How do Santiago's TAG toll motorways work?
Costanera Norte, Vespucio Norte, Vespucio Sur, Autopista Central, the San Cristóbal tunnel and the airport access road are all free-flow concessions, as listed by the Ministry of Public Works. Gantries record every pass, and there is nowhere to stop and pay.
According to Costanera Norte, driving these roads without an enabled means of payment breaks Article 114 of the Traffic Law (Ley 18.290). A fine can follow from the local police court, and the concessionaire can separately claim what it is owed under Article 42 of the Concessions Law.
The Pase Diario has gone
Older guides tell visitors to buy a Pase Diario Único, which the Ministry of Public Works set up as a single day pass for six urban concessions. According to Costanera Norte, since July 2025 every motorway is paid separately through Pago Tardío de Transacciones (PTT) on the Pasaste sin TAG portal. The rules, as published by Costanera Norte:
- Passes appear on the portal from day 11 after you drive and can be paid up to day 30.
- The price is the sum of the gantry tariffs you passed in one calendar day, multiplied by 2.00.
- After day 30, the concessionaire reports the unpaid passes to the Ministry of Public Works (MOP), which can pass the offence to the municipality.
Costanera Norte's 2026 tariff sheet also sets a daily penalty rate (tarifa infractora) of CLP 11,530 for a car in 2026, with interest, for users who neither carry a TAG nor settle through PTT. Paying the toll does not cancel any traffic fine the municipality issues.
What do Chilean rental companies charge for the TAG?
Rental firms settle TAG passes themselves and bill you. Two big firms publish their terms in Chile:
| Item | Hertz Chile | Avis Budget Chile |
|---|---|---|
| TAG fitted | All cars, per its terms | Cars from Santiago branches that need it |
| TAG fee | CLP 7,900 + VAT per day, fixed | CLP 6,200 + VAT (frequency not stated) |
| Tolls themselves | Charged on top of the fee | Charged on top, plus a 10% admin charge |
| Traffic fines | Charged to the card, even after return | Fine plus 1 UF + VAT admin fee |
| Removing or tampering with the TAG | Prohibited | Prohibited |
| Minimum age | 21 (18-20 with a young-driver add-on) | 22 |
Sources: Hertz Chile terms and Avis Chile terms, both read 23 September 2026. Hertz also adds 10% to the total price when you collect at an airport.
How much do Santiago motorway tolls cost?
Costanera Norte charges per gantry, with three rates by time of day. Sundays and public holidays use the off-peak rate all day. These are car rates from its 2026 tariff page, valid for all of 2026:
| Rate for cars | Per km | Example gantry: P3 Lo Saldes to Vivaceta (6.72 km) |
|---|---|---|
| TBFP, off-peak | CLP 107 | CLP 719.04 |
| TBP, peak | CLP 206 | CLP 1,384.32 |
| TS, saturation | CLP 312 | CLP 2,096.64 |
The airport access road is cheaper and simpler. Acceso Vial AMB charges a car CLP 889 with a TAG in 2026. Drivers without a TAG can use a manual lane placed before the gantry and pay up to CLP 1,800, including a fixed charge.
Worked example: a five-day Hertz rental
You collect a Hertz car at the airport for five days, drive into the city, cross town twice on Costanera Norte at peak time and head to the coast on day four.
| Cost line | Amount |
|---|---|
| TAG fee, 5 days at CLP 7,900 | CLP 39,500 + VAT |
| Airport road, one pass | CLP 889 |
| Costanera Norte P3 at peak, two passes | CLP 2,768.64 |
| Other gantries on your route | Charged as used |
The fixed fee is the biggest line for a short, city-based rental. If the car's TAG failed and you settled the same Costanera passes through PTT, the doubled price would be CLP 5,537.28 for those two passes, but missing the day-30 deadline is the expensive outcome: the daily penalty rate and a possible Article 114 fine, which the rental company would pass on with its own admin fee.
Licence, age and road conditions
The U.S. Embassy in Chile says visitors can drive on a valid U.S. licence for the length of their tourist stay, usually 90 days. It also warns that some insurance may not be available to drivers without a Chilean or international licence. Hertz and Avis Chile both require an International Driving Permit when the licence is not in the Latin alphabet, and both require a bank credit card in the driver's name for the guarantee.
Carretera Austral and the Atacama
Long trips in the south and north often include gravel. Hertz Chile's terms forbid two-wheel-drive cars on unpaved roads and treat recovery from rivers, gullies or unauthorised roads as a paid rescue. Avis Chile excludes damage on beaches, sand, riverbeds and unofficial roads. If your route includes ripio (gravel), book a 4x4 and confirm in writing that the road is allowed.
Can you drive a Chilean rental car into Argentina?
A rental car can leave Chile only on a customs form issued by the rental company. Chile's customs service explains on its rent-a-car page that registered firms generate this form online. It needs the rental contract and a valid international insurance policy, is free from customs, lasts up to 90 days (or less if the contract or insurance ends sooner), and allows multiple crossings. ChileAtiende adds that both countries recognise it at the border.
| Condition | Hertz Chile | Avis Chile |
|---|---|---|
| Notice needed | At least 24 business hours | 72 hours, by email to its cross-border desk |
| Permit price | CLP 250,000 + VAT, includes Mercosur third-party insurance | Prepaid; price given on request |
| Card guarantee | Fixed CLP 1,500,000 | Per its guarantees annex |
| In Argentina | Towing only; no replacement car | Only Argentina allowed |
| Refund if you don't go | None | Prepaid |
Hertz's package includes the notarial permission, the compulsory insurance and the customs exit form. Ask for all three on paper before leaving Santiago, and check the names and plate number match your passport and the car.
For driving rules, kit and the road network on the Argentine side, see renting a car and driving in Argentina from Salta.