ASU sends faculty, staff, researchers and students all over the globe to conduct international research and business, and to complete academic programs.
Whether it be for research, conference presentation, study abroad, or other purposes, ASU provides the tools needed for diligent pre-trip planning, and assistance in the event of an emergency abroad. Review the resources in this section to prepare for your next trip.
Review ASU travel guidance regarding COVID-19 before planning your trip.
To submit a student or faculty-led international travel request for approval, register your trip with the International Student Registry.
To create a faculty or staff international travel request, visit My ASU Trip.
Know your destination
High-risk countries
ASU Travel Policy Standard 3 governs travel to high risk countries. ASU may restrict travel to countries or regions designated as a Travel Warning Area Level 3/4 by the U.S. Department of State, Level 3/4 by the Centers for Disease Control, or Level 4/5 in My ASU TRIP. Travel requests to Travel Warning Areas need additional review and approvals from senior leadership. Research your destination’s warning level by checking travel.state.gov, cdc.gov/travel and My ASU TRIP.
Identifying safety, security and health concerns
Before you commit to going to a particular country, research that country to understand the conditions. Some countries have well-known health, safety, and security concerns while other countries may have rapidly changing conditions. The Department of State’s Country Information page is a good place to start when researching a country. For each country listed, you can view a destination description and information on embassies and consulates, safety and security, local laws and special circumstances, health, travel and transportation. My ASU TRIP also provides country intelligence.
Safety and security information
The Department of State’s Travel Advisories page provides a list of countries with an elevated safety and security risk, including COVID-19 information. If the country to which you are traveling is on this list, determine precautions you need to take before traveling there. In some cases, it may be best to delay or cancel your trip.
Travel advisory levels
1 Exercise normal precautions
2 Exercise increased caution
3 Reconsider travel
4 Do not travel
Health Information
The Center for Disease Control and Prevention’s Travel Health Notices page highlights health concerns about a particular country, including COVID-19 information. Triggers for a health notice include “disease outbreaks, special events or gatherings, natural disasters, or other conditions that may affect travelers’ health.” There are various levels of travel notices (dependent on current global health concerns).
Warning level 3, avoid nonessential travel
Alert level 2, practice enhanced precautions
Watch level 1, practice usual precautions
Sources of information
While U.S. federal agencies are a great source of reliable travel information, also leverage other sources of information, including:
- In-country contacts.
- News articles.
- Security firms.
- Country-specific information pages (e.g. the UK Foreign & Commonwealth Office’s Foreign Travel Advice, the Government of Canada’s Travel Advice and Advisories, and the Australian Government’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade).
OFAC sanctioned countries
Understanding OFAC sanctions
The Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) imposes sanctions on countries, individuals and groups who are deemed threats to the U.S. Check to see if your planned destination is on the OFAC sanctions list.
Traveling to sanctioned countries
If you are traveling to a sanctioned country, you may need to get a license from the U.S. Treasury Department to do so. To determine whether you need a license, contact the Office of Research Integrity and Assurance.