Faculty and Staff on Official International Travel
The University requires employees on official international travel (defined as anything affiliated, sponsored, or funded by UW) to register their travel with UW Global.
Registration is also required for compliance with federal research security guidelines (in the case of an employee who is a Covered Individual, certain types of personal travel may require registration).
For employees who will be working abroad for longer than 30 days, please consult the international remote work abroad policy. There are limited exceptions for international work abroad and they require approval through the request form, submitted to globaloperations@uw.edu.
- After clicking on a registry link above, you’ll be asked to login with your NetID.
- Note: you may see a large ‘UW Study Abroad’ logo – you’re in the right place! We know you’re not on a study abroad program.
- Next, you will enter relevant traveler information, including destination and dates of travel. You will need to select the destination from the dropdown menu. It will populate with destinations once you start typing.
- Provide the mobile phone number you will be using abroad and emergency contact information.
All individual, official trips should be registered.
Trips are determined by your itinerary parameters and the assumption that a traveler is returning to the US, their home country, or taking time off in between. The individual trips are not defined by the parameters of an award or grant, but based on the specific “round-trip” itinerary dates.
Examples: a faculty member that travels to Bangkok every month and returns to the US in between should register each trip separately.
A faculty member traveling to Nairobi for a meeting and then immediately flying to Geneva for a conference should register one trip with multiple destinations.
Can you register on behalf of someone else?
Unfortunately there is no way to register on behalf of someone else without using their NetID. At this point, the registry lives behind a UW NetID login page and only the individual travel can register.
Administrators can also email itinerary information for senior leadership to UW Global Travel Health and Safety (travelemergency@uw.edu) who can create the registration manually. Include the traveler’s Net ID, travel dates, city, and country(ies) of travel.
Consequences of not registering
It is up to each unit or department to determine any individual consequences for not registering. Your individual unit manages your requests and approvals process and may withhold travel reimbursements without proof of confirmation of registration.
For retroactive travel, if the travel dates have already passed, the travel does not need to be registered.
There are also possible institutional consequences for not registering travel, particularly for covered individuals or longer-term travel that poses tax, export control, or cybersecurity risks and regulations.
Note: Anyone enrolled in a credit-bearing capacity, even if employed or the travel is related to their University employment, are required to register as a student, under curricular or non-curricular travel.
Who should register:
- Anyone traveling internationally (including Puerto Rico, Guam, and the US Virgin Islands) on travel that is sponsored, arranged, administered, or funded by UW (research, conferences, etc).
- Anyone traveling on sabbatical, to an international destination where they will continue to be paid through UW.
- All UW graduate assistants, residents and fellows traveling outside of the U.S. on official UW travel.
- Covered Individuals, who need to register both official and certain types of personal travel.
The definition of covered individual varies depending on the federal agency. Generally, however, it is:
An individual who (A) contributes in a substantive, meaningful way to the scientific development or execution of an R&D project proposed to be carried out with an…award from a Federal research agency; and (B) is designated as a covered individual by the Federal research agency concerned.” See Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) Memo
Who should not register:
- UW employees on personal travel or vacation (unless the traveler is a Covered Individual). Personal travel is not covered under UW global insurance.
- Domestic travelers going within the 50 United States, even on official UW travel.
- Anyone traveling for work that is NOT affiliated with an appointment at the University (conference related to an external position, etc).
- Non-UW individuals without a Net ID, even if being funded through the University.
- Dependents
Remote work abroad information
For travelers who will be working abroad for longer than 30 days, even if for personal reasons, should consult the remote work abroad policy and request form. Working internationally while receiving UW payroll funds falls into a different category than travel registration. Consult with Global Operations Support with any questions.
More information on the insurance is included in your registration, including steps on how to download the International SOS app. You must use your UW email to login.
Using International SOS, the emergency assistance provider, is the easiest way to access your Cigna insurance while abroad.
Dependents are covered under UW Official International Travel insurance
This includes children, spouses, and domestic partners who are accompanying UW personnel on an official trip. They are automatically covered under your registration; you do not need to report them.
Employee international insurance is included in your benefits
For students within your office who may be seeking reimbursement for their student insurance cost, the UW Travel Office determines what is considered a reimbursable travel expense. In the case of UW Student Abroad Insurance, it is required under the Official International Student Travel policy and therefore reimbursable. A unit should defer to the grant administrator for specific guidance. Note that the insurance fee is not an administrative fee but rather the student traveler’s insurance premium.
A Travel Waiver is required for travel to any Department of State Level 4 country or region. If you are traveling to a country that has Level 4 areas, even if you will not be traveling to them, you will be required to submit a waiver. If a waiver is required, it will be included in the registration process.
Note: our system is automated to flag any country with an elevated advisory level (including regional ones), which is why a travel waiver may be required for your itinerary country. Due to technical constraints, we aren’t able to filter out destinations by city. A travel waiver that deploys based on the itinerary country, not city or region. If this is the case for your itinerary, the waiver acts as a signature document, confirming you will not be traveling to those areas.
For travel to a Level 4 country or region, additional review and approval will be required by the International Travel Risk Assessment Committee and the University Provost. A detailed proposal will be submitted based on your travel waiver. They request advanced notice of 45 days for review.
More information on the UW High-Risk Travel Policy and Restrictions
If you are leading a group of students on an international program or trip, visit the UW Student Tours website to register your program.
If you are leading an official program through a UW Study Abroad office, you do not need to register the trip separately for yourself.
Need help with the registry?
Contact the UW Global Travel Health and Safety team at travelemergency@uw.edu or 206.616.7927
Guidance on US Border Procedures for International Travelers