Traveling to Antarctica: What You Need to Know
No matter whether you have decided to sail through The Drake Passage or fly directly over it, your Antarctica adventure will typically begin at the southernmost part of South America in either Ushuaia, Argentina, or Punta Arenas, Chile.
1. Where to Fly To?
No matter whether you have decided to sail through The Drake Passage or fly directly over it, your Antarctica adventure will typically begin at the southernmost part of South America in either Ushuaia, Argentina, or Punta Arenas, Chile.
2. Visa Requirements
As no one country owns the Antarctic continent, there is no Visa required to visit. You only need a valid permit, which is something we will organize for you. However, you will need to pass through either Argentina or Chile on your way to that great icy land and both countries have their own specific requirements when it comes to travel visas.
You are responsible for checking visa requirements and obtaining a visa prior to your trip as required.. You can check current requirements at the following websites:
https://chile.gob.cl/chile/en/blog/todos/tourist-visa - Chile Visas
https://www.cancilleria.gob.ar/en/services/visa/tourist-visa - Argentina Visas
The following are general guidelines and should be verified at the above websites.
Argentina:
Citizens of United Arab Emirates, Australia, New Zealand, United States, United Kingdom, European Union and Canada do not have visa requirements to travel to Argentina for less than 90 days. In the past, citizens of the US, Australia and Canada have had to pay a reciprocity fee before gaining entry but they have since been abolished. If you are a citizen of any other country, check with your local Argentinian embassy for updated visa-related information and requirements as soon as possible.
If you do in fact require a visa to Argentina:
Fill out the Argentina Tourist Visa application form available online on their official website.
Make a checklist of all documents required for a tourist visa.
Get hold of the original copy of the cruise confirmation letter from the travel company you booked your expedition with, ensuring it has the seal of the company and the itinerary.
Get a travel insurance with good coverage. Most visas have this as a mandatory requirement. Then again, precaution is always better than cure – just saying.
