The World Scout Jamboree is a gathering of Scouts and Guides from over 170 countries from most of the 165 National Scouting Organizations (NSOs) around the world, taking place every four years. The event itself offers a unique international experience with opportunities to meet Scouts from around the world, take part in exciting activities and have an amazing adventure.

The 25th World Scout Jamboree will take place on August 1 to 12, 2023 in SaeManGeum, Republic of Korea.

World Organization of the Scout Movement are the ones who set the age parameters for all World Scout Jamborees. Participants must have been born between 22 July 2005 and 31 July 2009, and only Scouts are eligible to participate.

If you are UNDER the eligibility date, you will be eligible as a participant for the next World Scout Jamboree! If you are older on the given date, you may be able to apply for an adult role. Adult roles (18+) available include Unit Leaders and members of the International Service Team (IST).

This adventure is excellent value for money and is also a once in a unique investment in the life of a Canadian Venturer. Speak to anyone who has been to a World Jamboree and they will affirm this! The Contingent Team is working very hard to keep the total cost of attending the World Jamboree as low as possible. Japan in 2015 was $6,000 per person and we are striving to be lower than this.

If you are registering as an adult — either as a Patrol Scouter or IST, please note you are applying to attend WSJ23. The number of adults attending from any country can not exceed the number of youth. If you are not accepted by the Canadian Contingent, 100% of payments including the $300 non-refundable deposit, will be returned to you as quickly as we can arrange it.

The Contingent team is currently working on the cost of travel, which will include roundtrip flights between Canada and South Korea. However, due to the current uncertainty about the travel industry we are only able to provide an estimated travel fee, which is included in the payment plan below. The Contingent team is doing everything it can the limit the travel fee to keep the total cost of attending the World Jamboree as low as possible. More details will be shared in 2022.

* $300 of initial payment is a non refundable deposit.
** Final payment will be adjusted down or eliminated based on final travel costs.

Scouts Canada needs to cover all costs incurred on behalf of the Jamboree Committee (CMT).

We will act upon your application as a commitment and based on this promise will make non-refundable deposits on your behalf. Any refunds to participants will be net of non refundable deposit and expenses made to the date of cancellation of your registration which must be done in writing to wj23canadiancontingent@scouts.ca

Initial payment of $700.00 due by February 1, 2022 or upon registration includes a $300.00 non-refundable deposit.

Note: Should the 25th World Scout Jamboree be cancelled by the South Korean Scout Association or Scouts Canada will not issue an out of country travel permit, your Jamboree Team will refund every penny it can! This may take time as the Team works to recoup as many expenses as possible.

The South Korean Scout Association has the following two notes in their presentations.

“In the case of event cancellation caused by a policy of the Korean government, the payment will be refunded after the deduction of any expenses that occur in the refund process”.

“If the Jamboree is interrupted because of potential risks or events outside the Committee’s control (e.g. acts of terrorism, natural disasters, etc.) the Organizing Committee will not refund the fees paid.”

Medical withdrawals will be evaluated on a case by case basis and will be as generous as possible. Requests for medical withdrawals must be accompanied by a doctor’s note.

Any participant sent home for disciplinary reasons prior to the conclusion of the Jamboree will be responsible for their travel expenses and will not be eligible for any refunds.

In addition to your participation in the Jamboree, the registration fee includes roundtrip flights from Canada to South Korea (with meals and luggage), pre-camp in South Korea, ground transportation in South Korea (including during the pre-camp), travel and medical insurances, meals, accommodation, activities, and a contingent kit.

Due to recent changes from the World Jamboree Organizing Committee in South Korea, we are having to push up our registration date to SEPTEMBER 15, 2022, much earlier than we were expecting. Anyone wanting to register after September 15, 2022 will be put on a waiting list. One of two things may happen. If there are withdrawals, youth will substitute for youth and ISTs for ISTs. If South Korea has additional openings, we will add the wait listed youth or IST. Priority will be given to youth. There will be some late fees involved and we will explain this on the later here in our FAQs along with the requirement for catch up/balloon payments. For the latest news, check back here on our FAQs page or visit us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/CanadaWJ2023.

Flights will be offered from a variety of medium/large Canadian airports and will transit through hub cities for flights to/from Korea. You will be contacted by the contingent to confirm your departure/arrival airport in Canada.

Yes. No matter your departure location in Canada, the price for flights is the same. This is to ensure an equal opportunity to everyone to attend this once-in-a-lifetime event.

We will do our best to accommodate every member of the contingent. You will be contacted by the contingent to confirm the details of your travel. In the meantime, if you have questions, please reach out to wj23canadiancontingent@scouts.ca.

No. All travel will be handled by the contingent. Will do our best to accommodate everyone with special requests. The contingent is planning to offer flexibility in flight dates for members wanting to visit Korea on their own before/after the Jamboree. More details to follow. In the meantime, if you have questions, please reach out to wj23canadiancontingent@scouts.ca.

Exact allowance remains to be confirmed.

Exact dates remain to be confirmed, but participants and leaders should expect to depart Canada around July 27th, 2023, for an arrival in Korea on July 28th, 2023, in time for the pre-camp.

The departure date for ISTs remains to be confirmed, but they should expect to depart Canada around July 28th-29th, 2023, for an arrival in Korea on July 29th-30th, 2023, in order to reach the Jamboree site before the arrival of participants.

Yes, travel and medical insurances are included. It is not possible to opt-out.

Your passport should be valid for at least 6 months following your planned return to Canada (this means around April 2024). If you need to obtain or renew your passport, you should do this as soon as possible, as there may be delays. In the fall of 2022, the contingent will need to know the details of the passport you will be using to travel in order to make the required bookings.

Holders of a Canadian passport do not need a visa to enter South Korea but will require an electronic travel authorization. If you do not have a Canadian passport, please refer to the Korean government website for specific requirements.

More information on entry requirements for members of the contingent will be shared later.

A pre-camp is a time to meet with your unit and the rest of the contingent. It’s also an opportunity to discover a bit more about the country, its traditions, people, and culture.

The pre-camp will take place in South Korea, mainly in the Seoul region.

The pre-camp is currently scheduled to take place 5 days / 4 nights before the start of the Jamboree (July 28th to August 1st, 2023).

Accommodations (type to be confirmed), activities, transport and most meals are all included. You should put aside some additional funds, for example to do optional activities during your free time or buy snacks or souvenirs.

Yes, the pre-camp is mandatory for all participants and leaders. ISTs are excluded, as they will go directly to the Jamboree site upon their arrival in Korea.

No. The fee for the pre-camp is included in your registration fee.

If you are a youth member, and your troop or company is not attending, this is okay! You can still attend and be a part of a patrol within our contingent. We will place you in a patrol and unit with members of Scouting that are close to you geographically unless you ask to be placed with a certain group. This is possible and will be amazing to meet new friends for life.

1. 1) Join our mailing list. Click here to register your intent.
2. 2) Keep checking back here (bookmark this page) for more information
3. 3) Follow us on Facebook at facebook.com/CanadaWJ2023
4. 4) And if you have any questions, please email us directly at wj23canadiancontingent@scouts.ca

Click here for the French version.

We understand that COVID-19 is at the top of everyone’s mind. We are following regional, national, and international guidelines and regulations surrounding the pandemic. We are working with our respective governments and scouting organizations to ensure we make the best possible decision for all of our safety. We anticipate that the COVID-19 pandemic will have ended by 2023 following the upcoming vaccines. We anticipate that travel will be reopened, and we will be able to safely travel to South Korea.

For example, the Australian Jamboree was cancelled in mid-January, 2021 in response to their COVID-19 situation. We will be working with our partners to ensure the appropriate decisions and preparations are made.

Many members of our organizing team are parents with their own children attending the jamboree, and so we will be keeping close watch on COVID-19 as we move forward.

Intensive COVID-19 prevention measures will be implemented at the 25th World Scout Jamboree reflecting not only global standards (including World Health Organization standards), but also Korea’s control and prevention policies by KCDC (The Korea Centers for Disease Prevention and Control). We hope that the global vaccine rollout will help ensure that ahead of the 25th World Scout Jamboree we consider the health and safety of all participants and contingents from their point of departure to the point of arrival and during the event. Being outdoors and enjoying Scouting activities in nature is safe when taking the necessary precautions. We are hopeful that these measures, if required at the time of the event, will provide the safest environment for our Scouts from all around the globe.

Like many of life’s most rewarding experiences, the jamboree experience is very challenging. To ensure that all attendees are able to remain safe among the rigors of the experience, we ask all attendees to consult with their doctors on their general health.

Much of our CMT (Contingent management team) attended the World Jamborees in West Virginia (2019), and also Japan (2013). We understand the difficulties and challenges present in world-travel. We have a team dedicated to organizing travel through our partners and will be available through the entire process to ensure smooth transit.

No youth will be left behind. We believe that all disabilities and special needs can be overcome through proper planning, preparation, and support. Our team of designated support scouters will be available before, and during the jamboree to make sure youth with special needs will be supported so that they can have an amazing time.

We are closely watching foreign affairs and will be working with the Canadian and South Korean governments and WOSM to ensure the geo-political conditions around the jamboree are safe.

Our CMT has been hand-picked by Scouts Canada to create a fun and safe experience for our youth. Much of our team has been to multiple jamborees, learning from our successes and mistakes.

Our unit and support scouter team has been chosen by a thorough nomination and interviewing process and will go through an extensive training program in the months leading up to the jamboree.

At previous jamborees, WOSM has done an incredible job at ensuring common allergies and intolerances were accounted for, and that individuals who have specific requirements had alternate options. This said, it is hard to plan for every medical dietary requirement, and so the Canadian CMT will reserve food options for those with medical requirements.

Note: One of the greatest ways to explore a culture is their cuisine. When doing this, be careful and mindful! Allergens that might be considered common in Canada (peanut oil, for example) are readily used in other cuisines, and it cannot be assumed that kitchens are equipped to manage specific requirements. Please also be mindful of language barriers and the difficulty of communicating your requirements.

Always travel with your group/patrol/unit. If leisure time is available, please travel always in pairs or groups of 3 and more to be able to help each other in case of an emergency.

In South Korea the standard voltage is 220 V and the frequency is 60 Hz. You cannot use your electric appliances in South Korea without a voltage converter, because the standard voltage in South Korea (220 V) is higher than in Canada (120 V).

You will also require a plug adapter as the shape of the plugs are different from the ones in Canada.

When traveling, bring any prescribed medication in its original package/container, with the prescription information (Name, brand, date, dosage, etc.) and possibly the doctor’s prescription paper in case you need a refill during the trip.

To register click here.

There is currently a waiting list to replace participants who need to withdraw but our youth numbers are capped at 233 youth.

IST = International Service Teams. These are the volunteers that staff the Jamboree, they manage everything from running programs, managing transportation to greeting arrivals at airports and being service scouters in sub camps.

PULs = Patrol Unit Leaders/Scouters. Each Canadian Patrol of 10 people has at least one experienced adult Scouter known as a PUL. They have the skills and abilities to manage the challenges of a 16-day international jamboree. They are not considered IST.

JUL = Jamboree Unit Leader/Scouter. Four Canadian Patrols form a Jamboree Unit (total 40 people). One of the PULs is asked to take on the additional responsibility as Leader in Charge for the Jamboree Unit. There is also a Deputy Jamboree Unit Leader.

CMT = Contingent Management Team. A mixture of Scouts Canada and ASC Scouters who have already spent countless hours readying our contingent for an adventure of a lifetime. Travel, Logistics, Registration and Culture Day are all managed by the CMT as is liaison with our hosts the South Korean Scout Association (SKA).

Culture Day is Sunday, Aug 6, 2023

This is the CMT shirt only. Final kit specs and contents will be distributed very soon.

As soon as you have your passport, please forward information ASAP. To apply for a passport or renewal follow the advice provided by Government of Canada.

Be sure that your routine vaccines, as per your province or territory, are up-to-date. Talk to a travel health professional about which medications or pre travel vaccines are right for you.

Currently COVID Vaccines are not required in South Korea. South Korea has also dropped their other COVID testing protocols.

Passports will not be collected by the contingent. Passports are a personal possession. Please ensure your youth know this. We require a photocopy of each person’s passport as this will assist us in obtaining a new one should the need arrive during the event.

Please reach out to the travel team directly.

Global Affairs Canada states that Canadian citizens using Canadian passports do not need a visa for short stays as tourists or on business.

Scouts Canada has a form for this, as does the Canadian government. This will be addressed in our Travel focused Zoom call in 2023.

We will share the info on flights and baggage allowance as soon as we have it.

Yes, kit includes a backpack suitable for carry on but no duffle bag or large backpack.

We do not have chartered planes and will be booked on commercial airlines and planes.

Deviations to flights need to go on the travel request form. Please complete it ASAP. It was due no later than October 13.

You will travel from the hub airport closest to you. Your preference for airport is part of the travel form.

There will be multiple Scouters at airports. We are working on travel protocols. Information will be shared later.

It is up to the patrols if and how they want to get together before the jamboree.

We have both types of patrols/jamboree units, some are local and some span multiple provinces.

Each patrol will cook their breakfast and dinner as well as pack a lunch.

Korean meals will be provided at pre camp. Patrols will choose their menus in January.

The drinking water is potable and there will be plenty of places to fill jugs, and water bottles.

Tents will be provided. 2 people per tent.

We will know about this in the next two months. There may be a possibility, however, we are waiting for confirmation.

Patrols will determine tent pairs.

The value of the tents changes from year to year and event to event. The size of these tents will be different from tents in the past. This will be a decision by the Jamboree Team, not the Contingent. We will pass along info as it becomes available.

Yes there are showers.

Laundry will be available at pre camp. At the jamboree it will be doing your laundry at your site in laundry bags.

Yes, bring Campsuds or any other outdoor, biodegradable, environmentally safe, all-purpose soap.

Tents will be provided. 2 people per tent.

The clothes do dry. Or they did when we were there this summer (2022).

No, bring your own very light weight sleeping bag. Suggestion – in addition to a sleeping bag, bring a twin sheet folded in half lengthwise, and sewn across the bottom and halfway up the side. That may be all you need to sleep in due to temperature.

Yes, cameras will be allowed. We highly recommend bringing a charging solution such a solar (consider having a communal charging set up for your unit or patrol!)

Power is in very, very short supply we will ask about CPAPs and advise when we have a response.

Ideas of best cell phone solutions will be part of our Zoom call about Jamboree life.

WiFi is available at no cost. But with 50,000 people it may not be great. However, South Korea prides itself on its WiFi capabilities.

Bring bug spray, bugs are present, however, we don’t know how bad yet. As they release more information, we will pass it along.

The Korean won is the currency. Currently 1,047 South Korean won = $1 CAD

It will be a mix. The original vision of a cashless site is no longer the case and cash will be required on site. There will not be guaranteed currently exchange on site. Best advice is to order your won from your Canadian bank several weeks prior to departure.

Thus far we can not see a need to travel with US funds.

The Organizing Committee is working out their forms of communications that will be used at the event. We don’t know if there will be a newspaper.

We will have a Support and a Health and Safety member on CMT interacting with youth and keeping track and assisting with all incidents on site

We have 2 Canadian doctors with our Contingent. Most medical situations will be dealt with by the onsite Joint Medical team co-ordinated by the Jamboree Planning Team

Yes bring all current medications. Medications should be listed on the medical form that you will receive. Please fill it out completely as it will assist us.

According to the website, IST will arrive between July 29 and 31st depending on work assignment and leave on August 13.

Yes, same as participant tents. Two people per tent.

Yes they can.

Volunteers are needed to run program at the jamboree, Subcamp staff, security, food services, and so much more. We don’t have the full listing to sign up right now. This will be release by the jamboree in the next couple of months and forwarded to all IST.

Canada House would be a part-time/secondary role to sign up for. Not a full-time role mainly as the jamboree needs the volunteers.