Additional Travel Resources

Penn Students

Penn students can go to Student Health & Counseling (SHC) for free travel consultation and discounted travel vaccinations. SHC encourages you to make your appointment at least 4-6 weeks before your trip. While you can get your vaccinations at any clinic, SCH is often the most convenient and cost-effective option for students. For more information, click on the link below.

Student Health and Counseling.

Faculty and Staff

Penn Travel Medicine provides destination-specific medical consultation, including pre-travel vaccinations. While you can get your vaccinations at any clinic, Penn Travel Medicine is a convenient on-campus option. For more information, click on the link below.

Penn Travel Medicine

Travel Vaccination Insurance Benefits

Pre-Trip Vaccinations are eligible for reimbursement for faculty, staff and students traveling on a Penn-affiliated trip. For more information, visit Pre-Trip Vaccinations.

Visit CDC website for more details. 

Visit EHRS to access training and guidance to chemical, biological, radiation or physical hazards.

The U.S Department of State’s International Travel website provides country-specific information, including travel advisories, entry, exit and visa requirements, health guidance, safety and security guidance, and much more.

US citizens and nationals are encouraged to enroll in the Department of State’s Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP). STEP is a free service that allows you to enter information about upcoming trips abroad so that U.S. embassies and consulates can better assist you in an emergency. You can also subscribe to receive email updates with travel advisories and other information for a particular country or destination. Enrolling in the program only takes a few minutes.

International SOS provides 24/7 medical and security assistance to Penn travelers.

Contact International SOS at 215-942-8478 or philadelphia@internationalsos.com (Penn Member ID 11BSGC000012) to speak directly with a medical or security professional. 

Penn Abroad encourages travelers to think about how their identity and health may influence their experience abroad.  Visit the webpages below for more information and guidance.  

Life Abroad

Health & Safety

International SOS provides destination-specific travel advice and guidance through Penn’s dedicated ISOS portal (requires UPenn email to access).

International SOS is available to provide 24/7 assistance to Penn travelers via phone, chat or email. For more information, visit Travel Insurance & Emergency Resources.

When traveling abroad on behalf of Penn it is important to safeguard your data. Penn has tools and support to help prepare you and your data for your destination. 

International travel introduces new risks to your data and devices. We encourage you to also consult Penn’s Office of Information Security and their information on Data Security on Foreign Travel. 

Review these guidelines 4 weeks before you travel as arrangements may be necessary. Consult your Local Support Provider (LSP) for specific information and recommendations related to your devices and Penn services.

• International Calling Plan/wireless coverage: Depending on your planned usage, you can compare the usage rates among these three options: international plan, international roaming, or renting a device. 
• International dialing codes: International calls require country codes which can be found on this website.
• Power voltage varies between countries and may require power adapters for your electronic devices.
• Remote access to Penn Systems and Services: Check with your LSP for requirements to access systems remotely.
• Computer repair overseas: Check the warranty status of your computer as warranties provide access to support services including repairs or technical support.
• Consider purchasing a burner phone and a local SIM card to eliminate high international calling and texting costs.
• Be aware, at the border of some countries (air or land), the customs and border staff may ask to access your mobile device data. At your return, the U.S. border and customs staff may also ask to access your mobile device data.

Get a travel briefing from your School/Center IT support staff on keeping your equipment and tool safe and secure.

Consult with your LSP if you require IT services or facilities beyond support for personal devices and connectivity. Additional recommendations include:

• If you have reliable Internet services overseas, it may be more cost effective to leverage services hosted at Penn.
• If you need IT infrastructure or facilities on site at your location, consult with IT staff familiar with your work who can translate your functional needs into specific technical requirements.
• If you are affiliated with an organization while you’re overseas, the organization may be able to provide the IT services or facilities you need.
• If you don’t need a device, don’t take it with you. Consider taking a clean laptop and external flash drive. Talk to your School/Center for a possible loaner laptop with only needed to work tools installed.
• Taking a device out of the US may be considered an export, therefore talk to your School/Center IT support staff about export encryption rules and exceptions.

Department of Commerce: Country Guidance

Federal Bureau of Investigation: Safety & Security Abroad for Professionals

US Department of State: Know Before You Go