Planning Your Trip

Pre-Travel Medical Considerations

Register your trip on the UCOP pre-trip planner to see a list of the vaccines you’ll need and schedule a travel health consultation with your healthcare provider to further assess your medical needs. See the Travel Health Kit and Medical Clearance/Vaccinations for additional guidance.

Students

Work with your program staff to ensure compliance specific to your program. Make sure to budget plenty of time to get vaccinations and any necessary travel medications. Some take a long time to get in place. Get a print out of your vaccination status and slip it in your passport. Some borders require proof, and if you don’t have it, they will administer the shots before you can cross.

Faculty and Staff

Faculty and staff may complete their vaccinations through their regular healthcare provider. Some vaccine courses take several weeks to complete, so start early and get your staff off to an early start. Call ahead so your provider has the correct vaccinations on hand. By filling out the UCOP pre-trip planner, you will have a current list of vaccinations to request, as well as a detailed and up-to-date overview of the conditions in your travel area.

Vaccination Preparation Checklist

Be sure to consider all these items before visiting your healthcare provider so that they will be able to adequately prepare you for your travels in a timely manner. Once you know your travel destination, make an appointment with your healthcare provider. Bring your most current immunization records and a detailed travel itinerary to your appointment.

What countries will you visit?

• There are different vaccinations and medications required for each country.
• If you are visiting several countries during your travels, you will need to meet all the necessary requirements for each country.

What types of activities will you do while on your trip?

• More adventurous activities like hiking and climbing may require additional measures in preparation for your trip.

Where will you stay during your trip?

• International hotels and other well developed establishments may be able to provide safe food and water as well as sleeping arrangements protected from insects and other animals.

• Visiting developing countries or more rural settings will require additional measures to avoid illness.

What coverage does your health insurance provide for travel preparations and medical emergencies during travel?

• Some insurances cover the cost of travel immunizations and preventative medicine for diseases such as malaria, some, unfortunately, do not. Check with your provider to verify your coverage and discuss your options.
• When staying in developing countries or more rural areas, there may not be medical facilities readily available to you. Transportation to another location for care may be necessary. Some health insurance providers will cover the treatment of accidents or illnesses in foreign countries, as well as transportation to the medical facility. If your insurance company does not, you may want to seek additional travel insurance to cover these expenses.

Student Health Insurance

Students in UC Student Health Insurance Plan (SHIP) are covered while traveling abroad. In addition to UC SHIP, the University provides a travel accident policy for students traveling on University business. The travel policy is provided at no additional cost to the students.

Non-SHIP enrolled students should check with their medical provider for coverage options.

Before you travel print out the travel insurance and medical insurance cards. Store an e-copy in an email account, and leave copies with your University contact and a trusted personal contact. Provide your itinerary to the medical insurance provider and fill out your profile at Worldcue Planner. While traveling abroad, you will likely have to use a non-network provider and pay out-of-pocket for care, then file a claim to UC SHIP for reimbursement.

Please visit the Insurance Section for comprehensive insurance information for researchers.

To Access a Doctor or Hospital

If you are not on UC business, get a referral and preauthorization through SHIP or your medical insurance. Ensure that the facility will accept your normal co-payment. Keep all receipts!

If you are on UC business, contact the travel insurance provider on the card that you printed out when you registered. They have an extensive network. If the hospital demands prepayment in cash, they have contacts nearby and will assist you in getting appropriate medical care.

Remember: By registering your travel you receive both travel accident insurance and iJet intelligence alerts free of charge!

UC Travel Insurance

UC Traveler Insurance covers travel for UC business out-of-state and to foreign countries. UC Traveler insurance covers all employees, their dependents, UC students, and other individuals designated as traveling on official UC business.

• What is Covered? Travel for UC business away from the campus or primary workplace
• Who is Covered? UC Employees, dependents, students, Individuals designated by UC for travel on UC business
• Includes? Emergency medical evacuation, security extraction, travel assistance, loss of personal property
• Extras? Personal Travel Insurance is available with similar benefits when you're not on UC business

For a full list of coverage benefits, see the Business Travel Benefits Summary.

Before Every Trip

• Register your trip (Trips booked by a Connexxus agency will be automatically registered for insurance)
• Print insurance card and carry with you
• Forward copy of insurance card to appropriate administrator, if applicable

In Case of Emergency

In case of an emergency, call UHC Global Assistance:

• 410-453-6330 (From outside the U.S.)
• 800-527-0218 (From U.S. and Canada)

Questions?

For questions regarding coverage call (510) 987-9832, Monday-Friday 8:00-5:00 or leave a voicemail. For technical support/issues, call (530) 638-3375 or send an email to erm@ucop.edu.

Checklist for Researcher Travel Abroad

Preparing to travel for an international research project? Use this handy checklist to keep track of the many steps necessary to ensure a successful trip.

6-12 Months Before Leaving

• Research the country you will be visiting by using the Worldcue Travel Planner.
• Review vaccinations requirements for the region you will be staying.
• Complete all compliance approval processes, e.g. Institutional Review Board (IRB), Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC), Biosafety, Export Control, etc. Each campus and laboratory has designated Institutional Review Boards to implement the institution's human subjects policies.
• Research funding sources.
• Visit the Export Control page and contact your campus Export Control office.
• Ensure your passport is up-to-date. Passport should be valid for 3 months beyond your date of return.

4-6 Months Before Leaving

• Confirm your study site logistics and staffing.
• Purchase air tickets. Work with your purchasing department to ensure you do this correctly, or log into UC Connexxus. Email uctravel@ucop.edu if you have difficulty with Connexxus.
• If you choose to book your trip by yourself, register your travel.
• Obtain the appropriate visa by contacting the respective foreign embassy.
• Research housing.
• Join expat social media groups in your locality.
• Schedule a consultation with your medical provider and campus occupational health office.
• Contact your medical insurance provider. Determine what services they provide abroad and which medications you will need to pre-order.
• Check U.S. Department of State Website for travel warnings and alerts and also enroll in U.S Department of State: Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP).
• Determine Foreign Daily Per Diem Rates for destination.
• Follow departmental protocol for absence from campus.

3 Months Before Leaving

• Talk to your cell phone provider about international rates and research international service options. Think about accessories you will need for your electronic devices.
• Contact your bank, credit card company, or other financial institutions that you are going overseas. Inform them of where you will be going so they won’t freeze your account. Get your PIN, discuss limits and fees, check ATM locations, and provide them your itinerary.

1 Month Before Leaving

• Confirm your travel itinerary.
• Confirm your housing arrangements. Communicate this information to your departmental staff.
• Research basic living conditions, such as type of food eaten, water supply, and modes of transportation.
• Compile and scan your travel documents, including passport, visas, travel insurance, state and university ID, emergency contact information, and immunization records. Store copies online, with a staff person, and a family member or friend. If you carry hard copies, carry them with you while traveling and store them in a safe place upon your arrival.
• Review What to Pack and assemble a Travel Health Kit.
• Become familiar with local dress standards, religious practices, customs, and codes of conduct.
• Research the cultural etiquette for your destination at businessculture.org and ediplomat.com.
• Purchase gifts for your hosts.
• Research ATM access in your area, currency exchange information, and whether travelers checks are acceptable.
• Download apps you may need on your mobile device, such as banking and travel apps.
• Talk to your phone service to set up international service.

1 Week Before Leaving

• Confirm travel arrangements. Check the bag limits on each leg of your trip.
• Carry a small amount of cash. Note that exchange rates at the airport may be less favorable, so convert only what you need immediately. Some customs areas insist that you have local currency before leaving the airport.
• Keep reserve US cash for your trip home.

Managing Study Groups Abroad

If you are leading a group of students or researchers, consider the following questions before leaving on the trip:

• Do you have emergency contact and important health information for everyone you are responsible for?
• Have you clearly outlined in writing what you expect of your students and research assistants?
• Have you made arrangements with local collaborators and proper authorities so your research goes smoothly?
• Will you need to collect medical information for the team traveling with you to be used in case of emergency? Review the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 to be sure you are protecting health information for you and any colleagues you are responsible for. Note: If you are collecting medical information for the study group, you must destroy the forms after the trip is over.

Checklist for Student Travel Abroad

Undergraduate Students

UC Education Abroad Program (UCEAP) offers UC Travel Abroad, an online training course on health and safety needs (food, water, hygiene, physical & mental health, personal awareness, disease & safety) for UCEAP students traveling to the following countries:

Argentina, Barbados, Botswana, Brazil, China, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Ghana, India, Indonesia, Jordan, Mexico, Morocco, Russia, Senegal, South Africa, Tanzania, Thailand, Turkey, and Vietnam.

Keep in mind that the information is intended for the UCEAP students only, as it provides UCEAP-specific references and advices on emergency contacts, travel insurance policy, etc., besides the general useful information about the listed countries.

Students traveling abroad through their campus study abroad programs should consult first with their campus study abroad office for relevant resources.

Graduate Students, Fellows, and Residents

6-12 Months Before Leaving

• Schedule a meeting with your program mentor to discuss project opportunities and explore resources available through your program.
• Research the country you will be visiting by using the Worldcue Travel Planner.
• Complete all compliance approval processes, e.g. Institutional Review Board (IRB), Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC), Biosafety, Export Control, etc. Each campus and laboratory has designated Institutional Review Boards to implement the institution's human subjects policies.
• Research funding sources.
• Visit the Export Control page and contact your campus Export Control office.
• Assess your need for funding, and resources to acquire it.
• Ensure your passport is up-to-date. Passport should be valid for 3 months beyond your date of return.

4-6 Months Before Leaving

• Confirm your project participation and study dates. Stay in contact with your project mentor.
• Confirm whether your involvement be included in your student records.
• Assemble contact information of your onsite advisor. Get phone numbers and local addresses for all contacts. Print them for your wallet and luggage tags.
• Purchase air tickets. Talk your program’s financial staff to ensure you do this correctly.
• Register your travel. Include a program staff contact among your 3 emergency contacts. Use the report to begin research on cultural norms. What are the dress codes, religious practices, and codes of conduct between sexes?
• Obtain the appropriate visa by contacting the respective foreign embassy.
• Research housing arrangements.
• Schedule a travel health consultation to assess medical needs, vaccinations, and medications. Some vaccinations need multiple visits.
• Check U.S. Department of State Website for travel warnings and alerts and also enroll in U.S Department of State: Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP).
• Determine Foreign Daily Per Diem Rates for destination.
• Follow departmental protocol for absence from campus.

3 Months Before Leaving

• Talk to your cell phone provider about international rates and research international service options. Think about accessories you will need for your electronic devices.
• Contact your bank, credit card company, or other financial institutions that you are going overseas. Inform them of where you will be going so they won’t freeze your account. Get your PIN, discuss limits and fees, check ATM locations, and provide them your itinerary.

1 Month Before Leaving

• Confirm your travel itinerary.
• Confirm housing arrangements. Communicate this information to family, local advisor, and program mentor.
• Research basic living conditions, such as type of food eaten, water supply, and modes of transportation.
• Compile and scan your travel documents, including passport, visas, travel insurance, state and university ID, emergency contact information, and immunization records. Store copies online, with a staff person, and a family member or friend. If you carry hard copies, carry them with you while traveling and store them in a safe place upon your arrival. Give any necessary copies to your program staff.
• Review What to Pack and assemble a Travel Health Kit.
• Become familiar with local dress standards, religious practices, customs, and codes of conduct.
• Research the cultural etiquette for your destination at businessculture.org and ediplomat.com.
• Purchase gifts for your hosts.
• Research ATM access in your area, currency exchange information, and whether travelers checks are acceptable.
• Download apps you may need on your mobile device, such as banking and travel apps.
• Talk to your phone service to set up international service.

1 Week Before Leaving:

• Confirm travel arrangements. Check the bag limits on each leg of your trip.
• Carry a small amount of cash. Note that exchange rates at the airport may be less favorable, so convert only what you need immediately. Some customs areas insist that you have local currency before leaving the airport.
• Keep reserve US cash for your trip home.

Safety Considerations

When planning international travel, you must also plan for your safety. Visit the Safety Considerations section to learn more about food and water safety, protection against animals and insects, and other concerns you might have while traveling abroad.

International Travel Emergency Response Checklist

This checklist is a tool for university faculty, staff and students to prepare to respond to an emergency. The international location, type of activity, number of participants, modes of transportation, etc., will determine the level of planning needed.

• Prepare first aid kit and emergency kit with provisions, e.g. flashlight, batteries, blankets, water, bandages, energy bars, etc.
• Implement security measures for participants, personal property and university-owned or leased property. Personal property (not university-owned) is the owner's responsibility.
• Provide and discuss with group leaders, coordinators, departmental contact, approving authority, and other key persons an up-to-date copy of the written plan for the travel.

• Review language issues as they may apply to emergency situations.

Travel Health Kit

Preparing a travel health kit is a vital part of your pre-trip planning and packing. The American College of Emergency Physicians and the CDC encourage travelers to pack a first-aid kit or a travel health kit so that common medical emergencies can be properly handled should they occur.

Visit Traveler Health to learn more about:

• Designing a Travel Health Kit
• Planning for your Environment
• Dealing with Pre-Existing Medical Conditions
• First Aid Kits and Post-Exposure Prophylaxis

What to Pack

Here’s a list of things you will want to consider packing.

Carry-On Essentials

It is not uncommon to lose luggage on international flights, especially on flights with multiple transfers. Keep these items in your carry-on in case your luggage gets lost:

• Airline tickets and confirmation numbers
• Passport and visa
• Copies of other important documents (birth certificate, social security card)
• UC Travel Insurance
• State and Student or Faculty IDs
• Travel itinerary
• Emergency contact information
• $100 in local currency
• Extra eyeglasses or contacts
• Prescription drugs for the length of your stay (Check to make sure you can bring them into the country and that you have a letter from your doctor)
• Your laptop and other electronic devices with chargers
• Adapters and converters
• Deodorant
• Spare outfit (in case your luggage gets lost)
• Gifts for your host family and others

Clothing

Before packing, get a sense of the standard dress code of where you are going. Check with someone who has been there to avoid inadvertently offending your host family or coworkers.

• Underwear (two weeks’ worth)
• Socks (two weeks’ worth plus a pair or two of wool socks)
• Undershirts
• Thermal underwear
• Long sleeve shirts (good for layering)
• Short sleeve shirts
• Sweatshirt/hoodie (2-3)
• Sweaters
• Jeans/Khakis (2-3 pair)
• Shorts
• A belt or two
• Skirts (for the girls)
• A set or two of workout clothes
• Pajamas
• Swimsuit (for those going to warmer climates)
• Coat/Jacket (one for cold weather and one that is water resistant)
• At least one nice outfit for formal occasions
• Flip flops/sandals of some sort (for warm climate or for hostel showers)
• Walking shoes
• Dress shoes
• Boots/rain boots
• Cold weather gear (gloves, mittens, hat, and scarf)

Toiletries

If you aren’t picky, a lot of these items can also be found in your host country:

• TSA Compliant Toiletry Kit/1-quart zip-top Ziploc bags
• Shampoo and conditioner
• Toothbrush and toothpaste
• Soap
• Deodorant
• Feminine products
• Brush or comb
• Razors and other shaving supplies
• Contact lenses and solution or glasses
• Nail clippers
• Makeup
• Over-the-counter medicines
• Suntan lotion
• Tissues or toilet paper

Miscellaneous

• Alarm clock (battery operated) and watch
• Backpack, large purse, or money belt for day-to-day use
• Refillable water bottle
• Travel Health Kit
• Thin lightweight towel
• Linens, bedsheets, and towels (Check with your program to see if these are provided, otherwise you may just want to buy them abroad because they tend to be heavy and take up a lot of room)
• Small plastic bottles for toiletries for use in your carry-on or while traveling
• Sunglasses
• Travel books for the region(s) you will visit
• Luggage and laptop locks
• Pocket dictionary/phrase book
• Pocket‐sized notebook/journal
• Items for networking (such as your resume and business card)

A Note About Packing

Do not bring more than two normal-size suitcases and a carry-on. Most people pack more than they need. You will be able to buy many of these things in your host country so you should pack just enough to get you through until you can go shopping.

Bring clothes that are easily layered for various climate conditions, do not need ironing, can be drip-dried, and are comfortable and durable. Also, remember that dark clothing does not show stains and dirt as much as light-colored clothing does. Most importantly make sure that all of your clothes are interchangeable, i.e. any of your shirts can go with any of your skirts/pants, etc. This will provide you with many more “outfits” on a daily basis even with limited clothing items.

A lot of the toiletries mentioned can usually be found in your host country. But they might not have a specific brand if you’re picky. Also, some things just don’t work the same (deodorant in Japan, toothpaste in Korea) or aren’t used as prevalently (Tampons in Egypt).

Remember that most electrical appliances will not work because of the different electrical current. Generally, laptop computers will work but you will probably need an adapter. It is usually better to just buy small electrical appliances (like hair dryers) in the host country.

Bring gifts for your host site and host family. This is expected in most cultures, so bring extra, including children's gift, for example small toys, pencils, or pens. Research what would be considered useful.

Visas and Money

Traveling abroad doesn’t have to be confusing if you have the right information before you go. This section provides information about visas and banking for Americans traveling abroad. For information about visas for visitors coming to the U.S., see the Labor Considerations page. Your campus international scholars office advises scholars and students from around the globe in visa matters as they pertain to their programs of study. UC policy requires that all enquiries about visas for visitors to the UC campus should go through that office.

Visas

Each country has separate visa requirements for Americans traveling abroad. If you are not an American citizen, your visa requirements are specific to your citizenry. In some cases you can purchase visas at the airports when you arrive or as you cross borders. In other cases you must have applied for and purchased your visa ahead of time, often traveling to a personal interview in the process. You must have enough blank pages in your passport to accommodate all of your visas and stamps of entry/exit. Most countries require your passport to be valid for 3 months past your anticipated date of exit.

Consult the U.S. State Department list of Foreign Embassies for information on visa requirements, crime and security information, health and medical conditions, drug penalties, and localized hot spots. This is a good place to start learning about where you are going.

Money

Before you leave for your travels, consider the following:

• Check and understand exchange rates before you travel.
• Notify your bank, credit card company, or other financial institutions that you are going overseas.Inform them of where you will be going so they won’t freeze your account.
• Talk to your bank about fees and ATMs.
• Have your credit card pin sent to you. It can take a few weeks.
• Download ATM mapping apps for your bank.
• Change traveler's checks only as you need them. They make you a target for theft and have high exchange rates.
• Determine which brand of traveler’s checks is accepted in your country, and where they can be cashed (usually the best hotel in town).

Exchange Rates and Currency Converter

• XE Live Exchange Rates and Currency Converter
• OANDA Currency Converter

Campus Directory

See the UC Campus Directory for contact information if you have additional questions regarding Visas and Money.