Higher-Risk Destinations

International Travel

Note: This policy is currently superseded by the COVID International Travel policy

Travel to certain areas of the world requires additional safety considerations beyond the standard for general international travel. All DU undergraduate students interested in traveling to countries or regions with "high" ratings and all DU graduate students interested in traveling to countries or regions with "extreme" ratings on the Elevated-Risk Destination list (below) must request travel authorization from the International Travel Committee (ITC). This request is submitted during the Travel Registry process by answering additional questions.

Undergraduate travel and travel by groups of students to areas subject to an "extreme"  rating or other regions designated as extremely unsafe for travel by the ITC is not permitted. While the University does not encourage graduate student, faculty, and staff travel to these areas, travel request reviews will be on a case by case basis. Travel may be authorized based on the necessity of travel, level of in-country support, specific location, measures taken to mitigate risks and other factors.

Community commons

Requesting Authorization

To request authorization, register your travel at least 4 weeks before the intended departure date. The request, if needed, is built into the travel registry (please read the help text closely). If more information is needed, the International Travel Risk Analyst will contact the traveler. If approved, the traveler will receive a travel authorization email. If not approved, the traveler will not receive any funding, may have to repay funding already dispersed, may not earn academic credit for the experience or utilize University support for the travel, and may be subject to disciplinary action. It is critical that the traveler consider the time needed for a request review in light of the intended departure date and any financial commitments due. 

 

  • Considerations for Risk Ratings

    A 'border area' is considered to be within 22km (about 14 miles) of the border with the neighboring country

    If transiting through a high or extreme destination, you can do so without requesting travel authorization unless you are staying more than 24 hours in the airport or are planning to leave the airport for any amount of time.

    Below are definitions of risk ratings:

    High Travel Risk: Countries or areas with a HIGH security risk have regular periods of political instability and associated problems of poor governance, including high levels of corruption and failed or failing institutions. Protests are frequently violent and may target or disrupt foreigners. There may be a high level of incidental risk to travelers and expatriates from terrorism, militancy or insurgency. Communal, sectarian or racial violence is common and foreigners may be directly targeted. Violent crime rates are typically high and scams targeting foreigners are common and often have police complicity. Infrastructure and internal security and emergency services are poor and there may be regular abuses of due legal process.

    Extreme Travel Risk: Countries or areas rated with an EXTREME security risk may be in a state of war, failed states or states in which the government has lost control of significant portions of the country. Government control and law and order may be minimal or non-existent. There is a serious threat of violent targeted attacks against travelers and expatriates by terrorists, insurgents, sectarian, criminal or other extremist groups. Government and transport services are typically severely degraded or non-existent.

    Extreme Medical Risk: Countries with an EXTREME medical risk rating have almost non-existent or severely overtaxed healthcare systems. This may be due to economic conditions, war and/or lack of governmental stability. Low-quality emergency services and dental care may not be accessible. Quality prescription drugs may not be available. Serious infectious disease such as typhoid, cholera, dengue fever, and malaria may pose a threat. Travelers with moderate or severe illnesses/injuries are likely to require an international evacuation. 

  • Risk Ratings by Country
    updated 1/27/23    
    Country Destination DU Risk Rating

    Afghanistan

    Entire country

    Extreme

    Algeria

    Areas of El Taref, Souk Ahras and Tebessa provinces within 12 miles (20km) of the Tunisian border; areas within 12 miles of the Libyan border;

    areas within 30 miles (50km) of the southern borders with Mauritania, Mali and Niger

    High

    Angola

    North-east of Cabinda exclave

    		 High

    Armenia

    Border with Azerbaijan

    		 High

    Azerbaijan

    Armenian border areas and Nagorno-Karabakh

    		 High

    Bangladesh

    Dhaka; Chittagong Hill Tracts

    High
    Belarus Entire country Extreme

    Benin

    Border with Burkina Faso and Niger, including the Pendjari (Atakora department) and W (Alibori department) national parks

    		 High

    Brazil

    Urban trouble spots

    		 High

    Burkina Faso

    Entire country (Medical)

    Extreme

    Burundi

    Entire country (Medical)

    Extreme

    Cameroon

    Extreme North region; Bakassi peninsula; Border with Central African Republic; Northwest and Southwest regions (High); Extreme North region bordering Nigeria (Extreme)

    High/Extreme

    Central African Republic

    Entire country (+Medical)

    Extreme

    Chad


    Borkou, Ennedi East, Ennedi West and Tibesti regions; areas within 18 miles (30km) of borders with Sudan, CAR

    High

    Colombia

    Areas affected by activity from illicit armed groups, including those bordering Venezuela and along the Pacific coast as well as parts of the northern and mid-eastern regions; Cali;

    High

    Congo

    Areas in Likouala and Sangha departments within 20 miles (32km) of border with Central African Republic

    		 High

    Cote d'Ivoire

    Northern border regions with Mali and Burkina Faso, and Comoe National Park; Liberian border in Montagnes and Bas-Sassandra districts;

    		 High
    Cuba Entire country (Sanctions- requires approval) Extreme

    Democratic Republic of the Congo

    Entire country (High) North Kivu province (except Goma and Beni); South Kivu province (except Bukavu); Ituri province (except Bunia); Tanganyika province (Extreme)

    High/Extreme

    Ecuador

    Guayaquil, Colombian border areas

    		 High

    Egypt

    Western desert (High); North Sinai (Extreme)

    High/Extreme

    El Salvador

    Entire country

    High

    Eritrea

    Ethiopian, Sudanese, Djiboutian borders, Medical (Extreme)

    High/Extreme

    Ethiopia

    Entire country (High); Tigray state (Extreme)

    High/Extreme

    Georgia

    Abkhazia, South Ossetia

    		 High

    Guatemala

    Guatemala City; Chiquimula, Petén, Zacapa and Izabal departments;

    		 High
    Guinea

    Entire country (Medical)

    		 Extreme

    Guinea-Bissau

    Entire country (Medical)

    		 Extreme 

    Haiti

    Entire country (+Medical)

    Extreme

    Honduras

    Entire country

    High

    India

    Asom (Assam), Manipur, Nagaland; some districts of Bihar, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Odisha, Maharashtra, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh; Kashmir division and parts of Jammu division (both Jammu and Kashmir union territory)

    		 High

    Indonesia

    Central Papua, Highland Papua, Papua, South Papua, West Papua;

    		 High

    Iran

    *The University does not allow travel to Iran for any University travelers due to government sanctions.*

    Extreme

    Iraq

    Entire country

    Extreme

    Israel, West Bank, & Gaza

    		  West Bank (High) Gaza (Extreme)

    High/Extreme

    Jamaica

    West Kingston, Spanish Town;

    		 High

    Kenya

    The Somali-border counties of Wajir, Mandera, Garissa and Lamu

    High

    Kyrgyzstan

    Batken province, the international border regions of Osh and Jalal-Abad provinces

    		 High

    Lebanon

    Baalbek-Hermel governorate; areas within five miles (8km) of the Syrian, Israeli borders;

    High

    Liberia

    		 Entire country (Medical) Extreme 

    Libya

    Entire country

    Extreme

    Madagascar

    Anosy (except its capital Fort Dauphin (Tôlanaro)) and Atsimo-Atsinanana regions (south-east) 

    		 High

    Mali

    Entire country (Medical) 

    Extreme

    Mauritania

    Eastern desert areas

    High

    Mexico

    Baja California, Chihuahua, Colima, Guanajuato, Guerrero, Jalisco, Mexico, Michoacán, Morelos, Sinaloa, Tabasco, Tamaulipas, Veracruz, Zacatecas states

    High

    Mozambique

    Macomia, Meluco, Mocimboa da Praia, Muidumbe, Nangade, Palma and Quissanga districts (all Cabo Delgado province)

    		 Extreme

    Myanmar

    Entire country

    		 Extreme

    Nepal

    South

    		 High

    Niger

    Entire country (Medical)

    Extreme

    Nigeria

    Entire country (High); Borno state (Extreme)

    High/Extreme

    North Korea

    *Travel Ban in Effect* Extreme – entire country

    Extreme

    Pakistan

    Entire country (High); Districts in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa bordering the former Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA); Balochistan except for Gwadar and central districts ;The former Federally Administered Tribal Areas (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province)(Extreme)

    High/Extreme

    Panama

    Darien

    		 High

    Papua New Guinea

    Entire country

    		 High

    Peru

    Ene, Apurimac and Mantaro River Valley (VRAEM)

    		 High

    Philippines

    South-west Mindanao, the Sulu Archipelago (Basilan, Sulu, Tawi-Tawi)

    High

    Russia

    Entire country

    		 Extreme

    Saudi Arabia

    Iraq border areas; Yemen border areas

    High
    Sao Tome and Principe

    Entire country (Medical)

    Extreme

    Sierra Leone

    		 Entire country (Medical) Extreme

    Somalia

    Entire country 

    Extreme

    South Africa

    High-density, low-income urban areas

    		 High

    South Sudan

    Entire country (+Medical)

    Extreme

    Sudan

    Entire country (High); Darfur (Extreme)

    High/Extreme

    Syria

    Entire country

    Extreme

    Tajikistan

    Afghan border; Areas of Sughd province bordering Kyrgyzstan; Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Oblast

    		 High

    Tanzania

    Southern border areas within 12 miles of the Mozambican border and inland up to 93 miles from the coast

    		 High

    Thailand

    Southern provinces of Yala, Narathiwat, Pattani and the southern districts of Songkhla province

    		 High

    Togo

    Northern areas within 18 miles (30km) of the Burkina Faso border

    		 High

    Trinidad & Tobago

    Laventille, Beetham

    		 High

    Tunisia

    Libyan border areas; areas within 25 miles (40km) of the Algerian border; Mount Chaambi, Mount Mgilla, Mount Salloum and Mount Sammama

    High

    Turkey

    Hakkari, Sirnak, Diyarbakir provinces; Areas within ten miles (16km) of the Syrian border

    High

    Turkmenistan

    Border areas with Afghanistan

    		 High

    Uganda

    Areas within 18.6 miles (30km) of the Congo (DRC), South Sudan borders

    		 High

    Ukraine

    Entire country

    Extreme

    Uzbekistan

    Afghan, Kyrgyz borders, Fergana Valley

    		 High

    Venezuela

    Entire country (Medical)

    Extreme

    Yemen

    Entire country

    Extreme

Contact

 

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