COVID-19 Travel FAQ

In August 2021, Penn’s Committee on International Travel Risk Assessment (CITRA) removed all travel restrictions for faculty and staff on Penn-affiliated trips. As of May 10th, 2022, CITRA will continue with the next phase of this careful, but deliberate return to Penn’s international activities, by removing all COVID-19 related restrictions on student travel.

Travelers may still require internal approval to travel from their departments, Schools/Centers, and budget leaders. Individual travelers will also be personally responsible for understanding the complex border restrictions and entry requirements of their individual itinerary.

The Committee on Travel Risk Assessment (CTRA) is responsible for defining heightened risk travel for the Penn community and reviews undergraduate requests to travel to these regions.  

More information on CTRA 

Travel petitions, which may be required of Undergraduate Students only, will be reviewed by Penn’s Committee on Travel Risk Assessment (CTRA) in collaboration with the School or Center of the person submitting the petition.  CTRA is comprised of members from across the University community, specifically Global Support Services, Risk Management, the Office of Research Services and Wellness/Student Health Service. CTRA will consult with external and campus experts on specific requests as needed. Travelers are asked to submit their petitions for travel early as possible.  CTRA is committed to reviewing petitions quickly and will respond within one week with an answer or request for more information.

For U.S. citizens and permanent residents returning to the U.S.:

• Visit the State Department guidance, FAQ, and travel advisories.

For international students and scholars seeking to return to the U.S.:

If you are concerned about not being permitted to board your flight to the United States or being denied at the US Point of Entry, you may request a travel support letter from your academic department and/or from ISSS confirming that you are seeking entry into the country under the sponsorship of the University of Pennsylvania. Please note that this support letter does not guarantee that you will be permitted entry into the United States and is only meant to provide additional documentation of your status as an active Penn student

• To request a support letter from your department, please contact your academic advisor or your admissions office. Here is an example of a support letter from an academic department. 

• To request a travel support letter from ISSS, please log on to iPenn and select Student Services -> Immigration Status Verification Letter (for F-1/J-1 Students). You will be required to provide your anticipated return date and upload a copy of your flight itinerary.  This is only necessary if you would like to have a DSO-signed letter.

• View FAQs on required immigration documents, notification procedures, and guidance developed by International Student and Scholar Services (ISSS).

• Visit CDC information on Travelers Prohibited from Entry to the U.S., with explained exceptions.

General Guidance:

• For restrictions, medical screenings, and flight operations listed by state, visit the dedicated COVID-19 page maintained by International SOS.  Be sure scroll down to the United States section.

• For additional information on entry restrictions and exceptions into the U.S., visit IATA travel regulations map. Be sure to click on the United States on the map for details.

• For visa information, entry restrictions, health requirements, transit rules, and guidance for re-entry to the United States, use the CIBT Entry Guide. Be sure to select United States of America as the destination.

• For assistance finding COVID-19 testing sites, medication refill or mental stresses support and more, call 215-942-8478 (Penn Member ID 11BSGC000012) or email onlinehelp@internationalsos.com to speak with a medical and security expert from the International SOS Assistance Center. Even in instances when an individual is not traveling, Penn community members still have access to International SOS member benefits, including the Assistance Center.

• Visit the latest information for Penn's international community provided by ISSS. 

General Guidance:

• For more information on entry bans, exceptions, and required documentation by country, visit the Interactive Coronavirus (Covid-19) Travel Regulations Map (powered by Timatic)

• For restrictions, medical screenings, and flight operations listed by country, visit the dedicated COVID-19 page maintained by International SOS.  

• For visa information, entry restrictions, health requirements, transit rules, and guidance for re-entry to your international destination, use the CIBT Entry Guide.  For additional information, download the latest CIBT Visas guide on immigration restrictions and exceptions by country.

• For entry requirements, health regulations, quarantine protocols for specific travel itineraries, CIBT's Informed Traveler Service provides a CIBT specialist for individualized help. Note: there is a $50 charge associated with this service.

• For case counts and country COVID information, view the NYTimes COVID-19 Map. 

• Download the lasted Fragomen guide for entry bans and quarantine restrictions by country. 

• The Penn Travel Office has released COVID-19 Guidance and Related Resources.  

For Penn students planning to go, or currently abroad, on a Penn Abroad Global Program: 

• Coronavirus (COVID-19) Information from Penn Abroad 

For Penn Faculty and Researchers:

• For research that involves field work, off-campus interactions, or travel, visit the Office of the Vice Provost for Research guidance on research resumption and associated travel risks.

For international students and scholars leaving the U.S.:

• View required FAQs on immigration documents, notification procedures, and guidance developed by International Student and Scholar Services (ISSS).

• For students and scholars sponsored by Penn with international emergency travel concerns, view the notification process and resources listed on the ISSS site.

New adjustments to Chinese visa and entry policies have been introduced, as effective from March 15, 2023. Please refer to the official notices, linked below, from the website of Embassy of the People's Republic of China in the United States for the latest travel policies. 

Yes. 

For all Penn-affiliated travel occurring on or after May 18th, 2021, a COVID-19 vaccination is required. This applies to both domestic and international travel, unless an exception has been granted for medical or religious reasons. If you have a question related to this guidance or will not be vaccinated prior to travel, please contact travelsafety@pobox.upenn.edu.

People are considered fully vaccinated:

• 2 weeks after their second dose in a 2-dose series, such as the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines, or

• 2 weeks after a single-dose vaccine, such as Johnson & Johnson’s Janssen vaccine

Penn will accept those vaccines that have been “pre-qualified” or authorized for “Emergency Use Listing” (EUL) by the World Health Organization (WHO) evaluation process. As of July 13, that list includes:

• Pfizer-BioNTech

• Moderna

• Johnson & Johnson/Janssen

• AstraZeneca 

• Covishield

• Sinopharm

• Sinovac

This information comes from Penn's main Coronavirus website. Visit their vaccinations page for any updates. 

You will not be asked to show proof of vaccination to travel on a Penn-affiliated trip. Schools, Centers and trip leaders may not ask the vaccination status of a Penn employee or student. 

The vaccination requirement is based on the honor system. Non-vaccinated faculty, staff and students should reach out to travelsafety@pobox.upenn.edu for additional guidance.

Non-vaccinated faculty, staff and students should reach out to travelsafety@pobox.upenn.edu for additional guidance.

We ask that you do not question the vaccination status of your travel group. All travelers are asked to review Penn’s travel guidance and contact travelsafety@pobox.upenn.edu if they have questions or will not be fully vaccinated prior to the group’s departure date.

No.

Schools, Centers and trip leaders may not question the vaccination status of an employee or student. You may proceed with reviewing travel requests based on pre-pandemic internal procedures.  

Penn’s travel guidance is available to you and the traveler for more information on the vaccination requirement and petition procedures for travel to certain countries. If you have a question related to this guidance, please contact travelsafety@pobox.upenn.edu.

Domestic travel includes travel within the country where you currently and usually reside. Those with pre-arranged plans to return home for the summer may travel domestically within their home country following Penn’s travel guidelines.

Yes, the temporary COVID-19 travel guidelines pertain to both international and domestic Penn-affiliated travel that include an overnight stay.  Even if you are traveling by car on a Penn-affiliated trip (with an overnight stay), you are expected to follow these guidelines and be fully vaccinated prior to departure. 

While you do not need to follow the guidelines for day trips, please observe the main tenants of public health throughout your journey, including face coverings, physical distancing and frequent hand washing.

No. MyTrips registration is reserved for international, Penn-affiliated trips only.

Even if you are traveling locally, all Penn-affiliated travel that includes an overnight stay must adhere to the COVID-19 travel guidelines and be fully vaccinated prior to departure. 

If you are taking a day trip, whether it is Penn-affiliated travel or personal travel, we encourage you follow to local health directives. You do NOT need to follow Penn’s travel guidelines. You do NOT need to submit a petition for travel.

Concur insures the lowest airfares and 24/7 support for University travelers from the travel management company and Penn Travel Services.  

All airline tickets booked through Concur or the University’s Travel Management Company (TMC) are direct billed to Penn, reducing out of pocket expenses.  

Booking through the University’s preferred travel vendor and systems guarantees seamless end to end service on any issues that may arise.  For example: 24/7 emergency assistance, ticket reissuance and rebilling through the University’s billing account, and assistance with refunds and unused tickets. 

Furthermore, lowest airfares are guaranteed with World Travel’s price match; and Penn’s airline contracts provide valuable corporate benefits such as complementary preferred seats on American Airlines. 

The Concur booking tool complements My Trips, Penn’s travel registry system, that connects Penn traveler’s to health and safety resources. This fulfills Penn’s critical responsibility for duty of care for Penn travelers. 

Please contact Penn Travel Services or email travel@upenn.edu with any questions.

World Travel has a guaranteed fare match policy. If you find a lower fare, contact World Travel for procedures on obtaining a fare match. Please contact them directly regarding the policy and assistance. 1-888-641-9112; uofpenn@worldtravelinc.com 

When necessary, a personal credit card may be used to purchase airfare. However, the University policy is to book airfare through Penn’s preferred carriers, using the University’s direct billing account through Concur or World Travel. For all other travel products and services, a personal credit card is required for payment. These charges will be reimbursed upon completion of travel.  

See Concur Instructional Guide: Set up Travel Profile for instructions on including a personal credit card within your Concur profile.  

Please contact Penn Travel Services or email travel@upenn.edu with any questions.

To access Penn’s discounted rates, rental car reservations should be made within Concur only.  

Note: car rentals in Concur are only the reservation. You will need to provide a credit card upon check-in.

Please contact Penn Travel Services or email travel@upenn.edu with any questions.

The University has several agreements and special rates for car services. Please contact Penn Travel Services or email travel@upenn.edu for information on car services.   

During the pandemic, the best practice for booking hotels is to reserve through Concur.  

Note: hotel bookings within Concur are only the reservation and are not direct billed to Penn. You will need to provide a credit card upon hotel check-in. You may also call World Travel 24/7 for assistance, 1-888-641-9112.

Please contact Penn Travel Services or email travel@upenn.edu with any questions.

Individuals who booked through Concur or World Travel should contact World Travel to utilize unused tickets. World Travel agents will advise on the conditions and apply any credit to a new reservation. Travelers who did not use World Travel should contact the airline or vendor that provided the credit. 

Amtrak tickets may be purchased via the Amtrak Website or by calling 1-800-USA-RAIL. 

Yes, students, faculty, staff and postdocs are required to register all Penn-affiliated travel in MyTrips. 

No.  Faculty, Staff, and Postdocs on individual travel no longer need to petition, however registration in MyTrips is still required for ALL international travel. 

We understand it is difficult to plan ahead in these uncertain times. If you have future plans for Penn-affiliated travel that you wish to discuss with a CTRA member, please email travelsafety@pobox.upenn.edu.

The safety of Penn travelers is a priority. CTRA will continue to monitor locations where travel approval has been granted. In the event the risk level changes and/or the health environment deteriorates, CTRA reserves the right to rescind authorization or revise the conditions of travel.

Travelers are expected to make themselves aware and abide by all state, local, tribal, and territorial government restrictions in the destination and upon return to Penn’s campus, which may include quarantine and/or COVID-19 testing.  Before you confirm your travel plans, it is extremely important that you review the most up-to-date entry restrictions, COVID screening requirements and quarantine mandates at your destination country. International SOS maintains an updated list of travel restrictions by country on the ISOS COVID-19 Pandemic webpage. You can also check the Department of State Travel Advisory and the U.S. Embassy.

Some important points to understand when preparing to travel:

• Some countries require proof of a negative COVID test of all incoming travelers regardless of vaccination status

• The types of COVID tests approved vary by destination

• Requirements may ALSO vary within a country, e.g., testing requirement in Hawaii differs from rest of US

• Timing of a COVID test, e.g., negative test 3 days prior to arrival, will also vary by destination

• Free COVID testing is provided readily, often with same day appointments, around the country (note: CVS and RiteAid testing around Philadelphia requires a car for Drive-in testing only):

  • CVS Minute Clinic

  • RiteAid COVID Testing

  • The City of Philadelphia also runs Mobile Testing Pop-up Events & provides a Map of Permanent Testing Sites

Faculty, staff and students traveling on Penn-affiliated trips abroad are entitled to International SOS membership, which includes travel medical insurance and evacuation assistance.  Please register your international trip in MyTrips to be pre-authorized for the insurance coverage.  If you become ill or injured during your trip, contact International SOS (+1 215-942-8478) for assistance, advice, referrals and to arrange payment of medical bills.

As the University resumes strategic research and academic activities and adjustments are made to CDC country risk levels and local travel guidance, more Penn-affiliated travel opportunities will become available in the US and abroad. We will continue to monitor the COVID pandemic and vaccination roll-out and update travel guidelines accordingly.