Heightened Risk Travel

What is considered heightened risk travel?

  • Heightened security risk is defined as travel to a country designated “Level 4: Do Not Travel” by the U.S. Department of State and/or travel to a region rated “high” or “extreme” risk by International SOS. 
  • Heightened medical risk is defined as travel to a country designated “Level 4: Do Not Travel” by the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC). 

Click on the links below to find the risk rating for your destination country or region:

Source Heightened Risk Category   Undergraduate Students Graduate Students, Postdocs, Faculty, or Staff
Department of State                  Level 4 Petition required Travel with caution
International SOS     High or Extreme Petition required Travel with caution
CDC Level 4 Petition required Travel with caution

Please note: International SOS rates regions and cities within a country, not necessarily the country as a whole. One country may have several risk ratings. If you need assistance determining the risk rating of your destination, please contact travelsafety@pobox.upenn.edu.  

Choose Type of Traveler

If you are traveling to a heightened risk region, please select your affiliation below to review related policy and procedures:

person

Undergraduate Students

Or a group trip with at least one undergraduate student.

school

Graduates, Postdocs, Faculty, & Staff

While a petition is not required for this population, we encourage all travelers to take the following steps before traveling to a heightened risk region. 

person

Undergraduate Students

Or a group trip with at least one undergraduate student.

school

Graduates, Postdocs, Faculty, & Staff

While a petition is not required for this population, we encourage all travelers to take the following steps before traveling to a heightened risk region. 

If you have questions about inbound travel to Penn, visit for further guidance: