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My friend is soon going to Chile (from Spain). She wants to rent a car and make a trip into Argentina. One website tells her she has to buy a border-crossing permit for $6 and another says $200.

Seems to me that the website providing the information won't help determine whether the information is true or not. She's not stupid; if it could be determined by the website, she wouldn't have asked.

However, I did a bit of looking. https://www.journeylatinamerica.co.uk/travel-inspiration/ask-the-experts/can-you-cross-the-border-between-chile-and-argentina-in-a-hire-car suggests that the $200 quoted by the Chilean company is a government fee that Avis failed to mention.

https://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowTopic-g294266-i977-k2610925-Border_Crossing_in_a_Rental_Car_Argentina_and_Chile-Argentina.html makes me think the six bucks Avis suggested is a fee for the letter and/or the etching, and if she goes to them, she'll be turned back at the border for the lack of the permit.

So, to reword the question, what's the full story on fees and documents for taking a rental from Chile into Argentina and back?

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  • Could you link to those websites? – JonathanReez Supports Monica♦ Oct 10 '17 at 10:22
  • It is possible that the fees are payable to the rental company, therefore may vary. It may also include some kind of govt fee for crossing the border + surcharge for the rental company. Still, without links, we can only guess. – Edmund Dantes Oct 10 '17 at 10:26
  • She wasn't specific' just "depending on which website." And she just took off on a hike, so I can't ask till later. But it sounded like it was a government thing. – WGroleau Oct 10 '17 at 10:31
  • It is advisable to inquire about insurance. I once asked a US rental company whether I could take the car across to Mexico. The answer was: "Yes but the insurance would not be valid". I decided to take the bus. – badjohn Oct 11 '17 at 16:19