COVID-19 Information for Study Away

Yes, OGO's offices are open. You can visit us both in person and virtually. Please see the OGO website for more information and hours. 

International travel has resumed with students participating on both OHIO-credit and non-OHIO experiences. 

OHIO-credit programs are reviewed carefully by OGO's health, safety and risk management team. Similarly, our team helps develop program-specific COVID-19 mitigation and contingency plans.

Note that students planning to participate on non-OHIO programs or experiences, including experiences such as internships, research, exchange, volunteer, clinicals, work, trainings, and conferences must schedule an advising appointment with OGO's health, safety, and risk management team at least 4 weeks prior to departure to discuss travel during COVID-19. Please come prepared with a detailed, personalized COVID-19 mitigation and contingency plan. Your plan should include considerations of:

• Level of transmission, vaccination, and medical capacity in host country (see Our World in Data)
• Possible travel requirements and restrictions at entry to host country (use the "COVID Planner Tool" in the ISOS App)
• Possible travel requirements and restrictions in host country (see U.S. Department of State travel advisories and U.S. Embassy COVID-19 information)
• Possible travel requirements for return to the U.S. (see CDC travel information)
• Local requirements for quarantine or isolation during or after travel if exposed to COVID-19
• Quarantine location, if needed, and how to get food, drink, and/or medication while in quarantine
• Consideration of support and network in host country, should you need such support
• Financial ability to support yourself during quarantine, particularly if quarantine is necessary after the end of your program/trip
• Financial ability to pay for expenses incurred by quarantine beyond program/trip dates, delay of travel, change of airfare, and extra testing or other medical needs.

If you have questions about the approval process for international travel, email us at OGOriskmanagement@ohio.edu.

It's important to bear in mind that travel increases the risk of getting or spreading COVID-19. In addition to following the requirements described in Policy 22.001: Student Travel, students planning domestic travel should follow Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines for domestic travel.  

The CDC provides travel recommendations for all travelers, regardless of vaccination status, but advises that individuals who are not fully vaccinated against COVID-19 delay travel until fully vaccinated. Those travelers who are not fully vaccinated should take additional steps to protect themselves and others from COVID-19, including testing before travel, masking during travel, and testing and quarantining after returning home. 

OHIO students traveling domestically also should consider the following factors when making travel plans: 

• Level of community transmission in county of origin and in destination county. 
• Vaccination status of travel companions. 
• Potential for quarantine or isolation during or after travel if exposed to COVID-19. 

Students are permitted to travel both domestically and internationally without special approval.

All students traveling international internationally, must first meet to discuss their COVID-19 mitigation and contingency plans. Please see "What is the status of university-affiliated student international travel?" above for more information. 

OGO monitors information about COVID-19 using information from several different agencies and resources. We look at the impact on travel as well as day-to-day operations in locations around the world. Among the resources we consult are:  

• The World Health Organization

• The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

• The U.S. Department of State

• International SOS and the ISOS Assistance App

• Our World In Data

For more information about International SOS, please visit OGO's health and safety resources page. 

Yes, as long as you meet with OGO's health, safety, and risk management team ahead of travel. See "What is the status of university-affiliated student international travel?" above for more information. 

Travel increases the risk of getting or spreading COVID-19. To minimize the risk, the CDC recommends that all travelers are fully vaccinated for COVID-19. You are fully vaccinated 2 weeks after the last dose of a 2-dose vaccine or 2 weeks after a 1-dose vaccine. According to the CDC, unvaccinated travelers should avoid travel. If eligible, make sure you also receive a COVID-19 booster before travel. Note that booster doses are required in many countries.

Travelers should always follow CDC’s advice for international travelers.  

Some countries only allow fully vaccinated travelers to enter and there may be in-country requirements concerning vaccination and boosters. As a result of local rules, vaccinated and unvaccinated students may have unequal program and travel experiences.

Entry requirements may change with short notice. For more information, check the U.S. Department of State's travel advisories and embassy websites regarding COVID-19 regularly.

Many businesses, venues and locations in the U.S. and abroad may also have their own COVID-19 vaccination (and booster) requirements. If unvaccinated, travelers may be unable to participate in program activities, stay at hotels, visit cafes and restaurants, entertainment venues and other points of interest for personal or program purposes. Staying current with local testing requirements could entail testing as often as every 24-48 hours and will likely result in additional costs to the traveler (such as paying for the test itself, transportation to/from testing site). Many program itineraries cannot be adjusted to accommodate testing needs. 

Ohio University and/or study abroad program providers may additionally require vaccinated and unvaccinated travelers to participate in mitigation testing before, during and/or after the program. 

A variety of Virtual Global Experiences are available and offer an affordable and safe way for students to gain global experiences and skills while travel is suspended. Check out the OGO Virtual Global Experiences website for more information.

Ohio University also offers several COIL (Collaborative Online International Learning) courses in which OHIO students interact with students at an international university to complete course projects.  See a list of these courses here. 

Yes! Check out OGO’s resources on the Funding website for more information about which scholarships are offered for both Study Away and Virtual Global Experiences. 

Ohio University automatically enrolls students participating on international trips and programs in our international health insurance. To access the insurance, you must register your travel with us in advance. Read more about the insurance and how to use it here.

In case of early return to the US due to illness or other unforeseen circumstances, travelers should never cancel their domestic U.S. health insurance while traveling internationally. 

There are many things to keep in mind when booking a flight, and the COVID-19 pandemic has added new, important considerations. Travelers are experiencing more delays, cancellations, departure and arrival requirements - and just plain hassles. Below are a few recommendations for booking a flight. In addition, we always encourage you to research travel to your destination(s) carefully before booking airfare.

• Only book your flight when your program director, third party provider, or other international partner gives you the go-ahead; and
• Only book your flight after you have received University approval for your individual international travel plans.
• Be as flexible as possible.
• If traveling internationally, try to book a direct flight from a U.S. airport to your destination country. Minimizing the number of international stops and layovers will help you minimize the number of COVID-19 travel restrictions, testing requirements, etc. you have to consider on your trip.
• Make sure you know what COVID-19 test and test documentation are required by authorities in countries where you transit (change flights) and at your final destination.
• Read the "small print" before you purchase. Make sure you understand the financial commitment you're making when you book the flight. Check rules concerning itinerary changes, luggage and especially flight delays, interruptions, cancellations, and refunds.

The Office of Global Opportunities advises that you consider purchasing travel insurance for your trip. Travel insurance is optional, however it will help you recoup your money if a flight, program or other activity is interrupted or cancelled.

If you choose to purchase travel or trip insurance, make sure you select a plan that includes so-called"Cancel for Any Reason" (CFAR) and "Interrupt for Any Reason" (IFAR) insurance. A Google search will turn up many options for you to choose from. You may choose to purchase this type of insurance through Gallagher Insurance's partner company Travel Insured International or other offerings such as Travel Guard or iNext.

Many other providers offer similar comprehensive insurance plans. You should research and select the plan that's right for you.

As a rule of thumb, prior to travel and ahead of any required COVID-19 tests, we encourage you to stay home as much as possible and reduce exposure to COVID-19. This will benefit your fellow travelers, but also safeguard against any unexpected COVID-19 positive tests that could require you to significantly delay or even cancel you travel plans.

With this in mind, avoid planning international vacations or travel right before or after your study abroad experience. Entry requirements into any country will depend on where you have spent time recently, usually within the last 14 days. For instance, if family has planned a cruise or international vacation right before or after your study abroad travels, you may be subject to entry requirements for travelers not just from the US, but for other countries visited in the last 14 days.

If this affects you, make sure you research travel restrictions at the U.S. Department of State travel advisories page, the accompanying US Embassy page for the country you're visiting and International SOS (app or website, use membership #11BTTA887908). 

For questions about travel, health and safety, please email OGOriskmanagement@ohio.edu. 

For general advising or academic questions, please email global.opportunities@ohio.edu.