International Delegations

UCSF is pleased to consider delegations from international academic institutions and government agencies that are interested in opportunities for collaboration in the health sciences that reflect our research and academic interests and serve the mission of the University of California. To be considered for approval to visit UCSF, groups must meet the criteria listed below, to submit the International Visit Request Form at least 4 weeks prior to arrival.

As a public institution, UCSF seeks to exchange information about specific projects or collaborations further the collaborative interests of all parties. Such visits are usually exploratory and do not involve signing ceremonies or the appointment of specific faculty or visiting scholars. Most visits are focused on relevant meetings, although a tour may also be available, depending on the visit time frame. If you do not meet the delegation criteria below, we appreciate your interest and apologize for being unable to accommodate all visit requests due to time constraints.

For direct engagement with a specific faculty member, department, unit or center, a formal delegation visit request is not required.

Our UCSF International Liaison Office facilitates short-term visits, usually one day or less, for international delegations that meet the criteria listed below.

International Delegation Visit Criteria

If your delegation is comprised of official representatives of international peer institutions, universities, and government agencies, and meets one of the following criteria, we are pleased to consider your visit:

  1. Delegations from universities or institutions that already have significant connections with UCSF, such as joint grants, affiliations, or research collaborations.
  2. Government officials representing the country's leadership, particularly concerning the health sciences.
  3. Senior institutional leaders requesting to meet with senior UCSF leaders, including the Chancellor, Vice Chancellors, or Provost, regarding a specific area of collaboration in the health sciences.
  4. Delegations interested in meetings with multiple units on campus regarding specific topics in the health sciences that engage more than one academic unit or department.

The International Liaison Office does not support the following types of visits:

  1. Individual faculty meetings
  2. Singular departmental meetings or collaborations
  3. Exploratory, training, and professional development visits
  4. Tour groups and third parties
  5. Study abroad programs
  6. Visits by corporations/industry
  7. Lectures, fireside chats, etc.
International Delegation Visit Request Process

If your delegation meets the criteria listed above, you are encouraged to complete the following steps at least 4 weeks prior to the proposed visit:

  1. Complete the International Visit Request Form.
  2. Submit a professional biographical statement or CV in English, for each visitor according to instructions on the Visit Request Form.

Upon receipt of the required information, the UCSF International Liaison or the contact within a department or large unit will follow-up with you within two weeks of receiving your request.

We cannot schedule visits during university holidays when the campus is closed. Additionally, UCSF constituents may have less availability during the summer months, the last two weeks of December, the first two weeks of January, and spring break in late March. Please review the Academic Calendar before submitting a Visit Request Form to ensure the campus will be open on the requested date.

Due to a high volume of demand and sometimes limited availability, UCSF cannot accommodate all visit requests, nor all requests to meet with the leadership. 

To ensure a productive meeting, each delegation will need to provide its own interpreter, if necessary. UCSF cannot provide interpretation services.

All expenses incurred for travel and incidentals (flights and local transportation, housing, meals, etc.) will be the responsibility of the delegation. If UCSF is asked to provide a catered meal, this cost will be the responsibility of the delegation.

US & Federal regulations: Per standard protocol, UCSF conducts a Restricted Party Screening to ensure that no visiting international delegation or their affiliations are subject to restrictions or prohibitions by the U.S. government. In addition, government representatives from China and Cuba are responsible for prior notification of their visits to educational/research institutions in the U.S. Department of State, Office of Foreign Missions (OFM). OFM can be reached at [email protected] or by telephone at (415) 744-2910. 

UCSF is a tobacco-free campus, meaning any form of smoking or tobacco products is prohibited on university property.

In advance of any visit, please review the Resources for International Visitors section below regarding the institution, campus calendar and layout, and transportation options.

Resources for International Visitors

Current Events and Campus Information
Review the following resources for current information about news, activities, and events on the UCSF campus.


Transportation & Travel Information
We cannot assist with hotel or transportation arrangements. The following information may be helpful when planning travel to and time in the San Francisco area.

The following self-guided tours highlight many of the UCSF buildings and landmarks on the Parnassus and Mission Bay campuses. Visitors can use these to familiarize themselves with the campus before arrival or follow the tours in San Francisco to view the different campuses and learn about essential locations. The documents can be printed or downloaded as pdfs to your mobile device for easy access while on the tour. Please note: some of the information on these maps may be outdated due to recent and ongoing construction; these maps will be updated as soon as possible.

Please note: the UCSF campus is spread out among different neighborhoods within the city of San Francisco. Traffic congestion can significantly affect travel time between the campus locations and to/from your hotel and/or airport. Please check local traffic conditions before driving or utilize the UCSF MyCommute resource to plan your travel.

If you have questions about the information on this page, please contact Travis Pentz.