Pre-Departure Requirements

he State of Florida prohibits the use of department or project funds for travel or travel-related costs to countries identified by the U.S. Department of State as State Sponsors of Terrorism. Please ensure that your destination is not designated as a State Sponsors of Terrorism. If your destination is included under this designation, please contact the International Travel Committee.

Travel to destinations currently sanctioned by the Department of the Treasury or traveling with research-related equipment or data, or highly encrypted software, or attending or presenting at a scientific conference, may require you to take specific action(s) to comply with the law. If any of these apply to your travels, you must contact our Export Controls Administrator/Compliance Officer at compliance@fiu.edu or 305-348-4726 to understand any prerequisites such as export controls or licensing requirements related to your trip. If your trip is associated with a sponsored research project and was approved by the Office of Research & Economic Development/Post-Award Manager, the screening for sanctions and export control requirements is already completed.

Review the U.S. Department of State's Travel Advisory for your destination(s) and follow the recommendations. Be sure to understand country-specific details that could affect your travel, such as entry/exit requirements, local laws and customs, health conditions, transportation, and other relevant topics.

Employees (including student employees) who wish to travel to a country at Level 4 Advisory "Do not travel" by the U.S. Department of State must complete a travel petition form in addition to the regular Travel Authorization Request (TAR) in Panthersoft prior to departure. Travelers are urged to carefully review the information and warnings by the U.s. Department of State (learn about your destination). 

Petitions will be reviewed by the university's International Travel Committee (ITC) and specific safety precautions and recommendations will be shared with the traveler. The provost reserves the right to restrict international travel if the risks are deemed to high. 

Prior to departure, employees should familiarize themselves with the university's travel policies, including but not limited to the

• University Travel Expense Policy (Policy #1110.060);
• International Travel Policy for Employees & Students (Policy #320.099);
• Travel on a Sponsored Project Policy (Policy #2350.105), or for additional information call your Post-Award Manager.

All faculty and staff traveling internationally with students must follow the Pre-Departure Guide and Emergency Action Plan issued by the Office of Education Abroad (OEA). OEA will also ensure that students and faculty or staff traveling with them, will be enrolled in the university's International Travel Insurance. For more information please send an email to edabroad@fiu.edu or call 305-348-1913.

Please ensure that your emergency contact information in Panthersoft HR is up-to-date.

Effective May 1, 2018, FIU is providing Global Business Travel Insurance coverage for all employees (including student employees) traveling abroad. Enrollment in this insurance plan provided by UnitedHealth Global (UHC Global) has been processed automatically upon approval of a TAR.

To view a complete list of benefits, print a group membership wallet-card, view worldwide 24/7 emergency contact numbers, access up to date medical and security briefings and more, please sign in to the FIU-UnitedHealthcare Global Intelligence Center (FIU group information: Client Name: Florida International University; UHCGlobal ID# 902556621) to create an account.

In an emergency, travelers should as soon as possible contact UHC Global for assistance at +001-410-453-6330, and also notify FIU Global at IntlTravel@fiu.edu or via text message to +001-786-232-1084.

The FIU Office of Education Abroad offers affordable global travel insurance coverage for students. For detailed information regarding insurance coverage benefits and costs, please visit Office of Education Abroad located in SASC 230, Modesto Maidique Campus, or call 305-348-1913, or e-mail edabroad@fiu.edu.

• Register with the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) through the US Department of State to benefit from the local embassy's information service and assistance.
• Review destination-specific health information by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). For an in-person pre-travel assessment or post-travel care, please visit FIU's Travel Medicine Program & Clinic. 
• For the responsible use and proper stewardship of handling technology devices as well as electronic credentials and sensitive data when traveling abroad, please view FIU's International Travel Data Security Guideline under IT Security Policies. FIU provides loaner laptops for international travelers to high-risk destinations. Please contact the Green Library Access Services Department at upaccess@fiu.edu or 305-348-2451 to inquire further.