Travel Planning Guide: Safety

Advisories

Information about current travel alerts and warnings can be found at the U.S. Department of State.  Travel Alerts are posted to disseminate information about short-term conditions such as natural disasters, demonstrations or violence that pose significant risks to the security of U.S. citizens.  Travel Warnings are issued when long-term, protracted conditions that make a country dangerous or unstable lead the State Department to recommend that Americans avoid or consider the risk of travel to that country.

Export Control

All Ohio State personnel traveling on official university business are required to comply with the U.S. laws that regulate the transfer of items, information, technology, software and funds to destinations and persons outside of the U.S., as well as in some cases, to non-U.S. citizens at the university.  Traveling with certain types of equipment including but not limited to advanced GPS units, scientific equipment, or with controlled, proprietary or unpublished data in any format may require an export license depending on your travel destination.  For more information, see Export Control.

Legal Issues

In the event Ohio State travelers require judicial assistance for notarizing a document or other legal issues when traveling outside the U.S., the Department of State has put together information to assist you with the judicial process/procedure or locating an attorney.  Laws and procedures vary widely from country to country.  For more information, see Legal Considerations.

Safety Guidelines

Safety guidelines when traveling in the U.S or abroad:

• Be on the offensive, rather than the defensive. Be aware of your surroundings.
• Stick to well-traveled streets, and try to walk in groups at night
• Have a cell phone on you for emergencies and don’t forget to pack the charger.
• Keep doors locked.
• Don’t carry valuables, even in a backpack or locked luggage.
• Use the same precautions abroad that you would in any U.S. metropolitan area.
• Become aware of cultural taboos in the countries you plan to visit.
• A smile, eye contact, certain clothing, or the way you carry yourself can connote different meaning in other cultures.
• There are restrictions on photography in certain countries.
• Know the language or hire an interpreter.

NOTE:  The Travel Planning Guide is a general resource and may not be inclusive of all considerations necessary for planning your business travel.  Consult your Service Center, Fiscal Office or other university-related travel resources to ensure all policies and basic requirements are considered.