Risk level

Safety and security

Weather conditions

Antarctica is subject to extreme and unpredictable weather conditions. It is cold, dry and windy, with 99% of the continent covered by a permanent ice sheet.

These conditions put you at risk of frostbite and sun overexposure, which can result in dehydration and eye damage.

Ensure that you have equipment and clothing that meet Antarctic standards.

Communications

There are no public phone or other public communication services in Antarctica. In case of an emergency, you may have difficulties in obtaining outside assistance.

Research stations can house satellite telephones and postal facilities. However, they are fully dedicated to scientific research and, with rare exceptions, have no capacity to provide support of any kind to tourists or casual travellers.

If you plan to visit Antarctica as an independent traveller, ensure to be self-sufficient from the time that you leave the departure country until your return.

Tourism

There are no tourist facilities on land, except a privately run base on the interior ice that caters to mountaineering-type expeditions

Travelling to Antarctica may have a potential harmful impact on the environment. As a result, you should avoid any travel that is not part of an international scientific expedition or organized through a tour operator. Various tourism companies can arrange excursions to the continent.

International Association of Antarctic Tour Operators

Entry and exit requirements

Antarctica is governed through an international treaty system and is not owned by any one nation.

Passport and visas

You may need a Canadian passport and/or a visa for the countries you transit as you travel en route to and from Antarctica.

Refer to the separate Travel advice and advisories for those countries.

Expedition permits

All Canadian travellers require a permit to visit Antarctica. Expedition tour operators will usually make necessary arrangements to obtain it on your behalf. Confirm this information with your tour operator before travelling.

Should you need to apply for a permit yourself, you must submit your request to the Antarctic Environmental Program at Environment Canada.

Apply for a permit - Environment Canada

Children and travel

Learn more about travelling with children.

Health

Routine vaccines

Make sure your routine vaccinations are up-to-date before you travel, no matter where you’re going.

These may include vaccines for measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR), diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis (whooping cough), polio, varicella (chickenpox), meningococcal disease, seasonal flu, and others.

Provincial and Territorial Immunization Information

Pre-travel vaccines and medications

When travelling in this destination, you might be at risk for diseases that can be prevented with vaccines or medications. Talk to a travel health care provider about which ones are right for you based on your travel plans.

The highlights below will also tell you if your destination may require that vaccine for entering or exiting.

Safe food and water precautions

Eating or drinking unsafe food or water, or swimming in contaminated water can make you sick while travelling. Take precautions by following these tips:

• Boil it, cook it, peel it, or leave it (only eat food that is prepared safely)
• Avoid, if possible, getting water in your eyes, mouth, or nose when swimming in freshwater (like streams, lakes, or canals), especially after heavy rain or flooding - the water might look clean but can still be contaminated 
• Don’t swallow water when bathing, showering, swimming in pools, or using hot tubs 

Eat and drink safely abroad

Tick and insect bite prevention

Many diseases are spread by bites from infected ticks and insects like mosquitoes, fleas, or flies. Before you travel, find out what types of ticks or insects are in the area, when they’re most active, and what diseases they can spread.

To protect yourself from bites:

• use an approved bug spray (insect repellent) on exposed skin
• wear light-coloured, loose clothing made of tightly woven materials like nylon or polyester
• wear socks and closed-toe shoes
• sleep under mosquito netting if you’re outdoors or staying in places that aren’t fully enclosed
• do a full body tick check on yourself, your children, your gear, and any pets you’re travelling with when you return from outdoor activities

Insect bite and pest prevention
Personal insect repellents

Animal precautions

Some infections, like rabies and bird flu (avian influenza), can be spread from animals to humans. Certain activities can increase your chances of coming into contact with animals, like:

• travelling in rural or forested areas
• camping, hiking, or visiting caves
• visiting places where live animals are sold or killed for food, like wet markets

To reduce your risk of getting sick, avoid contact with animals like stray dogs, livestock (such as pigs and cows), monkeys, snakes, rodents, birds, and bats. Avoid eating undercooked meat.

Make sure to closely watch children; they are more likely to try to touch animals.

Person-to-person infections

When travelling, you can reduce your risk of getting or spreading respiratory infections, like the flu or COVID-19, by:

• staying at your accommodation and limiting contact with others if you’re sick
• wearing a well-fitting mask, especially: 
  
  • if you’re sick and need to be around others 
  • when you’re at large indoor events or in crowded settings, like sporting events, concerts, and airports
• cleaning your hands regularly with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, or using hand sanitizer containing at least 60% alcohol
• covering your coughs and sneezes with a tissue or your elbow, not your hands

Mass gatherings (large-scale events)
Clean your hands to help reduce the spread of infectious diseases
Respiratory infectious diseases: How to reduce the spread with personal protective measures

To lower your risk of getting sexually transmissible infections (STIs), HIV, and mpox, you can:

• get vaccinated against mpox if you’re eligible
• have fewer sexual partners
• use protection during sexual activity, like condoms and dental dams.

Mpox vaccines
Sexual health and travel
HIV and AIDS: Travel health advice

Medical services and facilities

There are no search and rescue or emergency evacuation facilities in Antarctica. In case of emergency, you will be responsible for the costs of your search, rescue and evacuation.

Make sure you get travel insurance that includes coverage for medical evacuation and hospital stays.

Health and safety outside Canada

Laws and culture

You must abide by local laws.

Learn about what you should do and how we can help if you are arrested or detained abroad.

The Protocol to the Antarctic Treaty on Environmental Protection—the Madrid Protocol—designates Antarctica as a natural reserve with established protected areas. Not owned by any one country, Antarctica is the site of environmental preservation efforts and scientific research.

Canada has implemented the Madrid Protocol into Canadian law with the Antarctic Environmental Protection Act. In doing so, the Canadian government now regulates the activities of its citizens in the Antarctic.

The Antarctic Environmental Protection Act prohibits Canadians and Canadian vessels, where applicable, from undertaking the following activities, except where a permit has been granted:

• activities related to mineral resources other than for scientific purposes
• interference with wildlife indigenous to the Antarctic
• introduction of animal or plant species that are not indigenous to the Antarctic
• any activity related to waste disposal
• any activity in a specially protected area

Natural disasters and climate

The weather in Antarctica is extreme. From March to September, temperatures can drop to -60C near sea level, and even lower in the interior. At the peak of winter, the continent receives little to no sunlight. Organized tours don’t operate during this period.

During mid-summer, from December to January, temperatures are around -2C to 4C. On the Antarctic Peninsula, temperatures can reach the low double-digits. There is sunlight up to 24 hours per day, depending on the location.

Blizzards are rare. However, in coastal areas, katabatic winds regularly reach speeds of 100 km/h. Gusts of up to 160 km/h are not uncommon.