Proposing Travel and/or Activities Abroad

All affiliates must comply with the pre-departure requirements of the Travel and Activity Planning Policy . 

All travelers must review the Crisis24 Risk Ratings and CU Travel Restrictions to determine the highest risk level of your proposed destination(s). 

For the country list: Crisis24 Travel Risk Ratings and CU Travel Restrictions. Please note this list is updated monthly or as necessary (latest update July 23, 2026). 

High and Extreme Travel Risk Locations

The ratings can be found on the Horizon website or above.

Locations Subject to CU Travel Restrictions

The University maintains a listing of CU Travel Restrictions, including but not limited to countries subject to Comprehensive U.S. Sanctions or CDC Travel Health Notices of Level 3: Reconsider Nonessential Travel or Level 4: Do Not Travel. 

CU Travel and/or Activities to and within the locations subject to CU Travel Restrictions and require authorization regardless of Crisis24 Travel Risk Rating. Travelers proposing travel to locations under CU Travel Restrictions are required to go through the review/approval process outlined on Planning CU-Related Travel and Activities 

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]. 

  • Bahrain
  • Belarus
  • Iran
  • Iraq
  • Israel
  • Jordan
  • Kuwait
  • Lebanon
  • North Korea
  • Oman
  • The Palestinian Territories
  • Qatar
  • Russia
  • Saudi Arabia
  • South Sudan
  • Sudan
  • Syria
  • Uganda
  • Ukraine
  • United Arab Emirates
  • South Sudan
  • Yemen

Travel proposals must be submitted at least 30 days prior to the proposed departure date. Proposals submitted less than 30 days before departure will not be reviewed unless extenuating circumstances apply.

 

For a travel request to be reviewed:

 

 

For groups of three or more, the group/program leader should complete the Elevated Travel and Activity Proposal for the group and collect all Participant Forms. Once all forms are received, the group/program leader should submit all forms to GRSO at [email protected] on behalf of the group or put into a Google Drive and provide access to GRSO.