June 24, 2021
UW international travel policies updated (Message to employees)
This message is being sent to staff, faculty and other academic personnel across the University of Washington.
Dear UW faculty and staff,
I am writing to communicate updated policies for UW employee and student official international travel in light of changing global and local conditions, which include:
- All official international travel must be registered with UW Global Travel Security through the Office of Global Affairs.
- Effective immediately, travel by faculty, other academic personnel and staff is permissible for U.S. Department of State Level 1, Level 2 and Level 3 destinations. For Level 4 destinations, a travel waiver is required within the travel registration process.
- Effective for travel dates starting September 10, 2021, graduate and undergraduate students are permitted to travel in accordance with updated rules for each enrollment type.
- These rules only apply to official University travel and not to personal travel. However, we encourage you to use caution and review applicable travel warnings.
Since March 2020, official international travel has been restricted for the entire UW community. Going forward, international travel rules vary by traveler type and are tied to the Department of State Travel Advisory levels. I encourage you to review the full set of international travel rules.
We strongly encourage you to delay any travel until you are fully vaccinated. As a reminder the UW now requires students and employees to be vaccinated for COVID-19. For more information and additional guidance, see the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention international travel website. The CDC site also includes additional precautions for those who are not fully vaccinated who must travel.
UW Global Travel Security will continue to monitor the evolving public health and safety implications of travel, working closely with experts from across campus to provide guidance. Global engagement is a part of the fabric of our University, and we are committed to a safe and healthy return to international travel.
Sincerely,
Mark A. Richards
Provost and Executive Vice President
Professor of Earth and Space Sciences
