Get tested 

Please ensure you are tested for COVID-19 at least 72 hours prior to travelling to your GVI program location. If this is not possible from your location please contact your enrollment manager. Vaccinated individuals can carry and transmit COVID-19 and we will continue to screen new arrivals for any signs and symptoms. Mask-wearing and social distancing will be enforced while you are indoors. 

In preparation for your return journey, we will help you reach a COVID-19 testing centre 72 hours prior to departure back to your home country. We handle all the logistics involved, including transport, cost, and accommodation (if needed). 

Buy travel insurance 

Please purchase travel insurance to cover all eventualities that may arise during your time with us. We have a partnership with CISI insurance, which offers coverage for any medical treatment necessary while you are on location. Please contact your support coordinator for more information, or a quote. You may also wish to take out additional cancellation insurance in the event you are unable to travel. 

Contact your local embassy 

Prior to travel, please contact the local embassy of the country you will be travelling to for up-to-date travel information. Be aware that both traditional and social media are reporting vast amounts of misinformation, so it is vital that you follow only official advice supplied by an embassy or consulate.

Before you leave

GVI continues to closely monitor COVID-19 and how countries are responding to inbound and outbound travel within their borders. Your enrollment officer will provide you with up-to-date details on entry requirements.

While you’re travelling 

Our dedicated support staff are continually monitoring all government travel advice, and local government health advice from our operational locations. Our in-field staff will therefore be kept abreast of any updates that might affect you and your planned travel and will communicate these changes directly to you.

Please ensure you have the contact details of your home country’s embassy or consulate in your destination country, and register for updates where available.  

If you are a US citizen, you can enrol in the smart traveller enrollment program. 

The UK’s red list

There are currently no red list restrictions in place for travel to England. Please refer to this website for more information.

We are thrilled to be hosting you on base again, and passionate and experienced in providing extensive support throughout your journey, ensuring the highest safety standards possible, including COVID-19 protocols like social distancing, pre-arrival and pre-departure testing, and wearing masks. 

We have worked hard to create a safe environment for our participants while still preserving all the elements that make GVI programs enjoyable and memorable. 

Health and hygiene packs

We provide personal cloth face coverings, soap and hand sanitizer upon arrival. These items are subject to availability and might differ slightly depending on your location.

Pre-departure testing

In preparation for your return journey, GVI will help you reach a COVID-19 testing centre 72 hours prior to departure back to your home country. We handle all the logistics involved, including transport, cost, and accommodation (if needed). 

In the event we are unable to run your program, you will be notified as soon as possible by phone or email and offered a free transfer to another start date or destination. 

Please refer to our terms and conditions for our cancellation policies.

In the event your flight is cancelled, and you are unable to get a new flight to your destination country, we will help you transfer you to another date or location free of charge.

In the event you are advised to quarantine upon arrival, contact the GVI program manager in your location or the GVI 24-hour emergency line. We will advise you on where to quarantine and provide any needed logistical support.

Subject to availability, we will do everything we can to transfer you to a new start date which allows for full participation in your program.

We are continually monitoring travel restrictions both into and out of the countries where we operate. Should you be prohibited from leaving by the local government while on a project, we will continue to provide food, accommodation and backup programs (where possible).

We will assist with food and accommodation in the event you are unable to get home due to flight cancellations or other restrictions.

GVI has an emergency action plan and a dedicated health and hygiene team for each of our locations to handle any suspected instances of COVID-19.

Alongside advice from the CDC, the WHO, the UK, US and Australian governments, and local health authorities, we have identified best practice methods to reduce the chance of infection and transmission, including screening, preventative hygiene and sanitation procedures and initial isolation areas for any cases of potential concern on all our bases. 

For more information on the protocols and social distancing measures we have put in place, please visit our health and hygiene page.

For cases where a patient shows specific symptoms of COVID-19 while in temporary isolation, GVI will contact the local health authorities and act on their advice. Should a patient test positive for COVID-19 and/or need continued self-isolation, they will be placed on a separate part of the base or off-site, depending on the specific location. 

In the event that you need to isolate, we  will assign a dedicated caregiver who will ensure you have everything you need during this period, including food, accommodation and emotional support. 

To prevent the transmission of the virus to other participants, a number of procedures will be put in place in addition to isolation, including protective clothing and best practice hygiene and sanitation of the base and isolated accommodation. 

Please ensure your travel insurance covers any necessary medical care you may need while in another country.