Travel Approval
The University of Minnesota encourages its students to participate in education experiences abroad. To minimize health and safety risks, University policy requires students or faculty-led groups of students traveling to countries on the U.S. Department of State's travel warning list to seek special permission. The Education Abroad Suspension Committee will review requests to travel to these countries.
The Education Abroad Suspension Committee is comprised of the Associate Vice President for International Programs, the General Counsel, the Senior Vice President for System Academic Administration and the Senior Vice President for Health Sciences. The Assistant Vice President for Public Health will serve on the committee whenever a decision is being considered to cancel or suspend an education abroad opportunity for public health reasons.
Individual Students
Students who wish to participate in an education abroad opportunity in a country on the warning list should begin by contacting the study abroad office on their campus.
- Twin Cities: Contact Jodi Malmgren, Learning Abroad Center, at 612-626-7678 or jodim@umn.edu
- Crookston: Contact UMC Study Abroad Office
- Duluth: Contact International Education Office
- Morris: Contact Study Abroad at UMM
Faculty and Departments Leading Programs Abroad
- If you are developing a program in conjunction with the Learning Abroad Center or the study abroad office on your campus, all arrangements will be handled centrally through these offices.
- If you or your department are developing the program, you must handle the various health and safety arrangements. In addition to seeking permission to travel to countries on the warning list, you must consider issues of releases and waivers, health insurance, emergency plans, and more. See below for more information. If you have questions, please contact Kathleen Sellew, Office of International Programs, at 612-626-8834 or k-sell@umn.edu.
Education Abroad Suspension Committee Policy and Procedure
- Policy: Education Abroad Opportunities: Addressing Health & Safety Risks
- Procedure: Preparing for Education Abroad Opportunities
- Guidelines (pdf): Guidelines for Seeking Approval to Pursue Educational Objectives in Countries Listed on the State Department Warning List
Medical Insurance/Release and Waiver
- All students approved for travel by the Education Abroad Suspension Committee are required to sign a release and waiver form. Download the form and instructions (Word document).
- Medical insurance sponsored by the University of Minnesota is required for all students who participate in an education abroad experience. Please contact Mandi Miller, Learning Abroad Center, at 612-625-8829 or mill3214@umn.edu.