When planning for an international research or clinical experience, ensuring your health, safety, and security is an integral part of your travel preparation. Navigating a new environment can come with its own set of challenges, from understanding local healthcare systems and emergency protocols to being prepared for potential safety risks and travel uncertainties. This page offers a comprehensive collection of resources designed to help you stay informed and prepared before, during, and after your time abroad. By reviewing the following health, safety, and security resources and considerations, you can focus on maximizing your global health experience.
Key Resources
The resources highlighted below offer essential guidance for all travelers—regardless of your destination or the purpose of your trip. From staying updated on the latest travel advisories to accessing real-time security insights, these tools are designed to help you make informed decisions and respond effectively to potential risks. We strongly encourage you to review these resources before you depart and utilize them as needed during your time abroad.
You can access your destination's safety and security information on the Country Information page. This page includes the Travel Advisory and any Alerts. Be sure to read the whole page. It has more details about critical aspects of your destination that could affect your travel. Country Information pages cover entry and exit requirements, local laws, health, transportation, and other useful topics.
The Crisis24 Horizon App provides global travel advice regarding security, transportation, health-related issues, cultural affairs, and more. Global travel tips concerning security, health, culture, transportation, legal, financial, and language are readily available.
Safety and Security
Ensuring your safety and security while traveling abroad is a critical part of your preparation. There are a number of key tools, strategies, and considerations to help you navigate potential risks, protect your personal safety, and address important considerations such as housing safety, transit through higher-risk areas, diversity issues, and data security.
Currently, these types of resources can be accessed through the Trainee International Travel Resources online course. A new resource is being developed to offer an updated, engaging, and streamlined experience. Once available, a link to the new resource will be posted here.
Health Abroad
Staying healthy while abroad is essential for a successful international experience. This section provides key resources to help you prepare for travel-related health needs, including CDC guidance, pre-travel consultations, access to medications, and emergency preparedness tools. By reviewing these resources and planning ahead, you can focus on your global health experience with confidence and peace of mind.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) offers trusted and up-to-date guidance to help travelers stay informed and protected while navigating global health risks. These essential resources provide actionable advice for planning and preparing your international journey:
- Travelers’ Health: Access official U.S. government health recommendations tailored to international travelers. This comprehensive resource covers everything from required vaccines to region-specific health precautions.
- Travel Health Notices: Stay updated on global health risks with CDC’s Travel Health Notices (THNs). These alerts provide critical information during outbreaks, natural disasters, and other events, along with practical tips to reduce health risks and stay safe while traveling.
- Information by Destination: Use this tool to find location-specific health information, including vaccination recommendations and requirements, travel health notices, and advice tailored to your destination. This resource ensures you have the most relevant guidance for your international experience.
- Before You Go: Prepare for your trip with destination-specific tips and advice on packing, managing health risks, and ensuring you have everything you need for safe travel.Enter content.
If you experience a health emergency abroad, UC’s travel insurance provider, AXA Assistance, is available to provide support and will cover medical expenses according to the policy. However, some medical providers in-country may require payment prior to admission or treatment (sometimes in cash). AXA has provided a resource to help you identify providers within their network who may accept Guarantees of Payment from AXA, rather than requiring upfront payment. To search for hospitals in a specific location, you can use AXA’s Travel Eye web portal (you can also download the Travel Eye by AXA app in the Apple App Store or Google Play). There are a variety of resources this portal provides, but clicking on the medical bag icon at the top right will allow you to search for medical providers.
All travelers are encouraged to schedule a travel health consultation for medical needs, vaccinations, and medications through UCSF Health or your own provider. Bring a list of your prior vaccines, and leave time (1-2 months) for any necessary vaccine series. Ask about antibiotics for your first aid kit or other medication if needed. Besides your own provider, you can utilize the SF Department of Public Health Travel Clinic.
Put together a Travel First Aid Kit with items you may need, especially those that may be difficult to find during your travels. The CDC's Pack Smart page provides a list of medicines, supplies, and documents to include in your kit. Depending on the work you are doing and resources available on-site, you may want to consider bringing Personal Protective Equipment (PPE): fitted respiratory masks, gloves, eye protection, and possibly gowns and hats.
A current UCSF pilot study is helping trainees who have difficulty getting PEPkits from their U.S. medical providers to take overseas. Students who may be exposed to blood or body fluids during their work abroad can get access to a $50 gift certificate for the usual co-pay toward a PEPkit (HIV post-exposure prophylaxis medications) and get quick, expert advice abroad after an exposure. To enroll, you will participate in a brief introductory Zoom meeting: talk with the study coordinator to confirm contact information, discuss the study, have any questions answered, review the consent form, and provide consent. Read about this pilot study. For questions, contact [email protected].
If adequate PPE supplies will not be available at your destination, contact [email protected] for information about accessing PPE at UCSF prior to travel.
Medications that are legal in the U.S. can be illegal elsewhere, and classification systems vary. Before you go, confirm that your prescriptions are permitted in your host country by checking U.S. or foreign embassies, official government sites, and the International Narcotics Control Board. See your prescribing clinician 3–6 months before departure to discuss continuing or switching medications, monitoring side effects, and adjusting doses across time zones; if allowed, ask for a prescription to cover the program and plan for potential refills abroad. Obtain a dated physician letter on letterhead stating your diagnosis, treatment, and the generic names and dosages of your medications—this helps with customs and with local providers if you need a refill.
Insurance While Traveling
UC offers a range of insurance options to meet the specific needs of travelers, including coverage for accidents, illnesses, medical and security evacuation, mental health counseling, and travel interruptions. You may be automatically covered by some insurance options, but you may need to take actions to enroll in other. Review the information below to make sure you are adequately covered and understand your insurance benefits and coverage before you travel.
Students, trainees, and residents traveling for UCSF-related travel are covered by UC Travel Insurance worldwide 24/7. This includes 14 days of personal travel before or after your academic travel. This coverage is provided at no cost to travelers. UC Travel Insurance may not include coverage for some types of travel and certain situations. Please read the Student Travel Benefits Summary carefully.
Enrollees in the University of California Student Health Insurance Plan (UC SHIP) are covered for approved medical expenses incurred while abroad through the Blue Cross Blue Shield Global Core Program. For more information on this program, please review UCSF Student Mental Health and Wellbeing's Traveler's Insurance page.
If your travel is not eligible for the insurance options above, or if you would like additional coverage, UC offers Personal Travel Insurance. The UC Personal Travel Program offers three travel plan options designed to integrate insurance benefits with valuable travel assistance services to help provide the extra protection you need while traveling far from home.
