Visa Information | Quito to Rio, Andes & Pampas

Visa & Passports

The information below is to be used as a guide & may change. Contact the relevant embassy in plenty of time before the trip departs to check the current visa requirements.

Passports
Please bring 2 photocopies of your passport details to give to your tour leader. You will need at least 1 blank page per country in your passport, (for the 29 weeks Trans South America, you should allow at least 10 pages) which must be valid for at least 6 to 9 months after your trip finishes (for more information check the FCO advice for each country under “entry requirements”). If you have dual nationality you can only use one passport for the entire trip.  It is your responsibility to ensure you have all the relevant Visas you require.

If you are applying for a new passport before doing this trip, consider applying for a frequent traveler or jumbo size passport, with more pages than a standard passport. 

Visas

  =    We recommend obtaining this visa before travel, though if starting your trip in Rio this will not be possible, and you will need to obtain en route.  Price varies.

** =    If starting your trip in Rio or Santiago this visa should be obtained in advance of travel. Otherwise you will need to obtain your visa on the trip, probably from Buenos Aires.

*** =  Argentina – Australians and Canadian Citizens are all required to pay a ‘reciprocity fee’ before entering Argentina.  This needs to be applied for BEFORE entry and you will need to travel with a printed copy of proof of payment.  It is often easier to apply before travel.  Further information can be found by clicking http://csidn.mrecic.gov.ar/en/node/4552 or to go straight to the application page click https://virtual.provincianet.com.ar/Usuarios

**** = Chile – Australians, Canadians and US citizens are all required to pay a ‘reciprocity fee’ if they are flying into Santiago International Airport only. If entering Chile via a land border, this is not applicable.

# = Venezuela – American passport holders require a visa in advance to enter Venezuela. These can be obtained either at home in the US or en route at the Venezuelan Embassy in Belem. To acquire one you will need 6 months validity on your passport after leaving Venezuela, 3 passport-sized photographs (3cm x 4cm), a printed bank statement in full and proof of arrival and exit flights from South America. Please note the visa can be date specific and expire – if in doubt check with us first.

~ = Bolivia – To enter Bolivia, American passport holders can purchase these upon arrival or at the border for 360 Bolivianos (around US$55). You will need 1 passport-sized photograph (3cm x 4cm), a photocopy of the passport information page and the payment in local currency. For South African passport holders, all you need is 360 Bolivianos to pay for your visa. You will need MULTI entry visas, if given an option.

On arrival to countries in South America, you will be given an ‘Immigration card’.  It is important that you keep this with your passport during your entire stay in the particular country as it is needed for departure.  Failure to produce this immigration slip can result in a fine.

For more information on other nationalities & visas checkout www.projectvisa.com

For those flying with a USA airline and transiting USA:
In 2009 the US government announced a new online system known as Electronic System for Travel Authorisation (ESTA) which is part of the Visa Waiver Programme (VWP). To apply for authorization to travel to or transit via the USA under the VWP, travellers will have to log on to the ESTA web based system and complete an application online providing biographical & eligibility information before you travel. Normally ESTA will provide immediate determination of eligibility to travel under the VWP.

If your country does not appear on the Visa Waiver Program list below, you will need to apply for a visa to the US before flying out to join your tour. More information can be found by visiting the UK Foreign & Commonwealth Office website; U.S State Department travel advice:www.travel.state.gov or www.usembassy.org.uk

Visa Waiver Program (VWP) countries are; United Kingdom, Andorra, Australia, Austria, Belgium Brunei, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Monaco, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, San Marino, Singapore, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland.

If your nationality does not participate in the VWP, check the US State Dept. website for your visa requirements and how to apply. Failure to determine your eligibility for travel under the Visa Waiver Program or to apply for a visa to travel to the US will result in you being denied by airlines and or the US government to travel to or via the United States.

If you have travelled to Iran, Iraq, Sudan, Syria, Libya, Somalia or Yemen since March 2011 you will not qualify for the VWP and must apply for a visa.