International Travel
Purpose
To provide guidance on official ¶¶Òõ¶ÌÊÓƵ travel to international destinations.
Policy
This procedure is issued in accordance with The University of Texas at El Paso (¶¶Òõ¶ÌÊÓƵ) Travel Policy (Handbook of Operating Procedures, Section VII, Chapter 6).
Official University travel to international locations provide an essential role in academic and research agendas, presenting both opportunities and risks to official University travelers. Providing a framework and procedures for international travel enables appropriate oversight of such activities and risks.
Per institutional policy, a prior approval is required to identify employee and student absences from campus (or other designated headquarters) for ¶¶Òõ¶ÌÊÓƵ official travel to international locations for periods of half a day or more during normal working period, whether or not there is a cost to the University. Prior approval is also required for any ¶¶Òõ¶ÌÊÓƵ employee official travel outside of El Paso County regardless of the mode of transportation utilized.
Travel to international locations noted on the Restricted Regions List must be approved by the International Oversight Committee prior to the start of the travel.
All international travelers on University official travel are required to complete the Certification of Temporary Export of ¶¶Òõ¶ÌÊÓƵ Property and Review of U.S. Control Regulations form to Research & Innovation, Research Compliance and Regulatory Assurances prior to departure.
All international travel must be arranged by the UT System contracted travel agency and registered with the University International Travel & Emergency Assistance Program, On Call International. The University must comply with the federal "" when traveling on federal grant funds. The traveler or department must notify the travel agency if traveling on federal funds.
In lieu of using personal funds, departments are encouraged to use other options to help cover traveler expenses, including pre-payments using Miner Mall and/or Non-PO vouchers that allow ¶¶Òõ¶ÌÊÓƵ to pay vendors directly.
Procedures
Pre-Travel Authorization
Required authorizations must be completed in accordance with the policy, procedures and applicability provided in the Travel Authorizations Business Process Guideline prior to the start of travel.
Student Travel Authorizations
Students on ¶¶Òõ¶ÌÊÓƵ official travel must obtain approval per the University Handbook of Operating Procedures Section II, Chapter 11, Student Travel Policy for University Organized or Sponsored Events and Registered Student Organizations. Student travel organized and sponsored by the University must follow Section II of the Handbook of Operating Procedures covered Student Affairs.
International Oversight Committee
Travel to locations noted on the RESTRICTED REGION LIST must be approved by the International Oversight Committee prior to the start of the travel. If the destination appears on the Restricted Region List, submit the International Travel Exception Authorization Request Form to IOC@utep.edu. All completed international travel request packets must be received by 12 p.m. on Friday for review by the International Oversight Committee the following week. Please see the International Oversight Committee website for more information.
Export Control
When traveling internationally ¶¶Òõ¶ÌÊÓƵ property (Laptops, tablets, cameras, commercial software, etc.) is not export restricted based on the technology and your destination. You may temporarily (<12 months) take the items by submitting the Certification of Temporary Export of ¶¶Òõ¶ÌÊÓƵ Property and Review of U.S. Control Regulations form to Research & Innovation, Research Compliance and Regulatory Assurances (exportcontrol@utep.edu). All international travelers are required to complete this form prior to departure if you are on ¶¶Òõ¶ÌÊÓƵ business and/or taking ¶¶Òõ¶ÌÊÓƵ equipment. This is in addition to the requirements of the Information Security Office (ISO) and the Office of Institutional Property Management. Please see the Export Control website for more information.
On Call International Travel & Emergency Assistance Program
is a service that monitors overseas travel and responds to overseas emergencies 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, offering emergency assistance to ¶¶Òõ¶ÌÊÓƵ travlers. Their services include English-speaking doctors, medical referrals, and evacuation assistance, as well as regional and country-specific risk and safety reporting. ¶¶Òõ¶ÌÊÓƵ Group ID: 100143CPPD21.
Online registration with On Call International allows for proactive assistance in times of crisis. Registration with On Call International is a System-wide requirement for all international travel.
- If your travel reservation is confirmed and ticketed through a UT System contract travel agency (Anthony Travel):
- Your travel itinerary is automatically registered with On Call International
- The ¶¶Òõ¶ÌÊÓƵ Travel Policy requires that all official ¶¶Òõ¶ÌÊÓƵ international travel be arranged through the UT System contract travel agency (Anthony Travel).
- If your travel reservation is confirmed and ticketed through an alternate source, register your travel with On Call International by completing the following steps:
- Forward your booking confirmation emails for flight and/or lodging to trips@oncallinternational.com.
- If you are not using your .edu email address to send the email, ensure you include your Institution name in the email
- If you already know where you are staying but it is not included in your itinerary, you can include the full address of your accommodations in the email along with your flight. As an alternative, you can include your US mobile phone number (optional, will allow mobile app registration)
- When On Call receives your trip information, it will be entered in their Travel Monitoring platform, which is powered by OnSolve:
- Dependent upon the rist rating of your destination, you may receive a pre-travel advisory email with standing health and safety advice
- You will be registered to receive critical incident alerts via email if any are issued for your destination shortly before your trip, or while you are traveling.
- You will be registered to use the OnSolve Risk Intelligence application and receive an emailed invitation to download it. In order to optimize usage of the app, use the recommended settings found in the Mobile App User Guide.
- Emails will deliver from OCI Alerts with an @onsolve.com email domain, we suggest you take a moment to mark these as safe senders.
- NOTE for Student travel: Please visit the ¶¶Òõ¶ÌÊÓƵ Division of Student Affairs Student Travel website for additional information and resources.
While on Travel
If you feel sick, have an emergency, or need travel assistance, contact On Call International 24/7. Identify yourself as a ¶¶Òõ¶ÌÊÓƵ faculty, staff or student and provide the UT Group ID 100143CPPD21.
Call from anywhere in the world: +1 978-651-9722
Call toll-free from US or Canada: 1-833-328-1091
Email: mail@oncallinternational.com
Text only number: 603-945-0103
Live Chat:
On Call International will contact ¶¶Òõ¶ÌÊÓƵ for additional support and resources as needed.
Reimbursement
State funds are not allowed to fund international travel.
Airfare to international locations must be booked and purchase with the UT System contracted travel agency. Reference the Airline Reservations Business Process Guideline for more information.
Lodging reimbursement is based on the US Department of State () per-diem rates. Lodging expenditures may be reimbursed in accordance with the policy, procedures and applicability provided in the Lodging Reservation and Reimbursement Business Process Guideline.
Meal and specified incidentals reimbursements is based on the US Department of State () per-diem rates. Meal expenditures may be reimbursed in accordance with the policy, procedures and applicability provided in the Travel Meal Reimbursement Business Process Guideline.
Meals and Incidentals per diem overages will not be reimbursed. Specific incidentals are included in the meal and incidentals per diem as follows and will not be separately reimbursed:
Tips
Laundry
Telephone calls
Internet connections
Travelers check charges
Fees to exchange U.S. currency for foreign or vice versa
Money Orders
If a travel expense has been converted from a foreign currency, then the supporting documentation for the reimbursement must specify the exchange rate used for the conversion. Use the Internet conversion calculator when the exchange rate is not specified on the supporting documentation.
Applicability
This applies to all University faculty, staff and students traveling on official ¶¶Òõ¶ÌÊÓƵ travel/business.
Responsible Party
Comptroller
UT System Regents' Rules and Regulations -
Handbook of Operating Procedures (HOP) Section 7 Chapter 6: Travel Policy
Last Updated: November 2025