Travelling to UWCD

Armenian and Georgian students will be picked up at the entrance to our campus on August 27th, the time will be communicated later. Families will be offered a tour and a welcome meeting, the time will be communicated separately closer to the date. 

We will have staff ready to support you and transport available to move your personal belongings to the residences. 

Before Flying

Before you fly to Armenia, you will want to ensure that:

1. You have all relevant documents: passport (which needs to be valid and not expire within the next two years), visa, copies of your itinerary, of any letters from the College/Armenian authorities. Please refer to the Visa Guidance document sent to you by the Admissions department. 

2. Although Armenia has no more Covid 19 restrictions, we recommend that you 

• Check the COVID-19 related exit and travel requirements of your country and of the airlines.

• Check the COVID-19 related and visa related transit requirements of the third country if you are flying via a third country and have a layover

3. Personal protection equipment:

   • Masks: may be necessary for your flight, please have at least a spare one. You may need more depending on the length of your trip.

4. Your luggage:

   • Remember the packing tips in our UWCD Student Handbook 2023/2024, including labelling all of your luggage inside and outside. It is good idea to take a photo of each item with your mobile device once you are finished in case it gets lost.

   • Please check your luggage allowance both for checked-in luggage and for the cabin luggage. Some airlines are very strict with their luggage allowance and will weight it all. If you are carrying more than you are allowed to by your air fare, please consider buying excess luggage in advance, as it is often cheaper than doing so at the airport.

   • Please ensure that you are not carrying anything that is:

     1. a health and safety risk. For example, that kris may be a beautiful art piece that you are thinking of giving to your Toon Parent as a gift, but it is certainly going to attract the attention of security personnel.

     2. Or, if you plan to bring medications, do not forget to bring the prescription to show it, if you are asked; otherwise, you may be stopped at customs and all medications confiscated.

     3. illegal or not allowed on campus:

        • Different countries have different expectations and definitions. What is legal in country A may well be illegal in country B, so please do check carefully to avoid any issues. This includes any country you may be transiting through.

        • The UWC Student Code of Conduct has very clear behavioural expectations including those on tobacco, alcohol, and drugs for recreational or other non-medically prescribed purposes. It is not worth ruining your UWC experience (and that of others) by bringing those on campus. If you are found to bring these on campus, you may be asked to leave the campus immediately.

If you have never flown before and are nervous about it, please do reach out to our Admissions Department or your UWC National Committee. Do not worry, it is common and the good news is that aviation is one of the safest methods of transportation.

While Flying

Please follow airlines protocol and instructions from the crew; they are there to help you, please approach them if you need help at any time.

In Transit (if you have a connecting flight)

Some of you will have to take a connecting flight. The following advice for connecting flights may be useful:

• If you have a tight connection:

  • please let the staff on your flight now that you have a tight connection, as they may be able to assist you.

  • At some airports there will be staff outside the finger (the moving passageway that connects the plane to the airport terminal) with a sign with either your name of the code of your next flight (eg. AB123) and/or the destination. Please identify yourself to them, as they are there to assist you to make the connection.

  • If there is no staff waiting for you, look for either your next gate or the "Transfer Desk" where they will assist you. Be polite and let them know what your connection is and what help you need.

• If you have plenty of time for your connection:

  • Go to your next gate so that you can hear any relevant announcements.

Arrival at Yerevan's Zvartnots Airport

Upon landing at Yerevan Airport, you might be checked for temperature (someone pointing a funny-looking camera to you) and you might be screened (interviewed) by health personnel. 

Immigration

Once you have been screened, you will go through Immigration. We have been working with the Armenian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and they have the list of our students, so they are expecting you. Ensure that you have your passport ready, open on the page with your photo, and

• if you are a returning student, please have your Armenian Residency Card ready;

• if you are a new student, please have your visa (including print-outs of any e-visa) and the letter you have received from us ready.

Luggage Collection

Once you have gone through Immigration, you will go to the Luggage Collection Area. There are toilets there that you will want to use, as the drive to Dilijan will take over two hours and there will be no stops. Please ensure that you wash your hands thoroughly afterwards.

Once you have collected your luggage, please follow the signs towards the exit. The Police may ask you to put your luggage in an X-ray machine to check. Please be kind to them, they are doing their job.

Once you exit what is called "airside" (the part of an airport that is restricted to passengers) you will enter the Arrivals Area. Normally it is full of people. You will see a UWC Dilijan staff member with a UWC Dilijan flag. You may be approached by many people offering you a taxi ride (most of them unofficial taxis), please disregard them and make your way to our staff.

Once you have met our UWC staff at the airport, you will  either board one of our buses for the drive to our campus or wait together with our staff member for the scheduled school bus. 

Once you arrive at our campus, your new home, a member of our Residential team will meet you and help you settle.