Faculty, Staff and Employee International Travel

Faculty, staff and other employees traveling internationally on university business incur no cost for enrollment in an Iowa Regents CISI insurance policy for international travelers. To be covered, you must register your travel in advance through the University’s ProTrav system. Enrollment will occur automatically approximately three weeks prior to your departure.

When you create a trip in ProTrav or approve a ProTrav trip created for you through Workflow, you have an important opportunity to share details about your travel plans and travel documents. These details can be used to reach and assist you in the event of an emergency abroad.

For Iowa Regents CISI international insurance policy details and a claim form, please refer to UI Benefits. UI Benefits can also advise on optional coverage available at the traveler's expense for accompanying spouse/domestic partner or dependents. The Iowa Regents CISI insurance policy does not apply to personal international travel.

For more information about international travel procedures for faculty and staff, please refer to section 2.2 Travel Procedures for Faculty and Staff in the University of Iowa Operations Manual.

Student International Travel

Students traveling abroad under the auspices of the University of Iowa are subject to the University of Iowa's International Travel Policy for Students. This policy applies to all students (undergraduate, graduate and professional degree students) traveling outside of the U.S. in a student capacity for University of Iowa related purposes.

University of Iowa students are required to register their university-related travel with International Programs. As part of the registration process, participants will be automatically enrolled in the Regents-mandated International Health Insurance Plan and in most cases billed for it on their U-bill. Students are also asked to provide a copy of their passport during registration.

A. Students Traveling on Programs through Study Abroad

If you are a student going on a program arranged through the UI Study Abroad office, your travel will be registered for you once you confirm participation in your program. Your study abroad advisor will provide information about additional requirements.

B. Individual Travel Registration

REQUIRED steps for registering individual student travel abroad for independent activities not arranged or advised for through the the University of Iowa Study Abroad office. The following steps should be completed at least 30 days prior to departure.

  1. Verify that your travel destination(s) are currently NOT under any U.S. Department of State Advisory with a risk rating of 3 (reconsider travel) or 4 (do not travel.)
  2. Review the International Health Insurance Information and familiarize yourself with it.
  3. Submit the following items to Study Abroad (1111 UCC, Attn: Health and Safety Advisor, or email to safety-abroad@uiowa.edu)
  4. Prior to departure, complete the online “Education Abroad Pre-Departure Training” course offered through ICON for the current academic year. International Programs will enroll you in this course as part of the registration process. Note: If you already completed the ICON course within the current academic year due to previous international travel, you can simply log back in to review the content.

Additional items to do prior to your travel:

  • Register your travel plans with the U.S. Department of State through their "Smart Traveler Enrollment Program" (STEP). This is only for U.S. citizens and can be extremely useful if a situation arises requiring U.S. State Department assistance, such as having your passport lost, or stolen while abroad. If you are not a U.S. citizen, contact your home country embassy for information about similar programs that may be available to you from your country of citizenship.
  • Consult the Health Preparation Guide. Do not turn this in to International Programs, but rather use it as a tool to consider your unique medical and medication needs and steps you will take to address those needs while abroad. Meeting with your healthcare provider before travel is strongly advised.

For Research Involving Human Subjects please refer to the following information:

C. Group Travel Registration

REQUIRED steps for registering student group travel (i.e. Athletic team travel, College- or Department-sponsored group travel, non credit-bearing and/or not organized through Study Abroad.) The following steps should be completed at least 30 days prior to the group's departure:

  1. Confirm that the intended international travel destination(s) for the group are not currently under a U.S. Department of State high-risk travel advisory of Level 3 (reconsider travel) or Level 4 (do not travel). If your destination has a high-risk designation of 3 or 4, go to our High-Risk Travel page. If not, move on to Step 2.
  2. Complete and submit the Group Travel Registration Form digitally to safety-abroad@uiowa.edu.
  3. Collect signed Conditions of Participation forms from all student travelers in your group. These should be scanned and sent to safety-abroad@uiowa.edu.
  4. Submit clear copies of the information/picture page of each group traveler’s passport. These should be scanned and sent to safety-abroad@uiowa.edu.
  5. Review the Health Insurance Information with the group.
  6. Students will be enrolled in the online “Education Abroad Pre-Departure Training” course offered through ICON. They must complete this course before departing. Note: If students completed the ICON course within the last year due to previous international travel, then they do not have to retake it.

Additional items for group travel:

  • Ask student participants to consult the Health Preparation Guide. They do not turn this in to International Programs, but rather use it as a tool to consider their unique medical and medication needs and steps they will take to address those needs while abroad. Meeting with their healthcare provider before travel is strongly advised.
  • Have students register their travel plans with the U.S. Department of State through their "Smart Traveler Enrollment Program" (STEP). This can be extremely useful for U.S. citizen travelers if a situation arises requiring U.S. State Department assistance, such as having your passport lost or stolen while abroad. Students who are not U.S. citizens should consult with their embassy to see if similar services are offered by their country of citizenship.

Contact Information

If you have any questions regarding this process, please contact the Health and Safety Advisor in UI International Programs safety-abroad@uiowa.edu or contact UI Study Abroad at 1111 UCC or 319-335-0353

Updated: March 2024