Travel
The Remote Year Participant Policies contain important information about participating in a Remote Year program. If you have not already reviewed them, please do so during your Onboarding period. Note that Section 2 applies specifically to travel policies.
Can Remote Year help with visas?
Consulting an immigration / visa legal professional or getting in touch with the relevant embassy is a reliable way to determine whether you need a visa to travel to the countries on your Remote Year itinerary. Each Remote is responsible for determining what, if any, visa is appropriate for them and securing their own visas for each destination on their itinerary, and due to the constantly evolving nature of visa / immigration regulations and the fact that our Remotes hold passports from many different countries, it is not possible for Remote Year to advise on the visa process. Remote Year will provide travel or accommodation documentation when it is necessary for Remotes to secure their visas.
The documents and websites we link to below should also not be considered as rendering immigration or visa advice, rather, they are just general resources that other people have found helpful. If necessary, we suggest that you consult an immigration/visa legal professional.
Department of State Travel Sites
Many countries have a department of state site that explains visa needs for passport holders of that particular country—some of these are linked below. For example, US passport holders can go to the US State Department’s travel site and choose a country, like Vietnam, and it will explain visa requirements.
Embassy Sites
Official government sites typically have resources and a point of contact for visas. For example, if a South African Remote needs a visa for Mexico, he could start with the Mexican Embassy to South Africa. Or, if an Indian Remote needs a visa for Croatia, she could start with the Croatian Embassy to India.
This site provides online visa services and U.S. passport solutions. Their homepage can be used as a starting point in helping to determine travel visa requirements. Note that this is not official government information.
This site features an interactive tool that collects, displays and ranks the passports of the world. You can filter for your passport and your Remote Year itinerary by going to Compare, select your passport country of issue in the first column, check the countries to which your Remote Year itinerary travels, then filter. Note that this is not official government information.
If I do need a visa, should I be traveling on a work or tourist visa?
We can't specifically advise one or the other because we aren't immigration advisors. We can tell you that most Remotes/Citizens have decided to go with tourist visas. The logic behind this is that they are "working while they travel" and not "traveling for work"—the same logic that allows you to bring your laptop on vacation.
Can I opt out of a month of my itinerary?
Yes. We need a formal notice of this at least 45 days prior to the month you will be opting out. With this notice timeline, your bill will be reduced to $1,000 for that month.
Please review the specific policies around opting out, which can be read in section 3.8 of the Payment Policies—these include the necessary timeline and required actions for opting out, the associated monthly fee reduction, services available to Remotes who have opted out and more.
How and when do we travel from one destination to the next?
Travel between cities on your Remote Year itinerary will be via plane or bus, whichever mode of transportation makes the most sense given the two locations. Your Remote Year transition travel will typically be scheduled for weekends—keep in mind this could mean anytime between Friday (late afternoon) through Sunday (evening) in the local time zones in which you’re traveling. As long as you’re traveling with your Remote Year community on your planned travel route, your transportation to and from the airport will be arranged and booked by the Travel Team.
Details for "Travel Day" are posted on the Global Hub in advance of your travel day, with details about the flight number, route, and luggage rules.
- Take a look at this spreadsheet for the planned dates of your specific program's Travel Day(s). It is unlikely these will shift, but they are subject to change. If any changes are made, we will update you.
- Check out all Remote Year Itineraries for a larger view of when programs will be where.
Can I deviate from pre-arranged Remote Year travel?
Remote Year is a group travel experience. As such, we plan travel for groups of individuals rather than one individual. We do, however, understand that life happens and circumstances may alter your travel plans. We created Transition Options to add some flexibility into our group travel experience and provide a few different alternatives to the standard group flight. Please read below to learn more about the Transition Options you’ll have available during your program. Please review the specific policies around Transition Options and what you can expect, in section 2.1 of the Participant Policies—these include the necessary timeline and what type of options you can expect to have.
How do I show proof of onward travel throughout the year?
Each week leading up to transition weekend, you’ll receive an email from Remote Year with your exit confirmation for the next country to which you’re traveling. For example—if you’re flying from Lisbon to Valencia, you’ll have your exit confirmation from Spain to present at the airport if you’re asked.
You will receive an exit confirmation in your inbox a week before your initial Remote Year Arrival Day, in case you’re asked at the airport when you’re leaving your home country. Please note: you are responsible for arranging travel home from the last country on your itinerary. Remote Year will not provide an exit confirmation for your last transition weekend.