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Travel Reviews, Approvals, and Restrictions

See the Rochester International Travel and Program Development Policy (PDF) for detailed information about travel reviews, approvals, and restrictions.

UPDATE: On January 10, 2018, the U.S. Department of State launched improvements on how they share risk information with U.S. travelers. Under the new system, every country will have a Travel Advisory, providing levels of advice ranging from 1 to 4:

  • Level 1 – Exercise Normal Precautions
  • Level 2 – Exercise Increased Caution
  • Level 3 – Reconsider Travel
  • Level 4 – Do Not Travel

The new Travel Advisory system replaces Travel Warnings – which is how Rochester previously defined high-risk destinations in the International Travel and Program Development Policy. In response to the removal of DoS Travel Warnings, Rochester has made an interim change to our definition of a high-risk destination until our travel policy is amended. See the FAQ question “What is considered a High-Risk Destination” for this change.

The Travel Review Subcommittee (TRS)

The TRS evaluates the health, safety, and security of University-sponsored or supported international programs and activities involving Rochester undergraduates traveling to high-risk destinations. The TRS also reviews operational logistics, planning, and risk mitigation strategies for in-country program components.

Travel Approval Requirement for High-Risk Destinations

To minimize health and safety risks, all undergraduate students (and any faculty/staff leading them) going to high-risk destinations on University-sponsored or supported programs or activities must get special permission from the TRS.

Sponsoring academic units, faculty leaders, or individual undergraduate students seeking to travel to high-risk destinations should submit a Travel Permission Request Form (PDF) to the Office for Global Engagement.
Note: For any faculty-led trips, the sponsoring unit or faculty/staff member in charge is responsible for ensuring all participants (including any students) have TRS approval well in advance of their departure.

Timeline
Travel Permission Request Forms (PDF) should be submitted at least three months prior to departure. However, we suggest submitting as early as possible to allow for any logistical changes that might have to be made to your travel plans.


FAQ