We have updated all of our health & safety protocols to follow local and global guidelines. We have co-created community guidelines, such as the wearing public masks in public spaces, frequent washing of hands, and practicing social distancing. We will also now require that prior to or at arrival, you present a negative PCR COVID-19 test taken within 72 hours of your flight to your Remote Year program.

In the interim, yes. We know there is the legal thing to do, which we will always do, such as following local guidelines. However, there’s also the right thing to do and we want to do our best to create the safest environment possible for our participants and the local communities that welcome us. Testing has become highly accessible and we believe it is a worthwhile to give our participants a safe and enjoyable experience from the start.

While we will do everything in our power to run a program as planned, we know that the global environment requires more flexibility than before. If we must cancel a program, we will try to notify you at least 30 days prior and will work with you to place you on another program or issue a refund.

If someone receives a positive PCR test prior to arrival, we will give them credit and work with them to place them on a future program. Everyone will have been tested prior to arrival, but we will also follow local and global guidelines to check temperatures or ask about symptoms on a health questionnaire. If someone still gets sick despite these precautions, we will immediately notify the community and offer access to a private quarantine option to isolate the individual from the rest of the group.

Yes, we believe this is necessary to protect each participant and, in some instances, is already required by some local governments. Health insurance coverage is readily available, affordable, and Remote Year can help connect you with options.

Yes, Remote Year will have testing options for those that need it. In some cases, such as our Retreats in Costa Rica, we will be able to facilitate an on-site doctor to offer COVID testing prior to departure.

Yes, before selecting a destination, we look at a variety of factors related to safety and security, as well as the experience we can deliver for our community. For our first Retreat program, for instance, we selected a secluded, private property on 65 acres of land that will be used exclusively for Remote Year. This will offer our participants easy access to beautiful nature, outdoors, fresh air, and open spaces, while limiting external interaction as needed.

We are working tirelessly to monitor and evolve our approach to COVID using the guidance of our safety and security partner, International SOS, the CDC, and the US State Department.