Summary: Many countries such as Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and United Kingdom have laws which prevent their citizens from going to Antarctica without a permit. The claim that no permit is needed to go to Antarctica is false and used by globers to spread misinformation.
The Antarctic Treaty is the reason independent exploration of Antarctica is strictly forbidden, preventing us from reaching the Firmament or learning about the true nature of our Earth. Globers misunderstand this framework and assume that individuals are entirely free to travel there without oversight, but in practice each signatory country establishes its own permitting system to regulate expeditions. This can create confusion about where the restrictions originate and how they apply to citizens.
Globers will use deception and claim that the Antarctic Treaty itself doesn’t say anything about needing permits. This is technically true as the Treaty itself is part of international law binding member countries and has no legal jurisdiction over citizens of these countries. It is the responsibility of the member countries who signed this treaty to implement laws on their citizens preventing them from going to Antarctica without a permit. This is important to understand. For example as a Canadian citizen if I go to Antarctica without a permit, I go to jail under Canadian federal law. Not because of the Antarctic Treaty, but because of the Canadian Antarctic Environmental Protection Act.
Antarctic Specially Protected Area1
Even if you get a permit for tourism, which is generally issued out and not difficult to acquire, you are still strictly forbidden from going into the restricted areas. This is important to understand as globers will often mislead others and say that you can just get a permit and then explore. That is false as the permit only allows you to go into the approved areas and almost always under the constant supervision of the tour operator.
Antarctic Treaty 19592
“The Governments of Argentina, Australia, Belgium, Chile, the French Republic, Japan, New Zealand,
Norway, the Union of South Africa, the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, the United Kingdom of
Great Britain and Northern Ireland, and the United States of America:
Permit Requirements and Laws by Country
Canada – Antarctic Environmental Protection Act3
“Any visit conducted by Canadians in the Antarctic requires a permit. If you are traveling as part of an organized tour, the tour operator should obtain the required permissions.”
Australia – Antarctic Treaty (Environment Protection) Act 19804
“All activities in the Antarctic region must be granted environmental approval and authorization before commencing activities.”
New Zealand – The Antarctica (Environmental Protection) Act 19945
“The Act applies to all New Zealanders planning activities in Antarctica. The Minister of Foreign Affairs makes the final determination whether an activity may be carried out, and if it can, any directions or special conditions to be applied.”
United Kingdom6
“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).”
Footnotes
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antarctic_Specially_Protected_Area ↩︎
- https://documents.ats.aq/keydocs/vol_1/vol1_2_AT_Antarctic_Treaty_e.pdf ↩︎
- https://www.canada.ca/en/environment-climate-change/services/disposal-at-sea/antarctic-environmental-protection-act/permits.html ↩︎
- https://www.antarctica.gov.au/about-antarctica/environment/environmental-impact-assessment-approvals-and-permits/ ↩︎
- https://www.mfat.govt.nz/en/environment/antarctica-and-the-southern-ocean/travelling-to-antarctica/considering-planning-activities-in-antarctica ↩︎
- https://www.gov.uk/guidance/visits-to-antarctica-how-to-apply-for-a-permit ↩︎