Prior Approval for Travel to High-Risk Areas Required for Student Travelers

The U.S. Department of State assigns a travel advisory rating for each country. If your destination country is under a U.S. Department of State travel advisory with an overall risk rating of 3 (reconsider travel) or 4 (do not travel), and if you still wish to pursue your travel plans despite the risks indicated in the warning or alert, please contact International Programs at safety-abroad@uiowa.edu to discuss your proposed travel plans. The International Programs Travel Advisory Committee will need to review your proposed plans. This review committee includes representatives from International Programs, Risk Management and General Counsel. Student proposals for travel to any location with a level 4 (do not travel) rating or a level 3 (reconsider travel) rating will be considered case-by-case.

Petitioning for High-Risk Travel

To petition to travel to a high-risk destination with a level 3 or 4 rating from the U.S. Department of State, you are expected to:

  1. Fill out a High-Risk Destination form:
  2. If you are a student, fill out and sign a travel risk waiver.
  3. Email the High Risk Destination petition and the waiver (if applicable) to safety-abroad@uiowa.edu. The travel advisory committee will consider the proposal.
  4. If travel is approved:

Without receiving prior approval from the International Programs Travel Advisory Committee, students will not be able to transfer credit, register for study abroad, participate in university-affiliated travel, or use university-based funding for travel to a country under a U.S. DOS travel advisory with a high risk rating of 3 or 4.

In addition, UI International Programs/Study Abroad scholarship funding for high-risk level 3 or 4 destinations will not be released without approval from the review committee. If approval for travel is not granted prior to departure for a destination under a U.S. DOS level 3 or 4 advisory, any UI funding received for international travel will be revoked and UI travel registration and insurance will not be processed for that destination. Depending on the source, it may be possible to work with a funding organization to adjust travel plans to utilize the funds in a destination not under a U.S. DOS level 3 or 4 advisory.

Travel in Progress: Travel Advisories Issued After Student Departure

International Programs, in collaboration with the Office of the Provost, will review university-sponsored international student travel in progress while a significant health or safety concern arises regarding that travel, including new and renewed U.S. DOS travel advisories and alerts; advisories from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention or World Health Organization; or natural disasters, wars, political disturbances or other indicators of potential health or safety threats to travelers. 

International Programs, in consultation with the provost, will make decisions based solely on health, safety, and security risks, with no consideration of the financial consequences to the administering unit in the decision-making process. International Programs and the Office of the Provost may request input from the University Travel Advisory Committee in this process.