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U.S. State Department Maintains Chile Travel Advisory at Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution, Citing Crime and Civil Unr

🇺🇸 United StatesTravel Advisories1 recorded versionLast change 15 Aug 2026
ConfidenceVery high · 100%

Current rules

The U.S. State Department advises U.S. citizens to 'Exercise Increased Caution' when travelling to Chile due to crime, unrest, and health concerns. Specific risks related to crime include petty crime (mugging, pickpocketing, theft) and violent crimes (assaults, homicide, carjackings, residential break-ins). Unrest involves large-scale demonstrations, which may occur with little or no notice in Santiago and other cities, often disrupting public transport services like buses and the Santiago metro. Health concerns relate to Andes virus (Hantavirus), for which the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) has issued a Travelers’ Health Notice, though the risk for most travellers is extremely low.

Overview

The U.S. State Department has revised its travel advisory for Chile, retaining the Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution recommendation. This update now explicitly lists 'health' as a contributing factor, alongside crime and unrest. It specifically highlights the Andes virus (Hantavirus) from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) as a health notice, noting a low risk for most travellers.

Who is affected by the latest change

  • U.S. citizens travelling to Chile
  • U.S. citizens residing in Chile
  • Travellers visiting areas experiencing demonstrations or elevated crime
  • U.S. government personnel subject to additional travel restrictions

What changed in the latest version

Before

Chile was already under Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution. The update on 20 May did not make the travel warning higher. It kept the same level but added new reasons and included the health issue.

After

The United States Department of State advises United States citizens to 'Exercise Increased Caution' when they travel to Chile. This is because of crime, civil unrest, and health concerns. Specific crime risks include petty crime, such as mugging, pickpocketing, and theft. They also include violent crimes, such as assaults, homicide, carjackings, and home break-ins. Civil unrest involves large demonstrations. These might happen without much warning in Santiago and other cities. They often stop public transport services like buses and the Santiago metro. Health concerns relate to the Andes virus (Hantavirus). The United States Centers for Disease Control (CDC) has sent out a Travelers’ Health Notice for this virus. However, the risk for most travellers is very low.

This advice means that United States citizens who are planning to travel to Chile, or are already there, must be more aware of their personal safety. They must also take action to lower risks. Travellers must now think about how common both petty and violent crime are. They need to change their actions to protect their belongings and stay away from dangerous situations. Also, there is a risk of unexpected demonstrations. This means people should check local conditions and plan different routes. This helps avoid delays to travel plans. The health risk from Andes virus is low. However, the CDC notice makes people aware of possible health issues in the area.

Explained simply

Imagine you're planning a trip to Chile. The U.S. government keeps checking how safe it is there and updates its advice. This time, they're saying to be just as careful as before (Level 2), but now they're specifically adding 'health' to the reasons why. It's like your parents telling you to watch out for strangers and traffic, and now they're also reminding you to wash your hands because of a specific bug going around, even if it's not a big risk for most people. So, you still need to be aware of crime and protests, but also keep health in mind.

Frequently asked

Version history

  1. v35Effective 20 May 2026EffectiveInformational impact
    U.S. State Department Maintains Chile Travel Advisory at Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution, Citing Crime and Civil Unrest

    The United States Department of State tells people to 'Exercise Increased Caution' when travelling to Chile. This is a Level 2 travel advice. It asks United States citizens to be more careful. The advice lists three main risks: crime, civil unrest, and health issues. Crime risks include small crimes like mugging and pickpocketing, as well as violent crimes like assaults and carjackings. Civil unrest means large demonstrations could happen in big cities, such as Santiago. These can stop public transport. The United States Centers for Disease Control (CDC) has warned about the Andes virus (Hantavirus). But the risk to most travellers is very small.

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