In this work the erythemal dose received in Arica, Northern Chile, and its possible relationship to the rates of skin cancer registered in the local population are analyzed. Experimental measurements of solar UV irradiance were performed from January 2005 to December 2012 with a GUV-2511 biometer. The solar ultraviolet index (IUV) was calculated in the 305, 313, 320, 340nm bands. Erythemal doses were calculated from the IUV obtained. In 65% of the days the daily mean values during the observation period were ≥4kJ·m -2, which are above the minimal erythemal dose (MED) for skin types III and IV, the skin types most frequently found in Chile. The MED for skin type III is 0.30-0.50kJ·m-2/day and for skin type IV it is 0.40- 0.60kJ·m-2/day. The high erythemal doses received are consistent with the increase in the rates of skin cancer per 100,000 inhabitants reported in Arica, from 6.9 to 23.8 between 2001 and 2011. This increase is possibly due to the high erythemal doses that people living in this region are exposed to, which are several times the MED of their skin phototype.