Chile SIM Card for Tourists: Prices, Registration & Where to Buy

You can buy and activate a prepaid SIM in Chile with a foreign passport. Entel, WOM and Movistar provide passport-based activation routes, with identity verification forming part of the process.

Local prepaid bundles can provide generous data allowances and a Chilean number. Roafly offers a data-only alternative you can install before travelling, without visiting a shop or completing local SIM identity verification.

Chile SIM Card Options and Prices

The most useful comparison is between the allowance you need, how long it lasts and the steps required to get connected. Chilean prepaid bundles and travel eSIMs have different purchase processes, so their advertised prices need some context.

Prices and package details checked on 15 October 2026 against Entel, WOM’s prepaid offers, Movistar and Roafly. Prices and terms may change. CLP means Chilean pesos; Roafly prices are in USD before discounts.

The Entel and WOM amounts are bundle prices, not verified totals including a new SIM. Before paying, ask for the SIM price, any activation or assistance charge, the required first payment and the complete upfront total. Movistar’s current starter-SIM price was not reliably published on the reviewed operator page.

Entel, WOM or Movistar: Which Local SIM Fits Your Trip?

Entel: a substantial allowance for a longer visit

Entel’s Recarga Mágica is a practical option when you want several weeks of data plus local calls. Its 50 GB allowance gives considerably more room for uploads and everyday use than a small starter SIM.

Getting the advertised bundle requires two specific steps:

1. Select the Recarga Mágica prepaid tariff through the Entel app or Mi Entel.

2. Recharge exactly CLP 10,000 to trigger the bundle.

A different recharge amount becomes ordinary credit instead of activating this offer. Selecting the tariff before loading the money therefore matters.

The bundle lasts 30 days. Entel also sells Plan Fácil, which has different renewal and calendar-month conditions; ask for Recarga Mágica if this is the offer you intend to buy.

WOM: a time-based option for a two-week trip

WOM’s 15-day bundle combines data and minutes advertised as unlimited. It fits a trip where you prefer buying a set period of service instead of choosing a fixed number of gigabytes.

You need an activated WOM prepaid line before purchasing the bundle. Its foreign-passport activation process includes photographing your document and completing facial verification.

If laptop tethering will be central to your trip, establish the selected bundle’s hotspot and usage conditions before purchase. “Unlimited” describes the advertised allowance; it should not be read as a promise of a particular speed throughout your journey.

Movistar: a starter allowance with room to add more

Movistar’s starter chip includes 2 GB, 100 minutes and WhatsApp for seven days. That can cover initial arrival needs, but regular video use or uploads will make a larger bundle more useful.

Additional data can be purchased through Mi Movistar and other supported channels. The SIM activation process accepts a foreign passport and includes a document photograph and facial capture.

Movistar also advertises a benefit triggered by qualifying recharges from CLP 1,000. That amount is a recharge condition, not a confirmed purchase price for the SIM itself.

Where to Buy a SIM Card in Chile

Ask for a “chip prepago con número nuevo”: a prepaid SIM with a new number. Offers labelled portabilidad are for transferring an existing number and are not the natural starting point for a visitor buying their first Chilean line.

The operators identify these buying channels:

• Entel: its own stores and associated retailers, including supermarkets, pharmacies, kiosks and neighbourhood shops.

• WOM: WOM branches and participating retailers.

• Movistar: branches, shops and other participating sales channels.

Buying the physical chip and activating the line are separate steps. If you want assistance, establish whether the seller will help with passport verification before paying.

Buying after arriving at Santiago Airport

Keep your arrival workable without depending on a particular SIM counter being open or stocked. If you find a suitable seller, ask for the complete price and whether passport activation can be finished there.

Save your accommodation address, transfer details and an offline map before departure. That gives you room to continue to a city retailer if the airport options do not suit your needs.

Before leaving the seller

A short functional check is more useful than simply seeing signal bars:

1. Complete the identity-verification process.

2. Wait for the activation confirmation.

3. Turn off Wi-Fi and open a webpage using mobile data.

4. Save your new number and the instructions for buying another bundle.

Your phone must be carrier-unlocked and compatible with the service. Payment methods and foreign-card acceptance can depend on the seller or recharge channel, so settle the payment method alongside the final price.

Passport Registration and SIM Activation

Since 20 August 2026, Chile’s prepaid-line registration requirements apply to activating new lines and relevant interactions with existing lines, including recharges. Registration associates the number with an identified user.

A Chilean RUT is not the only route available to visitors. Entel, WOM and Movistar each provide a foreign-passport option, although their screens and verification steps differ.

Have these ready:

• Your original, valid passport.

• Your address and contact details where requested.

• The physical SIM and its printed identifying number.

• Access to your phone’s camera for document and facial verification.

Entel activation

Entel’s prepaid activation instructions let you select your country of origin and enter a passport or another accepted identity document. The process also requests an email address, address and SIM number, followed by identity verification.

WOM activation

Insert the SIM and call 103, then select the option for a non-Chilean passport. WOM sends an activation link and access code; its process requires a passport photograph and facial verification.

The access code has a short validity period, so keep your document ready before starting.

Movistar activation

Insert the SIM, restart the phone and follow the activation message. Select the passport option, enter the document details and complete the document and facial photographs.

If a screen only presents a RUT field, look for the foreign-passport route or request help through the operator’s official support. Use your own identity details throughout.

Chile’s IMEI Rule: Separate from Registering Your SIM

SIM registration identifies the person using the line. IMEI registration identifies the phone. Completing one does not complete the other.

Phones brought from abroad and used with a Chilean SIM generally need administrative registration to keep working on local networks beyond 30 days after their first local-network activation. Leaving the handset unregistered can result in its IMEI being blocked for local mobile service.

The official guidance for visitors bringing a phone directs users to their mobile operator or an authorised certification company. Supporting documents can include:

• An identity document.

• A passport, entry record or travel document showing arrival.

• A photograph or screenshot of the phone’s IMEI, accessible by dialling *#06#.

If your trip extends beyond the initial operating period, arrange registration early. Someone returning with a phone previously used in Chile should check its registration status before relying on a fresh grace period.

Phones used only through international roaming or Wi-Fi do not require this administrative registration under the published guidance. The relevant distinction is how the service operates, rather than whether the SIM is physical or digital.

Roafly eSIM: Arrange Your Data Before Departure

Roafly’s Chile eSIM plans let you prepare your connection before travelling. The 5 GB and 10 GB options in the comparison both last 30 days and use WOM, with 4G/5G where available.

Both are data-only plans. They support hotspot use from the purchased allowance, offer top-ups and require no identity verification. Validity starts when the eSIM connects to a supported network in Chile.

The practical choice between them depends on your habits:

• 5 GB: a useful starting point for maps, messaging and browsing when Wi-Fi handles larger downloads.

• 10 GB: more room for a longer trip, frequent uploads or occasional hotspot sharing.

Neither includes a Chilean phone number or ordinary cellular calls and SMS. Your device must support eSIM and be carrier-unlocked.

Roafly suits visitors who value arranging data before arrival and managing it without a local SIM purchase. Local prepaid remains useful when you need a Chilean number, included voice minutes or a larger domestic allowance.

To compare travel-eSIM providers and their package terms in more detail, see our guide to the best eSIM options for Chile.

Match Your Connection to the Route

The network available along your itinerary matters more than the largest allowance on the shelf. Review the places where you will actually stay and travel, particularly if your plans extend beyond cities.

Before desert excursions, mountain travel or long Patagonian drives, download navigation and essential booking information for offline use. Mobile data should support those plans, rather than be the only way to retrieve them.

Crossing into Argentina requires another decision. The domestic bundles compared here do not establish an included Argentine allowance; check roaming for the exact local plan or arrange separate coverage. Roafly’s Chile country package covers Chile.

Questions Before You Buy

Will changing SIM cards change my WhatsApp number?

You can keep WhatsApp registered to your existing number while using another SIM or eSIM for internet access. Buying a Chilean line does not require changing your WhatsApp number.

Can I keep my regular SIM active alongside Roafly?

Yes, if your phone supports the combination of active SIMs you want to use. Select Roafly for mobile data and follow its setup instructions.

Your home carrier can still charge for calls, SMS or roaming used through your regular line. Manage that line’s roaming settings separately.

What if my phone has no physical SIM slot?

A physical prepaid chip will not fit an eSIM-only phone. You need a compatible digital service; Roafly provides this, while any local-operator eSIM purchase must meet that operator’s activation and eligibility requirements.

Which Option Should You Buy?

Entel’s Recarga Mágica is a useful local choice for a substantial 30-day allowance, while WOM’s 15-day bundle suits a shorter stay. Movistar provides a starter allowance that you can expand after activation.

Roafly makes sense when your priority is preparing data before departure, keeping your existing SIM in place and avoiding a local shop visit. Decide first whether you need a Chilean number; that choice will narrow the options more effectively than comparing headline prices alone.

Roafly publishes this guide and sells the travel-eSIM plans discussed above.