How do you get a mobile phone plan in Chile in 2026?

Entel, Movistar, WOM, and Claro dominate consumer SIMs. Airport kiosks at Santiago’s Arturo Merino Benítez Airport (SCL) and city stores sell prepaid chips against a passport. Ask for a starter data pack large enough for maps, translation, and WhatsApp before you ride into Providencia or the centro. eSIM options appear in carrier apps and travel eSIM brands; confirm the handset is unlocked and supports local bands.

Keep the packaging and activation SMS. You will reuse the same number for bank apps, Isapre call-backs, and SERMIG notifications. Coverage is strong in Santiago, Valparaíso, Viña del Mar, and Concepción cores, then thinner in some Andes and far-south stretches: Utilities, internet, and transport.

Postpaid and multi-line family plans usually want stronger ID: the foreigner cédula with RUN, and sometimes address proof: Get a RUT and Apply for a residence permit. Banks that send OTPs expect the number to stay stable, so avoid swapping SIMs every week once bank account and ClaveÚnica setup start.

Top up with official carrier apps or authorised kiosks. If SERMIG, Registro Civil, Fonasa, or an Isapre SMS your phone, treat that number as part of the settlement file: Enrol public health and Choose health insurance.