COVID-19 Related Travel Guidelines and Procedures

As of September 7, 2021

Faculty, Staff, and Postdocs on individual travel no longer need to submit a petition. Registration in MyTrips is still required for all international travel. 

As of May 18th, 2021

Penn ended the COVID-19 suspension on all domestic and international Penn-affiliated travel and moved to restricted status. 

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. As of May 18th, 2021, Penn lifted the travel suspension and moved to restricted travel guidelines for travel occurring on or after May 18th, 2021 and until further notice. 

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.

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

Choose Travel Type

NOTE: Penn-affiliated group travel is permitted, as of July 1st, 2021. Group Travel is defined as a group of 5 individuals (of any combination of faculty, students, staff or post-docs) or more following the same itinerary upon arrival at the destination. 

person

Individual Travel

  • Faculty, Staff, and Postdocs on individual travel no longer need to petition..

  • All students are required to submit a petition for travel to countries rated CDC Level 3 and Level 4.

  • All Penn-affiliated international travel must be registered in MyTrips.

  • 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. 

  • Travelers must also follow local directives regarding social distancing, face coverings, and other health and safety precautions.

Un-vaccinated travelers with exemptions should contact travelsafety@pobox.upenn.edu.

* Undergraduate students traveling to international locations with high/extreme security risk, please contact us to determine the risk level and subsequent procedures.

** 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 the guidelines outlined above.

Contact us if you have additional questions regarding this guidance.

Travel Petitions Procedures
Travel Guidelines FAQs
group

Group Travel

Group Travel is defined as a group of 5 or more individuals (of any combination of faculty, students*, staff or post-docs) following the same itinerary upon arrival at the destination. To help in the planning of Group Travel - this Checklist for Group Administrators has been developed. 

  • Groups* may travel domestically** or to countries rated CDC Level 1 and Level 2 without a petition.

  • Groups are required to submit a petition for travel to countries rated CDC Level 3 and Level 4.

  • All Penn-affiliated international travel must be registered in MyTrips.

  • Groups 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. 

  • Groups must also follow local directives regarding social distancing, face coverings, and other health and safety precautions.

Group administrators should ask travelers to review and sign the NEW Assumption of Risk and Release of Liability.

Un-vaccinated travelers with exemptions should contact travelsafety@pobox.upenn.edu. 

* Undergraduate students traveling to international locations with high/extreme security risk, please contact us to determine the risk level and subsequent procedures.

** 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 the guidelines outlined above.

Contact us if you have additional questions regarding this guidance.

Travel Petition Procedures
Travel Guidelines FAQs
person

Individual Travel

  • Faculty, Staff, and Postdocs on individual travel no longer need to petition..

  • All students are required to submit a petition for travel to countries rated CDC Level 3 and Level 4.

  • All Penn-affiliated international travel must be registered in MyTrips.

  • 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. 

  • Travelers must also follow local directives regarding social distancing, face coverings, and other health and safety precautions.

Un-vaccinated travelers with exemptions should contact travelsafety@pobox.upenn.edu.

* Undergraduate students traveling to international locations with high/extreme security risk, please contact us to determine the risk level and subsequent procedures.

** 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 the guidelines outlined above.

Contact us if you have additional questions regarding this guidance.

Travel Petitions Procedures
Travel Guidelines FAQs
group

Group Travel

Group Travel is defined as a group of 5 or more individuals (of any combination of faculty, students*, staff or post-docs) following the same itinerary upon arrival at the destination. To help in the planning of Group Travel - this Checklist for Group Administrators has been developed. 

  • Groups* may travel domestically** or to countries rated CDC Level 1 and Level 2 without a petition.

  • Groups are required to submit a petition for travel to countries rated CDC Level 3 and Level 4.

  • All Penn-affiliated international travel must be registered in MyTrips.

  • Groups 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. 

  • Groups must also follow local directives regarding social distancing, face coverings, and other health and safety precautions.

Group administrators should ask travelers to review and sign the NEW Assumption of Risk and Release of Liability.

Un-vaccinated travelers with exemptions should contact travelsafety@pobox.upenn.edu. 

* Undergraduate students traveling to international locations with high/extreme security risk, please contact us to determine the risk level and subsequent procedures.

** 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 the guidelines outlined above.

Contact us if you have additional questions regarding this guidance.

Travel Petition Procedures
Travel Guidelines FAQs

Penn Travel Guidelines and Procedures apply to Penn-affiliated (outbound) travel only. Inbound travel is NOT considered Penn-affiliated and therefore does not fall under the purview of Penn Travel Guidelines and Procedures, nor is it managed through Penn Global, International Risk Management, or CTRA.

If you have questions about inbound travel to Penn, visit the COVID-19 Travel Updates for further guidance.