FAQ

Our staff are all currently working from home and our phones are being diverted to our homes, so feel free to call us from Monday to Friday. You can call us on AUS 1300 857 805 or NZ 0800 453 614.

Alternatively, you can contact us by emailing reservations@sthamerica.com or by filling out our inquiry form on our web page.

COVID -19 PROTOCOL IN SOUTH AMERICA

For SATO, safety is paramount. For that reason, we have implemented safety protocols against Covid -19 that will keep our guests safe. We have also assured that our suppliers implement the strictest of safety protocols, regarding hygiene, cleaning, and maintenance so that they meet world standards.

Airports in South America have important safety protocols that align with other major airports around the world.

Latam have announced 6 flights ex SYDNEY from August 2022 and Qantas will recommence their services to Santiago from the end of October 2022.

Most countries in South America are open now to receiving tourists, under the following conditions.

PERU

Updated: 06/11/2022

Current state of the country:

State of emergency.

Vaccines:

Almost 90% of the population nationwide has been fully vaccinated with two doses. 63% has three doses.

Borders:

• Aerial and land borders are open for all passengers.

Entry requirements:
All travellers can enter the country following these requests:

• To enter Peru, foreign passengers over 12 years old must accredit a complete vaccination scheme following the regulations of their country of origin. Unvaccinated passengers can present a negative RT-PCR test taken no more than 48 hours before boarding the flight. Children under twelve years of age only need to be asymptomatic to board.
• Complete an affidavit available at https://djsaludviajero.minsa.gob.pe/dj-salud/  72 hours before boarding the flight.

IMPORTANT

The use of masks in open spaces is optional in five regions of Peru: Ica, Callao, Ancash, Lima Metropolitan Area, and Lima Province, for having vaccinated more than 80% of their population. In the rest of the country, it is still mandatory.

Domestic flights and interprovincial land transportation

All foreign passengers over 12 years of age must present their vaccination card before boarding, showing a full COVID-19 vaccination scheme. Passengers who do not fulfill these requirements will have to present a negative RT-PCR test result, issued no more than 48 hours prior to boarding.

Entrance to closed spaces*

To enter closed spaces (restaurants, stores, supermarkets, museums, cultural centres, among others), all passengers 18 years old and over must provide proof of having received a full COVID-19 vaccination scheme.  Only passengers residing in Peru and 40 years of age and older, must also show proof of having the booster dose if they are qualified to receive it. Non-resident visitors, no longer need to provide proof of booster dose. In this case, providing proof of vaccination is not substitutable by any tests.

The use of masks is mandatory to enter enclosed spaces nationwide.

*Closed spaces include shopping malls, department stores, general stores, and similar; stores supplying basic necessities, supermarkets, markets, warehouses, and pharmacies; restaurants; cinemas and performing arts; banks and other financial entities; temples and places of worship; libraries, museums, cultural centers, and art galleries; among others. 

BRAZIL

Updated: 04/07/2022

Current state of the country:

Brazil maintains protocols on arrival to travellers and keeps its borders open, no curfews. Universal Health System reports very low occupation by COVID cases currently and Covid numbers in general have been steadily declining 20% daily for over 60 days.

Vaccines:

Brazil has administered at least 418,081,276 doses of COVID vaccines so far. Assuming every person needs 2 doses, that’s enough to have vaccinated about 99% of the country’s population.

Borders:

The borders are open for international flights.

Entry requirements:

To enter Brazil, it will only be necessary to present the vaccination card certifying that the passenger has all the doses (2), issued at least 14 days before arrival in Brazil. It is not necessary to fill out the traveller’s health declaration (DSV) anymore.

Brazilians and foreigners who didn’t complete their immunization schedule must show a negative antigen or RT-PCR test performed one day before arrival.

Touristic services and attractions: 

The cities of Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo will require proof of vaccination against Covid-19 to enter their main tourist attractions, including museums, the Christ the Redeemer statue, and Sugarloaf Mountain. 

Domestic Air Service:

All domestic Airlines are working normally with biosecurity protocols. 

ARGENTINA

Updated: 04/24/2022

Current state of the country:

The use of a face mask is no longer mandatory while outdoors nor in closed areas, except for a few places that still require it such as theatres or shopping malls.

Vaccines:

To date, Argentina had applied over 98,000,000 doses. More than 37 million people have already received two doses and about 17 million received booster doses.

Borders:

Argentina is open to all tourists.

Entry requirements:

• An affidavit
• Health insurance with COVID-19 coverage

Touristic services and attractions:

Operating with their respective protocols.

Up-to-date information on the vaccination plan: https://www.argentina.gob.ar/coronavirus/vacuna/aplicadas

Official information on the entry requirements: https://visitargentina.site/en/si-abrimos-la-fronteras-a-todo-el-mundo/

ECUADOR

Updated: 06/28/2022

Current state of the country:

Ongoing vaccination campaign for the population.

Vaccines:

85% of the Galapagos Islands population have been fully vaccinated. Full doses applied in Ecuador: 80.3%.

Borders:

International flights resumed operations on June 15th, 2020. Land and sea borders are open.

Entry requirements to Quito and Guayaquil:

• All travellers over 3 years of age must present the vaccination certificate against COVID-19 completed at least 14 days before arrival or a negative test result performed up to 72 hours prior to boarding to Ecuador. Passengers under 3 years old will not present any of these requirements.
• Any person who enters mainland Ecuador by international flight must submit the Traveller’s Health Declaration (Health Record). It will be delivered by the airline and presented to the Ministry of Public Health’s staff at the point of entry into the country. If the platform is not available, passengers can present a printed copy.
• Ecuadorian passengers who were declared INADMITTED in other countries and who return to Ecuador, must not present the mentioned requirements. The Ministry of Public Health will carry out a rapid antigen test upon arrival in the country.

It is mandatory to wear a mask in some closed public spaces, as well as on flights and when traveling by vehicle. Requirements may vary by region and property, so follow your guide’s instructions.

Requirements to enter Galapagos:

• All travellers entering the Galapagos, over 3 years of age, must present a mandatory vaccination certificate with a QR code or COVID-19 vaccination card valid with at least 14 days of validity after completing the scheme, or the negative result of a qualitative RT-PCR test in real-time carried out up to 72 hours prior to boarding to the Galapagos province. Any passenger under 3 years of age will not present these requirements.
• In case of presenting symptoms related to COVID-19, the traveller will NOT be able to enter, it will be considered a suspicious case, therefore, it must be handled based on the protocols established by the National Health Authority and must return to continental Ecuador.
• Additionally, for national or foreign tourists’ entrance, authorities will request the traffic control card issued by the Government Council of the Special Regime of Galapagos. It eliminates the need of the safe pass (salvoconducto) issued by a tour operator or by an accommodation regulated by the Ministry of Tourism (except the safe pass for tour leader established in article 12 of the Tourist Guidance Regulations for the Special Regime of the Province of Galapagos).

Touristic services and attractions:

National Parks are open to the public, including Galapagos Islands, protected areas, archaeological sites, and zoos.

CHILE

Updated: 08/19/2022

Current state of the country:

The authorities updated the Protected Borders Plan, implementing a new scale of alerts that will determine what can be done in terms of international travel depending on the health situation. The new measure consists of 3 alert levels: Alert 1, Alert 2, Alert 3.

Depending on the alert phase in which the country is, the entry requirements may change.

As of Thursday, April 14, all of Chile will be in the Level 1 Alert phase.

Vaccines:

95.08% of the vaccinated population in Chile. The percentage corresponds to people vaccinated with the first and second doses.

Source: Ministry of Health.

Borders:

• Air borders
  The entry of non-resident foreigners may be made exclusively by air through the Arturo Merino Benítez Airport in Santiago de Chile, in addition to the Iquique, Antofagasta, and Punta Arenas airports.
• Land borders
  Authorized land border crossings are: Paso Futaleufú (Los Lagos); Huemeles Pass (Aysén), Jeinimeni Pass (Aysén), Austral Integration Pass (Magallanes, Los Libertadores (Valparaíso), also: Peru, Bolivia and Argentina boRder crossings are open as well.

Entry requirements:

As of September 1st, you will have to present the vaccination certificate issued in your country when boarding to Chile.

• The vaccination certificate -together with your identity document- will be valid as a Mobility Pass, so you can enter hotels, restaurants or take flights within Chile.
• We have improved our border control processes to make them more expeditious, so it will no longer be necessary to fill out the C19 Declaration.
• Those who do not have their vaccinations must present a negative result in a PCR test dated less than 48 hours from departure, to enter Chile.
• As of September 1st, minors under 18 years old will not be subject to any requirements to enter Chile.

EASTER ISLAND:

As of August 04, Easter Island reopens its doors, and the requirements are:

• Negative PCR test result taken 24 hours before boarding. An antigen test from a health centre will be allowed in minors under 6 years old.
• Mobility Pass (complete vaccination scheme and vaccine standardization)
• Single Entry Form (FUI)
• Round-trip ticket
• Reservation at a tourist service registered in SERNATUR or invitation letter from the Provincial Delegation.
• 7-day health follow-up.

** Along with these requirements, passengers flying from abroad shall be tested with a mandatory antigen test upon their arrival on Rapa Nui.

Important notes:

• The use of a mask inside the National Park is mandatory (Regardless of whether it is outdoors, everyone must wear a mask).
• If a person presents a persistent positive result due to having been infected with Covid, two results shall be attached: a PCR or antigen test taken 24 hours before boarding, and a PCR taken more than 10 days before boarding and no older than one month.
• All travellers may be tested for Covid between the first and fifth day of arrival. If the passenger refuses or tests positive, this person shall conduct mandatory quarantine for the following 7 days.
• If a traveller is classified as close contact, the person shall carry out a 7-day quarantine from the last contact with the confirmed case.

Mobilization within the country:

As of April 14, 2022, the new Step-by-Step Plan comes into force. This plan consists of the creation of three phases in which the different communes throughout the national territory will advance or regress according to epidemiological criteria and its stages are Low Sanitary Impact, Medium Sanitary Impact, and High Sanitary Impact.

It is important to note that each of these phases has certain restrictions that the population must comply with, in one of the phases it is possible not to wear a mask.

In both Low and Medium health impacts, the use of the mask in outdoors is no longer mandatory. Check the conditions in the following link: https://www.gob.cl/coronavirus/

Touristic services and attractions:

Operating with their respective protocols.

BOLIVIA

Updated: 05/01/2022

Current state of the country:

Low risk

Vaccines:

Over 60% of people are vaccinated

Borders:

• Land and air borders are open. Passengers are allowed to enter Bolivia by complying with legal requirements.
• Local flights operate normally.

Entry requirements:

As of the date, travellers must have one of these three options:

• Complete the vaccination scheme against Covid19 (one or two doses) at least 14 days before arrival.
• PCR test with a negative result for those over 5 years of age:
  • Arrival by air: 72 hours before boarding in the country of origin
  • Arrival by land, lake, or river: 72 hours before entering the country
• Nasal antigen with a negative result for those older than 5 years:
  • Arrival by air: 48 hours before boarding in the country of origin
  • Arrival by land, lake or river: 48 hours before entering the country
• Comply with biosafety measures (facemask and hands disinfection or constant washing).

Touristic services:

All touristic services are operating under strict bio safety protocols. Safe destinations Uyuni and Lake Titicaca are operating normally.

Tourists attractions:

All attractions are open to the public are operating under strict bio safety protocols. Domestic tourism has also been active in the main destinations in the country, such as Uyuni and Lake Titicaca, where we haven’t had any inconveniences with the operation.

To put it simply, yes. While it is true that some places and situations are dangerous in South America, these are easily avoidable and can be minimised by diligently planning your trip and practising safety precautions. Checking websites such as smartraveller.com.au and talking with our friendly professional team can help guide you to having a safe and fun experience in South America.

You will be met by one of our English-speaking and friendly local representative in each city you arrive in as long as transfers are listed on your itinerary.

Spanish and Portuguese are the main languages spoken in South America, with some exceptions to Suriname (Dutch), French Guyana (French) and Guyana and Falkland Islands (English). Rest assured many of our local representatives are either English speaking or bilingual speakers to ensure smooth communication throughout your trip.

Each of the countries in South America has their own currency. Here are some of currencies, for a full list of currencies please visit websites such as www.xe.com

Argentina – Argentine Peso
Bolivia – Bolivian Boliviano
Brazil – Brazilian Real
Chile – Chilean Peso
Colombia – Colombian Peso
Ecuador – US Dollar
Peru – Peruvian Sol

South America has some of the world’s most spectacular sceneries and exciting attractions suited for all travellers. Of course there are world famous sites such as Machu Picchu, the Iguazu Falls, the Galapagos Islands, Patagonia, the Amazon – it is truly rich in culture and landscapes. Many of our itineraries encompass some of these natural as well as extensions options which you could add to our escorted tours.

We offer a variety of experiences all of which require different fitness levels from relaxing on the beach to trekking the jungles of the Amazon. As a standard, we advise that you be in good physical condition to get the most out of your tour. Get in touch with us if you any questions and we can talk through the physical expectations of your trip.

Absolutely, if there is a specific experience or destination in South or Central America you’d like to visit, get in touch with us and we will work on a tailored itinerary based on your interests and needs.

Absolutely, we specialise tailor made itineraries. Bring us your South America wish list and let our expertise and first hand experiences create the perfect itinerary. Our friendly team is here to help you every step of the way.

We understand that for a first time traveller into Latin America it can sometimes be daunting, that’s why we have a strong network of local representatives throughout South America. Our local guides are on hand to ensure you have a safe and fun experience and are the first direct contact should you any questions or need assistance during your trip.

South America is closer than ever with many flights departing from many major Australian/NZ cities. Where you land in South America depends on your chosen itinerary. Typically speaking, the main city you land in is Santiago in Chile. We also have access to internal flights so if you need to go between countries in South America we can easily organise those flights for you.

Absolutely, as a wholesaler we have access to a large range of discounted internal flights that will get you into the nooks and crannies of South America.

We strongly recommend that you consult with your medical practitioner and specialist travel doctor for information regarding:
• vaccinations
• travelling to high altitudes areas
• any pre-existing conditions that may impact you during your travel

For general advice please visit www.smartraveller.gov.au and your doctor for specific advice.

Altitude sickness occurs when your body hasn’t adjusted to the sudden increase in altitude and changes in air pressure. Altitude sickness can affect people differently so it is strongly recommended that you see your doctor before travelling with us.

Altitude sickness can happen to anyone of all fitness levels and are more likely to affect you in certain countries than others of South America. Generally speaking you are likely to experience altitude sickness in the following areas:

• Atacama Desert, Chile
• Ecuador – not Galapagos
• Machu Picchu, Colca Canyon and Lake Titicaca, Peru
• La Paz, Lake Titicaca and Uyuni, Bolivia

The best way to avoid getting altitude sickness is to gradually increase altitude during your travels. Here at the South America Tourism Office, we expertly create itineraries that follow this golden rule. For example, in our ‘Essence of South America’ tour, we have our clients stay in the lower altitudes of Sacred Valley for a couple of days before continuing to the higher altitudes in Cuzco.

A majority of countries in South America use the European style outlet. For information on the specific country you’re travelling to please visit www.electricaloutlet.info/latin-america-the-caribbean.html