Mexico City at dusk.

Faculty and Staff Travel

Find guidance and requirements pertaining to university-related international travel below.

Special Notice: Traveling with Students

If you will be leading a group of students abroad, you are required to complete the Safety Assessment for International Group Experiences (SAIGE) process. A group is defined as two or more travelers.

  1. Required to register their travel with Texas Global, and
  2. Work with college/school staff to submit and obtain an approved Request for Travel Authorization (RTA) if they expect to be reimbursed for expenses.

University-Related International Travel

Prior to departing on a university-related international trip, all faculty and staff are required to complete the following steps.

UT Austin faculty and staff, traveling internationally to a Restricted Region to conduct University business, such as research, teaching, lectures, conferences, etc., must follow specific steps for approval. The process is the same regardless of whether the travel is funded by UT Austin or not. This does not include personal/vacation travel that is unaffiliated with UT Austin.

Submit all documentation at least five weeks prior to trip departure to Global Risk and Safety at grs@austin.utexas.edu.

Pre-Departure Steps

  1. Request Restricted Regions Travel Approval.

    If destination(s) is on the Restricted Regions List, you must apply and request approval from the International Oversight Committee (IOC) and submit a COVID-19 Waiver.

  2. Complete a Request for Travel Authorization (RTA).

    The RTA is a departmental requirement and not a part of the Restricted Regions request process. All faculty and staff are required to submit an electronic Request for Travel Authorization (RTA) for business travel before departure.

  3. Register your trip in the emergency medical and security assistance services.

    Register your trip in the UT Austin International Travel Registry (UTAITR).

    All employees (or their administrative support) are required to register their university-related international travel in the UTAITR in order for the trip to be registered with On Call International (the contracted emergency medical and security assistance provider); this is a UT System requirement per UTS 190.

    Once the trip is registered, make a copy of the confirmation page and email it to grs@austin.utexas.edu.

    When On Call receives your trip information, it will be entered in their Travel Monitoring platform, which is powered by OnSolve:

    • Depending upon the risk rating of your destination, you may receive a pre-travel advisory email containing standing health and safety advice.
    • You will be registered to receive critical incident alerts via email (if any are issued) for your destination shortly before your trip, and while you are traveling.
    • You will be registered to use the OnSolve Risk Intelligence app and receive an emailed invitation to download it. To optimize usage of the app, configure the settings as recommended in the Mobile App User Guide.
    • Emails from On Call International (OCI) Alerts will be sent from an @stabilitas.io or @onsolve.com email domain. We suggest you take a moment to designate these in your email as Safe Senders.

  4. Understand how On Call and your insurance will work together for emergency care only while you are abroad.

    • In order to waive the Blue Cross Blue Shield (BCBS) Global Core insurance deductible, you must contact On Call International to request assistance and establish a case # before obtaining medical assistance. Note: If you do not have UT System BCBS, speak with your insurance provider before departure. This is for emergency care only.
    • BCBS has an out-of-network deductible, but agreed to waive the deductible, and pay case fees and necessary medical expenses for emergency medical treatment if On Call International is called first to coordinate, monitor, and pay for care. This DOES NOT include elective or routine medical procedures.
    • Use UT Group ID # 100143CPPD21 to access and utilize the On Call Plan Information Portal to:
      • Obtain pre-trip information or advice on travel health and security issue.
      • Learn more about the On Call program.
      • Watch a brief video on how to use On Call and what to expect if you do.
      • Learn about the many other benefits available to you.
    • Ensure you always have access to On Call International contact and plan information in the easiest place to get it – on your phone. Click Plan ID from your mobile device and follow the single prompt to save to the home screen of your phone. This is not an app and does not require any login or personal details. Opening the Plan ID from your mobile device will allow you to click-to-dial On Call, open a 24/7 Live Chat link, and access other plan documents such as the full plan description and tele-counseling information.

  5. Register your trip in the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP).

    Registering in the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) will inform the U.S. Embassy you are in-country and allow them to email you alerts and travel/security advice while abroad.

    Non-U.S. citizens will register their trip in their home country’s equivalent of STEP.

Countries NOT Covered by On Call International Policy

There are no geographical coverage restrictions on the On Call policy. All IOC-approved travel is covered by On Call. However, there are some countries that are extraordinarily difficult to provide help and could impact On Call’s ability to support a traveler. Travelers should take this into consideration when planning international trips.

Texas Global Resources

Health and Safety Resources

What happens if you get sick or hurt while abroad? What if you lose your passport? What if there's an earthquake or political conflict in the country where you’re traveling? Knowing you have resources to deal with emergencies as they arise takes a lot of the uncertainty out of traveling abroad.