Operating in Chile? Speak with a security consultant.
Chile is South America’s most economically stable country and a significant market for mining, financial services, and corporate operations. Santiago functions as a regional headquarters city for numerous multinationals. The risk environment is materially lower than most of the region but is not homogenous: airport crime, predictable protest activity, and vehicle crime require professional management.
FCDO does not advise against travel to Chile. US State Department rates Chile at Level 2 (Exercise Increased Caution). OSAC’s Santiago report identifies airport fraud and civil unrest as the primary risk categories. Chile does not carry the express kidnapping or armed robbery at the level of Peru, Colombia, or Brazil, but the CP market is active and growing.
Airport fraud: a documented, high-value crime
FCDO has specifically documented taxi fraud at Santiago’s Arturo Merino Benitez Airport with individual losses up to GBP 10,000. This is not pickpocket-level acquisitive crime. It is a high-value, confidence-based fraud that operates in the formal taxi environment at an international airport. It is noteworthy precisely because it occurs in a country that is otherwise considered low-risk for this type of incident.
The counter-measure is pre-arranged, verified airport transfers. This is standard practice for any professionally managed corporate arrival in Santiago.
The protest calendar
Chile’s protest cycle has specific, predictable dates. The 11 September anniversary of the Pinochet coup, 29 March Young Combatant Day, and 1 May Workers Day all produce significant demonstrations in central Santiago with a documented history of clashes, property damage, and tear gas deployment. The 2019 estallido social also created a pattern of Friday protests around Plaza Baquedano that has persisted in modified form.
Itinerary planning for Chile should flag these dates and build in routing flexibility. This is not unpredictable risk: it is a calendar that professional security planning can accommodate.
Mining sector demand
Chile is the world’s largest copper producer and a major lithium producer. The mining sector generates the majority of CP demand in Chile. Mine site operations, executive visits to northern regions including Antofagasta and Calama, and in-country movement for extractive-sector clients represent the core professional CP market. This is a market with established norms, experienced operators, and a regulatory framework that supports professional deployment.
Source: FCDO Travel Advice: Chile (2025). Ley 21.659 on private security. OSAC Chile Country Security Report 2024. US State Department Chile Travel Advisory (2025).
Our vetted operators provide close protection and executive protection and security driver services across Chile. For a detailed local assessment, see our Santiago city briefing.
Cities We Cover
Santiago
Medium riskChile's capital and principal commercial city. Airport taxi fraud costing victims up to GBP 10,000 per incident is documented by FCDO. Tyre puncture vehicle crime targets rental car users on major roads. Violent protests occur on predictable annual dates including 11 September, 29 March, and 1 May, and regularly on Fridays in specific protest corridors.
View city guide →Valparaiso
Moderate riskSeat of Chile's National Congress since 1990 and one of the country's principal Pacific ports, built up steep UNESCO-listed hillside cerros. FCDO documents muggings occurring in Valparaiso as well as Santiago, at times in daylight, and the city carries a genuine, historically documented seismic risk (major earthquakes in 1906 and 1985). No major airport; visitors route overland from Santiago's Arturo Merino Benitez International Airport, roughly 1.5 to 2 hours by road.
View city guide →Security Regulations
Firearms
Under Ley 21.659 on private security, only vigilantes privados are authorised to carry firearms, and only during their shift and within the premises or area they are authorised for. Guardias de seguridad may not use firearms. Firearms are also subject to the arms control law, Ley 17.798. Ask any provider which authorisation covers each armed officer before an assignment starts.
Licensing
Private security in Chile is governed by Ley 21.659 on private security, which took effect on 28 November 2025. The Subsecretaría de Prevención del Delito, within the ministry responsible for public security, authorises, regulates and supervises private security. Carabineros de Chile act as the supervising authority. Ask any provider for its current authorisation under Ley 21.659.
Foreign Operators
Ley 21.659 requires any foreign national who provides private security services in Chile to hold permanent residence (residencia definitiva) under the migration law, Ley 21.325. A visiting foreign protection officer without permanent residence cannot provide private security services in Chile. Use a Chile-authorised provider and take local legal advice before a foreign team works in the country.
Sources, checked : Ley 21.659 sobre Seguridad Privada (text); CNN Chile, private security regulation published and entry into force.