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COVID FAQs

Yes, you may cancel your exchange closer to the departure date if you feel uncomfortable about travelling abroad. You must inform your International Liaison Officer (ILO) in writing of your decision. We completely support your decision especially during these uncertain times. For this reason, we encourage you to register for classes at Concordia University for your exchange semester as a back-up plan and drop them before the DNE if you decide to leave for exchange. Please visit our Winter 2021 Outbound Covid webpage for guidelines on how to best prepare yourself for such an event.

The decision to leave your host country in this case is entirely yours to make based on the situation. When making the decision, please take into consideration your own safety, possible border closures, reduced and cancelled flights, the possibility to finalize your semester from distance and the financial impact.  

Please also consider that border closures may not allow you to return to Canada or to your home country in the event of the closure of your host institution. You may wish to consider alternative living arrangements, especially if you are planning to live in student housing.

Please verify with your host institution if they allow you to finish your semester fully from distance, final exams included. Please also keep in mind the time difference if remote teaching will be given synchronously. Concordia University will allow you to finish your semester remotely and will transfer the credits obtained for the courses that have been pre-approved by your Faculty as long as you have passed them with the minimum required grades as specified in your Faculty permission letter.

Concordia University cannot reimburse tuition fees after the DNE deadline of your exchange semester. Purchasing or changing your return flight will be at your own cost. You might also not be reimbursed for the remaining months of your housing.

It depends! While in your host country, you will be subject to the local health and safety protocols of your host institution and to the public health directives of your host country. You should inform yourself and remain familiar with local directives. This should include researching nearby testing sites, understanding face covering and sanitizing policies, and finding reliable sources of information about up to date practices. If you become sick and/or test positive for COVID-19 while abroad, you and your loved ones can reach out to your International Liaison Officer for assistance.

You may also wish to consider situations in which you do not receive a positive diagnosis but are in contact with someone who does. Each destination will have different directives for testing, self-isolation, etc. Consider making contingency plans, especially if you are planning to live in shared housing. You may wish to use our COVID Travel Preparation Plan to develop a plan.

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