Preparation for travel and insurance

It is important to review and understand your insurance coverage prior to travel. ASU employees have four types of insurance coverage when traveling internationally on authorized business.

Learn about student health insurance. 

Workers’ compensation insurance

Workers’ compensation is a no-fault system that protects employees for loss of salary and medical expenses in the event of an injury or illness arising out of and in the course of employment. For employees, the primary medical insurance coverage for workplace injury is the State of Arizona’s workers’ compensation insurance. Employee workers’ compensation coverage and claims issues should be directed to the ASU Human Resources Benefits Office.

ASU-sponsored health insurance

ASU employees should contact their personal health care insurer for details on their medical coverage should the traveler become ill or injured when unrelated to university business. Depending on your health care plan, you may have additional coverage while abroad. How long you are in a country is a key factor to determine what health insurance you may need.

See the Office of Human Resource’s health benefits guide. 

Emergency travel assistance and medical coverage

ASU employees are covered under the State of Arizona’s emergency travel assistance program while abroad. Print a copy of the international travel insurance card and keep it with you at all times. To file a claim, call the phone number on the card and reference the State of Arizona.  

Liability insurance

The State of Arizona’s liability insurance covers employees and registered volunteers while abroad. To review the scope of coverage, see the Office of General Counsel’s page on insurance coverage by the state. 

Purchasing supplemental insurance coverage

If you are traveling for an extended period of time or have concerns with your health — including personal travel in your trip, or traveling with family members — you may wish to purchase supplemental coverage. See the Department of State’s list of travel insurance companies. Please check with your department on purchasing supplemental insurance prior to purchase to

Complying with export control regulations

If you are traveling abroad, shipping items abroad, or working with foreign individuals or organizations, you should become familiar with U.S. export control regulations. The purpose of these regulations is to keep technology with a potential military application out of the wrong hands, and the U.S. government is aggressively enforcing these regulations. To learn more about export control regulations and preventing violations, see the Office of Research Integrity and Assurance’s (ORIA) Export controls and security page or contact ORIA directly.

Using a mobile device abroad

It is easier than ever to use a mobile device abroad, and there are many options for doing so. Taking the time to review the options and pick the one that is right for you will save you time and money. To determine which option is best for you, consider a few things:

• Talk, text and data usage
• Frequency of trips abroad
• Length of trips abroad
• Number of countries visited

There are three general options for using a mobile device abroad:

U.S. service provider

While using your current U.S. service provider is convenient, it can get expensive quickly. Select this option if your trips are short and infrequent or if you anticipate limited use of your mobile device. Increasingly, U.S. service providers are including some degree of free international talk, text, and data in their basic plans. Check to see what is included in your basic plan, and consider purchasing an international plan if necessary. Most U.S. service providers offer short and long-term international plans as well as special packages for specific countries and regions. 

International service provider 

While using an international service provider can be inexpensive, you will have to purchase a new device that you likely will not be able to use outside the country or region. For example, a foreign service provider will probably charge you extra for calls to the U.S. Select this option if you make long or frequent trips to a country or region covered by your plan. To find a foreign service provider, review the list of service providers worldwide to identify the providers operating in your destination country. You may be able to purchase your device and plan online in advance of your travel or upon reaching your destination. Plan for language barriers as necessary.

Unlocked phone and sim card

While an unlocked phone and a sim card may require some initial legwork, it can be an inexpensive and flexible option. This is typically the preferred option for international travel.