Student travel rules & expectations

With advance permission given by EF, students can be allowed to travel around the UK – including with their host families, family from home, or friends – depending on the details of the travel and local laws.

Find out if you need to request approval from EF for your travel

Remember: don’t finalise any plans without final approval from EF

Find out more

All travel must comply with the below stated rules:

Students must ask for and receive permission from their host family for all travel and overnight stays.

Students should not miss school for any travel, unless for an absolute emergency or in exceptional cases.

Students are not allowed to travel and stay overnight alone.

Student travel abroad (across national borders) is not allowed, except to return to the student’s home country or when traveling with the student’s host family, school, EF, or family from home.

Students are encouraged to avoid traveling home in the first three to four months of exchange. Visitors from home are also encouraged to wait until after the first three to four months of exchange.

Types of stays/travels

Local overnight stays (sleepovers)

A local overnight stay (sleepover) is a stay which:

Is under the supervision of another adult
Takes place within the same community as the host family
It is possible for the host family to “pick up” the student in the case of an emergency

Local overnight stays (sleepovers) are allowed with permission from the student’s host family. EF permission is not required.
Students should always provide their host family with all the details of their local overnight stay (sleepover), including the name and phone number of the student’s friend(s) whom they are staying with, the name and phone numbers of the adult(s) present at the local overnight stay, and the address of the local overnight stay.
Students should always be advised/prepared to call their host family or the EF Emergency Phone if there are any issues that arise during the local overnight stay (sleepover).

Extended and/or unsupervised overnight travel

Extended and/or unsupervised overnight travel is considered any overnight stay or travel which:

Takes place over one or more nights in length
Is not supervised by the student’s host family, another EF-affiliated host family, and/or another local family (willing to share contact details) known to the student and/or their host family

Extended and/or unsupervised overnight travel must be approved by EF in advance of your travel, with minimum 10 working days’ notice.
EF must confirm in advance that the student’s host family and parents are aware of and approve of any extended and/or unsupervised overnight travel.
Independent overnight travel must be supervised by a chaperone aged 25+
Students are permitted to overnight in their programme country without supervision provided they are travelling in groups of 2 or more EF students for no more that 2 consecutive nights with HF, parent, and EF approval. Students are required to stay in private hotel accommodation with an ensuite bathroom--stays in AirBNBs and hostels are not permitted.

How to request extended and/or unsupervised overnight travel:

If a student is interested in extended and/or unsupervised overnight travel, they should first familiarise themselves with the travel rules as well as local laws.
For example: It is common in the UK/Ireland for under 18s to not be allowed to stay in a hotel without an adult present. A student could be refused check in if they book a hotel ignoring this rule/law.
Students should discuss any extended and/or unsupervised overnight travel with their host family and parents, ensuring that both parties are aware of and okay with their potential plans. Host families have the right to deny approval of any extended and/or unsupervised overnight travel.
Once students are sure their host family and parents are aware of and okay with their potential travel, students should submit a Student Travel Request Form. This is a form which is sent to the UK/Irish team to review the details of the travel plan.
Students should submit their Student Travel Request Form at least 10 working days in advance of the travel, as it takes time to confirm the details of the travel and approve it. It is best to submit the travel request as early as possible.
The UK/Irish team will review the details of the Student Travel Request Form to ensure that all of the details are included. If any details are missing or if the travel is not deemed safe/appropriate, the team will follow up with the student directly and collect missing details or provide alternative ideas or suggestions for travel that are safe/appropriate.
The UK/Irish team, will follow up with the student’s host family and parents (via the student’s local office) in order to confirm that both parties are aware and approve of the travel.
If all parties (EF, host family, and parents) confirm approval of the extended and/or unsupervised travel, the UK/Irish team will contact the student directly to confirm the travel is approved, so that the student can finalise their travel plans.
The student will be reminded and advised that while traveling, they must follow all EF Rules and Regulations, as well as reminded to call the EF Emergency Phone while traveling for any problems that may arise.
EF advises students to no book any non-refundable transportation or accommodation before travel is approved
Should a student not follow the above Student Travel Rules & Expectations, submit false information on a Student Travel Request Form, or violate any EF Rules and Regulations while traveling, the student can face consequences including, but not limited to, loss of future travel privileges, disciplinary action and, in serious cases, an early return to the student’s home country. EF reserves the right to deny any student travel request at our discretion.

Fill out the travel request form

If you are eligible to travel and you have read the travel rules please fill in the travel request form.

Find out more

General guidelines on what is NOT considered “Safe and Appropriate” Travel

In general, the UK team reserves the right to reject requests for student travel out of general concern for the safety and success of students on our programme. If the team must reject a travel request, the team will strive to offer alternative suggestions or ideas for travel to the student.

Solo travel
This refers to staying at a destination alone. Travel to a destination alone to meet others may be allowed depending on the circumstances.

Travel centred around dangerous or high-risk activities.

For example, unguided/unsupervised hiking, mountaineering, etc.

Travel centred around activities which violate EF Rules and Regulations.

For example, outdoor music festivals where alcohol/drugs are widely used, wine/beer festivals, etc.

Travel across national borders