For medical, security, or emergency assistance abroad

On Call International Phone: +1 603-952-2056 (collect world wide) +1 888-226-9576 (toll free US or Canada)

Overview

International travel is an important part of business conducted at Iowa State. In order to support this travel, the university has a variety of resources and processes to promote the safety, security, and well-being of travelers while abroad.

You should register all university-sponsored international employee travel in the International Travel Registry prior to travel. This registration is critical to access resources like global assistance and insurance, itinerary-based security alerts, and destination risk intelligence. Some types of travel such as high-risk travel and travel subject to export control may require additional review or approval. Please see Policies and resources at the bottom of this page for comprehensive guidance.

It is best to register travel as early as you are aware of it, even if your final itinerary and dates are not yet determined. Registrations can be updated later if plans change. For travel to higher-risk destinations or that involves complicated arrangements, you should register your travel at least six weeks before departure.

Business travel at the university can take many forms, including travel for research, recruiting, professional development, leading a study abroad program, and attending conferences. International travel must be registered if any of the following are true:

  • Funds managed or controlled by the university are used for expenses, including grants and other sponsored funds managed through the university.
  • The travel is by official Iowa State organizations such as departments, student organizations, or athletics teams.
  • The purpose of the travel is for a university employee or volunteer to perform their official responsibilities.
  • The travel is by a faculty member for the purpose of research, teaching, or other activity that is part of their employment, scholarship, or service.

If your travel is exclusively domestic or for personal reasons you do not need to register. Travel for outside consultancies or work on behalf of other institutions or companies does not need to be registered unless it is in conjunction with an ISU-sponsored project.

Many types of international travel by students must also be registered. Students should register through ISUAbroad when traveling internationally.

You must register all university-sponsored international travel prior to departure, according to university policy. Travel that is exclusively for personal reasons does not need to be registered, but personal travel connected to an ISU-sponsored trip will receive certain benefits if it is registered.

Risk management does not approve international travel, but high-risk travel does require review and in some cases approval by a designated authority prior to travel. Student international travel requires approval in most cases.