Student International Travel Information

Steps for International Travel for Students

Please note that prior authorization is required for all international travel.

Step 1: Take Personal Safety and Security training

We highly recommend you take International SOS's online safety and security courses. Information on how to access these trainings can be found here. We strongly recommend Introduction to Membership (16 minutes), Travel Risk Awareness (25 minutes) and Student Travel (25 minutes) for UMB student travelers. 

Step 2: Check if you are traveling to a high-risk destination

Are your destination countries rated High or Extreme Travel Risk by International SOS? You'll need the answer in order to complete the form in Step 3. Click here for a step-by-step guide on how to check using the UMB portal on the International SOS website.

Step 3: Sign the International Traveler Attestation Form

Complete and sign the Student version of the International Traveler Attestation Form with Risk Acknowledgement. Then make a PDF version to send to the Traveler Administrator. If you indicate a high-risk destination, your form will be routed to International Operations for approval.

STEP 4: ASK YOUR FACULTY/PROGRAM LEADER HOW TO BOOK TRAVEL

Procedures differ depending on program type and source of funds. For example, the program may buy your ticket or reimburse you after you buy it. If UMB is buying, ask how to contact the relevant Travel Administrator.

STEP 5: GET THE INTERNATIONAL SOS RESOURCES YOU NEED

Be sure to download the International SOS app for mobile-phone access to their services while traveling, and print a copy of the International SOS membership card to carry with you. Remember: any official trip booked outside of UMB's travel agency must be sent to or manually entered into International SOS's itinerary database. See also Travel Safety & Security and International SOS.

Changes to your itinerary?

Go back to Step 2: Get prior approval if you are traveling to a high-risk destination.

Back home? Submit for reimbursement.

Once you return from your travels, promptly submit for reimbursement of your travel expenses.

ANY QUESTIONS OR CONCERNS ABOUT YOUR UPCOMING TRIP?

Before departure, contact the Global Hub or check the International Safety & Security team’s availability to directly request a pre-departure security briefing. It is a great opportunity to ask questions about your destination country and learn more about how UMB can support your while traveling. 

Travel Authorization

Authorization for a UMB Student: A student's international travel must be approved by the UMB international program lead and by a person with fiscal authority for the funds used to pay for travel.

Authorization for travel to a high-risk destination: If traveling to a high- or extreme-risk destination, the travel must be cleared by the AVP of International Operations or their designee, as per Step 2 above.

Are you wondering what international opportunities exist?

Check out CGE's Global Health Opportunities and Travel Awards page for funding opportunities, including application opening dates and deadlines. The page includes opportunities for students in all UMB schools. Note that while some opportunities involve travel, others are virtual opportunities.

Learn about Cultural Humility and Ethical Engagement as a Global Traveler

UMB values ethical engagement and mutually beneficial relationships with international partners. Cultural humility is a more useful concept than "cultural competence," which implies that someone can learn all there is to know about another culture. Cultural humility is lifelong learning that focuses on developing awareness of one’s own culture and critical self-reflection as a pathway to understanding other cultures.

  • Watch this TedTalk by Dr. Juliana Mosley, PhD - This is an invitation to learn why cultural humility is a more profound and impactful way to engage with other people and cultures.

  • Take the Ethical Challenges in Short-Term Global Health Training online course - This free course created by Johns Hopkins University consists of a series of 10 cases based on real scenarios to introduce trainees and others involved in global health research and service to ethical issues that may arise during short-term training experiences abroad.

  • Read an article by UMB professor Virginia Rowthorn on ethical challenges to be aware of in short-term global experiences: Not above the law: A legal and ethical analysis of short-term experiences in global healthAnnals of Global Health. 2019; 85(1).

Be a Safe Traveler

Travel in groups or with a friend when leaving your residence or program site, if possible.

Contact your faculty or International SOS with any concerns during travel. It is appropriate to contact International SOS in any difficult situation or emergency, e.g., if you have any health issue, even if minor, if you are a victim of a crime of any sort, or if you find yourself in a threatening or dangerous situation.

Minimize your exposure to dangerous or compromising situations. Remember, you do not have the situational awareness in a new setting that you have at home. Something like an evening jog or flagging down a taxi on the street may not be safe in a new setting. Local hosts will be allies in determining safe behavior.

For more guidance, see Safety & Security while Traveling.