Domestic and International Travel

The information below provides guidance to employees and students looking to travel for University of Maine System (UMS) sponsored purposes. This guidance pertains to travel that uses University funds, including activity fees; for which academic credit is awarded; for University athletic purposes, or travel that is subject to the University’s insurance coverage. Any one of those criteria means the travel is University-sponsored travel.

Employees and students are required to follow U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Maine Civil Authority guidance, and University protocols when engaging in University-sponsored travel.

When traveling:

  • All travel must comply with CDC, Department of State, visa requirements, and University guidelines.
  • All travel must be approved in advance by the appropriate dean/provost/supervisor.
  • To the maximum extent possible, all travel bookings should be made through Concur.
  • Employees seeking further information about travel approval requirements and tools should check the myCampus Portal (External Site) (login required).
  • In addition to COVID-19 vaccine requirements for students, booster shots are strongly recommended for all travelers, including employees and students.

Study Abroad and Faculty-Led Travel Programs

Study Abroad Programs

Outbound study abroad programming involving category 1 and 2 countries are permitted in keeping with travel guidance listed in the ‘Domestic and International Travel’ section above.  Requests to travel to category 3 should be submitted to the student’s campus study abroad office. These will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis which includes a thorough risk assessment. Under certain circumstances, approval may be granted for programs in countries with a Department of State (DOS) or CDC travel advisory of level 3. This exception process will begin with the student’s campus study abroad office.  Travel to countries with DOS or CDC travel advisory of level 4 is prohibited.

Faculty-Led Travel Programs

For questions about faculty-led programs, students and faculty should contact the appropriate office on their respective campuses. All UMS travel policies outlined above apply to faculty-led travel programs as well.

University of Maine:

um.travelstudy@maine.edu

University of Maine at Farmington Office of Experiential & Global Education:

umfglobaled@maine.edu

University of Southern Maine:

emily.zider@maine.edu

International Student Enrollment

The University will continue to allow visiting J-1 students to enroll and attend in person, following guidelines set by the CDC and DOS regarding incoming visitors to the United States.

Travel Resources

Last Reviewed: December 2022