The COVID-19 pandemic is calling for an agile response to changed realities. AFS is well-prepared to run study abroad programs with a robust risk management and support system in place, and we are fortunate to have already laid the groundwork for transformative change well before COVID-19.

2020 AFS Study Abroad Programs Start

AFS programs will run in countries where health and safety conditions allow, and student visas are possible. We observe the continually changing situation on a daily basis and are in very close contact with our member organizations.

AFS exchange programs are currently running or about to begin in the following countries, with more destinations regularly added to this list:

Austria, Belgium, Canada, Chile, Czech Republic, Denmark, Ecuador, Egypt, Finland, France (certain regions only), Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, India, Ireland, Italy, Japan (Asia Kakehashi program only), Latvia, Netherlands, Norway, Peru, Poland, Portugal, Serbia, Slovakia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Tunisia, Turkey, Uruguay, and the USA (certain states only).

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How AFS Keeps Our Participants Safe

As a global network of organizations, AFS is actively re-assessing conditions for study abroad programs on a country-by-country basis. The safety and well-being of our participants remain our number one priority. We are closely monitoring health and travel recommendations from authorities, as well as receiving information from our robust, on-the-ground volunteer network. We pledge to be nimble and responsive to circumstances as they change.

Some countries may require a later program start date than originally planned. Moreover, either because of safety restrictions or a lingering economic impact, we may not be able to run our programs in all countries. If planned abroad experiences must change, we will let our participants know as soon as we are able. We will do all we can to offer alternative destinations and programs.

What if the Covid-19 situation gets worse during my exchange?

Participant safety and well-being remain our number one priority. As a global network of organizations, AFS is actively re-assessing the conditions on a country-by-country basis, and will continue to do so throughout the duration of the program. We will determine how well AFS can continue to support participants on the program in case of another outbreak, and assess if the program can continue in the best interest of the participants’ safety.

When will my exchange program start?

What criteria is AFS using to make sure that a country is ready to host students again?

Participant safety and well-being remain our number one priority. As an international network of organizations, AFS is actively re-assessing the conditions on a country-by-country basis. Our global risk management team has established a robust checklist of criteria to clear a country to host and/or send students again. No AFS partner in any country will be able to host students, or send students abroad, unless they meet 100% of the criteria. The criteria include country-specific information related to the current state of the outbreak in each country, government and medical capabilities for dealing with it, immigration and airline restrictions, schools, social/daily life implications, host family capacity, and partner support capabilities among others.

What happens if I get sick while I am on the exchange program?

What happens if someone in my host family gets sick while I am on program?

I am very nervous about the risk involved with studying abroad. I am just not convinced it is safe.

Your concerns are completely valid. Please know that AFS has more than 70 years of experience worldwide in operating study abroad programs, as well as a network of experienced professionals in risk management who have successfully guided our participants through various challenges (including evacuating participants from Japan following the 2011 earthquake, from Venezuela and Egypt during political crises, and managing epidemics like H1N1 and SARS, to name a few examples). During the current pandemic, we safely and rapidly evacuated almost 7,000 AFSers from 90+ countries. We cannot guarantee your safety at any time, but we take your safety as our top priority and have a robust system to monitor and support our participants.

Every young person who goes abroad with AFS has access to a robust support network, able to help young people, including:

Carefully screened host families who take care of our participants as if they were their own children;
A Network of volunteers in destination countries who provide local support during the stay of AFS participants;
A global team of trained and prepared risk management professionals who constantly monitors student well-being and safety.

Can I study abroad with AFS in 2021?

I have more questions. Who can I talk to?

AFS COVID-19 Response So Far

Early in March 2020, some 7,000 students had to end their AFS study abroad programs early due to the COVID-19 pandemic. AFS volunteers and staff around the world worked day and night to reunite participants with their families in their home countries and continued to provide all program support and services to those participants who remained under the care of host families before returning home. AFS rapidly reconfigured and deployed a virtual learning platform, based on our AFS Global Competence Certificate, to provide those thousands of young people with ongoing support, community and learning during the crisis.