Faculty and staff traveling internationally for U-M related purposes need to:

• Register travel in the U-M Travel Registry.
• Ensure that the activity follows relevant health, security, and immigration regulations, including those related to entry and exit requirements and COVID-19 regulations. To determine COVID-related entry requirements and other in-country information, visit the COVID-19 Country Info page for your destination/s.
• Follow regulations and guidance for returning to the U.S. and campus from abroad outlined on the CDC’s  International Travel to and from the United States webpage and U-M Health Response.
• For faculty and/or staff taking students abroad on UMRT, refer to Global Michigan’s Group Travel Requirements webpage and the Requirements for UMRT Group Travel Abroad info sheet.

Additional details are available on the Global Michigan Travel Designations page.

Note about working remotely outside of the United States: In general, working remotely or taking classes remotely from outside the United States is not considered UMRT. For example, if a faculty or staff member opts to work from another country for personal or other reasons (e.g., visa delays, travel constraints, living in their home country, etc.), they are not considered to be on UMRT and are not subject to the International Travel Policy. Similarly, a student living in their home country and taking U-M courses remotely is not considered to be on UMRT.

1. Students on UMRT must register travel dates with the U-M Travel Registry and purchase GeoBlue Student Travel Abroad Health Insurance. Students on non-UMRT are not required but strongly encouraged to register with the U-M Travel Registry and purchase the GeoBlue Personal/Leisure Travel Abroad Health Insurance plan (or a comparable travel abroad health insurance plan).
2. Students on UMRT must also check the U-M Travel Designation of their destination/s and complete any applicable Travel Health Plan or Individual Travel Safety Plan requirements. Students can refer to this sample Safety Plan as an example of what to expect. Resources to complete the plan are included in the plan itself, as well as on Global Michigan’s Travel Resources webpage. Since plans must be reviewed and approved by the International Travel Oversight Committee (ITOC), plans should be submitted at least 3 weeks prior to the anticipated departure date. Refer to the U-M Travel Health Plan and Individual Safety Plan Process flowchart for details about the review process.

Additional U-M School / College / Unit Requirements: A student’s school/college/unit may have additional requirements that students must meet. Students need to carefully consider financial contingency plans and their unit’s ability to financially support unanticipated expenses in the event of an unforeseen travel disruption (e.g., COVID-related travel cancelations, sudden mandatory quarantines, political unrest, natural disaster, etc.). If a student’s UMRT goes to a destination whose U-M Travel Designation requires a Travel Health or Individual Travel Safety Plan, U-M funding will not typically be disbursed until the International Travel Oversight Committee (ITOC) reviews and approves their plan.

Destination Entry Requirements: Each destination has its own entry requirements, which students must understand and meet without exception. These requirements may include but are not limited to obtaining certain travel documents (e.g., visa) and/or public health requirements (e.g., yellow fever vaccination, submitting a health declaration form, etc.), or more. More information about these requirements can be found on Global Michigan’s FAQs for Travel Planning webpage and the Additional Considerations for International Travel document.

• Advisors are able to verify the status of a student (ability to take classes, internship, etc. abroad; ability to accept transfer credit) by signing participation forms.
• Advisors should not sign participation forms that ask U-M to approve a program or approve travel.

Note 1: Signing an allowable participation form does not make a travel experience UMRT since the purpose of these forms is to verify a student’s enrollment and verify credit transfer. Signing the form does not imply U-M affiliation with the program or approval of the program. Students on UMRT must fulfill U-M Requirements and Policies before travel, including completing a Travel Plan or Safety Plan to be reviewed by the International Travel Oversight Committee. Though U-M does not prohibit undergraduate non-UMRT (e.g., personal or leisure travel, etc.) to U-M Travel Health High Risk or Travel Restriction destinations, students on non-UMRT are strongly encouraged to carefully re-evaluate their travel to destinations with these designations.

Note 2: For travel to a destination with a U-M Travel Designation of Travel Health High Risk or Travel Restriction, students pursuing independent study abroad programs (i.e., non-UMRT) may obtain verification of enrollment or transcripts from the Registrar’s Office. Students can offer this as documentation to external study abroad program providers and explain that U-M advisors cannot sign approval forms while U-M designates their destination as either Travel Health High Risk or Travel Restriction.

Note 3: U-M advisors can sign study abroad participation forms for U-M managed programs even if there is a Travel Health High Risk or Travel Restriction designation, though approval will be contingent on the location moving from a U-M Travel Health High Risk or Travel Restriction to a U-M Travel Health Medium or Low Risk or U-M Travel Warning before the program begins.