Health and Safety Guidelines
The health and safety of our volunteers during their time abroad is extremely important to us and we do everything we can to keep ourselves educated and updated on these two aspects. We receive regular health and safety information from major foreign embassies in Buenos Aires as well as follow economical and political news throughout all of Latin America.
When volunteers begin their programs with Expanish we provide them with a set of guidelines about staying healthy and safe during their time abroad, both while in Buenos Aires, Argentina and Latin America in general. We encourage volunteers to keep our Expanish Volunteer staff updated on any travel plans or any travel changes they may have so that Expanish can keep track of their whereabouts in the case they may need to be contacted.
Below are some contacts to keep on hand during your volunteer program in Buenos Aires.
U.S State Department
Hotline: +1 202 647 5225
Website (Travel Warnings & Advisories) http://travel.state.gov
U.S Center for Disease Control http://www.cdc.gov/travel
U.K Foreign & Commonwealth Office
Hotline: + 44 845 850 2829
Website (Travel Advice) http://fco.gov.uk
U.K Department of Health Travel http://www.dh.gov.uk/travellers
Provided below is the contact information of several major embassies here in Buenos Aires.
Expanish Volunteer encourages all volunteers to learn the address and contact information of their countries' local embassies in Buenos Aires. Expanish stays in close contact with local embassies in Buenos Aires in order to relay any valuable information on to its volunteer body. If at anytime Expanish receives information that mandates a volunteers return to their country of origin, we will support these volunteers in planning an immediate and safe departure.
United States
Colombia 4300, Buenos Aires
+54 11 5777 4533
http://buenosaires.usembassy.gov
United Kingdom
Luis Agote 2412, Buenos Aires
+54 11 4803 7070 +54 11 4806 5713/ 6220
http://ukinargentina.fco.gov.uk/en
Canada
Tagle 2828, Buenos Aires
+54 11 48081000 /1011
http://www.canadainternational.gc.ca/argentina-argentine
Germany
Villanueva 1055, Buenos Aires
+54 11 4778 2500
http://www.buenos-aires.diplo.de
In Case of an Emergency Abroad
In case of a medical emergency, volunteers will be sent to the nearest hospital or clinic in Buenos Aires, and Expanish will contact the emergency contact person on their application as soon as possible. We encourage all volunteers to schedule a general physical examination before traveling abroad in order to be as well prepared as possible for any health concerns that could present a problem.
In case of an Emergency at Home
Volunteers may contact the staff at Expanish for any reason during regular office hours at +1 888 EXPANISH or email us at volunteer@expanish.com. We also provide each volunteer with a local emergency contact number upon their arrival abroad that is monitored 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Health Insurance
Expanish requires that all volunteers have an international health insurance plan for the entire duration of their program and/or time abroad. Volunteers can show proof of a plan purchased in their home country, or for volunteers interested in purchasing health & travel insurance through Expanish, we offer two packages through CareMed International, valid for programs in Buenos Aires or any Expanish destination along with travel throughout South America, which cover medical, legal, and technical services 24 hours a day, every day of the year. Click here for more info
Expanish Volunteer Help Desk
Our bilingual staff members at our Expanish institute in Buenos Aires are available during business hours to help volunteers with any questions or concerns they may have during their program.
Contact Numbers
We recommend that volunteers always keep a list of important contact names and phone numbers during their time abroad. These should include the contact of Expanish, any roommates or friends, a staff member in their volunteer program, and a respectable taxi service.
Power of Attorney
We recommend that volunteers with their own financial accounts sign a Power of Attorney form giving their closest of kin the legal standing to administer their finances during their time abroad.
