About Coronavirus

• All travelers are must adhere to all applicable State of KS COVID-19 Guidelines and Federal COVID-19 Guidelines.  
• Travel policies and processes during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic are informed the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC) - International Travel During COVID and the U.S. Department of State's (DOS) - COVID Travel Advisories.
• International travel processes are also informed by KU policies governing student international travel, including the KU policy on University-Sponsored Travel to High-Risk Locations and University-Affiliated Student International Travel.
• Travel policies do not apply to personal travel. However, students considering personal international travel are strongly encouraged to weigh the risks as articulated by the CDC and State Department.

To assess risks related to study abroad and student international travel, KU Study Abroad & Global Engagement (SAGE) uses a number of resources, including governmental agencies (U.S. Department of State, Center for Disease Control and Prevention), the World Health Organization, the Overseas Security Advisory Council (OSAC), professional health and security organizations (including AIG and AlertTraveler), assessments by university partners abroad, U.S. Embassy country-specific information, news outlets, and more.

Information on the KU-Lawrence campus' management of COVID-19 can be found at Protect KU Together.

When making decisions about specific international travel activities, KU and Study Abroad & Global Engagement (SAGE) considers information from a variety of resources (as cited above) as well as local conditions and program-specific factors, including:

• International travel restrictions (open/closed borders, commercial flight availability, accessibility of U.S. embassies/consulates, host-country entry requirements, and considerations for return to the U.S.)
• Public health conditions in the destination location (COVID-19 transmission rates, COVID-19 vaccination rates, quality of healthcare, hospital and ICU capacities, public health mandates, etc.)
• Host institution preparedness (mitigation plans, academic contingency planning, student accommodations, student support services)
• Student preparation, acknowledgement of risk, proof of comprehensive medical insurance, parental waiver (as applicable)

The issuance by the U.S. State Department Travel Advisories or the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention COVID-19 Travel Recommendations of a Level 4 (Do Not Travel) or Level 3 (Reconsider Travel) travel advisory due to the prevalence of COVID-19 in a country does not automatically alter KU’s decision to conduct study abroad programs in that location.  Rather, under KU's Travel to High Risk Locations policy, formal education abroad activities in a country under a Level 3 or Level 4 travel advisory must be reviewed and approved by KU's International Travel Review Committee (ITRC) in advance of operation.  The ITRC meets regularly during the academic year.  Any changes in program status will be communicated to students immediately after review. 

Study Abroad & Global Engagement is administering a full portfolio of summer and fall study abroad programs.  

The University of Kansas encourages all students participating in a study abroad program to receive the COVID-19 vaccine.  Vaccination against COVID-19 greatly reduces the risk of becoming severely ill with the virus and will go a long way toward ensuring student health while abroad.  Students planning to get vaccinated in advance of travel should complete the vaccine series not later than 15 days prior to departure. 

KU does not require proof of vaccination against COVID-19 to participate in a study abroad program.  However, vaccination against COVID-19 may be required by foreign governments, partner institutions abroad, external program providers, or private entities (such as cultural sites, corporate hosts, event venues, etc.) engaged in the delivery of curricular or co-curricular content on study abroad programs.  If mandated by a third-party, KU students seeking to study abroad in an impacted program or destination should be prepared to comply with this requirement.

Study Abroad staff will advise all students on the requirements in place at each program location.  If a student has elected not to receive a COVID-19 vaccine and a foreign government, partner institution, program sponsor or private entity requires this for the destination country or program, Study Abroad will work with the student to identify an alternative program for term in question.  However, please note that third-party regulations governing COVID-19 vaccination can change without warning at any time prior to departure or while abroad, and thus affect a student’s ability to travel or participate fully in a program or program activities. 

Studying abroad during COVID-19 will be different!  Just as KU and universities across the United States have developed comprehensive plans for student health and safety as campuses reopened this year, partner universities abroad may have modified academic calendars, class schedules, course delivery, student accommodations and many other facets of academic life to support student health and well-being at their institutions.  For example:

• Academic Experience: programs and universities may implement a hybrid online/ in-person format for the upcoming semester. There may be changes to the academic format of your program and additional rules or restrictions may be put in place to govern the number of students and student spacing within the physical classroom.
• Student Housing: the availability and type of on-campus housing may differ as campuses seek to reduce the number of students in confined quarters.  Students may need to exercise flexibility in the selection of housing or be prepared to find housing off-campus.
• Independent Travel: independent travel outside of the city and/ or country in which you are studying/interning/conducting research may be more limited should COVID cases surge in neighboring destinations.
• Program Excursions and Activities:  Excursions may be altered or canceled to adjust to current health and government recommendations and to support student health and well-being.

Graduate and undergraduate students engaging in all other university-affiliated international travel should register through the Student International Travel Registry  as per established KU University-Affiliated International Travel Policy. Covered activities include: non-credit bearing travel organized or sponsored by a KU unit, faculty or staff member; travel supported with KU funding; international performances or athletic competitions; travel organized or sponsored by KU student organizations; and travel by students to meetings of academic and professional associations, including conferences.  International travel registration must be completed not later than 30 days prior to departure.

Students registering travel to locations with a Department of State travel advisory level 3 (undergraduates) or travel advisory level 4 (both graduates and undergraduates) will be required to secure approval through the KU International Travel Review Committee (ITRC) in advance of travel.  Students approved for travel to a DOS Level 3 or Level 4 destination will be required to sign the associated waiver and release of liability for travel to high-risk locations. Parent/guardian signature is required on this document for all undergraduate students.

Upon return from international travel, all individuals should follow CDC COVID Guidelines, KU COVID Guidelines and KDHE recommendations and requirements. 

Study Abroad & Global Engagement, in collaboration with domestic and international partners, has created a number of Virtual Study and Internship Abroad programs.  Students can earn academic credit at KU, gain intercultural competence and career skills, and engage globally through these experiences while remaining local.  For more information, visit our Virtual Study Abroad and Virtual International Internships.

There are myriad ways to gain global competencies while on the KU campus.  Opportunities such as the Global Awareness Program, Global Scholars program, Global Partners, foreign language and area studies, and more are excellent ways to engage your curiosity for the world!