What to pack for Patagonia
Our advice on what to pack in order to be prepared for the unpredictable weather of Patagonia, including a video guide on packing for the W Trek in Torres del Paine.
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Passports
Make sure your passport is up to date. We recommend at least six months from your date of entry to Argentina or Chile.
If you have made a late booking and your passport is close to expiring near the return date of your trip, we recommend checking with your embassy and/or airline for specific requirements or restrictions.
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 post offices in Chile or Argentina.
Carys Siney Senior Patagonia & Polar Regions Specialist
Visa requirements for Argentina
Citizens from the following, among other nations, will not need to apply for a visa when travelling to Argentina:
- The European Union
- The UK
- The United States
- Canada
- Australia
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. Please see the Argentinian embassy website for full details of visa-exempt countries.
Glacier Huemul hike
Swoop says
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.
Visa requirements for Chile
Citizens of the following, among other countries, will not be required to apply for a visa when travelling to Chile:
- The European Union
- The UK
- The United States
- Canada
Please note that citizens of some nations 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 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.
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.
Swoop says
To reiterate - If you are not required to apply for a visa, you will be issued 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!
Visa requirements for Brazil
If you're visiting Iguazu Falls, you may need a visa to visit the Brazilian side of the falls. Please check with your local embassy.
If you are an Australian, Canadian or US citizen travelling to Brazil for tourism or business by air, sea or land after 10th April 2025, you will need to obtain a visa ahead of time.
You can apply online through the official government website.
If you are a citizen of Australia, Canada or the US travelling to Brazil for tourism or business before that date, you do not need a visa.
Sunset over the Iguazú Falls
Alicia says
If you are combining Patagonia and Antarctica into one epic adventure, you will only need to check if you require a visa for Chile and/or Argentina. No visa is required to visit Antarctica as it isn't a sovereign nation.
Alicia Roitman Polar & Patagonia Regions Specialist
Travellers from Japan
Japanese residents travelling to Patagonia don’t have specific legal requirements, such as notifying a government body before their trip unless they are also travelling to Antarctica.
Travellers from Japan (both Japanese citizens and foreign residents) are required to notify the Japanese Ministry of the Environment before a trip to Antarctica. Read the instructions for sending this notification.
Japanese passport holders can enter Chile and Argentina visa-free for short stays (up to 90 days).
Reciprocity Fees
If your government imposes a fee on Chilean or Argentinean citizens who visit your country, you will likely need to pay a "reciprocal" fee when travelling to Chile or Argentina.
Citizens from the US, Canada, Australia and the UK no longer have to pay reciprocity fees to enter Chile or Argentina.
If you are a citizen of a nation not listed above, please refer to your respective country’s Chilean or Argentinean consulate for requirements.
VAT payments on accommodation in Chile and Argentina
As a tourist, you won't need to pay VAT (19% in Chile, 21%, in Argentina) on the cost of your accommodation. However, your hotel will need to see your passport stamp and/or immigration paper receipt as proof you have travelled into the country from abroad.
Please keep in mind that the Argentine immigration office is no longer stamping passports. Instead, it's issuing travellers with an immigration QR code and sending it via email. 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.
Please note that neither Swoop or our local partners will be held liable for any surcharges or taxes, including VAT or its equivalent, that may be applied because of national or regional government policies. Keep in mind that these policies can be modified at short notice and without warning.
Travelling with under 18-year-olds
Chile has put in place strict requirements for the entry/exit of minors under the age of 18 in an effort to prevent international child abduction. 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.
Enjoying expansive views whilst road tripping in Chile's Aysen region
Driving licences in Argentina and Chile
Most nationalities visiting Argentina and Chile will just need a regular driving licence to rent a car, however, you will be required to purchase an international driving licence if your driving licence does not have a photograph.
You may also be required to get an international driving licence if you have a licence that does not use Roman script (such as a Russian licence) or you have a photocard licence.
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More important information
Arranging insurance
Although it's not included in the price of your trip, travel insurance is a mandatory requirement that every traveller is responsible for arranging themselves.
Discover MoreBooking flights
Getting to your trip starting location will most likely involve some air travel. Here is our brief guide on flights; including reservations, taxes and baggage.
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