Travel
International Travel
Overview:
International travel and activities are a part of the UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy’s educational and research missions. Proper preparation before travel increases the likelihood that students, faculty, and staff of the school will maximize the benefits of their travel while complying with U.S. laws and university policies. Complying with applicable laws, following best practices, and continued diligence during international travel helps protect personal and university resources and data. School-sponsored international travelers should review the following information and requirements for travel, and questions should be directed to the appropriate university or school unit.
Below are some requirements and recommendations the individual and their department should fulfill prior to international travel.
Requirements:
Registration with the UNC Travel Registry (mandated for Emergency Contact only)
- International travelers must register their itinerary and information HERE.
Obtain Travel Health Insurance from UNC Risk Management
- As mandated by the University of North Carolina General Administration, all faculty, staff, and students (undergraduate, graduate and professional) traveling abroad in affiliation with the University are required to purchase international health, evacuation, and repatriation insurance, provided by GeoBlue. University-affiliated travel includes Study Abroad programs, independent and sponsored research, internships for credit or any other program tied to university sponsorship or academic or practicum credit.
- More information HERE.
Recommendations:
Enroll in the U.S. State Department Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP)
- Enroll HERE.
- Receive important information from the Embassy about safety conditions in your destination country, helping you make informed decisions about your travel plans.
- Help the U.S. Embassy contact you in an emergency, whether natural disaster, civil unrest, or family emergency.
- Help family and friends get in touch with you in an emergency.
Review the UNC Global Travel Page, U.S. Travel Advisories and General Information
- UNC Global encourages safe, culturally respectful global travel by UNC students, faculty, and staff and wants to provide all of the necessary information to make those travels as successful as possible. The University has established travel policies and recommendations to help protect members of the UNC community while traveling. View them HERE.
- Visiting other countries can be a great experience. Whether you are traveling for work or pleasure, solo or in a group, staying for a few days or several years, planning can help ensure your time abroad is both enjoyable, safe and productive. View the US State Department Bureau of Consuler Affairs’ Traveler’s Checklist and safety/security information HERE.
- Note that conditions can change rapidly in a country at any time. As a first step in planning any trip abroad, check the Travel Advisories for your intended destination HERE.
Contact ITSOP
- See Technology and International Travel tab above.
Exports and Regulations:
Export control regulations are a complex set of laws designed to control the transfer of information, technology, software, other items, and services considered to be important to the U.S. due to concerns regarding national security, economic competitiveness, or support of international treaties and foreign policy. The government regulates the shipment or transfer of exports outside the U.S., as well as the release of certain information to foreign nationals here in the U.S. Export Controls, has the potential to significantly impact the activities of university faculty, staff, and students.
Non-compliance with export controls can result in severe monetary and criminal penalties against both an individual as well as the university and can result in the loss of research contracts, governmental funding, and the ability to export.
Due to the complexity of export control regulations, UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy faculty, staff and students should reach out to the UNC Export Controls Office for guidance before international travel or collaboration, with foreign countries, persons or entities.
Where Are You Going?
Cuba, Iran, Syria, or North Korea: These countries are comprehensively sanctioned by OFAC, and most exports to these countries require licenses. Likewise, travel to a comprehensively sanctioned country is only allowed in limited circumstances. The export office can work with travelers to plan and develop a trip that is allowed under U.S. law. Please contact us as soon as you anticipate travel to a sanctioned country. The export office also provides ongoing support to travelers, particularly those going to sanctioned destinations, in case questions or issues arise while in-country.
Restricted and Prohibited Entities: There are a number of individuals and entities around the world that are subject to special restrictions. For many of these entities, ALL exports of even basic items (including clothing, notepads, etc.) require an export license. To determine whether an individual or entity is subject to restrictions, perform a Restricted Party Screening using Visual Compliance, or contact the export office at exportcontrol@unc.edu.
Other Destinations: Many countries have industry- or program-specific ‘targeted’ sanctions under OFAC regulations. While travel to these countries is not prohibited, travelers should contact the Export Compliance Office to determine whether specific sanctions apply to their destination and itinerary.
What Are You Taking With You?
Items & Equipment: all physical items are subject to export control requirements, including for example: scientific equipment, laptops, cell phones, tablets, flash drives, cameras, medicines, and sleep equipment. Before taking these items outside the United States, you need to verify that the items do not require an export license based on your destination(s). Also note that when traveling between countries, you may be asked to provide an Export Control Classification Number (ECCN) on customs and other documents, for each item that you take.
View more information HERE.
Traveling with technology, whether domestic or international, is a topic that impacts many members of the UNC community. Staying digitally connected during travel is required for faculty, staff, and students who wish to remain productive. Network and Internet security varies greatly depending on location and type of connection; cybercriminals and some foreign government entities are actively looking to exploit users and their data while users are connected to vulnerable networks. It may come as a surprise, but there are legal implications for the user when traveling with technology that we use in our everyday lives at the University. Following best practices and safe computing will help faculty, staff, and students keep their personal and university resources safe during travel.
Before your trip:
Set up a brief meeting with ITSOP to review your technology. ITSOP can assess your devices (including loaner laptops) and make recommendations based on your travel itinerary. Email ITSOP@unc.edu to schedule a meeting or consultation.
ITSOP offers loaner laptops for short term use. Review check-out procedures/information and reserve a loaner laptop for your trip HERE.
If your department possesses a loaner laptop for uses such as this, consider taking it. Please make sure to have ITSOP reviews and reimages your unit’s loaner laptop upon your return.
All UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy faculty, staff and students are required to install and use VPN as well as Two-Step Authentication (Microsoft Authenticator and Duo) for access into university resources. See Duo and 2 Step information pages for using authenticators while traveling.