Antarctica

The Antarctic Treaty area south of 60°S is governed by the Antarctic Treaty and Protocol on Environmental Protection, implemented by the parties through their domestic laws. Private yacht visits require an environmental impact assessment and the permits or approvals required by the applicable national authority. Antarctica does not use one country's ordinary port-clearance system.

Antarctica has no ordinary national system of designated yacht ports of entry. Select landing sites according to the approved itinerary and site guidance, observing openings, closed areas and visitor limits. Obtain prior consent from a research station before visiting it.

Before departure, contact the relevant Antarctic Treaty party's authority to submit the voyage plan, environmental impact assessment, and required notifications or permit applications. Deadlines differ by country. For example, the United States requires advance notification of private-vessel voyages organised by US citizens or residents; the United Kingdom and Australia have their own application or annual-notification procedures. No single country's deadline should be presented as a worldwide rule.

There is no single Antarctic tourist-visa system. Crew and visitors must comply with passport and visa rules in departure, return and transit countries. Private expeditions must still obtain the applicable Antarctic visit permissions.

The Antarctic Treaty area does not have an ordinary national yacht-import clearance system. Departure, return and transit ports still require vessel declarations, temporary-import and customs formalities under local rules. Antarctic visit approval is separate: an Argentine or Chilean departure clearance (zarpe) does not itself authorise a visit to Antarctica.

Before entering Antarctica, and between landing sites, thoroughly clean footwear, clothing, bags and equipment to remove soil, seeds and other biological material. Manage waste and vessel discharges under Annexes III and IV of the Environmental Protocol and the issuing authority's permit conditions. Do not discard rubbish ashore or at sea.

Non-native species may not be introduced without permission, and live poultry and other live birds may not be brought in. Animal and plant products in food are subject to the restrictions and disposal conditions in Annex II of the Environmental Protocol. Do not remove historic artefacts or take or harmfully disturb native wildlife and plants without authorisation. Polychlorinated biphenyls and other specified items are controlled under Annex III.

Prepare a voyage plan and leave vessel and itinerary details with a shore contact. Follow local landing-area, closed-area and visitor rules. Obtain prior consent for research-station visits and a specific permit from the competent authority before entering an Antarctic Specially Protected Area. Confirm landing arrangements with the person responsible for each site.

After returning, submit the visit report required by the permit issuer and complete departure, entry and customs formalities under the departure and return ports' local rules. Reporting deadlines vary: UK guidance specifies within 45 days of permit expiry, while Australia's authority requires reporting as soon as possible and no later than 30 days after authorisation expires. Some issuers charge permit fees. No uniform yacht-fee schedule for the Antarctic Treaty area has been verified.