The following sections provide guidance for traveling outside the United States. Schools, colleges, and individual units may have additional policies and procedures in place to support international travel.
A traveling student who meets one or more of the following criteria is on University of Michigan Related Travel (UMRT):
*An international experience is considered U-M Managed or Organized when a U-M unit, faculty, or staff member is involved in creating, funding, or approving the experience, or coordinating the applications and selection of participants.
If a student’s planned international travel (including to U.S. territories) qualifies as U-M Related Travel (UMRT), the student must meet the eligibility criteria required by their destination’s U-M Country Risk Rating. Eligibility requirements differ for undergraduate students and graduate students. Refer to the U-M Travel Health Plan and Safety Plan Process Flowchart for additional information.
U-M advisors can sign certain participation forms (as more fully described below) for an student unless your destination’s U-M Risk Rating is Travel Health High Risk or Travel Restriction at the time of signing. As outlined in U-M’s International Travel Policy SPG 601.31, U-M Related Travel (UMRT), including study abroad, is prohibited for undergraduates in destinations U-M has designated as Travel Health High Risk or Travel Restriction.
Notes:
If you have non U-M related travel planned (e.g. vacation, personal travel, independently arranged trips that do not meet any UMRT criteria), you can still register your travel via the M-Compass Student Travel Registry. Registering your travel allows the University of Michigan to locate and communicate with you and respond to emergencies if needed.
Passport: To enter a foreign country and return to the U.S., ensure that you have a passport that is valid at least six months beyond the dates of your trip. Resources include:
Visa: Determine if you need a Visa from the host destination/s. Visa and other entry requirements can differ depending on your destination, where you’re coming from, and/or your country of citizenship. Consult the following resources for entry requirements to enter your host destination/s:
Vaccinations/Public Health Requirements: Some destinations may have public health entry or exit requirements, including providing proof of certain vaccinations or negative test results, a mandatory quarantine period, completion of a health app, or something else. Resources include:
Students who are traveling through a U-M study abroad office, a study abroad provider, or directly with a university abroad can also email their program contact if they have questions.
In partnership with the Department of Anthropology, the Global Engagement Team developed the Safety Considerations for Independent Study & Field Research Abroad to support faculty, staff, and students on independent study or field research abroad. The goals of the guide are to:
Travelers are encouraged to download, review, and share.
Faculty, staff, and students traveling abroad should have financial contingency plans to cover unforeseen events that are not covered by the U-M Travel Abroad Health Insurance (NOTE: GeoBlue (BCBS Global Solutions) is health insurance, not travel/trip insurance). Verify financial contingency plans, either with your U-M department or non U-M sources of funding.
Potential travel expenses may include but are not limited to:
The GeoBlue (BCBS Global) Travel Abroad Health Insurance covers medically prescribed testing for an infectious illness or disease, treatment, and medically appropriate evacuation and repatriation. For students on UMRT, GeoBlue (BCBS Global Solutions) Post-Departure Trip Interruption coverage provides transportation and/or lodging and incidental benefits if your trip is interrupted or must be discontinued due to covered reasons, as described in the flyer.
For mental well-being support, visit the Managing Mental Health Abroad page.
Below are several of the resources at your disposal.
U-M Travel Abroad Health Insurance resources, including:
U-M resources, including:
Your host program or host institution may also provide mental health resources or services.
To learn more about different destination or identity based risks, visit Global Michigan’s Country Risk Ratings page for a collection of resources, eligibility information, and travel requirements.
Enrolling refers to the process of obtaining your insurance policy covering your travel dates. Individual student travelers typically enroll themselves. Students participating in U-M managed programs or group travel are typically enrolled by a U-M administrative contact on the student’s behalf (but are strongly encouraged to confirm enrollment). Faculty/staff traveling on U-M business are automatically enrolled upon registration of travel dates. Refer to the “How to Enroll” section of the UHC Travel Abroad Health Insurance Plan page.
Registering refers to the process of setting up an online GeoBlue (BCBS Global Solutions) account via the website (bcbsglobalsolutions.com/schools/) or via the BCBS Global Solutions app with the information provided to you upon enrollment. Students must first enroll in GeoBlue (BCBS Global Solutions) before they are able to register. Registering an online account is strongly encouraged for 24/7 access to information and use of the GeoBlue (BCBS Global Solutions) dashboard and portal, to download the BCBS Global Solutions and telehealth apps, and streamlined customer service. For registration assistance, contact GeoBlue (BCBS Global Solutions) at 1.844.268.2686 (if inside the U.S.), +1.610.263.2847 (if outside the U.S.), or email [email protected].
Once you’ve enrolled in GeoBlue (BCBS Global Solutions) and registered your online account, you can use it prior to departure in a number of ways.
The “Submitting a Claim” page of your U-M Travel Abroad Health Insurance Member Guide outlines several ways to submit a claim:
To check the status of your claim, contact GeoBlue (BCBS Global Solutions) for assistance:
General Guidelines:
In the event of an emergency, you should do the following 3 steps:
For more information, visit Global Michigan’s In Case of Emergency page for general guidelines and protocols for specific situations (i.e. civil unrest, detention abroad, loss or theft of valuables, natural disasters).
