Getting to Antarctica

All international travellers entering Chile must be fully vaccinated against Covid-19.

Vaccines must be approved by the Chilean Public Health Institute (ISP), the World Health Organization (WHO), the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) or the European Medicines Agency (EMA).

The Chilean government requires international travellers to be vaccinated at least 14 days prior to arrival in Chile. However, some operators require their passengers to be vaccinated further in advance:

• If you are travelling with Quark Expeditions, they require you to be vaccinated at least 21 days before your voyage
• If you are travelling with Aurora Expeditions, they require you to be vaccinated at least 28 days before your voyage
• All other operators require their passengers to be vaccinated at least 14 days before their voyage

Once you are fully vaccinated, you must submit details of your vaccination before you arrive in Chile, as per point 2 below. Other than Covid-19, no further vaccinations are required.

You must submit details of your completed vaccination programme in advance of travelling, in order to obtain a ‘Mobility Pass’ to allow entry into the country.

We strongly advise completing the form between 30-44 days before arriving in Chile to ensure you receive your pass in time, as it can take up to a month to be granted. It cannot be completed over 45 days before arrival, or it will expire before you arrive.

If you enter Chile without a Mobility Pass, you will be required to quarantine on arrival for seven days.

Completing the Mobility Pass form

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• Read our guide to completing the mobility pass form (link tbc)

You must complete a PCR test 72 hours before boarding your flight to Chile, and provide evidence of a negative result on arrival. If your journey involves multiple flights, take the test 72 hours before the final flight. You must complete a PCR test, not a rapid flow (lateral flow, antigen) test, and it must be processed by a laboratory that is recognised by your local health authority.

In order to prove your negative PCR result, you must receive a digital copy of your test certificate which will need to be uploaded when completing your online written declaration within 48 hours of departure. We also recommend carrying a digital and/or paper copy of your negative PCR test result while travelling.

You may be contacted within the first 14 days of being in the country by the local authority to take another PCR or antigen test where you are staying. This is requested of international travellers at random. If you are selected, you will be given details of where to go and how to get the test. Tests are widely accessible at pharmacies, hospitals and airports.

The Chilean Government has declared that foreign nationals entering Chile from 1st October 2021 must have medical insurance with a minimum coverage of $30,000 USD, to cover any expenses relating to Covid-19.

Please check with your insurance provider to ensure that you have the appropriate cover in place.

You must complete an online written declaration, or affidavit, up to 48 hours before you leave your home country. You will be asked to provide your contact details, health information and travel details, plus upload a digital copy of your negative PCR test result (see point 3 above).

Once you’ve completed the declaration, you will be issued a QR code as a means of verification, which you may need to show on arrival in Chile.

Because Antarctica isn’t a sovereign nation, you won’t need a visa to visit. However, you might need a visa to enter Chile.

Citizens of the European Union, the UK, the United States and Canada (among other countries), will not be required to apply for a visa when travelling to Chile. If you are travelling from certain countries not mentioned above, including Australia, you may need to apply for a visa - check with your local embassy.

If you are not required to apply for a visa, you will instead be issued with a tourist card, or 'Tarjeta de Turismo' on arrival in Chile, which will last for 90 days. This is an A5 sized white piece of paper - you must retain this document and present it to immigration when you leave.

In an effort to prevent international child abduction, Chile has put in place strict requirements for the entry/exit of minors under the age of 18. Even when the minor is travelling with both parents, the parents will be required to show evidence of their relationship to the child when departing the country. Please carry an original, certified or authenticated birth certificate.

If only one parent is travelling with a minor, a legal authorisation to take the child abroad will be required, too. This permit must be signed by the parent or parents that are not travelling.

Travellers from Japan (both Japanese citizens and foreign residents) are required to notify the Japanese Ministry of the Environment before your trip to Antarctica. Find out more.

If you are a US, UK, Canadian or Australian national you won’t need to pay a reciprocity fee to enter Chile. Some other nationalities may need to pay a fee, HERE’S HOW YOU FIND OUT - SUPPLIED BY DAVID. If you need to pay a fee, you must do so on arrival at the airport, either in US Dollars or by credit card. If you enter Chile by land, you will not need to pay a reciprocity fee.