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1. Please contact us here at Kerala Link before applying to check availability. Then download the application form and complete as thoroughly as possible. Please note that the application procedure, planning, police check and visa arrangements could take many months so you will need to start the procedure well in advance (we suggest 3 months) of your preferred departure date.
2. Please email the form to Kerala Link along with a recent photo of yourself. If you have a CRB disclosure, please indicate this at the application stage.
3. You will receive acknowledgment of your application.
4. We will contact your referees to obtain references then provide the staff at your placement with all your details.
5. If we can accept you into a placement, we will send you remittance advice for full payment. Please make cheques payable to Kerala Link.
6. We will send you further details of the pre-departure training.
7. Your details will then be transferred to our representative in Kerala who will send you further details of your placement and details of the in-country orientation training.
8. Police Check. For volunteers from England and Wales, if you have a current CRB (Criminal Records Bureau) disclosure, please send us a copy at the application stage. If not, we will apply for one on your behalf. We will contact you about the documentation you will need to provide us with. For Scottish volunteers, you can apply for a DS (Disclosure Scotland) in person or online. Please go to www.disclosurescotland for further information. For volunteers of other nationalities, the procedures vary. Please find out what you will need to do in order to obtain some kind of police records check from your home country. We can help with some nationalities: we will let you know if this applies to you.
9. Flights. You need to arrange your own flight. There are international airports at Trivandrum and Kochi from where the Kerala Link representative will meet you and take you by car to your placement (approximately 3 hours). Alternatively, if you are arriving at one of India's other gateways, given plenty of advance notice, we might be able to arrange your train ticket to your placement.
10. Insurance. You need to arrange your own insurance. Most insurance policies cover voluntary work but please check very carefully. It is up to you to arrange appropriate cover for the entire time you are abroad. We can recommend suitable insurance providers if you need us to.
11. Visas. You will require a visa for India. You will need to get a tourist visa. Please note tourist visas are available for 6 months only and are valid from the date of issue, not of entry into India. Please also note that visa requirements do vary from time to time and we cannot be held responsible for any changes which subsequently affect your travel plans.
12. Health. Please check with your GP or travel clinic for up to date information about vaccinations. Malaria is not a problem in Kerala itself but if you intend travelling to other areas you may need to take malarial prophylactics, which are readily available locally. There are other mosquito-bourne viral diseases, such as Dengue and Chikungunya in some areas, but you would be extremely unlucky to get something like this. It is advisable to take precautions against mosquito bites, such as using repellents.
13. Cancellation. Please note that if you cancel at any time after payment of your fees, you will forfeit one month's fees. If we are notified in writing as soon as possible of any cancellation, we will endeavour to refund any further amount. (less any expenses already incurred on your behalf in arranging your placement) If, however, we receive notification less than 1 month before your departure date, there will be no refund of any moneys paid.
14. Please remember that if you choose to take up a placement with Kerala Link, we cannot allow for every eventuality. All information and advice is given in good faith but we cannot accept any responsibility if you find things are not quite as you expected. Tolerance, adaptability and a smile should see you through most situations!
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