Travel Registration & Insurance
University-Sponsored International Travel Registration
Faculty and staff must submit international travel requests (registration) to the Travel Registry System before booking travel. Students (individuals and organizations) should contact a Study Abroad Advisor about their intent to travel internationally on university-sponsored programs to determine which type of trip registration is appropriate.
The following Creighton University's travel-related policies govern approval for all international travel sponsored in any way by the University:
- Travel: Domestic or International (2.1.33)
[Office of the General Counsel Policy Directory]
[Direct Link to Document] - Travel Warning (2.1.24)
[Office of the General Counsel Policy Directory]
[Direct Link to Document] - Travel Policy (Strategic Sourcing Policy 6.5)
[Strategic Sourcing Webpage]
[Direct Link to Document]
Please review the following resources as you plan your international travel:
- All international travel sponsored1 by the University must be registered and approval received before committing institutional resources.
- Travelers must create a profile using their Blue NetID and password the first time they travel. This provides basic information (such as emergency contact information) and will speed up future trip registrations.
- For each trip, the traveler must provide proposed travel dates and itinerary before purchasing tickets or paying for travel expenses. Provide all requested information until you reach the "save and finish" button.
- The registry system then immediately routes the proposed trip request to GEO for a risk management clearance. High risk travel destinations are identified by recommendations from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC), the US Department of State (USDS), and the Overseas Security Advisory Council (OSAC) amongst other organizations. Risk is also determined by the type of activities that will be undertaken at the destination. On occasion additional documentation may be needed to travel to a destination (i.e. safety plans, notarized waivers, and so on).
- Once the risk review is completed, the travel request is automatically routed to the traveler's administrative unit approver in the respective School/College or Division to confirm eligibility for travel and authorization to use funding.
- Travelers may purchase tickets and commit University funds only after being cleared by GEO.2
- International travelers are required to also enroll in Creighton's Travel Security Program (includes University-approved supplemental travel insurance, the AlertTraveler app, etc.).
- Travelers are then ready to travel! (Depending on destination, travelers may be required to obtain a negative COVID-19 test, specific vaccinations, etc.).
1"Sponsored" travel includes, but is not limited to, individuals and groups who receive University funding or who travel under the auspices of Creighton University funded by personal and/or group finances.
2Creighton strongly recommends that travelers refrain from purchasing travel tickets until after the Global Engagement Office has confirmed they are cleared to travel. Travelers will be responsible for reimbursing the University for any travel expenses incurred before approval.
Creighton University international travelers are required by policy to enroll and register their trip in the the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP).
STEP is a free service from the Bureau of Consular Affairs of the U.S. Department of State to allow U.S. citizens and nationals traveling and living abroad to enroll their trip with the nearest U.S. Embassy or Consulate.
Benefits of the Program:
- Receive important information from the Embassy about safety conditions in your destination country, helping you make informed decisions about your travel plans.
- Help the U.S. Embassy contact you in an emergency, whether natural disaster, civil unrest, or family emergency.
- Help family and friends get in touch with you in an emergency.
Enroll your trip at https://step.state.gov/step/
When engaging in international University research and other activities, University community members, including faculty, staff and students, are required to act ethically, honestly and with integrity and to comply with applicable laws. This includes compliance with anti-bribery provisions of the U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (“FCPA”), which prohibits bribery of foreign officials. FCPA applies to US companies and institutions, as well as foreign companies, institutions or persons with a nexus to the United States, and their affiliates. FCPA has two components, anti-bribery provisions and maintaining accurate books, records, and internal controls so bribes cannot be hidden.
The FCPA's definitions of "payment" and "foreign official" are very broad in order to cover a wide range of benefits that might be conferred to someone in a position to affect a person's dealings with a foreign government or instrumentality:
- Monetary and non-monetary (including travel, entertainment, etc.) payments or gifts may fall within these broad definitions.
- Employees of state-owned foreign institutions and enterprises including faculty at foreign universities may be considered “foreign officials” for purposes of the FCPA.
- Projects, sponsored or otherwise, that involve interactions with foreign officials such as projects that require government-issued licenses, approvals or permits are subject to FCPA.
- The statute contains no minimum monetary threshold; even the smallest benefits conferred are prohibited and a corrupt payment need not actually be paid or delivered - FCPA prohibits the offer, authorization, or promise to make a corrupt payment in addition to the actual payment. At the most fundamental level, charges of bribery need only to prove that some official benefit (such as a vote, recommendation, decision, or use of political influence) was offered or solicited by a government official in exchange for a sum of money or something else of value.
- Even “charitable donations” in the foreign country “may” constitute a violation of the FCPA, if it is intended to corruptly assist the University to obtain the necessary government approvals to operate in the region.
- Significant fines and imprisonment are possible for FCPA violations.
For more information about the FCPA, please visit:
- National Whistleblower Center
- U.S. Department of Justice Resource Guide to the U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act
- CITI Program: FCPA and University Research: What Faculty and Administrators Need to Know
Please contact the Global Engagement Office (globalengagement@creighton.edu) with any question regarding compliance with the FCPA.
The World is still opening for travel again, one step at a time. The COVID-19 pandemic has brought to the forefront that consideration of the risks of international travel is an important step in deciding whether travel should be undertake as well as in being prepared should something unexpected happen during a trip.
Travel abroad at any time requires travelers to be aware of the social and political atmospheres of their destination country and to apply common-sense precautions for health and safety while abroad. It is the traveler's responsibility to become informed about health and safety risks at the destination.
Creighton University is works closely with our partners abroad to plan for upcoming international travel. Based on consultation with travel security organizations, insurance underwriters, travel experts, and public health organizations worldwide, the following points of information are considered in determining whether Creighton University-sponsored international travel will be approved. GEO will conduct a risk analysis on an individual destination country and travel program basis.
Focus of Analysis | Factors to be Considered* |
---|---|
U.S. National and Local Conditions |
|
Destination Country Conditions |
|
Destination Partner Institution Conditions |
|
*Note | Creighton University requires that sponsored international travelers complete the full course of COVID-19 vaccination and boosters before traveling. |
Follow the link below to access information on entry/immigration requirements for each country. It is the traveler's responsibility to comply with these regulations. as reported to the International Air Transport Association (IATA). IATA is the trade association for the world's airlines, representing some 290 airlines or 82% of total air traffic. Make sure to also check with your airline for specific visiting / immigration documentation requirements for your destination.
Follow the link below to access information on COVID-19 measures taken by governments as reported to the International Air Transport Association (IATA). IATA is the trade association for the world's airlines, representing some 290 airlines or 82% of total air traffic.
Follow the link below to access the U.S. Department of State's COIVD-19 Country Information:
The U.S. Department of State issues and updates travel advisories frequently. Please review advisories to your intended destination at https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/traveladvisories/traveladvisories.html/
Likewise, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issues and updates travel recommendations by destination. Please review travel alerts to your intended destination at https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/travelers/map-and-travel-notices.html.
- Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services
- U.S. Department of State Travel Advisories
- U.S. Centers for Disease Control Traveler's Health
- World Health Organization: International Travel and Health
- COVID-19 Restrictions on US Visas and Entry (NAFSA)
- Guidance for Interruptions of Study Related to Coronavirus (COVID-19) (Federal Student Aid Office of the U.S. Department of Education)