There are several scenarios of participant travel that could be deemed either as AFS-sanctioned travel (no waiver required) or as needing a travel waiver. To determine whether the proposed travel is AFS sanctioned or requires a waiver, please review the following guidelines and the table below, which outlines the most common situations and what is required. If travel falls outside of the scenarios listed below, please visit the Team widget in your MyAFS Volunteer Portal to find your team's Travel & Logistics staff person, pictured at the bottom of this page.
In all scenarios listed below (even AFS-sanctioned travel), minimum travel criteria listed under Guidelines for On-Program Travel need to be met before the trip can be considered.
Team Approval Procedures for AFS-SANCTIONED TRAVEL
- Travel waiver is not required
- AFS volunteer working with the participant must verify minimum criteria for a trip are met, check with local support coordinator, and give approval of the trip. We request that local AFS volunteers also obtain exact destination, details, and contact information while families and students will be travelling.
- If all miminum criteria and local approval are met, AFS-USA staff need not be notified, because a travel waiver would not be required.
Examples of AFS-Sanctioned Travel
Formal permission from AFS-USA and a signed travel waiver from sending parent/guardian are NOT required for the following types of trips:
- Trips organized by the AFS participant’s host school (i.e. sports events, field trips, school excursions etc.) with school-sponsored chaperones
- AFS-organized trips (Belo Tour is not an AFS-organized trip)
- Travel with an AFS volunteer who is at least 25 years of age within local AFS team
- Travel with an AFS volunteer 21-24 years of age with team approval within local AFS team
- Travel with a host family member who is at least 25 years of age
- Travel with a host family member 21- 24 years of age with team approval
- Domestic travel with another AFS host family, sending family, or AFS volunteer
- Domestic independent travel within 120 miles of host community to travel with an AFS host family, sending family member, or AFS volunteer
Travel Waiver Required or Not?
| Situation | Travel Waiver Required? | Maximum Length | School Absence Permitted? | Additional Restrictions/Conditions | |
| 1 | Spending the night with a local friend of the student or host family within the host community | No | 4 nights | No |
If the stay exceeds 4 nights (Prudent Parent Stay) the family will need to complete the host family screening process. |
| 2 | Travel with host parents or host family household member who is at least 25 years of age (21-24 with AFS Support Coordinator permission) | No | Subject to school guidelines | Yes, as long as it complies with school guidelines and visa requirements | None |
| 3 | Domestic Travel with AFS volunteer who is at least 25 years of age and is part of a local team (21-24 with AFS Support Coordinator permission) | No | Subject to school guidelines | Yes, as long as it complies with school guidelines and visa requirements | None |
| 4 | Required/official school trip (required as condition of being in a school group such as choir or band and with school chaperones) | No | Subject to school guidelines | Yes, as long as it complies with school guidelines and visa requirements | None |
| 5 | Optional school trip (organized by someone at school such as a teacher but not an official or required trip, such as a senior trip) | No | Subject to school guidelines | Yes, as long as it complies with school guidelines and visa requirements | None |
| 6 | Belo Tours (optional trip; not a required AFS program activity) | Yes | 14 days | Up to 5 days with school permission | Considered case-by-case for semester students before the last month of the program |
| 7 | Travel with organized group in host community such as church or scouts | Yes | 10 days | Up to 5 days with school permission | None |
| 8 | To visit, without a host parent, a host family relative, such as aunt or grandparent, who lives outside of the host community. | Yes | 10 days | Considered on a case-by-case basis | None |
| 9 | Friends from home country come to visit the student in the host community | No | 10 days | No | Permitted as long as student stays in host community. The student is not permitted to stay at hotel with the friends in host community. Must have been on program for 5 months or in last month of program (Semester students). Strongly recommend no visit prior to the last month of program. Friends should not plan to stay with the host family but rather are expected to arrange for their own place to stay. |
| 10 | Travel with sending family from home country | No | 10 days | Considered on a case-by-case basis | Reminder: All trips and visits with sending family must be approved by AFS. Student must have been on program for 5 months or in last month of program for semester students. Strongly recommend no visit prior to the last month of program. |
| 11 | Travel with friends (who are at least 25 years of age) from student's home country who are visiting the U.S. | Yes | 10 days | Considered on a case-by-case basis | Must have been on program for 5 months or in last month of program for semester students. Strongly recommend no visit prior to the last month of program |
| 12 | To visit friends over the age of 25 from student's home country who live in the U.S. | Yes | 10 days | Considered on a case-by-case basis | Must have been on program for 5 months or in last month of program for semester students. Any exception must be approved by AFS-USA staff |
| 13 | To visit the home of the host family of another AFSer who is hosted in the U.S. and the student is traveling alone to the host family home | Yes, if destination is farther than 120 miles outside of host community | 10 days | Considered on a case-by-case basis | Must have been on program for 5 months or in last month of program for semester students. |
| 14 | Domestic travel with another AFS registered host family, local registered volunteer (25+), or natural family | No | 10 days | Considered on a case-by-case basis | Must have been on program for 5 months or in last month of program for semester students. |
| 15 | Domestic travel with another AFS registered host family, local registered volunteer (25+), or natural family, and student is travelling alone to attend trip | Yes, if destination is farther than 120 miles outside of host community | 10 days | Considered on a case-by-case basis | Must have been on program for 5 months or in last month of program for semester students. |
| 16 | Day trip with a local friend of the student or host family to travel outside host community | No | Day trip only | Considered on a case-by-case basis | None |
| Other travel | Considered on a case-by-case basis | 10 days | Considered on a case-by-case basis | Considered on a case-by-case basis |
To request a Travel Waiver, visit the Team widget in your MyAFS Volunteer Portal to find your team's Travel & Logistics staff person, pictured below.
For a helpful resource on requesting an Independent Travel Waiver, please review this article: Independent Travel Waiver Request Procedures.
For a helpful resource on requesting a Parental Permission Form, please review this article: International Travel While Student is on Program: Request Procedures.