Program Updates and Reminders

Program Updates

• To provide the best experience on one of our days of touring, we have decided to remove the M.K. Čiurlionis museum in Kaunas from the schedule. Please contact Kristy if you have any questions about this.

• In Tallinn, we have added a visit to the Vabamu Museum of Occupations and Freedom with a special alumnus speaker, Luukas Ilves, ’09,* who will discuss the success of digital government in Estonia.

• *Luukas Ilves will no longer be able to join us as he will now be traveling to Ukraine. We have great fortune to meet with Liisi Esse, Curator for Estonian and Baltic Studies at Stanford Libraries since 2013. Liisi organized the Vabamu collaboration and speaker events this spring at Stanford and advises scholars and students interested in Baltic studies.

Reminders

Documentation and Banking

• If you have not already, be sure to check your passport to make sure it is valid for six months after your return date to the U.S. and that it has at least three completely blank visa pages (not including the amendment pages at the back of the passport). 

• U.S. citizens traveling abroad may wish to enroll with the U.S. State Department’s Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP), a free service to allow U.S. citizens and nationals to enroll their trip abroad so the Department of State can accurately and quickly contact them in case of emergency. You can find out more on the State Department website. 

• Notify your credit card company that you will soon be traveling, so that any significant charges you make will not be questioned or put on hold.

Travelers Stopping in the United Kingdom

NEW: Electronic Travel Authority for traveling to the United Kingdom

Effective January 2025, if you are not a British or Irish citizen and will be traveling through the UK en route to the program and you will be staying in the UK, you will need to apply for an electronic travel authorization (ETA). U.S. and many other citizens can apply for a UK ETA using the British government’s approved app; the cost is £10 and turnaround time is generally within 3 business days. You will need a clear photo of your face as well as your passport picture page. Your ETA lasts for 2 years. You can travel to the UK as many times as you want during that time.

If you are transiting the UK and not passing through border control in the United Kingdom, you do not need an ETA.

This program may change with little notice; for more information, to learn more and to download the app for your UK ETA, please visit this official website: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/apply-for-an-electronic-travel-authorisation-eta. 

Health

• Get necessary immunizations and prophylaxes (refer to the health and medical page of this microsite). 

• The tap water in Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia is safe to drink. In keeping with our effort to eliminate single-use bottles on all Travel/Study programs, we ask you to bring a refillable water bottle and/or hydration pack that you can use between meals.

• We ask you to be mindful of your activities in the time leading up to your trip and to do your best to join the trip healthy. Masking while in transit (on your flights and in airports) can go a long way toward helping you start the trip healthy. We want a safe and enjoyable trip for all, and we appreciate your help in making this effort. 

• There is an inherent risk of becoming ill when traveling with a group. We strongly encourage all participants to be up to date on their seasonal vaccinations, including influenza, Covid-19, and pneumonia (per your doctor’s recommendation). Travelers who exhibit cold or flu-like symptoms, including those who test positive for Covid-19, will not be required to isolate from the group and will be subject only to local health protocols. However, they will be asked to wear a mask and advised to practice social distancing/isolate if their symptoms are particularly severe. If another guest exhibits symptoms of upper respiratory illness, you may opt to wear a mask or distance yourself as needed.