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Foreign Travel

Special Considerations for Foreign Travel

  • You may need to obtain a visa.
  • You will need an up-to-date passport. Passport requirements are becoming increasingly strict, and, effective December 31, 2006, passports will even be required for all air and sea travel to or from Canada, Mexico, Central and South America, Bermuda, and the Caribbean, with the exception of U.S. territories, for entry or re-entry into the United States.
  • You may be required to have special vaccinations.
  • You may need additional health insurance while you are away.
  • For travel defined as "international" (definitionpopup ), if you are traveling on state funds, you must obtain certain approvals prior to making any travel purchase, and especially so if three or more persons are traveling to the same international destination.
  • Under certain circumstances, you may be able to upgrade air travel to business class.

Lodging and Meals

  • Special per diem rates published by the U.S. State Department must be used for travel outside the 48 contiguous states. Select the year of your trip, then select the "Maximum Allowable Per Diem Allowance for Foreign Areas" for the specific time period of your trip. The first rate table on that page is for out-of-country travel, and the second contains non-foreign per diem rates for Alaska, Hawaii the commonwealths of Puerto Rico and the Northern Mariana Islands, and possessions of the United States
  • You must include a hard copy of the per diem rates for your destination(s) with the Travel Workbook when requesting reimbursement for international travel.

Vehicle Rental Insurance for Foreign Travel

  • The University's insurance does not cover the Collision Damage Waiver (CDW) and Liability Damage Waiver (LDW) insurance for cars rented outside the territorial United States. Travelers are required to accept this additional coverage and will be reimbursed.
  • Other types of insurance are not reimbursable.

Need for Extra Cash

Special cash advances may be available through Accounting Services in Financial Administration or the Medical Center's Credit Union if you will be overseas for an extended period of time. However, it is recommended that you use the Travel Card or Traveler's Checks whenever possible.

Health and Immunization

  • University of Virginia Traveler's Clinic offers itinerary-specific medical consultation.
  • The Centers for Disease Control offers detailed and summary information on health concerns and foreign travel.
  • The Charlottesville-Albemarle Health Department also provides immunizations for foreign travel. The Health Department is located at 1138 Rose Hill Drive, Charlottesville, Virginia, 22906. The office is open 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Call (434) 972-6269 for answers to immunization questions.
  • Currently enrolled students should contact Student Health for assistance with immunizations.