Travel to High and/or Extreme Travel Risk, Elevated Evacuation Status Locations and/or locations subject to CU Travel Restrictions

Travelers are required to fulfill pre-departure travel requirements aligned with the highest-risk location* included in their itinerary and ensure compliance with the International Travel Planning Policy.

 

You must review the ISOS Travel Risk Ratings, ISOS Elevated Evacuation Status, and/or locations subject to CU Travel Restrictions to determine the highest level of risk and/or Elevated Evacuation Status for your location; these ratings can be found on: ISOS Travel Risk Ratings, ISOS Evacuation Status, and CU Travel Restrictions. Please note this list is updated monthly or as necessary (latest update May 20, 2026).

 

Additionally, the University may issue guidance, requirements, and restrictions regarding travel to specific designations, including countries subject to Comprehensive U.S. Sanctions. 

 

*"Location" can refer to country, city, and/or region. For example, if you are traveling to a region designated as 'Low Risk', but the entire country is designated as 'High Risk', you will complete the pre-departure requirements for 'High Risk' locations. 

 

Stand-by

Stand-by Alerts are issued when ISOS identifies a high level of risk to people, and are issued only in response to events that present a clear danger to the safety of travelers and expatriates. With a Stand-by alert, ISOS authorizes the evacuation for scholastic clients. 

  • Burkina Faso
  • Chad
  • Madagascar
  • Niger
  • Pakistan
Evacuate: Non-Essential Personnel (the second highest alert of ISOS) 

Evacuate: Non-Essential Personnel are issued when ISOS determines that business is severely disrupted and there is a critical risk to the safety of staff, travelers, and expatriates.

  • Central African Republic
  • Ethiopia
  • Iraq
  • Israel
  • Libya
  • Mali
  • Myanmar
  • Palestinian Territories
  • South Sudan
  • Turkmenistan
Evacuate: Full Evacuation (the highest alert of ISOS) 

Evacuate: Full Evacuation (the highest alert of ISOS) are issued when ISOS determines that, “the safety or security situation in country or a particular location makes it unsafe to remain, or where the subsequent means for evacuation are going to be virtually non-existent. These decisions are made in consultation with medical and security professionals, consular and government sources, staff and clients.”

  • Afghanistan
  • Haiti
  • Iran
  • Lebanon
  • Somalia
  • Sudan
  • Syria
  • Ukraine
  • Venezuela
  • Yemen

Travel to the countries below are subject to Columbia Travel Restrictions and require University authorization regardless of International ISOS Travel Risk Rating or ISOS Elevated Evacuation Status. Travelers proposing travel to locations under CU Travel Restrictions are required to go through the review/approval process outlined below. 

  • Bahrain
  • Belarus
  • Democratic Republic of the Congo
  • Iran
  • Iraq
  • Israel
  • Jordan
  • Kuwait
  • Lebanon
  • Oman
  • North Korea
  • The Palestinian Territories
  • Pakistan
  • Qatar
  • Russia
  • Saudi Arabia
  • South Sudan
  • Sudan
  • Syria
  • Uganda
  • Ukraine
  • United Arab Emirates
  • South Sudan
  • Yemen
Travel to countries subject to Comprehensive U.S. Sanctions must be reviewed by Columbia’s Office of Research Compliance and Training (“ORCT”) prior to travel and as early in the planning process as possible. For travelers to Cuba, be aware that OFAC sanctions prohibit travelers from booking reservations or staying at certain hotels. All travelers to Cuba must contact ORCT prior to booking any accommodations in Cuba. Comprehensively sanctioned countries and regions include: 
  • Cuba
  • Iran
  • North Korea
  • Russia*
  • The Crimea, Donetsk (DNR) and Luhansk (LNR) Regions of Ukraine.

Additional information about U.S. economic sanctions regulations is available on ORCT’s website at https://research.columbia.edu/economic-sanctions-and-restricted-parties.

Please contact the Office of Research Compliance & Training at [email protected]. 

Requesting Travel to an ISOS High and/or Extreme Risk Location(s), Locations with an Elevated ISOS Evacuation Status, and/or Countries Subject to CU Travel Restrictions

In an effort to better standardize the High and Extreme Risk approval process, our office has implemented the High and Extreme Travel Risk Approval Request Form. 

  • Completion of this form is required for Students, Officers of Administration and Support Staff that propose travel to “High” or “Extreme” Travel Risk locations, locations with an ISOS Elevated Evacuation Status, and/or location subject to CU Travel Restrictions. 
  • Completion of this form is required for Officers of Instruction, Officers of Research, Officers of the Libraries, Postdoctoral Fellow/Scholars proposing travel to locations with an ISOS Elevated Evacuation Status, and/or location subject to CU Travel Restrictions. 

This form must be submitted at least 30 days prior to the proposed departure date. 

Please note, you should not complete this form until you receive a response to your ISOS Pre-Trip Itinerary Review submission. 

Upon completion of this form, return to Global Travel at [email protected] for processing. Global Travel will effectuate review by the Dean and Provost for Morningside Affiliates, or the Dean and EVP and Dean of the Faculties of Health Sciences and Medicine for CUMC Affiliates. 

Please complete at least 30 days prior to trip departure to allow for processing and applicable review time. 

Please be advised that during peak periods, the review process may require more than 30 days to complete.