Renewing Your Passport
Action:
Check your entire family’s passports are valid for the duration of your posting. To renew see your internal MOD process via your current unit HR staff for SP’s passports or apply via the UK Government Website. You should do this at least 3 months before you travel. There is a fast track service should you require a replacement at short notice but this cannot be claimed against.
Renew or replace your adult passport
Information:
You must have a valid passport to travel to and from Canada. Renewing your passport in Canada can be problematic due to posting the old passport overseas and the time delay in receiving the replacement. If, however, your Passport expires whilst you are in Canada you can obtain a renewal by contacting the GAU in accordance with 2017DIN01-117.
Action:
Bring a hard copy of in date security clearance from NSV (not the JPA competency as this is not accepted evidence).
United Kingdom Security Vetting: Contact Us
Information:
UK security clearances do not carry over into the Canadian Armed Forces. You will be required to provide proof of your security clearance to receive an equivalent Canadian version. Your Acceptance Letter will state the level of security clearance you require. Failure to prove your security credentials may impact your handover, access to Canadian Government IT and restrict the level of work you can perform in your role.
Action:
SP and family – Be prepared to purchase Canadian winter clothing on arrival as UK clothing is insufficient for Canada’s climate. Speak to your predecessor or your Canadian Chain of Command for suggestions.
Parents – You may wish to stock up on children’s clothing and place in your baggage shipment.
SP – Pack sufficient Cold/Hot weather kit into their baggage shipment to enable operational deployments and training within Canada and the rest of the World. If your current unit cannot supply appropriate clothing then contact the relevant service email below.
RN Clothing and Kit: DESNBVP-Sz3-2@mod.uk
Information:
The Canadian climate is significantly harsher than the UK/NW Europe. In the winter temperatures and wind chill combined can reach -40 degrees. In the summer, the humidity can create the feel of close to 40 degrees. The UV strength is significantly higher than the UK with a country wide standard UV rating of 8 – Very High. SP may be offered Cold Weather training in the Canadian Arctic, deploy as part of a domestic operation in response to floods, fires, hurricanes or snow storms, or deploy overseas on a visit or an expeditionary operation to Latvia. It is therefore critical that SP have the appropriate PPE as recourse to a UK supply chain is highly problematic. SP’s personal faulty/damaged clothing and equipment can be exchanged with BATUS via BDLS.
Insurance in Canada.
Just as in the UK, you are strongly advised to obtain adequate insurance cover for your property and effects including the property of others for which you are the custodian e.g. OFPS furniture. Insurance is, of course, a personal matter, but you may wish to consider some of the worldwide policies offered specifically to accommodate the needs of Service personnel contained in the MOD Discount Brochure.
Household Insurance.
If you occupy a PMQ, you are held liable for any damage to, or destruction of that quarter, particularly by fire if it is proven to be caused by your negligence. CANSUREX, a policy sponsored by NDHQ for Canadian Forces, is available to exchange personnel occupying PMQs and a booklet should be available either from CANEX or your predecessor giving full details.
Insurance for Dependents.
You should check that your dependents are adequately insured before proceeding overseas. In the event of death, there is an entitlement for the remains of dependents to be returned to UK at public expense. However, MOD will not pay for remains to be returned to UK from countries outside Canada if death occurs whilst you are on leave.
Insurance outside Canada.
You are covered by the CF and your dependents are covered by the MOD for medical treatment whilst in Canada. If you go on leave within Canada you must complete a Canadian Forces leave pass (as well as entering your leave on JPA). This will ensure that the CF pick up any expense as a result of your being injured. If you go on leave outside Canada you will not be covered by either the MOD or the CF. In these circumstances you are strongly advised to take out separate personal medical and travel insurance. The experiences of some EO’s and their families is that, when travelling to the USA, UK companies will not insure you as you are Canadian based, and Canadian companies will not, as you may not hold a Canadian Blue Cross health card.
NOTE: Although we are not promoting, endorsing or recommending any specific insurers for visits outside Canada, here are a few suggestions from current and previous Exchange Officers:
Check your UK Bank. One EO found that they had travel coverage through their UK bank as they were UK residents temporarily, not permanently, posted overseas. It is also worth checking with your Canadian bank to see if you have any type of coverage with them.
One EO used Patriot Travel Medical Insurance from www.visitorscoverage.com.
You could also try the Ombud Service for Life and Health Insurance website at the following link www.olhi.ca. Select ‘Expatriates’ from the Insurance Types drop down menu and this will return a list of two insurance companies that may be helpful.
Another EO has coverage from Forces Mutual https://www.forcesmutual.org/ “We have an annual, go-anywhere policy from Forces Mutual. It covers us for global travel, including some extreme sports (e.g. skiing), whether we are quartered in the UK or abroad. If you pay by direct debit, you are deemed to have permanent cover so even something like a heart attack doesn’t become a pre-existing condition at your next renewal. It’s not the cheapest but for the convenience alone it’s worth it, especially when you factor in the savings if you take an annual skiing holiday.”
© Copyright 2024 by British Defence Liaison Staff (BDLS) Ottawa Information Portal
