Advance Preparation
Booking a place on a project
Your booking is accepted on receipt of a £200 or €300 deposit, except where booking is made 60 days or less before the team start date, when full payment is required at the time of booking.
Final payment
Final payment is required no later than 60 days prior to the start date of your team. Please refer to your booking confirmation for the specific date.
Making payments
We are charged a 2 % fee for each credit card transaction. If the options below are not possible, we will accept your payment by credit card but will add the 2 % fee to your transaction.
Participants living in the UK: we prefer to receive your final payment either by cheque (payable to Earthwatch Institute (Europe)) or by debit card (Maestro, Delta).
Participants living outside the UK: we prefer to receive your final balance by bank transfer, or debit card. Please contact the office for our bank details.
Registration forms
There are a number of forms that we require you to complete in full. These must be returned to us no later than 60 days prior to the start date of your team, or in the case of late bookings, by a mutually agreed date.
Please note that if your forms and full payment are not received as detailed above, the reservation will be subject to cancellation by Earthwatch, and no refund will be made.
Earthwatch transfer, cancellation and refund policy
You may transfer from one expedition to another without penalty up to 60 days before your expedition begins, after which time our cancellation policy applies.
If you cancel more than 60 days prior to the team start date: your deposit is refundable minus a £50 or €75 administration fee. If you cancel or transfer less than 60 days prior to the team start date: Earthwatch retains 100% of your contribution.
Note: Any funds retained due to late cancellation are utilised to support expedition field research and will be considered a charitable gift to Earthwatch Institute.
Project contributions are subject to change without notice. Please note that we cannot guarantee the contribution cost until full payment has been received.
Cancellation by Earthwatch
On the rare occasions that a team or a project has to be cancelled by Earthwatch, we will refund 100% of your contribution.
Please note that Earthwatch can take no responsibility for any cancellation or amendment penalties that your travel agent may charge if you have to change your travel plans. Your travel arrangements are subject to the terms and conditions of the travel agency through which you make your booking.
We recommend that you arrange appropriate cover at the time of booking to protect yourself against airline and travel agency cancellation fees. Please contact us for details of insurance options that we offer.
Insurance
Emergency medical evacuation cover is automatically included in the project cost. It is the responsibility of participants to arrange their own travel insurance to cover for personal liability, baggage loss, delays and cancellation (due to illness etc). Participants may also wish to arrange additional cancellation insurance which covers against travel agents' cancellation penalties should the project be cancelled by Earthwatch and the participant no longer wishes to use their tickets to travel.
In partnership with our insurers, we offer travel insurance that is specifically suitable for Earthwatch participants. Details of this will be enclosed in your welcome pack.
Right of refusal
Earthwatch Institute reserves the right to refuse bookings on its projects. Refusal is an unusual event and is normally due to an applicant's failure to meet the health and fitness requirements of a particular project or if Earthwatch is concerned about disruption of team compatibility. Earthwatch Institute will support the right of the project staff to dismiss a participant from a project once in the field should their behaviour compromise the safety, research objectives, or general performance of the team.
Please note that booking terms and conditions are subject to change without notice.
After you have booked
You will be sent a welcome pack which will contain a booking confirmation, stating when your final payment is due. You will receive a copy of the expedition briefing document for your chosen project, and some registration forms to complete, including a health form*. Please ensure that you are clear about the physical demands of the project BEFORE you make your booking, as some projects are far more strenuous than others.
*Please note that the health form must be completed by all volunteers and signed by your doctor or nurse. We strongly recommend that you make an appointment with your doctor as soon as you have booked your place. All forms must be returned to us for screening no later than the date specified in your booking confirmation letter. Earthwatch is not able to accept any volunteer on a project without the satisfactory completion of all registration forms.
Arranging travel
You need to book your own travel to and from the project rendezvous point through a travel agency of your choice. We recommend that you make your flight reservations as early as possible, and at the time of booking. Try to make sure that the tickets are refundable or changeable, bearing in mind that there is always a slim possibility that project dates may change.
Visas and passports
Your project may be based in a country for which you need a visa. If you are unsure about this, check with your travel agent or the relevant embassy. If you have to apply for a visa for your project, allow plenty of time and always ask for a tourist visa (unless stated otherwise in the expedition briefing). In many cases, your passport is required to have a minimum of six months validity remaining after the date of departure from the country that you will be visiting. Please check this with the relevant embassy.
Vaccinations
It is your responsibility to ensure that you have received all necessary vaccinations. Please check the vaccinations required for the project with your doctor or nurse. Please note that you may require certification of some vaccinations to enter the host country of the project. For more information from the Hospital for Tropical Diseases visit www.thehtd.org, or call the Travellers Healthline Advisory Service on +44 (0)20 7950 7799.
What to take
Every expedition briefing document has a full list of everything that you will need to take with you. Certain projects may require camping equipment, while others specify clothing for certain types of climatic conditions or activities.