Tourist Visa Information

You should investigate what visas you need for your trip to South America at the earliest opportunity. It’s imperative that you check the entry requirements for all countries you are visiting based on the passport you hold. Don’t forget to consider any countries you are traveling through on the way to or from South America.

For example, if you’re traveling from Brazil to Colombia, make sure to check the tourist and visa requirements of Colombia in order for you to continue on your journey. Or, if your flight home connects through another country in South America, or outside of South America, make sure to check the visa and tourist requirements of that country.

Useful Websites for Tourist Visa Information

TravelDoc and IATA Travel Centre are useful websites for checking entry requirements. You should also contact your nearest consulate for the countries you’ll be visiting.

United States or Canada Tourist Visa Information

If you are transiting through the USA or Canada on the way to South America and are not a national of those countries you’ll need either a visa or electronic travel authorization at least 72 hours in advance – even if you are not leaving the airport.

• USA – Electronic System for Travel Authorization
• Canada – Electronic Travel Authorization

Some destinations in South America share borders. For example, the Iguazu Falls are on the border of Argentina and Brazil. If crossing from one side to the other you will pass through immigration and must meet all entry requirements.

For more information, visit our country-specific information pages.

Important Note: Please remember that we are not a visa service provider. All visa and passport requirements need to be made by the traveler themselves. However, we are happy to point you in the right direction to make sure you have all the visa and passport information you need to travel to South America.