AntarcticaLevel 2/4

Level 2/4 — Exercise Increased Caution, U.S. Department of State, retrieved on 1 November 2026.

• Is the whole country advised against? United States: no · France: no · United Kingdom: no · Switzerland: no (reading of 24 October 2026).
• Contractually, only an FDFA, FOPH or WHO advisory against the trip opens Module A (art. 18.1) — that is not the case today.
• International medical cover, 24/7 number saved, and a read of the areas named under Safety & risks before booking the itinerary.
• We check these sources every morning and e-mail you the day one changes (Alerts button).

Sourcestravel.state.gov · updated 22.09 · read 01.11France Diplomatie · updated 15.09 · read 31.10DFAE207-country comparison

An area advised against does not rule out the country.

• Official answers: United States: no · France: no · United Kingdom: no · Switzerland: no.
• Keep your country of residence's advisory on booking day and on departure day: that is what your policy's clauses cite.

SourcesFrance Diplomatie · updated 15.09 · read 31.10Foreign Office · updated 10.04 · read 31.10State Department · updated 22.09 · read 01.11

The rules depend on the passport, not on the destination alone.

• French passport (France Diplomatie): No passport or visa formalities are required for Antarctica itself, but check requirements for transit countries. It is strongly recommended to use a specialized tour operator that complies with international and national regulations. Ensure your chosen tour operator has an activity permit from an Antarctic Treaty Consultative Party.
• British passport (Foreign Office): British citizens must ensure their passport is valid for travel to Antarctica; renewal is required if it does not meet entry rules. Entry will be denied if a passport is invalid, reported lost, or stolen. A permit from the FCDO’s Polar Regions Department is mandatory for British expeditions or vessels/aircraft entering Antarctica.
• American passport: the requirements are on the State Department country page (travel.state.gov).
• Swiss passport: the FDFA refers you to the destination's embassy in Switzerland.
• Pick your passport at the top of Before you go › Entry: the official text that concerns you comes first, with its “In brief” summary.

SourcesFrance Diplomatie · updated 15.09 · read 31.10Foreign Office · updated 10.04 · read 31.10State Department · updated 22.09 · read 01.11

For a Schengen visa, yes: at least €30,000 of travel medical insurance (Regulation (EC) No 810/2009, art. 15).

• Many other countries ask for it on entry or for a visa, case by case: check Before you go › Entry, with your passport.
• Subscribe: the named certificate arrives by e-mail on payment, with your name, dates and limits (EUR 1.5M medical expenses, unlimited evacuation and repatriation) — the ones consulates check.
• Attach it to the visa file; if in doubt about the format, write to us.

SourcesRegulation (EC) 810/2009, art. 15General conditions, policy 20 00 479

VIP Pack — €990 for twelve months, unlimited trips.

• EUR 1.5M emergency medical expenses, unlimited medical evacuation and repatriation, search and rescue USD 50,000, cancellation or change USD 5,000.
• One 24/7 number, +41 22 ••• •• ••: Maximum sends its direct payment guarantee to the hospital (art. 2.12).
• Network of 45,000 providers (art. 6.9); evacuation is decided, organised and paid by Maximum's medical team if the local facility is not enough (art. 6.2.2).
• Named certificate by e-mail on payment, no medical questionnaire.

SourcesGeneral conditions, policy 20 00 479OpenStreetMap

Six steps, in this order.

• 1. Call +41 22 ••• •• •• before paying anything, or have the front desk call: it is the condition for full cover (otherwise: reduced or refused benefits).
• 2. Ask for a hospital in the Maximum network (art. 6.9).
• 3. See a doctor the same day and leave with the certificate: without an on-the-spot finding, nothing is covered (art. 33).
• 4. Admitted for more than 24 h? The front desk calls Maximum: direct payment guarantee, no deposit (art. 2.12).
• 5. Book no ambulance or flight yourself (art. 6.2.2).
• 6. Once home, file within 30 days (art. 35.7).

SourcesSpecial conditions 01.26General conditions, policy 20 00 479

Local numbers are under Before you go › On site.

• Maximum, 24/7, before any payment: +41 22 ••• •• ••.
• Save these numbers before leaving; in immediate danger, call local emergency services first, then Maximum.

SourcesEmergencyNumberAPI · Wikidata · read 22.10OpenStreetMap

At today's level 2/4, card by card:

• Amex Platinum — No area exclusion at this level — but three written limits: deductible and prior approval, 90-day cap, advance under conditions.
• Visa — No express area exclusion — but a €156,000 cap, 90 days, and the war/instability exclusion in the background.
• Mastercard — No exclusion in play at this level — but a €155,000 cap and 90 covered days.
• Three lines to read in your notice: the duration (often 90 days per trip), the settlement (reimbursement afterwards or direct payment of the hospital) and the area exclusion at level 4/4.

SourcesAmex Platinum France T&Cs, 01.2025 — general exclusion n° 11BNP Paribas Visa Infinite notice (policy PT7), 04.2025 — comFortuneo World Elite Mastercard notice, 01.2026 — art. 5.5 '

A health plan reimburses at home; here, the hospital asks for a payment guarantee before admission.

• Health plan — A health plan treats you at home. Here the hospital asks for a guarantee before admission — not a later reimbursement.
• Travel policy — No area exclusion at this level — compare cap, deductible and covered duration.
• A travel policy often has a territorial clause at level 4/4 and a 90-day limit per trip.
• Have your IPID number or the PDF of the terms and ask an expert to call you back: the answer is in the document, not in the brochure.

SourcesGeneral conditions, policy 20 00 479

The page reads hospitals, pharmacies and doctors from OpenStreetMap, around the point you choose.

• Type your city, hotel or beach: the map re-centres, 24/7 emergency rooms come first.
• Each row gives the phone when the source publishes it, the nearest street, directions and the Google Maps listing.
• The PDF briefing repeats the same places, numbered on a printable map.
• No customer reviews: OpenStreetMap has none, and we invent none.

SourcesOpenStreetMap (ODbL)

The sourced detail is under Medical network › Health: vaccines, diseases present, altitude, outbreaks.

• See a doctor or a travel clinic 8 weeks before departure (Foreign Office).
• Carry your medicines in their packaging, with a prescription using international non-proprietary names (France Diplomatie).

SourcesCDC Travelers' HealthFrance Diplomatie · updated 15.09 · read 31.10OMS · read 31.10Foreign Office · updated 10.04 · read 31.10

The compared figures are under Safety & risks › Health system.

• When the local facility is not enough, Maximum's medical team decides the evacuation to a suitable centre, and pays for it (art. 6.2.2).

SourcesWorld Bank · read 29.10General conditions, policy 20 00 479

Comparable figures (homicides, roads, incidents) are under Safety & risks › Incidents.

SourcesWorld Bank (UNODC, WHO) · read 29.10UCDP

Embassies and consulates are under Before you go › Contacts, sorted by passport.

• Register before leaving: France: Ariane · Switzerland: Travel Admin · United Kingdom: Foreign Office alerts · United States: STEP.
• Two minutes, and in a crisis your country's authorities can reach you and count you in an evacuation.
• Pick your passport at the top of Contacts: your embassy comes first.

SourcesOpenStreetMapDFAE

No region is advised against by the official readings checked (Global Affairs Canada, Foreign Office and France Diplomatie): the national advice applies everywhere.

• Maximum does not exclude these areas: the VIP Pack covers care and repatriation there (sanctions, embargoes and a country already at war at departure remain enforceable).

SourcesGlobal Affairs Canada · updated 14.10 · read 01.11Foreign Office · updated 10.04 · read 31.10France Diplomatie · updated 15.09 · read 31.10

Local laws apply to every traveller; here is what the official texts say.

• Canadian citizens must abide by local laws in Antarctica, which are regulated by the Antarctic Environmental Protection Act.
• Canadian activities in Antarctica are prohibited without a permit, including mineral resource activities, wildlife interference, and introducing non-indigenous species.
• Waste disposal and activities within specially protected areas in Antarctica are prohibited for Canadians without a permit.
• Visitors to the British Antarctic Territory must follow guidelines based on the Protocol on Environmental Protection to the Antarctic Treaty.
• Tour operators or scientific units must explain how they will adhere to visitor guidelines for the British Antarctic Territory.

SourcesGlobal Affairs Canada · updated 14.10 · read 01.11Foreign Office · updated 10.04 · read 31.10

Every foreign ministry runs a 24/7 emergency line for its nationals.

• France — Crisis and Support Centre — French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs: +33 1 53 59 11 00. 24/7 emergency line, standard rate. First contact abroad: the French embassy or consulate.
• Switzerland — FDFA Helpline: +41 58 465 33 33 · +41 800 24 7 365. 24/7, 365 days a year — helpline@eda.admin.ch. Beware of scam calls spoofing these numbers.
• United Kingdom — Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office: +44 20 7008 5000. 24 hours, for British nationals.
• United States — Overseas Citizens Services — U.S. Department of State: +1 202 501 4444 · +1 888 407 4747. From abroad; the second number from the U.S. and Canada.

Sourcesdiplomatie.gouv.fr · updated 15.09 · read 31.10eda.admin.ch

Keep the entry stamp, the invoices, the prescriptions and the medical report.

• File within 30 days (art. 35.7) from your client area, with the documents; the official forms are pre-filled.
• Costs advanced on site are reimbursed against receipts.
• Fever, persistent diarrhoea or a rash in the following weeks? See a doctor and say where you have been.

SourcesGeneral conditions, policy 20 00 479

Cancellation or change up to USD 20,000, special risk USD 5,000 per person, crisis management and security, optional Kidnap & Ransom.

• Special risk (Module A): political event, attack, epidemic, natural disaster — opens when the FDFA, the FOPH or WHO advise against the trip (art. 18.1).
• Epidemic: assistance must be requested within 7 days of the WHO or FDFA qualification (art. 36.2).
• Crisis management and security: trip registration, monitoring, extraction, evacuation in case of riot, war, terrorism or disaster; Kidnap & Ransom subject to eligibility (art. 18.4).
• €2,290 a year, unlimited trips.

SourcesGeneral conditions, policy 20 00 479