University of Colorado Denver | Anschutz International Travel Information for Faculty and Staff traveling for University Business

Understand the Policy & Guidelines

• Familiarize yourself with the University of Colorado International Travel Policy, which sets the guidelines for official travel, covers eligible expenses, and outlines the reimbursement process.  Review the full policy and related procedural statements: International Travel Policy for Official University Business and CU Procedural Statement on Travel.
• Ensure your travel qualifies as official project business; for any specific reimbursement questions, consult your department.

International SOS (ISOS)

Before submitting your International Travel Request, you should log in to ISOS to learn about the risks and security advice for destination countries. The University of Colorado is a member of International SOS (membership #11BCAS000006). You will need to use this membership number to create an account before you can log in.

Visas & other Entry/Exit Requirements

The Office of International Affairs does not process visas on your behalf. Learn about the entry and exit requirements of your destination country(ies). Some countries require that your passport remains valid for at least six months after your travel return date and require a certain number of blank visa pages in your passport. This includes U.S. passport holders leaving the U.S. Consult the destination country embassy for information or start with the U.S. Department of State website.

Authorization to Travel Internationally

An International Travel request must be approved via Concur prior to purchasing the flight. If your destination country is considered ‘high-risk’ by the CU System, extra vetting will be required before approval. If extra vetting is required either due to high risk or export control vetting, a member of the Office of International Affairs team will reach out to you to advise next steps once your request is routed to senior leadership for approval. No travel plans (flight, hotel etc.) can be booked until your International Travel Request has been fully approved and all necessary vetting is complete. You should submit your request at least 60 days in advance of your travel dates.

High Risk Travel Vetting

The CU System Inter-campus International Travel Committee (ICIT) establishes specific vetting requirements for staff & faculty travel to high-risk locations. If you are traveling to a high-risk location, insurance vetting or export control vetting may be required before your travel request can be approved. If your location requires additional vetting, this will be automatically prompted through your international travel request in Concur. No travel plans can be officially booked including airline tickets & hotels until this vetting is complete. Travel to locations with an extreme risk rating is not permitted.

Medical Malpractice Coverage

If you will be participating in clinical care during your international travels, you are required to have adequate Medical Malpractice Coverage. This coverage is facilitated through Professional Risk Management and must be purchased on your behalf by your department. For more information about this, talk to your department’s Director of Finance and Administration (DFA) or your campus Professional Risk Management team. It takes up to 8 weeks for this coverage to be approved so please reach out far enough in advance of your travel dates.

Compliance & Legal Issues

University travelers should be aware of important regulatory compliance requirements involving Export Controls (data, substances, software, technology), Sanctioned Nations or Sanctioned Individuals (regulations pertaining to communications and information sharing), and other compliance issues pertaining to Animal Research and Human Subjects Research. If you are planning research collaboration abroad you may also need to consult with Technology Transfer about confidentiality agreements, liability, or forward-looking collaborative agreements. Please contact the following University resources for advice on these issues: Office of Regulatory Compliance, COMIRB

Concur Travel & Expense System

Concur is the online request and expense management system accessed through the CU portal. Concur is composed of two parts: Concur Travel and Concur Expense.

1. Concur Travel is used for 24/7 booking of domestic airline tickets, hotels, and rental cars. International flights must be booked directly through the university’s affiliated travel agency, Christopherson Business Travel (CBT). CBT requires an approved international travel request before booking international travel.
2. Concur Expense is used to reconcile Travel Card charges, to request international travel, and to request reimbursement for university travel and non-travel-related expenses by employees and Regents. The traveler’s costs cannot be reimbursed until after the trip is completed.

Book with Christopherson Business Travel

CBT works with the University’s travel management system via Concur Travel. Flights may be booked through Concur after your International Travel request has been approved.

ISOS – Registration Requirements

All travelers traveling internationally under the auspices of the university are required to register with our international assistance provider. When travel arrangements are made through the University’s preferred travel agent, Christopherson Business Travel, the itinerary is automatically uploaded into the international assistance provider’s travel database. If the travel arrangements are made through any other source, travelers must forward their itinerary to CUTravel@itinerary.internationalsos.com or must manually add their travel itinerary into International SOS (membership number 11BCAS000006) through “My Trips” prior to undertaking international travel. Registration with International SOS provides information that will enable the University to confirm coverage for employee international medical and evacuation insurance. as well as activate intervention services on the traveler’s behalf in the event of an emergency.

Insurance Coverage (Medical and Evacuation Coverage)

As a faculty or staff member of the University of Colorado booking your travel through CBT and/or Concur, you will automatically be enrolled in CU’s GEOBLUE International Medical and Evacuation Insurance coverage after your International Travel Request has been fully approved. Consult the University Risk Management website for more information about this blanket coverage. This insurance policy is facilitated by ISOS. It is the responsibility of the traveler and the unit to understand the coverage provided and to determine whether any additional insurance is needed.

Insurance Card

Go to https://www.internationalsos.com/ and enter our membership ID: 11BCAS000006 to print out your Membership ID card (located on the right after login) for your GEOBLUE insurance coverage.

Vaccines

Some destinations may require proof of vaccines for entry. Evidence of requirements for each destination may be found at the Centers for Disease Control website. Vaccination costs may be allowable for reimbursement if required in order to enter a foreign country. Reimbursement usually requires an itemized receipt, proof of payment, and evidence of requirements for vaccine/medicine. Charges for doctor’s office visit is not allowable expenses.

Registration with U.S. Department of State

Prior to travel, university travelers who are U.S. citizens or permanent residents should enroll their travel through the U.S. Department of State’s web-based registration service, Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP). Non-U.S. citizens should check with their respective governments for appropriate protocols.

Reimbursement of Travel Expenses

Employees who have incurred business expenses on behalf of the University must request reimbursement by submitting expense reports in the Concur Travel and Expense System. Itemized receipts and proof of payment are required for reimbursement of all purchases. To avoid tax implications, the employee must submit the expense report within 90 days of end of trip. Please save your receipts.