Antarctica Travel Insurance: Tips & Requirements for US Visitors

What to consider when taking a trip to Antarctica

Due to its isolated location and harsh natural environment, Antarctica is unlike any other travel destination. 

If you plan to visit, keep the following in mind.

Antarctica medical insurance is a legal requirement

According to the U.S. Department of State, Antarctica doesn’t have a single public hospital, so the only way to get medical treatment is to evacuate to Argentina, Australia or another country with modern health care facilities.

Medical evacuation is extremely expensive, so all tour operators require travelers to maintain Antarctica travel insurance. Your insurance plan must include emergency medical care and medical evacuation services. 

Trips to Antarctica are expensive

Because it’s so remote and is vulnerable to damage caused by human activity, Antarctica is one of the most expensive destinations in the world. Only certain companies are allowed to operate tours and this limited competition drives up prices and makes even a short expedition much more expensive than the average vacation. It’s important to have Antarctica travel insurance to protect your investment.

Traveling to Antarctica

Another factor to consider is that you can’t travel to Antarctica directly from the United States. Most tours depart from Ushuaia in southern Argentina. Several also leave from Punta Arenas in southern Chile.

Tours from Ushuaia leave via boat, while tours from Punta Arenas depart via flight. Therefore, it’s important to purchase a robust travel insurance policy instead of a bare-bones policy with limited coverage.

Antarctica cruises

In many cases, the best way to see Antarctica is to take a cruise. The best travel insurance for an Antarctica cruise includes higher limits for missed connections and medical emergencies. Cruise insurance may also protect you against unexpected delays and cancellations.

What Antarctica travel insurance coverage do I need?

A comprehensive travel insurance policy combines several types of coverage to give you the greatest amount of protection available.

Consider getting these types of coverage for your trip.

Emergency medical insurance

U.S. health insurance doesn’t cover medical expenses incurred in Antarctica. This includes Medicaid, Medicare and other government health insurance programs. Due to the lack of medical infrastructure in Antarctica, you should aim for at least $100,000 in emergency medical coverage.

Medical evacuation insurance

This is one of the most important components of an Antarctica travel insurance plan. Because Antarctica is extremely remote and has no medical infrastructure, it costs a significant amount of money to evacuate in the event of a medical emergency.

Aim for at least $250,000 worth of medical evacuation (medevac) coverage. Some policies include up to $1 million in medevac coverage.

Trip delay insurance

You can’t just get on a plane and land in Antarctica a few hours later. You may have to take multiple flights, board a cruise ship or hop on a boat to get to your destination. From your initial flight to South America to the 48-hour boat ride to Antarctica, trip delay insurance protects you in the event of an airline or boat delay.

Trip cancellation insurance

The Southern Ocean is known for its volatile weather conditions. It’s not unusual for tour operators to cancel with little notice due to inclement weather or other safety issues. Many tour operators also require nonrefundable deposits, making it even more important to protect your investment.

If you cancel for a covered reason, your insurance provider will reimburse your prepaid, nonrefundable costs. Covered reasons include sudden illness, the death of a travel companion and natural disasters.

Cancel-for-any-reason insurance

Cancel-for-any-reason coverage is more flexible than standard trip cancellation insurance. Many providers will reimburse up to 75% of your prepaid, nonrefundable trip costs, regardless of your reason for cancellation. 

Baggage insurance

If you’re visiting Antarctica, you can’t get away with a tiny suitcase filled with a few essentials. You’ll need a heavy jacket, thermal underwear, expedition gear and other items to protect your body from the elements. Many people also bring expensive camera equipment to capture the penguins, leopard seals and whales in all their glory.

Baggage insurance reimburses you for losses related to lost, stolen and damaged luggage. For example, if one of your bags goes missing between Argentina and Antarctica, your insurance provider may reimburse you accordingly. Note that this type of insurance usually has a limit of a few hundred to a few thousand dollars. Your insurer probably won’t reimburse you for $10,000 in specialized photography equipment, so pack accordingly.

Baggage delay insurance protects you in the event of unexpected delays. To qualify for reimbursement, you must be traveling via a common carrier. If you arrive before your baggage, your insurer may cover the cost of purchasing clothing, toiletries and other items to tide you over until your suitcase arrives.

Typically, a delay must last for several hours before your baggage delay insurance kicks in. For example, some insurers don’t reimburse travelers unless a delay lasts for at least 12 hours.

Adventure insurance

If trekking to an ice-covered continent doesn’t satisfy your appetite for adventure, you’re in luck. Antarctica offers plenty of opportunities for kayaking, skiing and sledding. If you plan to participate in an adventure activity, consider upgrading your Antarctica travel insurance policy to cover any resulting emergencies.

What isn’t covered by travel insurance for Antarctica?

Even the most comprehensive policies typically exclude the following.

• Foreseeable events: To qualify for coverage, an event must be unforeseeable. That means you don’t know about it ahead of time. Travel insurance doesn’t cover foreseeable events, which are events that a reasonable person traveling to your destination would know about. For example, if the Air Line Pilots Association announces a strike, you have reasonable knowledge that your flight is likely to be grounded.
• Natural disasters that occur before you purchase travel insurance: If an earthquake hits after you’ve already purchased a travel insurance policy, your insurer should reimburse you for your prepaid, nonrefundable expenses. If it hits before you purchase insurance, however, you won’t be covered.
• Preexisting medical conditions: A preexisting medical condition is a condition that you had before you purchased travel insurance. For example, if you’ve had diabetes for years, you have a preexisting condition. Travel insurance typically doesn’t cover any medical costs associated with these health issues. However, you may be able to purchase a preexisting condition waiver, giving you extra coverage during your trip.
• Normal pregnancy: If you’re pregnant on your trip, your insurance plan won’t cover routine obstetric care. Some insurers cover the cost of treating pregnancy-related complications, but it depends on the terms of your policy.
• Risky/illegal activities: Travel insurance doesn’t cover losses associated with criminal activity, alcohol consumption or the use of illicit substances. Standard plans also exclude adventure sports. If you plan to participate in adventure activities, consider purchasing an add-on. A travel insurance add-on augments the coverage bundled into your original policy.
• Claims without adequate documentation: If you can’t prove that you suffered a covered loss, your insurance company may deny your claim. Therefore, it’s important to keep receipts, medical records and other documents. For example, if you have a medical emergency requiring evacuation, you should keep copies of your medical bills.

How much does travel insurance for Antarctica cost?

Based on our sales data, visitors who purchased travel insurance through our website paid an average of $324 for a 17-day trip to Antarctica. Therefore, we can assume that a plan costs around $19 per day.

See Plans

To give you more insight into how much travel insurance costs for a trip to Antarctica, we got quotes from some of the top providers. All of our quotes follow the guidelines of having at least $100,000 in emergency medical and at least $250,000 in medical evacuation coverage.

We used these parameters for our quotes:

• Age: 50 years old
• State of residency: California
• Destination: Antarctica
• Trip Length: 14 days
• Time of trip: November 2024
• Trip cost: $8,000

In this first example below, we’ve displayed quotes for basic travel insurance coverage. These plans cost around $3 to $5 per day.

Example Where Plan Doesn’t Reimburse the Full Antarctica Trip Cost

This next example shows our quotes for more comprehensive travel insurance that include trip cancellation and interruption coverage. These plans range from around $26 to $58 per day.

Example Where Plan Does Reimburse the Full Antarctica Trip Cost

Factors that impact the cost include:

• Age. Older people have an increased risk of chronic health conditions. Therefore, it’s more expensive to insure an older person than it is to insure someone in their 20s or 30s.
• Trip length. Long trips cost more than short trips, so you need additional coverage to ensure you have the right amount of protection.
• Add-ons. If you purchase add-ons, your plan will cost more than a basic insurance plan.
• Number of travelers. It costs more to cover multiple people than it does to cover one person.
• Coverage limits. If you choose a plan with high coverage limits, you’ll pay more than someone who selected a plan with low limits. For example, it costs less to insure 75% of your trip than it does to insure 100% of your trip.

Tips for getting the best Antarctica travel insurance

Follow these tips to find the best travel insurance for Antarctica.