Last Updated: June 30, 2022

We are so excited that you have chosen to spend your summer with AMIGOS! This page is dedicated to the most up-to-date travel procedures, including COVID-19 testing protocols for each project location. Information on this page is updated regularly. If you have any questions, please contact the On-Call Team at [email protected]. 

If you have any problems on your travel day, call the Travel Hotline at: (888) 264-4675 (888 AMIGOS-L). 

 

Procedures for Programs in Latin America 

What should I expect when traveling to my AMIGOS project in Latin America?  

These logistics can be found in the Travel Memo which you will receive along with your flight itinerary or by following the links by country on this page. They are also detailed below. 

Volunteers fly from their home airport to Houston or Miami, depending on the project, on their own. We strive to arrange group travel domestically so often they are on the same flight as other volunteers in the area, but this is not always the case.  

Once in Houston or Miami, volunteers connect with the rest of the group and proceed on the international leg of their trip. Upon arrival, volunteers should immediately walk to their international departure gate where they will find an AMIGOS staff member (wearing AMIGOS gear) and the rest of the group. The AMIGOS staff member will stay with the group at the airport until their international flight has taken off.  

Volunteers travel as a group on their international flights. Upon landing in their project destination, volunteers should proceed through customs and baggage claim and look for the Project Staff Team. At some airports due to COVID-19 protocols, only ticketed passengers are allowed entry to the terminal. In these cases, the Project Staff Team will be waiting outside of the doors nearest to customs/baggage claim. Their Project Staff Team will be at the airport ready to pick them up and travel to their briefing site. 

What should I expect when traveling home from my AMIGOS project in Latin America? 

Volunteers traveling home after their AMIGOS program will travel to their departing airport as a group, accompanied by Project Staff. The group will depart on their international flight to either Houston or Miami, and Project Staff will ensure they depart safely.  

Once volunteers land in Houston or Miami, they should deplane, proceed through customs, and head directly to the gate for their connecting flight. An AMIGOS staff member will be present at the airport to assist in making connections. They will generally wait to meet the group outside of customs. Layovers are often short, so volunteers should proceed rapidly to their next gate. Each volunteer will travel on their own connecting itinerary to their home airport, where a parent or guardian should plan to pick them up.  

If you have any problems on your travel day, call the Travel Hotline at: (888) 264-4675 (888 AMIGOS-L). 

 

RESOURCES BY LOCATION AND PROJECT 

Costa Rica 

Project Specific Pre-Departure Procedures 

  • Getting Your Flight Itinerary 
    • You will get your flight details no later than one week prior to departure. We book based on project start date so there is a possibility you will get it before then if our team is able to get to your project quicker than planned. In order for it then to be sent to you, you must have turned in all your paperwork and paid your airfare billing statement (National Chapter students only)
  • COVID-19 Testing Specifics
    • All volunteers are required to receive a nasal PCR or NAAT test no more than 3 calendar days prior to project departure. The test result must be emailed to [email protected] as soon as it becomes available. If On-Call has not received a result by the evening before your volunteer’s flight, we will call you to come up with a plan. Please note that On-Call’s number will show up without caller ID, so please do answer the phone. We have found that CVS and Walgreens results are having a longer than normal turnaround time, so please get tested ASAP within the 3 calendar day timeframe. Please note that AMIGOS will cancel your volunteer’s domestic departure if PCR or NAAT test results are not received at least one hour in advance.
      • If you have any difficulty obtaining a COVID-19 PCR test, please email [email protected] for further instruction.

Project Specific Travel Day Notes 

  • Paperwork to Print Out and Carry on Travel Day
    • Travel Memo 
    • Your Flight Itinerary 
    • Original result of negative COVID-19 test
    • Your original COVID-19 vaccination card as well as a copy of your COVID-19 vaccination card 
    • Original notarized travel forms:  
      • Under 18 Years Old: 
        • Power of Attorney and Parent Permission to Travel
        • Single Parent Affidavit (if applicable)
      • Over 18 Years Old:
        • Medical Power of Attorney
    • Local address for customs form and luggage tags 
      • This will be emailed to you by our Admission team one week prior to your departure. 

Quick Links 

Ecuador 

Project Specific Pre-Departure Procedures 

  • Getting Your Flight Itinerary 
    • You will get your flight details no later than one week prior to departure. We book based on project start date so there is a possibility you will get it before then if our team is able to get to your project quicker than planned. In order for it then to be sent to you, you must have turned in all your paperwork and paid your airfare billing statement (National Chapter students only).
  • COVID-19 Testing Specifics and Declaration of Health Document
    • All volunteers are required to receive a nasal PCR or NAAT test no more than 3 calendar days prior to project departure. The test result must be emailed to [email protected] as soon as it becomes available. If On-Call has not received a result by the evening before your volunteer’s flight, we will call you to come up with a plan. Please note that On-Call’s number will show up without caller ID, so please do answer the phone. We have found that CVS and Walgreens results are having a longer than normal turnaround time, so please get tested ASAP within the 3 calendar day timeframe. Please note that AMIGOS will cancel your volunteer’s domestic departure if PCR or NAAT test results are not received at least one hour in advance.
      • If you have any difficulty obtaining a COVID-19 PCR test, please email [email protected] for further instruction.
    • The Ecuadorian government requires travelers to present a declaration of traveler health in addition to the vaccination card and/or negative RT-PCR test.
      • Please print out and fill out the Traveler Health Declaration form.
        • Note: You may not be able to fill out all information. Please fill in what you are able to in advance. AMIGOS staff at the airport will assist volunteers in completing the rest of the information (for example, seat numbers).

Project Specific Travel Day Notes 

  • Paperwork to Print Out and Carry on Travel Day 
    • Travel Memo 
    • Your Flight Itinerary 
    • Original result of negative COVID-19 test 
    • Your original COVID-19 vaccination card as well as a copy of your COVID-19 vaccination card 
    • Original notarized travel forms:  
      • Under 18 Years Old: 
        • Power of Attorney and Parent Permission to Travel
        • Single Parent Affidavit (if applicable)
      • Over 18 Years Old:
        • Medical Power of Attorney
    • Local address for customs form and luggage tags 
      • This will be emailed to you by our Admission team one week prior to your departure. 
  • Layover in Quito (La Sierra Only)  
    • Volunteers on the La Sierra project have been booked on two itineraries – one to arrive in Quito, Ecuador and another to travel from Quito, Ecuador to Cuenca, Ecuador. This means that volunteers will have an additional layover in Quito. Once they arrive in Quito, volunteers should go through customs and pick up their bags from baggage claim. At baggage claim, an AMIGOS staff member will meet them and accompany the group during their layover, as well as on their flight to Cuenca. If students have any trouble in Quito before they are able to connect with the AMIGOS staff member, they can call the Travel Hotline at (888) 264-4675 (888 AMIGOS-L) OR +593 2-342-3263 (a local Ecuador number).  
    • This same process will be followed, but in reverse, for travel to return home from Cuenca.  

Quick Links 

Panama 

Project Specific Pre-Departure Procedures 

  • Getting Your Flight Itinerary 
    • You will get your flight details no later than one week prior to departure. We book based on project start date so there is a possibility you will get it before then if our team is able to get to your project quicker than planned. In order for it then to be sent to you, you must have turned in all your paperwork and paid your airfare billing statement (National Chapter students only).
  • COVID-19 Pre-Departure Testing Specifics and Declaration of Health
    • All volunteers are required to receive a nasal PCR or NAAT test no more than 3 calendar days prior to project departure. The test result must be emailed to [email protected] as soon as it becomes available. If On-Call has not received a result by the evening before your volunteer’s flight, we will call you to come up with a plan. Please note that On-Call’s number will show up without caller ID, so please do answer the phone. We have found that CVS and Walgreens results are having a longer than normal turnaround time, so please get tested ASAP within the 3 calendar day timeframe. Please note that AMIGOS will cancel your volunteer’s domestic departure if PCR or NAAT test results are not received at least one hour in advance.
      • If you have any difficulty obtaining a COVID-19 PCR test, please email [email protected] for further instruction.
    • The Panamanian government requires a sworn declaration of health along with the vaccination card. Please complete and print out the Sworn Declaration of Health form, which is also linked in the section below.
      • This form may be viewed and filled out in English by clicking the language toggle in the top right corner of the webpage – click on “EN.”
      • Refer to the “How-to Guide for Panama’s Health Declaration” for instructions.
      • For the “TEMPORARY ADDRESS (STAY ADDRESS)” section, enter:
        • Province: Panama
        • District: Panama City
        • Hosting Site: Hostal Casa 33
        • Hosting Site Address: Hostal Casa 33, C. 42 Este casa 33, Panama City
        • Telephone of Place of Lodging: +507 321 3904
      • Screenshot and print out the QR code that you are given at the end of this process.

Project Specific Travel Day Notes 

  • Paperwork to Print Out and Carry on Travel Day 
    • Travel Memo
    • Your Flight Itinerary (sent to you via email)
    • Original result of negative COVID-19 test (Bring the original; if results are digital, print them out and bring them and have them available on your phone)
    • Your original COVID-19 vaccination card as well as a copy of your COVID-19 vaccination card
    • Original notarized travel forms: (do not print out—bring the original)
      • Under 18 Years Old:
        • Power of Attorney and Parent Permission to Travel
        • Single Parent Affidavit (if applicable)
      • Over 18 Years Old:
        • Medical Power of Attorney
    • Sworn Declaration of Health
    • Local address for customs form and luggage tags
      • This will be emailed to you by our Admission team one week prior to your departure. 

Quick Links 

 

Nicaragua 

Project Specific Pre-Departure Procedures

  • Getting Your Flight Itinerary
    • You will get your flight details no later than one week prior to departure. We book based on project start date so there is a possibility you will get it before then if our team is able to get to your project quicker than planned. In order for it then to be sent to you, you must have turned in all your paperwork and paid your airfare billing statement (National Chapter students only).
  • COVID-19 Pre-Departure Testing Specifics
      • All volunteers are required to receive a nasal PCR or NAAT test no more than three (3) calendar days prior to project departure. In most cases, this requirement refers to no more than three (3) calendars days prior to your domestic flight to the hub city. The test result must be emailed to [email protected] as soon as it becomes available. If On-Call has not received a result by the evening before your volunteer’s flight, we will call you to come up with a plan. Please note that On-Call’s number will show up without caller ID, so please do answer the phone. We have found that CVS and Walgreens results are having a longer than normal turnaround time, so please get tested ASAP within the 3 calendar day timeframe. Please note that AMIGOS will cancel your volunteer’s domestic departure if PCR or NAAT test results are not received at least one hour in advance.
        • If you have any difficulty obtaining a COVID-19 PCR test, please email [email protected] for further instruction.

Project Specific Travel Day Notes

  • Paperwork to Print Out and Carry on Travel Day
    • Travel Memo  
    • Your Flight Itinerary (sent to you via email) 
    • Original result of negative COVID-19 test (Bring the original; if results are digital, print them out and bring them and have them available on your phone)
    • Your original COVID-19 vaccination card as well as a copy of your COVID-19 vaccination card 
    • Original notarized travel forms: (do not print out—bring the original)  
      • Under 18 Years Old:
        • Power of Attorney and Parent Permission to Travel 
        • Single Parent Affidavit (if applicable)
      • Over 18 Years Old: 
        • Medical Power of Attorney  
    • Local addresses for customs form and luggage tags
      • This will be emailed to you by our Admissions team one week prior to your departure.
  • Layover in Miami (all Nicaragua based projects)
    • Volunteers traveling to Nicaragua this summer with AMIGOS have been booked on two tickets. One ticket will accommodate travel from each volunteer’s home city to Miami, and a second ticket will provide transport from Miami to Managua. This is to ensure booking on Avianca, which is the preferred airline option flying into Managua.  
    • Because volunteers are flying two tickets, once they arrive in Miami, they will need to exit security all the way to baggage claim and collect their luggage. At baggage claim, an AMIGOS staff member (wearing AMIGOS gear) will be present to meet up with each volunteer and provide any support needed. At baggage claim, volunteers will be instructed by the AMIGOS staff member to collect their baggage, check-in for their next flight, and proceed back through security to their international departure gate.  
    • Once all volunteers have successfully re-entered the terminal, the AMIGOS staff member will join the group at the international departure gate and remain with the group until the flight has taken off. 
    • This procedure will also be followed in the reverse on return travel, and an AMIGOS staff member will be present at the airport. 

Quick Links