Visiting Antarctica

Requirements for visiting Antarctica

The Antarctic Treaty signed in Washington on 1 December 1959 preserves the Antarctic continent for peaceful and scientific use.

The Antarctic Treaty’s Protocol on Environmental Protection, signed in 1991, is the only international agreement designed to protect an entire continent. It ensures that all human activity in Antarctica is carefully planned and managed. It enables a range of human activity to take place in Antarctica including scientific research, well-managed, environmentally sensitive tourism, and exploration. Crucially, the Protocol prohibits commercial mining and protects vulnerable areas, animals and plants.

The Antarctic Treaty does not prevent tourists, military personnel or scientific researchers from being present in Antarctica - but they do require an appropriate permit from a Treaty Party.

Permit criteria

Anyone on a British expedition to Antarctica or taking a British vessel or aircraft into Antarctica will need to apply for a permit from the Polar Regions Department of the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO).

A British expedition is one organised in the UK (including a British overseas territory, or a Crown Dependency) or one where the last place of departure for Antarctica is the UK, a British overseas territory, or a Crown Dependency. ‘Expedition’ consists of a single person or group, undertaking a tour or journey of any purpose, including activities such as landing ashore, skiing, kayaking, small boat activities, climbing, diving or any related activity. A British (including OT or Crown Dependency) flagged vessel or registered aircraft also requires a permit even if the expedition is organised elsewhere.

You do not need a permit for:

• ships or aircraft travelling to an immediate destination outside Antarctica
• fishing vessels, unless they are conducting research fishing or are carrying out functions related to an expedition
• expeditions organised in and authorised in writing by another contracting party (country) to the Environmental Protocol to the Antarctic Treaty

If you plan to undertake commercial fishing activity in the Southern Ocean, you must seek separate authorisation for your vessel, as set out in the guidelines to CCAMLR fisheries for British registered vessels fishing for profit.

It is also unlikely that you will need a permit if you are a passenger on an organised visit to Antarctica, as your tour operator would usually arrange this. However you should confirm this with them before travelling. Contact the Polar Regions Department if you are still unsure.

Applying for a permit

You should submit applications for permits as far in advance as possible. This should be at least 4 months for a new or unusual application, or at least 2 months before the date of your departure if you have previously obtained a permit for summer activities. Late applications may not be considered.

Organisers must demonstrate that they are sufficiently prepared for a visit to Antarctica. You should discuss your plans informally with the Polar Regions Department before you begin completing the permit application. This is especially important if your expedition involves specialist activities such as extreme sports, extended trips or multiple transport options.

Applying for a permit to conduct research fishing

You must conduct research fishing in the Antarctic Treaty Area in accordance with the Convention for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR), in particular its Conservation Measure 24-01.

Research fishing under paragraph 2 of CM24-01 involves taking less than 50 tonnes of finfish and less than the limits for non-finfish taxa as set out in Annex B of the Conservation Measure. If you are proposing to conduct research fishing under paragraph 2, you must:

• complete an Expedition Permit Application Form and submit this to the Polar Regions Department by 12 May 2022
• confirm that you will comply with all relevant CCAMLR Conservation Measures

Research fishing under paragraph 3 of CM24-01 involves taking more than 50 tonnes of finfish and more than the limits for non-finfish taxa as set out in Annex B of the Conservation Measure. If you are proposing to conduct research fishing under paragraph 3, you must:

• comply with the requirements of paragraph 3 of CCAMLR Conservation Measure 24-01
• complete Sections 1-6 of an Expedition Permit Application Form, and submit this together with the required Research Plan to the Polar Regions Department by 12 May 2022
• confirm that you will comply with all relevant CCAMLR Conservation Measures

Application forms and guidance

For a land or vessel based expedition you can download the permit application form and guidance below. For further information please contact the Polar Regions Department.

Expedition Permit application form (ODT, 91 KB)

Expedition Permit application guidance notes (PDF, 1.18 MB, 16 pages)

If you plan to undertake more specialist activities in Antarctica (such as wildlife monitoring or scientific research) it is likely you will need a separate permit. For further information please contact the Polar Regions Department.

Specialist Permit application form (ODT, 74.5 KB)

Specialist Permit Application guidance notes (PDF, 1.14 MB, 12 pages)

Historic Site and Monument application form (ODT, 69.1 KB)

Once the expedition is complete, you will need to complete a Post Visit Report. Permit holders who are members of the International Association of Antarctic Tour Operators (IAATO) need only to provide the Polar Regions Department of the Post Visit Report prepared for IAATO.

Expedition, Vessel and/or Aircraft: post visit report (ODT, 58.6 KB)

Specialist Activities: post visit report (ODT, 54 KB)

How to contact the Polar Regions Department

Telephone: 020 7008 5000

Email: polarregions@fcdo.gov.uk

Address:

Publishing application details

Applicants should be aware that within 10 days from the Polar Regions Department confirming receipt of any permit applications, the FCDO will openly publish information relating to these applications on this website. This will include application type, applicant name, duration of visit, proposed itinerary and the contact details of the applicant.

Please also see our privacy notice

UK Antarctic enforcement policy and procedures

The FCDO is responsible for ensuring that the UK’s Antarctic legislation is fully complied with. See our UK Antarctic Enforcement Policy and Procedures page for further details.

Comprehensive Environmental Evaluations (CEEs) received for activity in Antarctica 2021 to 2022

No CEEs have currently been received. When received, we publish the name, company, purpose and location, and date received and CEE.

Initial Environmental Evaluations (IEEs) received for activity in Antarctica 2021 to 2022

Name	Company	Email address	Purpose and location	Date received and IEE
Eleni Antoniades Snell, Project Environmental Lead	White Desert Ltd	eleni@white-desert.com	White Desert IEE Update Report 2020	September 2020 - available at www.white-desert.com
Robert Dougall McCallum	EYOS	rob@eyos-expeditions.com	Helicopter Assisted Ski Touring	October 2021 - available at www.eyos-expeditions.com
Donald Lamont	Falkland Islands Maritime Heritage Trust	dlamont47@gmail.com	Expedition to search and survey the wreck of the Endurance	November 2021 - available at https://endurance22.org/

Applications received for expeditions from the 2021 to 2022 season

Permit applicant	Email address	Vessel/Aircraft name	Purpose and date of visit	Brief itinerary
Robert Dougall McCallum	rob@eyos-expeditions.com	La Datcha	Tourism 30 November 2021 to 27 February 2022	South Shetland Islands, Antarctic Peninsula
Robert Dougall McCallum	rob@eyos-expeditions.com	Nansen Explorer	Tourism 27 December 2021 to 09 January 2022	South Shetland Islands, Antarctic Peninsula
Robert Dougall McCallum	rob@eyos-expeditions.com	Moonshadow	Tourism 30 December 2021 to 28 January 2022	South Shetland Islands, Antarctic Peninsula
Robert Dougall McCallum	rob@eyos-expeditions.com	Legend	Tourism + Filming 21 November 2021 to 7 March 2022	South Shetland Islands, Antarctic Peninsula
Robert Dougall McCallum	rob@eyos-expeditions.com	NAIA	Tourism 21 December 2021 to 7 March 2022	South Shetland Islands, Antarctic Peninsula
Patrick Woodhead	patrick@white-desert.com		Tourism + Logistics 25 October 2021 to 24 October 2026	Dronning Maud Land
Erin McClymont	erin.mcclymont@durham.ac.uk		Scientific Research 10 December 2021 to 15 February 2022	Dronning Maud Land
Erin McClymont	erin.mcclymont@durham.ac.uk		Scientific Research 15 December 2021 to 01 March 2022	Dronning Maud Land
Lars Boehme	lb284@st-andrews.ac.uk		Scientific Research 5 January 2022 to 28 February 2022	Amundsen Sea
Julian Cope	jcope@tglobal.com	FWN Bonafide	Transport construction materials 15 December 2021 to 31 January 2022	Rothera
James Curtis Hayward	jamie.curtis-hayward@silverbackfilms.tv	Santa Maria Australis	Filming 7 February 2022 to 30 March 2022	Antarctic Peninsula
Alan Noake	alan.noake@kentscouts.org.uk	Bark Europa	Scientific Research 30 December 2021 to 20 January 2022	Scotia Sea
Camilla Nichol	camilla@ukaht.org		Heritage Conservation 1 November 2021 to 31 October 2026	Antarctic Peninsula
Anthony Pyper	anthony.pyper@plimsollproductions.com	Vinson of Antarctica	Filming 5 February 2022 to 4 March 2022	Gerlache Strait
Jane Francis	janefr@bas.ac.uk	RRS Sir David Attenborough	Scientific Research 15 December 2021 to 11 May 2022	South Shetland Islands, South Orkney Islands, Antarctic Peninsula
Orla Doherty	orla.doherty@bbc.co.uk		Filming 8 November 2021 to 4 December 2021	Lake Untersee
Jane Younger	jly26@bath.ac.uk	Vinson of Antarctica	Science Research 9 January 2022 to 25 January 2022	Antarctic Peninsula
Paul Hart	hartandmind@gmail.com	SeaVenture	Commemoration Expedition 15 December 2021 to 27 January 2022	South Shetland Islands, South Orkney Islands, Antarctic Peninsula
Tom Hart	tom.hart@zoo.ox.ac.uk		Scientific Research 9 December 2021 to 5 March 2022	South Shetland Islands, Weddell Sea, Antarctica Peninsula
Emil Grimsson	emil@arctictrucks.is		Tourism 10 November 2021 to 1 February 2022	Union Glacier, South Pole, Ronne Ice Shelf, Ross Ice Shelf
Ella Potts	epotts@wildspaceproductions.co.uk	FV Argos Georgia	Commercial Filming 20 November 2021 to 1 March 2022	Ross Sea, Amundsen Sea
Simon Morley	smor@bas.ac.uk	via BAS vessel/aircraft	Scientific Research 15 October 2021 to 14 October 2022	Rothera, Antarctic Peninsula
Pete Convey	pcon@bas.ac.uk	via BAS vessel/aircraft	Scientific Research 1 November 2021 to 31 March 2022	Signy Island, South Orkneys
Katrin Linse	kl@bas.ac.uk	via BAS vessel/aircraft	Scientific Research 30 October 2021 to 1 April 2022	Signy Island, South Orkneys
Mike Dunn	mdunn@bas.ac.uk	via BAS vessel/aircraft	Scientific Research 1 November 2021 to 15 April 2022	Signy Island, South Orkneys
Kevin Hughes	kehu@bas.ac.uk	via BAS vessel/aircraft	Scientific Research 15 November 2021 to 30 April 2022	Rothera, Antarctic Peninsula
Kevin Hughes	kehu@bas.ac.uk	via BAS vessel/aircraft	Scientific Research 15 November 2021 to 30 May 2022	Antarctic Peninsula, South Orkneys, South Shetland Islands
Pete Convey	pcon@bas.ac.uk	via BAS vessel/aircraft	Scientific Research 1 January to 31 March 2022	Sky Blu Nunataks, Antarctic Peninsula
Yoland Bosiger	yoland.bosiger@bbc.co.uk		Filming 10 November 2021 to 20 January 2022	Atka Bay
Jerome Poncet	Golden.fleece@horizon.co.fk	Golden Fleece	Tourism 12 February to 20 March 2022	Antarctic Peninsula
Lucy Meadows	lucy.meadows@plimsollproductions.com	Australis	Commercial Filming 13 February to 19 March 2022	Antarctic Peninsula
Bertie Gregory	bertiegregory@live.co.uk	Australis	Commercial Filming 28 December 2021 to 9 February 2022	South Shetlands, Antarctica Peninsula
Skip Novak	skipnovak@pelagic.co.uk	Vinson of Antarctica	Commercial Filming and Scientific Research 13 January to 5 March 2022	South Shetlands, Antarctic Peninsula
Louis Cooper Robinson	lcooper@wildspaceproductions.co.uk	MY Arctic Sunrise	Commercial Filming 18 January to 7 February 2022	Antarctic Peninsula
Donald Lamont	dlamont47@gmail.com	S.A. Agulhas II	Expedition to find the wreck of the Endurance 5 February to 20 March 2022	Weddell Sea
Robert Dougall McCallum	rob@eyos-expeditions.com	Nansen Explorer	Tourism + Commercial Filming 1 February 2022 to 28 February 2022	South Shetland Islands, Antarctic Peninsula