Non-AT country citizen visiting Antarctica by non-AT country registred vessel (yacht) — do I need a permit and why?
My grandfather has been a yachtsman for more than half a century, he is now retired and now has everything he needs to fulfill his dream: sailing to Antarctica.
But he is a citizen of Moldova, which does not participate in the Antarctic Treaty System and never has. The flag country of the yacht is also Moldova. As such, Moldovan authorities do not require to get any permit to visit Antarctica on a yacht. Also, during the voyage there would be no citizens of any party to the Antarctic Treaty on the yacht. Only my grandfather and his friends, who are also citizens of Moldova.
The plan is to visit Marie Byrd Land on my yacht and the question is: Is any permit needed or some sort of visa to Antarctica? If yes, where can it be obtained and why would a non-AT country citizen need one?
Because, first, our government doesn't require anything for such a trip and regards Antarctica as a neutral zone. Moldova never participated in the Antarctic Treaty. Second, the official site of the Secreteriat of the Antarctic Treaty only mentions that AT-country citizens must get a permit. What about our situation? We are not planning to visit any antarctic research base or the like…
Addition #1. No, he didn't read Yacht World. Addition #2. Short-time disembarkation in MBL coast is planned, but mainly not leaving the yacht. Direct word: "Few hours land visits by tender few times, nothing more. For photography and happy smiles." Hope, you was rightfully understood by me, Gayot Fow.
Best Answer
I am not sure I understand whether your grandfather is supposed to get a permit, on what basis and what the practical consequences could be but he can in any case get a permit from the country of departure/last port of call before reaching Antarctica. So being a Moldovan citizen on a Moldovan vessel does not prevent you from applying for a permit.
I reckon your grandfather would probably prefer to spare himself the trouble because that's quite a lot of paperwork to do, especially in a foreign language, but if he needs a permit or decides to get one out of an abundance of caution, that's always a possibility. Depending on his plans, he could thus apply for a permit from Australia, Chile or Argentina.
I will try to add more details and sources for all that later but as an example, consider this guidance from the UK Foreign & Commonwealth Office:
Any person on a British expedition to Antarctica […] will need to apply for a permit to the Polar Regions Department of the Foreign & Commonwealth Office (FCO).
A British expedition is one organised in the UK, or one where the last place of departure for Antarctica is the UK, a British overseas territory, or a Crown Dependency.
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Can I go to Antarctica without permission?
As of 2020, there are 54 counties party to the treaty. Since no country owns Antarctica, no visa is required to travel there. If you are a citizen of a country that is a signatory of the Antarctic Treaty, you do need to get permission to travel to Antarctica. This is nearly always done through tour operators.Can I take my yacht to Antarctica?
You can get to Antarctica by boat or plane. Sailing the Drake Passage from the tip of South America to the Antarctic Peninsula takes 48 hours. Flying to Antarctica takes 2 hours. Approximately 54,000 visitors make the journey each year, with around 50 expedition vessels sailing Antarctic waters each season.How do you get permission to travel to Antarctica?
Visas. Since no country owns Antarctica, no visa is required. However, the countries that signed the Antarctic Treaty's Protocol on Environment Protection require that visitors from those countries (including the USA, Canada, EU and Australia) need permission. This is nearly always through tour operators.Do you have to have a passport to go to Antarctica?
Do I Need a Passport or Visa for Antarctica? To enter into Antarctica, a valid passport is required. It is also required for travel through the country or countries that you transit through en route to and from Antarctica.Sources: Stack Exchange - This article follows the attribution requirements of Stack Exchange and is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.
Images: Ethan Wilkinson, Alex Dugquem, Element5 Digital, Matt Barnard