Careful planning for travel abroad will facilitate a safer and more successful journey. These resources can guide you through pre-departure preparations and ensure that you are meeting U-M requirements for University-related travel. Also visit the Health and Safety & Security sections of Global Michigan prior to travel.
The university has collected this list of resources to assist community members in their pre-departure planning to minimize delays, disruption, or inconvenience during your travel. Please note that University of Michigan does not represent faculty, staff, or students in personal legal matters.
Early Stages of Planning
- Pre-Departure Checklist for Individual Travel: This comprehensive checklist identifies key tasks that you will need to complete before departure, from host country research to travel documents and packing.
- U-M Travel Health Preparation Guide: This tool helps students identify and plan for health care needs during international travel. Travelers are encouraged to answer the questions in this guide and consult with a health care provider, University Health Services (UHS), and/or Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) where appropriate.
- The U-M Safety Abroad Orientation: This program walks you through important travel strategies, including risk assessment, situational awareness, and handling emergency situations.
- Selecting Safe Housing Abroad: Some overseas programs provide housing, and in other cases students are responsible for finding their own accommodations. These resources can help students select safe housing abroad; follow a housing checklist; and determine their housing priorities.
- Partnering with an NGO Overseas: Many U-M students choose to create independent or group travel experiences abroad by working with a non-governmental organization (NGO). These resources will assist students with self-assessment regarding their interest in partnering with an NGO; guide them in ranking their priorities; provide strategies for developing an NGO profile; and understand how to evaluate a potential NGO partnership.
- Community Engagement – Collaborating for Change Online Minicourse (MOOC): Developed by an interdisciplinary team of content experts from U-M, the Collaborating for Change MOOC is designed to help both novices and seasoned practitioners of community engagement work more effectively with communities and organizations, both domestically and abroad.
Right Before Departure
- Trip Preparation: Travel Tips, Packing Tips, and Plan for the Land worksheets to ensure that your travel logistics are covered.
- General Emergency Protocols for U-M International Travelers: Before departure, ensure that you are equipped with vital emergency information by downloading the complete General Emergency Protocols for U-M International Travelers. Additionally, visit the Emergency Contacts page and program important numbers into your phone prior to departure.
- International Center: Travel Abroad Basics
While Abroad
- Update your emergency contact information. For students, update the Trip Emergency Contact & How to Find Me questionnaire in M-Compass.
- Utilize the General Emergency Protocols for U-M International Travelers and contact the University in case of emergency.
- Review CDC’s After you Travel resources learn ways to maintain your health while abroad.
- Review Resilient Travel – Managing Stress and Enhancing your Experience Abroad, a U-M web resource that helps travelers think proactively about personal challenges and build skills to successfully cope with difficult situations.
Re-entering the United States
- American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) Guidance: Know Your Rights When Encountering Law Enforcement at Airports and Other Ports of Entry into the U.S.
- Department of Homeland Security: Fact Sheets regarding Change to International Travel Carry-On Items for Select Last Point of Departure Airports with Commercial Flights to the U.S. and updated Q&A on this topic.
- U.S. Customs and Border Protection: Information about search authority for persons, baggage and merchandise arriving in the Customs territory of the United States and information about the inspection of electronic devices.
- Guidelines for returning to campus during COVID-19 (coming soon)
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No.4
Nationally
U-M ranked 4th in the nation in the number of students studying abroad for the 2017-2018 academic year
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17
Programs
U-M’s International Institute houses 17 centers and programs focused on world regions and global themes
