Travel Approval Requirements

Inbound Travel Policy

This information was updated December 15, 2023 and is in effect for the current Rotary year.

Travel that requires one or more overnight stays with host parents, Rotarians or other approved (via D5470 Compliance Officer) responsible adults to visit relatives or friends, to take a vacation, or to travel for school, organizational, Rotary or community-sponsored functions is allowed with appropriate adult supervision. Note: School should not be in session (exceptions: school-approved absence or Rotary-sponsored trip).

 

Travel by a Rotary Youth Exchange student will only be permitted under the following general conditions:

 

Travel LESS than 24 hours duration, you need:

Inside Colorado & 100 miles within neighboring states: Host parent approval

Outside Colorado: Host parent approval, host club YEO and/or Counselor notified by email or text

NOTE: An overnight stay with a friend within your host community is also at the host family’s discretion.

Travel GREATER than 24 hours duration inside Colorado & 100 miles within neighboring states (including school activity trips), you need:

  • Host parent approval, host club YEO or Counselor notified via email or text

Travel GREATER than 24 hours outside our immediate area, but always within the USA:

ü  Student should generate an email with the following details at least one week prior to departure:

  • Where are you going?
  • What are the start and end dates of your trip?
  • Who are you going with? Indicate the name, address, telephone numbers and email address of the person(s) who will be traveling with you. Indicate your relationship to these people.  (NOTE: Adults you are traveling with may require vetting; Independent travel requirements are listed in the next section)
  • How are you getting there (auto, train, plane – provide itinerary)
  • What is the purpose of this trip (example: invited on family vacation, Rotarian wants to show me a different part of the country, etc.)

ü  The email should be sent to ALL of the following. At least one person from each category must APPROVE via email REPLY TO ALL

  • Host parents
  • Host club (YEO or Counselor)
  • District 5470 representative (Country Coordinator, Inbound Coordinator, Vice Chair, Chair)
  • Natural Parents

ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS for TRAVEL OUTSIDE THE USA (including MEXICO, CANADA, CARIBBEAN)

Travel outside the USA is allowed WITH adult supervision. Note that foreign students on a J-1 visa are NOT permitted to re-enter the USA after crossing a foreign border. To allow their re-entry, the following are required one month in advance of such travel:

  • Original DS2019 (AKA the document that allowed them to obtain their Visa) with SECOND SIGNATURE of our Department of State Responsible Officer (this will take two days each way, Express Mail)
  • Student and Rotary Country Coordinator must also confirm that a visa for the exchange student is not required for travel to the designated country.

INDEPENDENT TRAVEL

 “Independent travel” would occur if you are taking a car, bus, train, or plane alone or with your peers to a specific destination (or multiple destinations) within the USA for a specific purpose. Travel with natural parents, where the student and the parent travel outside the student’s host area, will also be considered independent travel. Travel requests to leave the host community to visit family, friends, or a former hosted student will be considered. Permission for an independent travel trip may be granted IF the overall performance of the student in school, with their host families, and their host club is excellent.

 You may be allowed one independent travel experience during your exchange not to exceed fourteen days. The fourteen days cannot be split into more than one trip, unless your parents are legally separated or divorced and both are planning separate visits, and then the total travel days may still not exceed fourteen days. Independent travel requests to travel either individually, or in a group, to a tourist destination with no natural family or Rotary-approved family at the other end will be denied.

Student should generate an email with the following details:

  • Where are you planning to go?
  • What are the start and end dates of your trip?
    • Who are you visiting? The email must indicate the name, address, telephone numbers and email address of the person(s) being visited and should also indicate any relationship to the student (i.e. aunt, uncle, brother, sister, family friend, etc.)
    • How are you getting there (auto, train, plane – provide itinerary)
    • What is the purpose of this trip (example: to see a relative or family friend who lives in the USA)

The email should be sent to ALL of the following. At least one person from each category must APPROVE via email REPLY TO ALL

  • Host parents
  • Host club (YEO or Counselor)
  • District 5470 representative (Country Coordinator, Inbound Coordinator, Vice Chair, Chair)
  • Natural Parents
    • Sponsor District Representative (Chair, Outbound Coordinator, Country Coordinator, etc.)
    • The person(s) the student intends to visit

 Travel will be permitted only by regularly scheduled commercial bus, train, or airlines. When the person “sending” the student should notify the “receiver” when student boards transportation. The “receiver” shall immediately call the person who sent the student off, and advise them that the student has in fact arrived safely and is now in their custody. This same communication must occur on the return trip also.

NOTICE: Independent travel is a privilege - not an entitlement - and may be suspended or revoked at any time for safety reasons. If all parties are not agreeable to the above terms and conditions, permission will not be granted for the trip. DO NOT PURCHASE ANY TICKETS UNTIL YOU HAVE PERMISSION FOR THE TRIP!!!

PARENTAL VISITS

Parents are not permitted to visit or travel with their students at any time before March. Visits during the exchange where the student travels in the U.S. with the parents will be considered as the student’s independent travel experience. Parents must have the permission of the host family, host club, and host district before making plans to visit. A request for parental visit will not be considered until January. Students are expected to depart directly from their arrival airport; any deviations must be requested and approved by the host Rotary club and district.  Please consider this before you make any plans. If the request to visit does not receive 100% approval from all involved, permission will NOT be granted. DO NOT PURCHASE ANY TICKETS UNTIL YOU HAVE PERMISSION FOR THE TRIP!!!

TOURS

District 5470 provides several activities throughout your stay in Colorado. Trips include an Inbound Orientation, District Conference, D5470 RYE Conference, winter event in the snowy mountains, Outbound Orientation, and final farewell in June. This is considerably more activity than is provided by many Rotary Districts.

We allow our inbound students to participate in specific group tours that are officially chaperoned by vetted Rotarians. Tour information is provided at Inbound Orientation. Trips with the student’s host family, Rotary club members, church or school are also permitted. Costs for these optional trips, including travel between the host community and the tour start/end points, are fully at the student’s expense.

Students who are active in their clubs, schools, and host families will have ample opportunity to travel through other group trips and family activities. The number of opportunities that will be available depends greatly on the student, and how they have presented themselves to the community.