Most painful visa process ever! (Chile Visa Experience)

Target Country: Chile
Passport: Indian Passport
Visa Type: Tourist Visa
Processing Consulate/Embassy: Melbourne, Australia
Documents submitted:

1. Onwards tickets (electronic itinerary was acceptable).
2. Letter from a friend in Chile inviting me to stay. (luckily I knew someone there).
   
3. AUD$48 fee.
4. Filled application form
5. Valid passport
6. Letter from my employer saying that I'm employed
7. A letter from me explaining why I want to visit Chile
8. Bank statements (certified by the bank) for the last 6 months

Experience:
Very painful. Obviously no one at the consulate knew what they were doing. It took me 1 week to get a list of required documents and the application process from them (at least 5 phone calls, and emails). Even then, they gave me an incomplete list of documents. Wasted another week because I needed an appointment to go submit my application. Then they tell me I need more documents. So another week wasted to make another appointment. Then they had to seek approval from their ministry in Chile. That took 10 days or so. I had to go in again to submit my passport and payment. Then I had to go again a week later to get my passport with the visa back from them.

All this for a 6 day transit in Chile.

Recommendation: If you need a visa for Chile, you better have lots of spare time on your hands, and you better have a friend in Chile.

Time frame: 6 weeks.
Number of embassy visits: 4

But, the visa process is totally worth it. See my pictures from Chile below.