Preparing for International Travel

The content on this page provides useful information on Temple University resources and external sites to assist in planning a safe, secure and healthy experience international experience.

If you are seeking polices and protocols to plan, register, or book travel, please start with the following content prior to returning to this page. 

Plan Ahead

A solid travel plan starts well in advance. Temple provides travelers with multiple resources in addition to guidance on accessing specialized resources. Even the most experienced traveler can encounter health and safety concerns in locations perceived as benign. For instance, are you aware:

  • Entering Japan with many commonly prescribed (e.g. Adderall) or over the counter (e.g. Atenolol) medications is illegal and can lead to arrest, detention and expulsion?
  • Travelers with a X Gender Marker in their U.S. Passport cannot enter or transit through the United Arab Emirates (Dubai)?
  • It is illegal to possess and operate satellite phones in India.

Be sure to conduct research on your destination, based on your personal identity concerns, medical history and academic, business or research interests prior to each instance of travel.

The checklist below outlines a minimum standard of travel preparedness. Following the checklist there is more detailed information on the Temple resources and external sites, including items that are valuable to access or extract.

Health, Safety, and Security Checklist

  1. Passport: verify validity for 60-days after travel end date.
  2. Visa: obtain proper entry documentation for your destination(s).
  3. Health: consult the CDCs Traveler’s health information for guidance on vaccinations and pre-travel medications for your destination(s).
  4. Health: schedule a travel medical consultation 30 or more days in advance of travel.
    1. Temple Employee Health Services
    2. Passport Health (private clinic)
    3. City of Philadelphia Travel Vaccination Clinics
  5. Safety: read the full TU Global Assistance Provider’s Healix Oracle Country Details report for your destination(s) [log-in with TU AccessNet Username and Password].
  6. Safety: download the TU Global Assistance Provider’s Healix Oracle App to your mobile phone – Apple/iOS or Google/Android.
  7. Safety: add your current mobile phone number under “Settings” in the TU Assistance Provider’s Healix Oracle App to receive alerts and notifications.
  8. Safety: download the Temple University Emergencies Abroad contact card to your mobile phone and customize with local emergency contact details of your destination(s).
  9. Safety: consult the U.S. Department of State Travel Advisory for your destination(s). 
  10. Safety: enroll your travel in the U.S. Department of State STEP notification service.