Prior Travel Packet (update to be posted soon): DPMI.Rwanda2016
Travel Registration and Waiver Due Dates
December 1st: all participants must complete a MIIS online Travel Form. This form includes a liability waiver and automatically adds you to the Global Rescue security and natural disaster evacuation plan for Middlebury.
In the event of an emergency, all MIIS students are provided security evacuation and medical consultation services through Global Rescue. In case of emergency, contact Carolyn Meyer at 831-521-8566 or Global Rescue directly at 1-617-459-4200 (or operations@globalrescue.com).
December 15th: DPMI Rwanda participants from outside of East Africa should complete this pre-departure packet. You do not need to submit a copy to DPMI.
Required Travel Documents (have copies of each):
Passport – must have at least six months validity remaining at the time of arrival in Rwanda
Proof of Yellow Fever vaccination http://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/destinations/clinician/none/rwanda
Second form of ID is recommended
Vaccinations
The CDC requires the following vaccinations before travel to Rwanda (including Yellow Fever 30 days in advance of arrival)
Vaccination options include visiting a travel doctor in your area (Monterey: Dover Travel Clinic or Ryan Ranch) or using an online travel doctor through Safeway’s Pharmacy Travel Doctor program (usually the cheapest option).
Visas
US Citizens: All U.S. citizens visiting Rwanda must obtain a visa upon entry. Tourist visas, valid for 30 days, are available for purchase for $30 USD at Rwandan land borders and at Kigali International Airport. Acceptable forms of payment are U.S. dollars (printed during or after 2006), Rwandan francs, or Visa or MasterCard credit cards. We strongly recommend that you travel with U.S. dollars to pay for the visa fee in the case that credit card machines are not functional at the time of your arrival. To extend your tourist visa, you will need to visit the Rwandan Directorate General of Immigration and Emigration, located near the U.S. Embassy in Kigali. View visa information for US citizens.
Other Nationalities: Participants should research which visa type is needed based on his or her nationality. If you must apply for a visa in advance, please contact Carolyn Meyer at cmeyer@miis.edu. She will introduce you by email to our contact at PIH in Rwanda who will send the visa invitation letter.
Proof of Medical Evacuation Plan and Coverage Abroad*
*only necessary for those not on the MIIS student medical insurance:
1.) If you are not on the MIIS student health insurance plan, you must confirm that your medical insurance policy covers you abroad and that it includes at least 500,000 USD in medical emergency evacuation coverage and 100,000 in repatriation insurance.
2.) World Nomads, AON, are just a few international medical insurance and medical evacuation plans that have offered rates as low as $40 USD per month. You can view a longer list of providers NAFSA-affiliated providers here.
Travel Insurance
Travel insurance in the case of cancelled flights or illness is not required, but highly recommended.
Students should be advised to secure Trip Cancellation Insurance – in case the security situation changes as the time gets nearer. This is a strong recommendation; it is not a requirement. “Cancel for any reason” trip insurance would cover students in the event that between the time they’ve purchased their ticket and the start of the program, Middlebury decided that it had to suspend the program because of student safety concerns. Without insurance, students would lose the cost of your ticket. With this insurance, students could recover this cost.
There are many insurers, airlines, and/or ticketing agencies who offer this type of protection. In most cases this insurance needs to be purchased at the time the ticket is purchased or within 14 days of purchasing the ticket. It is important that the policy will allow you to “cancel for any reason”. Students should purchase this insurance for one day only – the day of departure. It’s not necessary to purchase coverage for several months, since the purpose of this is to insure the ticket in the event that the program is suspended. One agency that Middlebury has worked with in the past is TravelInsured.com. The cost for a policy with them in 2014-2015 for an itinerary that cost between $1,000 and $1,500 was just under $100.
