10 Point Travel Checklist

1. Review the risks

Duke keeps a list of destinations deemed unsafe for travel by the university.

The State Department website also shares travel warnings and alerts for specific countries.

2. Check your passport

Check the expiration date on your passport. Most of the time, it should be valid for 6 months after you leave your destination country. It should also have a few blank pages.

If you don’t have a passport, or if you need to renew, you can apply at any local passport facility.

3. Get a visa

Duke faculty and staff members who need support obtaining an outbound visa for Duke affiliated travel should contact the Global Travel Office (GTO) for assistance.

4. Visit the travel clinic

The Employee Occupational Health and Wellness travel clinic provides prescriptions, vaccines, and safety information for Duke employees traveling abroad.

The cost of your travel clinic visit, including any vaccines you receive, will be covered by your department or program when you are traveling on Duke business.

Please note that some countries require vaccines for entry. Check the State Department website to see what your destination requires.

5. Register your trip

Faculty and staff members are asked to enter their travel information in the Duke Travel Registry. The registry helps Duke find and assist you in case of emergency.

6. Print your travel assistance card

Employees traveling abroad on Duke business are covered by International SOS. All you have to do is download the ISOS App. In case of emergency, contact ISOS through the app. They are available 24/7.

7. Print your international insurance card

As an employee traveling on Duke business, you are covered by CIGNA Medical Benefits Abroad. Print your card and carry it with you while you are abroad.

8. Doing research? See export controls

If you will be shipping research materials abroad or sharing data with foreign research partners, check in with the Office of Export Controls at Duke.

9. Review the global IT checklist

The global IT checklist will help ensure that your data is protected and that your devices work as planned. Our friends at OIT have also been known to save travelers thousands of dollars in accidental roaming charges.

If you need technical support while traveling, you can reach OIT by phone, email, or live chat 24 hours a day, five days a week.

10. Notify your bank and credit card companies

If you will be using a credit or debit card abroad, call your bank and/or credit card company and let them know you’ll be traveling. Otherwise, your card might be declined.

Note that many companies will charge a foreign transaction fee each time you use your card outside the United States.