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Visas Families Japanese Residents Reciprocity Fees

Passports

We recommend that you have a passport that is valid for at least the entire duration of your trip, considering any possibly delays that could occur on your trip.

Please check with the relevant authority (embassy and/or airline) for any specific requirements or restrictions, if you are in any doubt and/or if your passport will be close to expiring at the return date of your trip.

VAT payments in Argentina

At present, in both Chile and Argentina, tourists are not charged VAT (19% in Chile, 21%, in Argentina) for their hotel/accommodation rates. This is controlled by the hotel itself, via the customer's passport stamp and/or immigration paper receipt.

Please be aware, however, that the Argentine immigration office is no longer stamping passports and are issuing travellers with an immigration QR code instead.

This QR code will be sent via email to each traveller and will act as proof that they are not required to make VAT payments at their accommodation. 

For the avoidance of doubt, neither Swoop nor our local partners will be held liable for any surcharges or any taxes, including VAT or its equivalent, that may be applied as a result of national or regional government policies.

Please note that such governmental policies can be modified at short notice and without prior notification.

Visa requirements for Argentina

Citizens of the European Union, the UK, the United States, Canada and Australia (among other countries), will not be required to apply for a visa when travelling to Argentina. Some of these citizens, however, may be required to pay a reciprocity fee. 

If you are travelling from certain countries not mentioned above, you may need to apply for a tourist visa. Each person is responsible for determining if they require a visa. You can do so by requesting this information from your nearest consulate. Please be aware that visa conditions/requirements can change without warning.

If you're visiting Iguazu falls, please be aware that you may need a visa to visit the Brazilian side of the falls. Please check with your local embassy.

Avenida 9 Julio, Buenos Aires, Argentina

Avenida 9 Julio, Buenos Aires, Argentina

Visa requirements for Chile

Visas & travel documentation

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. Some of these citizens, however, may be required to pay a reciprocity fee. 

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.

*Need support for your visa application? We are happy to provide any documentation you may require for your visa. We ask for £25 GBP per visa to cover the administration costs involved, please ask your Customer Experience Coordinator for more details.

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Lizzie says

Swoop Antarctica Expert Lizzie

Make sure you have spare pages in your passport, not only for any visas or stamps you might need but also for getting stamps in the numerous southernmost sights that you might visit such as bases in Antarctica and post offices in Chile or Argentina.

Lizzie Williams Polar Product & Partnerships Manager

Australians travelling to Chile

Australian passport holders are required to obtain an e-visa to enter Chile. There will be single entry and multiple entry visas available.

Visas & travel documentation

Visas to enter New Zealand

While no visa is required to visit Antarctica, if you are eligible and travelling through New Zealand in transit, you may be required to obtain a visa.

If you are visiting from the United States, United Kingdom, Canada and many other countries it is essential to apply for an eTA. The new online process is valid for 2 years and allows multiple entries to New Zealand.

Apply For An ETA
MV Ushuaia ship
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Swoop says

While no visa is required to actually visit Antarctica, because Antarctica isn’t a sovereign nation, almost all Antarctic trips depart from either Argentina or Chile for which you do need to check whether a visa is required. 

Note for travelling families

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, or neither parent is travelling, 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.

Visas & travel documentation

Important information for Japanese residents

Travellers from Japan (both Japanese citizens and foreign residents) are required to notify the Japanese Ministry of the Environment before their trip to Antarctica. Read the instructions on sending this notification. 

Antarctica cruises offer the chance to explore the Antarctic Peninsula

Hiking over the snow at Peterman Island

Reciprocity Fees

Certain nationalities, while they don’t need a visa, are required to pay a ‘Reciprocity Fee'. The amount payable depends on your nationality. The Chilean fee can be paid on arrival at the airport, whereas the Argentinian fee must be paid in advance.

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Swoop says

Canadian citizens are no longer required to pay a reciprocity fee on entry to Argentina.