Preparing to Travel Abroad

On Jan. 1, 2020, Temple University's international travel policy went into effect. The international travel policy defines university-affiliated international travel, elevated/high-risk regions and who is governed by the policy, as well as how to comply. The information in the sections below address how to comply with the policy.

Preparing to Travel

Any travel by members and affiliates of the university community (as defined below) to an international destination which is for educational, research or business purposes and which is related to the traveler's affiliation with the university. Personal travel, such as vacation, is not considered university-affiliated international travel. International travel to or from global Temple campuses, such as Temple Rome and Temple University Japan, is also considered university-affiliated international travel. This includes travel by groups affiliated with the university, such as organizations, clubs and teams. This also includes travel to professional conferences/meetings related to the traveler's affiliation with the university, regardless of the funding source, including where the university travelers' costs are paid for by an outside organization.

Exclusions

  • Personal travel, such as vacation, voluntary board participation not affiliated with the university, or personal development not in furtherance of university business
  • Personal travel in excess of Temple's traveler insurance coverage for three days before or three days after university-affiliated international travel
  • Group travel organized by students, without administrative oversight, which is unrelated to participation in or the function of a recognized student organization, or the purpose of which does not serve the mission of the university

Members and affiliates of the university community: University employees, faculty, undergraduate students, graduate students, professional students, authorized volunteers and guests traveling as part of any kind of university-affiliated international travel.

Authorized volunteers: Individuals who are not otherwise included in the definition of members and affiliates of the university community, who accompany a university group at the request of the group leader with the support of the cognizant school/college and/or business unit, for the purpose of enhancing the group's experience based on their subject matter, linguistic skill or geographical knowledge. Prior notification and approval from the Education Abroad and Risk Management Committee is required before authorized volunteers can participate in university-affiliated international travel.

Elevated/High-risk International Travel

A country or region identified by the University where the health, safety and security of travelers may be at an elevated risk, based upon information from reliable sources, including but not limited to, the following.

  • U.S. Department of State
  • Overseas Security Advisory Council
  • Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
  • The university's travel assistance and insurance providers
  • Subject matter experts

If the university has suspended travel to a particular country/region, information will be posted on the Alerts and Advisories page.

Risk Management can review your itinerary or preliminary plans to determine if your location meets any of the criteria to be deemed high risk travel. Email international.travel@temple.edu to request an assessment.