ahead (laughs).
In any case, Chile has good traffic manners.
Because pedestrians have priority, cars stop when pedestrians are crossing. It's completely different from Peru.
The acceleration is slow, and the driving is calm. It's a different level of sophistication than driving aggressively with rapid acceleration, as in Peru.
At intersections, it feels like drivers are slowly observing the movements of pedestrians and other cars. They are not in a hurry. It's a mature society.
The buildings are surprisingly dilapidated, perhaps because it's a border town? Or maybe there's a gap between white people and indigenous people?
The accommodation here is as follows:
Rocca Luna
Single room: 10,000 pesos (approximately 1,750 yen), no breakfast.
It's a little far from the city center, but the price is cheap, so I can't complain. The sign on the wall said 7,000 pesos, so it's possible that I was slightly overcharged... It might be different for each room, but I said it was okay, so there's nothing I can do.
Since there is a 2-hour time difference, when I arrived at the border, it was already lunchtime in Chile. I am about to cross the border.
■Peru/Chile Border
It is divided into two buildings.
□Peru Exit
I first completed the exit procedures at the Peruvian building.
If you come by bus, the driver or crew will guide you, so it seems like you should follow them.
In my case, I went to the exit immigration officer's desk and was given a paper to fill out. I had put my pen away, so I borrowed one. I filled in the information about my motorcycle, including the model number, license plate, and my personal information (passport number, etc.). The paper was only in Spanish, so I used Google Translate to check it while entering the information, as the Peruvian bitel signal was available in that area.
The paper was a triplicate.
After filling out the paper, I went back to the exit immigration officer.
The items to submit are:
- Passport
- Copy of the entry form
- Filled-out paper
I received an exit stamp on my passport.
The exit immigration officer took one of the three copies of the paper, and I received two copies.
With those papers, I went to a place that looked like a toll booth next to the parking lot, and I was asked, "Do you speak Spanish?" I answered "No," and I was taken with my motorcycle to the other side of the building, where there was another place that looked like a toll booth, and I was told to go through the procedures there.
I submitted the following items:
- Two copies of the paper
- Passport
- Peruvian entry customs form: copy of the motorcycle temporary import permit
Then, one of the copies of the paper was taken by the staff, and I received one copy.
Also, a certificate or copy was returned, which seems to be proof that the customs form had been processed.
The exit procedures for Peru were completed.
I moved about a few hundred meters to the Chilean building by motorcycle, but there was a check when exiting Peru, where the staff checked the contents of one of the copies of the paper, and if it was okay, I could go to the Chilean side.
I wish there was such a check at the Colombia/Ecuador and Ecuador/Peru borders, so I wouldn't make a mistake. At those borders, you can pass through without any document procedures.
□Chile Entry
I drove a little and parked in the parking lot in front of the Chilean building.
There are several immigration counters in a place that looks like a large toll booth, so I went there to have my immigration procedures done and receive an entry stamp.
I had to fill out something on a paper, but I received it there and quickly wrote on it before handing it over. I also borrowed a pen from that person.
I could only speak Spanish, but I managed to get through by using something like "Moto (motorcycle)."
After receiving the stamp, I was instructed to line up in the row in front of me.
I wasn't sure what to do with the motorcycle, but since everyone was carrying their luggage, I went back to the motorcycle to get my luggage and then joined the line.
I realized later that you didn't actually have to line up with your luggage, as the staff would approve it on a case-by-case basis. You could have just ridden your motorcycle in the car line and had the staff approve your luggage. However, since the immigration officer told me to line up, I lined up, and even though my turn came quickly after the luggage check, I ended up waiting for 3.5 hours. It wasn't as if there was a long line, but it didn't move at all.
What is this? Perhaps people with tour guides have priority and can skip the line, so people on tours probably don't have to experience this.
While I was waiting in line, a staff member came to ask me about a questionnaire. Since that person could speak English, I asked them what to do, and they said that yesterday, a group of motorcycles came, and they were instructed to line up with their motorcycles. I didn't understand that because I don't speak Spanish very well.
While waiting in line, I filled out the customs declaration form. Everyone seemed to have received it from somewhere, but I didn't have one, so I asked the staff member who was doing the luggage check, "Can I have a form?" and filled it out myself.
So, after waiting in line for about 3 hours, I brought my motorcycle closer when I was about to go, and since the luggage check line was right next to the car lane, I moved my motorcycle a little bit each time my turn came, and after the luggage check was completed, I was able to pass through with my motorcycle quickly.
Before entering the luggage check room, I handed over the customs declaration form. It takes a long time, but why does it take so long to complete the luggage check? I can't understand it...
After completing the luggage check, I didn't know what to do with the motorcycle, so I asked the staff member, and it seems like the following procedure is necessary:
First, line up in the car queue. When it's your turn, receive the following two stamps on the paper receipt you received from the Peruvian side (the last one):
- Immigration officer's stamp
- Tax official's stamp
When receiving the stamps, cars undergo a detailed inspection, but motorcycles are almost always waved through.
Once you have these two stamps, the gate opens and you move to the parking lot on the other side of what looks like a toll booth.
It seems possible to pass through without entering the baggage check room by handing the customs declaration form to the checking officer.
It seemed that drivers were doing this, passing through without going through the baggage check room and getting into their cars.
Passing through the gate does not mean the customs process is complete. You need to go to a small building on the other side of the toll booth to complete the "temporary import permit" procedure for the vehicle.
You will need the following:
- Receive and fill out the form on the spot (I filled out what I could understand).
- The paper receipt you received from the Peruvian side (the last one).
- Passport
- Motorcycle ownership certificate (Colombian card)
After completing the procedure, you will receive the following:
- A copy of the temporary import permit for the vehicle. This will be needed when you leave.
- The paper receipt you received from the Peruvian side (the last one). I believe one stamp was added.
You can enter the Chilean territory by showing the paper receipt you received from the Peruvian side (the last one) to the officer checking at the entrance and receiving approval. This is reassuring because there is a check. You will hand this paper over to the officer, so you will not have it with you.
While I was processing the motorcycle, I left all my luggage in the area after the baggage check, but it was in a visible location, so I didn't have to worry about it being taken.
There are many security guards, so there's not much to worry about.
It was quite complicated, but I managed to get through it. Whew. Several people spoke English, which was helpful.
It took 30 minutes to exit Peru, 3.5 hours to enter Chile, for a total of 4 hours.
The time difference between Peru and Chile is 2 hours, so you can estimate a total of 6 hours.
The day before, I stayed in a town near the border, and after breakfast, I came to the border, which was already lunchtime in Chilean time. From there, the process took so long that I crossed the border in the evening, so I ended up staying in a town on the other side of the border, Arica. I'm glad I didn't book a hotel in a town further ahead (laughs).
In any case, Chile has good traffic manners.
Because pedestrians have priority, cars stop when pedestrians are crossing. It's completely different from Peru.
The acceleration is slow, and the driving is calm. It's a different level of sophistication than driving aggressively with rapid acceleration, as in Peru.
At intersections, it feels like drivers are slowly observing the movements of pedestrians and other cars. They are not in a hurry. It's a mature society.
The buildings are surprisingly dilapidated, perhaps because it's a border town? Or maybe there's a gap between white people and indigenous people?
The accommodation here is as follows:
Rocca Luna
Single room: 10,000 pesos (approximately 1,750 yen), no breakfast.
It's a little far from the city center, but the price is cheap, so I can't complain. The sign on the wall said 7,000 pesos, so it's possible that I was slightly overcharged... It might be different for each room, but I said it was okay, so there's nothing I can do.
Chile motorcycle insurance acquisition.
I didn't investigate very deeply, but it seems that motorcycle insurance is not sold in the border area.
I was fortunate to be able to obtain motorcycle insurance in the border town of Arica.
I didn't investigate very deeply, but it seems that motorcycle insurance is not sold in the border area.
I was fortunate to be able to obtain motorcycle insurance in the border town of Arica.
I didn't investigate very deeply, but it seems that motorcycle insurance is not sold in the border area.
I was fortunate to be able to obtain motorcycle insurance in the border town of Arica.
I was fortunate to be able to obtain motorcycle insurance in the border town of Arica.
I didn't investigate very deeply, but it seems that motorcycle insurance is not sold in the border area.
I was fortunate to be able to obtain motorcycle insurance in the border town of Arica.
I didn't investigate very deeply, but it seems that motorcycle insurance is not sold in the border area.
I was fortunate to be able to obtain motorcycle insurance in the border town of Arica.