If either of the following applies to you, you are required to submit a COVID-19 Travel Safety Plan:
- Traveling independently (i.e. not on a formal education abroad program)
- Participating in an unaffiliated education abroad program
If your destination country is on the University Travel Warning List, you only need to submit your regular Higher Risk Travel Safety Plan (which should speak to the COVID and non-COVID risks in your destination country). You do not need to submit a separate COVID-19 Travel Safety Plan.
For students on formal, affiliated education abroad programs, while you may not be required to submit your plan to the Education Abroad Office, we strongly recommending compiling this important travel safety information using this form instead.
- Thoroughly research your destination using a variety of sources, including those listed under the 'Resources' tab.
- Submit your COVID-19 Travel Safety Plan below.
- Until your departure date, continuously review the information you compile for the
plan to ensure it is up to date.
These are some resources that Global Carolina is using to track the impact and trajectory of the pandemic around the world. You might find these helpful during your own research. You should also research your country specifically -- you will likely find international and local news outlets to be the most helpful for country-specific information.
U.S. Government Advice
- U.S. Department of State Travel Advisories
- U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention COVID-19 Health Notices
- U.S. Embassy COVID-19 Information Pages
Case and Testing Metrics
- Brown Global Health Institute Key Metrics for COVID Suppression and corresponding map (make sure to switch to 'worldwide' view on left hand panel)
- World Health Organization country situation reports
- World Health Organization spread classifications
- Our World in Data COVID-19 test positivity rates
- Our World in Data COVID-19 vaccination rates
Travel Restrictions
COVID Entry Check (Note: this is just one tool to find information on travel restrictions. You will see that many countries will not allow entry for U.S. citizens traveling for tourism, but may have an exception for U.S. citizens traveling to study. You should check with your program for further instruction and information.)
- Global Carolina will review your plan after submission. You should submit your COVID-19 Travel Safety Plan in conjunction with the regular education abroad application requirements outlined here.
- The COVID-19 pandemic situation can change quickly and requires that we be flexible. It is especially important to stay flexible when planning international travel. Please note that UofSC can withdraw approval of the experience if the situation in the area changes drastically prior to your departure. If the situation changes after you have arrived in the country, it will be handled on a case-by-case basis. But, our office and our partners share the same commitment of supporting you in your academic progress and will make every effort to support you throughout your international experience.
- It is imperative that you stay up to date with the requirements and restrictions in place in your destination country. Until your departure date and then throughout your education abroad experience, you should regularly review the information you compile for your COVID-19 Travel Safety Plan and update it as necessary.
- You can always stay up to date on the latest education abroad developments via our COVID-19 webpage.