Faculty & Staff Resources

Travel Information

Planning a trip abroad for research, teaching, or scholarship? Here are some tips and considerations for planning a successful trip.

  1. Research visa requirements for your destination. Whether you require a visa will depend on your citizenship, destination, length of stay and purpose of stay. The method, requirements, and processing times for obtaining a visa vary greatly from country to country. Two of the best resources for information on visas is the website of the embassy or consulate of your destination country (which should contain instructions on obtaining a visa, if necessary) and the country specific information page at http://travel.state.gov which lists entry and exit requirements for US citizens.
  2. Check your passport expiration date. Most countries will expect you to have at least 6 months of remaining validity on your passport. Passport applications and renewals can take up to 3 months. Expedited processing can be arranged for an extra fee. Information on US passports can be found on the State Department's Passport page.
  3. Know what's going on at your destination. Basic cultural facts can be found through CultureGrams and the CIA World Factbook. US State Department Travel Warnings can be accessed on State Department's Travel page.
  4. Schedule a travel consultation with the Winthrop Travel Clinic. Please note that immunizations may be recommended or required for your destination and some are given in series that take several months to administer.
  5. Consider purchasing travel insurance or international health insurance. Faculty and staff traveling on university business can enroll in the international health insurance policy offered by Cultural Insurance Services International (CISI) at a cost of $40/month.  Please contact the International Center at international@winthrop.edu or x2133 for a copy of the current year's plan for Winthrop University or if you would like to enroll.
  6. Consult with your department administrative staff and Accounts Payable for information related to travel authorizations, travel advances and reimbursements for university-related travel.