The short answer: citizens of the United States, the United Kingdom, the European Union, Canada and Australia can visit all nine countries of South America below without a visa, usually for up to 90 days. There is one exception: US, Canadian and Australian citizens need an e-visa for Brazil, which costs US$80.90. The table shows every country and passport, and each cell links to the official page we checked it on. Below it are the passport, form, fee and health rules for each country.
Last checked on 5 November 2026. Entry rules can change at short notice, so confirm them on the official page linked in each cell, and with your airline, before you travel.
Visa rules by passport
“No visa” means you get permission to stay at the border, free of charge, as a tourist. The officer decides the exact number of days, so check your entry record before you leave the airport. The European Union column applies to all 27 member states.
Rules that catch travellers on multi-country trips
- Brazil’s e-visa also covers Iguaçu Falls. US, Canadian and Australian citizens need it even for a half-day visit to the Brazilian side. Apply on the official site, brazil.vfsevisa.com, at least two weeks before you travel.
- Yellow fever follows your route. No country asks for a certificate from travellers arriving from home, but Paraguay asks for one if you arrive from Brazil, Bolivia or Peru, Colombia if you arrive from Brazil, and Bolivia for its lowlands east of the Andes. Ecuador no longer asks for one.
- Some places have their own entry rules. The Galápagos need a Transit Control Card, a park fee and health insurance; Easter Island needs an online entry form and allows 30 days at most.
- Keep your papers. Chile gives you a tourist card to hand in when you leave; Bolivia and Paraguay fine you on departure if your passport was not stamped on entry; Brazil can fine you if your passport was not stamped.
- Passport validity: six months beyond your arrival in each country meets every rule in this table. Renew earlier if your trip is long.
Country by country
Peru
| Passport | Valid for at least 6 months from the day you enter, with a blank page for the entry stamp. |
| On arrival | Arriving by air, your entry is recorded digitally instead of stamped; the officer sets your number of days, which you can check online. Arriving by land, make sure you get an entry stamp. |
| Fees | No visa or entry fee. |
| Yellow fever | No certificate is required to enter. Vaccination is recommended for the Amazon, but not for Lima, Cusco or Machu Picchu. |
| Good to know | Officers may ask for an onward ticket and where you are staying. Overstaying is fined per day. |
Sources: US State Department; GOV.UK; Spanish Embassy in Lima; Government of Canada; Smartraveller.
Bolivia
| Passport | Valid for at least 6 months from the day you arrive. The UK advises two blank pages. |
| On arrival | Get an entry stamp, or you will be fined when you leave. You may be asked for the address of your first night. Canada’s travel advice says to register online (SIGEMIG) with your accommodation before you arrive. |
| Fees | No visa fee. US citizens no longer pay for a visa: Supreme Decree 5497 of 1 December 2025 removed it. |
| Yellow fever | A certificate is required for the lowlands east of the Andes, below about 2,300 m, such as Santa Cruz, Beni and Pando. It is not needed for La Paz, Lake Titicaca or Uyuni. |
| Good to know | The stamp may give you 30 days; extensions up to 90 days a year are made at a migration office in Bolivia. |
Sources: US Embassy in Bolivia; GOV.UK; German Foreign Office; Government of Canada; Smartraveller.
Ecuador and the Galápagos
| Passport | At least 6 months of validity. The US and the UK count from your arrival; Canada counts from your departure, which is the safer rule. |
| Galápagos | Two payments on top of your trip: the Transit Control Card, US$20, bought at Quito or Guayaquil airport before the flight, and the national park entrance fee, US$200 for foreign adults and US$100 for children under 12, paid on arrival. Tourists can stay up to 60 days a year. Travel health insurance and a return flight to the mainland are required. |
| Fees | No visa fee. One 90-day extension can be paid for inside Ecuador. |
| Yellow fever | Not required. Ecuador asked for a certificate from travellers coming from Peru, Colombia, Bolivia or Brazil from 12 May 2025, but withdrew the rule on 27 August 2025; vaccination is now recommended instead. |
| Good to know | If you arrive overland from Colombia or Peru, you need a criminal record certificate covering the last five years, apostilled and in Spanish. You may be asked for an onward ticket. |
Sources: US State Department; GOV.UK; Irish Department of Foreign Affairs; Government of Canada; Smartraveller; Galápagos Government Council: Transit Control Card; Galápagos park entrance fee; Yellow fever rule withdrawn (Primicias, 27 Aug 2025).
Chile and Easter Island
| Passport | Valid for your whole stay, with a blank page for the stamp. |
| On arrival | You receive a tourist card: keep it and hand it in when you leave. Complete the customs and agriculture (SAG) declaration; you may be asked to show about US$46 a day for your stay. |
| Fees | No visa or reciprocity fee, for Australians too. One 90-day extension costs US$100, paid in Chile. |
| Easter Island | Fill in the free online entry form (FUI) before your flight; without it you cannot board. You can stay up to 30 days, with a return ticket and a booking at an authorised hotel. The Rapa Nui National Park ticket is separate. |
| Yellow fever | Not required and not recommended. |
Sources: US State Department; GOV.UK; Chilean consulates; Government of Canada; Sernatur; Easter Island entry form (ChileAtiende); Extension of stay (ChileAtiende).
Argentina
| Passport | Valid for your whole stay, with a blank page. |
| On arrival | Fingerprints and a photo are taken; passports are no longer stamped. You may be asked for an onward ticket and proof of funds. |
| Fees | No reciprocity fee: it was suspended for US citizens in 2016, Australians in 2017 and Canadians in 2018. A 90-day extension can be paid for in Argentina. |
| Health insurance | A 2025 decree (DNU 366/2025) makes health insurance a condition of entry once it is regulated, and Argentine consulates do not agree on whether it is enforced yet. Travel with insurance: public hospitals now charge non-residents outside emergencies. |
| Yellow fever | Not required to enter. Recommended for some northern areas, depending on your route. |
Sources: US State Department; GOV.UK; Argentine Migration Office; Government of Canada; Argentine Migration Office; Decree DNU 366/2025.
Brazil
| E-visa | Required since 10 April 2025 for US, Canadian and Australian citizens, also for a half-day visit to the Brazilian side of Iguaçu Falls. Apply on the official site, brazil.vfsevisa.com, at least two weeks ahead: processing takes about 10 working days. It allows stays of up to 90 days a year. |
| Passport | Rules differ by source, so travel with at least 6 months of validity and two blank pages. |
| On arrival | Make sure your passport is stamped on entry, or you may be fined when you leave. |
| Fees | The e-visa costs US$80.90. There is no fee for British and EU citizens. |
| Yellow fever | Not required to enter Brazil, but vaccination is recommended for parts of the country. Paraguay and Colombia may ask for a certificate if you arrive from Brazil. |
Sources: Consulate of Brazil in Miami; GOV.UK; Consulate of Brazil in Munich; Government of Canada; Consulate of Brazil in Sydney; Brazil e-visa for US, Canadian and Australian citizens (Consulate of Brazil in Hartford, updated 12 Sep 2026).
Colombia
| Passport | Valid for your whole stay, with a blank page; 6 months is recommended. |
| Online form | Fill in the free Check-MIG form between 72 hours and 1 hour before your flight. |
| Fees | Since 18 February 2026, Canadians pay an entry fee of COP 270,000, except under-14s, over-79s and travellers going only to San Andrés. Visitors to San Andrés buy a tourist card at the boarding gate. |
| Yellow fever | A certificate is required if you arrive from Brazil, Angola, the Democratic Republic of the Congo or Uganda, and for some national parks. |
| Good to know | Stays add up to 180 days per calendar year. You may be asked for an onward ticket. |
Sources: US State Department; GOV.UK; Colombian Foreign Ministry; Government of Canada; Smartraveller; Colombian fees resolution 599/2026.
Uruguay
| Passport | Valid for your whole stay; the US asks for 6 months beyond arrival. One blank page. |
| Fees | No visa fee. A 90-day extension is applied for in person in Uruguay, at least 15 days before your stay ends. |
| Yellow fever | Not required and not recommended. |
Sources: US State Department; GOV.UK; Uruguayan Ministry of the Interior; Government of Canada; Smartraveller.
Paraguay
| Passport | At least 6 months of validity; the US counts from arrival and Canada from departure. |
| On arrival | Get an entry stamp: without it you are fined when you leave. |
| Fees | No visa fee. The exemption for US, Canadian and Australian citizens is set by law until 13 August 2027. |
| Yellow fever | A certificate is required if you arrive from Brazil, Bolivia, Peru or Venezuela, which matters if you cross from Iguaçu. |
Sources: Paraguayan Migration Office; GOV.UK; Paraguayan Migration Office; Government of Canada; Smartraveller.
Frequently asked questions
Do US citizens need a visa for South America?
Only for Brazil, among the nine countries in this table: US citizens need an e-visa, US$80.90, applied for online before travel. Bolivia dropped its visa for US citizens on 1 December 2025, so Peru, Bolivia, Ecuador, Chile, Argentina, Colombia, Uruguay and Paraguay are all visa-free for tourist stays.
Do I need a Brazil e-visa just to see the Brazilian side of Iguazú Falls?
Yes, if you travel on a US, Canadian or Australian passport. Brazil’s e-visa is needed for any entry, even a half-day visit from Puerto Iguazú. British and EU citizens do not need a visa.
Do Australians need a visa for Chile?
No. Since 17 September 2025 Australians can visit Chile for up to 90 days without a visa and without the reciprocity fee they used to pay.
How long can I stay as a tourist?
Usually 90 days in each country. Bolivia may stamp 30 days for Canadians and Australians, extendable to 90 days a year; Peru allows up to 183 days a year in total; Colombia 180 days per calendar year; Ecuador 90 days in any 12 months.
Do I need a yellow fever certificate?
Not to arrive from home in any of these countries. You do need one for the Bolivian lowlands, to enter Paraguay from Brazil, Bolivia or Peru, and to enter Colombia from Brazil. Vaccination is recommended for the Amazon and some other areas, so ask a travel clinic.
Is travel insurance compulsory?
Health insurance is required for the Galápagos, and Argentina has a 2025 decree that will make it a condition of entry. It is not checked at most other borders, but we recommend it for every trip.
How we check these rules
We read each rule on an official page: the country’s own government, or the travel advice of the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia or an EU state. Where two official sources disagree, the table gives the stricter rule. Planning a journey with us? Ask our travel experts about the rules for your passport and your route.
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Wilfredo Zúñiga Huamanguillas
Anthropologist & Hospitality Professional | South America Travel ExpertAnthropologist, hospitality professional and South America travel expert with 11 years of experience in tourism, trained at the Universidad Nacional de San Antonio Abad del Cusco. Wilfredo writes about the people, traditions and landscapes of the continent, from the Andes and Machu Picchu to Patagonia, Brazil and the Amazon.
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