VUSSC/Singapore BC/VUSSC/BootCamp2Logistics

All attendees participating the Boot Camp 2 in Singapore from March 12-29, 2007 should have received an email from Helen Askounis to initiate travel plans to Singapore. Correspondence with regards to your travel to Singapore needs to be sent to Helen at haskounis@col.org. In order to have a safe and hopefully trouble-free trip, the following steps need to be completed:

1. An airfare quote from your local travel agency should be sent for review. For arrival in Singapore by Saturday, March 10. The BootCamp will be completed on Thursday, March 29 so you can arrange for departure from Singapore back home on Thursday evening or the next day, Friday, March 30. The itinerary should be based on the lowest cost, economy route possible. Do NOT buy the air ticket at this time; just get a quote.

2. Review of the itinerary to confirm: a. If transit visas are required (Note that COL will cover cost of visas); b. Approve cost of airfare – this depends on if your travel agent’s quote or our Vancouver-based travel agent has a lower cost. Once cost is approved, I will coordinate payment of your airfare directly to the travel agency (your travel agent or ours, depending on which offers a lower cost) to book your air ticket.

3. No visa is required to enter Singapore, however, there are a few basic entry requirements before you will be allowed to enter Singapore. PLEASE READ CAREFULLY. a. Your passport must be valid for at least another 6 months when you enter Singapore; b. You must have sufficient funds to last for the intended period of stay in Singapore; We will be providing you with an invitation letter once your airfare travel has been approved. This letter will show that your costs are being paid by COL and the Government of Singapore; c. Confirmed onward/return tickets (where applicable) – i.e. you must have all your air tickets with you and be able to show that you can get back home; d. Transit visas to onward destinations if you are passing through other countries on your way back home; and e. A valid yellow fever vaccination certificate is required if you have travelled to or transitted through any of the countries listed below 6 weeks prior to your scheduled arrival in Singapore. The certificate is valid for a period of 10 years. You may already have a valid one, please check. Ensure you have this ready for inspection with your passport when you arrive in Singapore.

4. For your information, all local costs will be covered by the Government of Singapore. All travel costs will be covered by COL and COMSEC.

5. Some meals will be provided by the host and a small cash allowance will be provided to cover other meals which you will need to buy at local restaurants. Please let me know if you have any dietary restrictions.

6. If you decide to take your spouse to Singapore, you will have to cover the additional costs incurred by them (e.g. air ticket, additional room costs, meals, etc.).

7. A representative of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) of Singapore will meet you after you have passed through emigration, collected your luggage and passed through customs. Please look out for the person with your name or “VUSSC” on a board.

8. Our accommodation is at the Nanyang Executive Centre (http://www.ntu.edu.sg/nec/) and you will be taken there by the MFA on arrival in Singapore.

9. Our host for the three weeks is the National Institute of Education of Singapore (http://www.nie.edu.sg).

Yellow Fever Vaccination A valid yellow fever vaccination certificate is required from travellers (over one year of age) who, within the preceding six days have been in or have passed through any country endemic for yellow fever. The International Certificate of Vaccination for yellow fever is considered valid 10 days after vaccination. The certificate is for a period of 10 years. Countries endemic for yellow fever are as follows:

• Angola • Argentina • Benin • Bolivia • Brazil • Burkina Faso • Burundi • Cameroon • Cape Verde • Central African Republic • Chad • Columbia • Congo • Cote d’Ivorie • Democratic Rep of Congo • Ecuador • Equatorial Guinea • Ethiopia • French Guyana • Gabon • Gambia (The) • Ghana • Guinea • Guinea-Bissau • Guyana • Kenya • Liberia • Mali • Mauritania • Niger • Nigeria • Panama • Paraguay • Peru • Rwanda • Sao Tome & Principe • Senegal • Sierra Leone • Somalia • Sudan • Suriname • Tanzania, United Rep of • Togo • Trinidad and Tobago • Uganda • Venezuela