International Delegations

UCSF is pleased to consider delegations from international peer institutions and universities as well as government agencies that are interested in opportunities for collaboration in the health sciences. To be approved to visit UCSF, groups are required to meet the criteria listed below, to submit the International Visit Request Form 4-8 weeks prior to arrival, and to comply with the Policy on Visitors to UCSF Facilitites (Campus Guests section).

Our UCSF International Liaison Office facilitates short-term visits -usually one day or less- for international delegations that meet the criteria listed below. UCSF, a public institution, seeks to exchange information about specific projects or collaborations that reflect the research and academic interests of UCSF and the international partner, as well as serving our mission as part of the University of California. 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 appropriate 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 that we are not able to accommodate all visit requests due to time constraints.

International individual faculty members who wish to engage with individual UCSF faculty can contact them directly, and do not need face-to-face meetings to begin collaborations. International faculty with strongly overlapping research or academic interests can review the information available through UCSF Profiles to identify potential partners and find faculty contact information.

Individual international faculty members or groups with interest in the health sciences who wish to meet with a single department or unit on this list, please contact the department directly to coordinate the visit. Use the contact information listed and note that the contact information is often a phone number, and the UCSF area code is (415). If you wish to meet with a department that is not listed, or if you meet the criteria below, please continue with the following form.  

If you are here at UCSF conducting research or teaching, this information does not apply to your situation. Please refer to the International Scholars website. 

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 country leadership, particularly with concern for the health sciences.
  3. Senior institutional leaders requesting to meet with senior UCSF leaders, including the Chancellor, Vice Chancellors or Provost, with respect to 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.

International Delegation Visit Request Process

If your delegation meets the criteria listed above, you are encouraged to complete the following steps 4-8 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 communicate with you in two weeks or less to follow up on your request.

We are unable to schedule visits during university holidays when the campus is closed. Please review the Academic Calendar before submitting a Visit Request Form to ensure the campus will be open on the requested date.

To ensure a productive meeting, each delegation will need to provide their own interpreter, if necessary. UCSF is not able to 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.

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

All visitors to UCSF will need to comply with the Policy on Visitors to UCSF Facilitites (Campus Guests section).

Other Resources

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 are not able to 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 both the Parnassus and Mission Bay campuses. Visitors can use these to familiarize themselves with the campus before arrival, or follow the tours while in San Francisco to view the different campuses and learn about important locations. For easy access while on the tour, the documents can be printed or downloaded as pdfs to your mobile device. 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 better plan your travel.

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