Frequently Asked Questions

Certifications and approved Exceptions are a way to ensure that travelers and/or travel organizers are (1) aware that one or more of their destinations may expose them (and their travelers) to increased levels of risks and (2) engaging in thoughtful reflections on the risks and benefits of traveling to a given destination. These processes also provide the University with higher touch points on elevated and higher risk travel, which may require additional risk mitigations measures, approvals, training, and assistance.

First, please search here for your destination country(s) for the Destination Risk Category, namely A, B, C, or X. For more information, please see the Destination Risk Categories FAQ at the top of the page. 

If you’re traveling anywhere with a categorization other than A, you may need a Certification or approved Exception. A combination of what type of traveler you are (e.g., student, faculty, researcher, academic professional, or staff member) and the Destination Risk Category determine your next steps. Reference the matrices found in Step 2 to determine if your travel registration also requires a completed Certification or approved Exception.

The Certification process documents the traveler’s attestation that their travel is feasible, University-related, and that they are aware of resources to better understand risks they could face. 

• If you're undertaking individual travel, it is your responsibility to complete the required Certification process. The individual travel form can be accessed here. 
• If you're participating in group travel, the travel organizer will facilitate the Certification process and complete the form for the entire group. The travel organizer will share a copy of the completed form with all travel participants, who will need to upload a copy to their travel registration per the instructions below. If you are a group travel organizer, please see the FAQs on group travel certifications and exceptions below. The group travel form can be accessed here. 

The Certification process requires an endorsement (signature) of the proposed travel from an authorized person, which is based on the traveler(s)’ population (undergraduate student; graduate student; faculty or staff reporting lines). Those requiring a Certification should follow the Certification instructions on page 1 of the form: Complete Sections 1, 2, and 3 yourself; then, obtain a signature from the authorized University Certification endorser in Section 4:

• Undergraduate students (for travel to Category B destinations) — Submit your Certification to travelcert@princeton.edu for processing to the appropriate Certification Endorser
• Graduate students (for travel to Category B destinations) — Department chair, program director or dean for Certification endorsement
• Graduate students “In Absentia” status (for travel to Category C destinations) — Department chair, program director or dean for Certification endorsement
• Faculty, Postdoc, Researcher, Academic Professional & Staff (for travel to Category C destinations) — Department chair, program director, unit head, or supervisor (as applicable)

Again, a completed Certification must have Sections 1 through 4 completed in their entirety. Incomplete Certifications will not be accepted. 

Finally, upload the completed form to the "file upload" field on the Essential Content tab of your travel registration and that's it. You will receive an automated email that your travel registration is complete when GS&S approves your trip in the Enroll My Trip system. Safe travels!

The Exception Request process adds a layer of consideration to requests for proposed University Travel to high-risk locations. This involves a risk consultation with GS&S, risk-based assessment, and recommendation to a University Exception approver. Please review the steps below and email globalsafety@princeton.edu if you have any questions. 

Please note that students are prohibited from traveling to Category X destinations. 

• If you're undertaking individual travel, it is your responsibility to complete the required Exception process. The individual travel form can be accessed here. 
• If you're participating in group travel, the travel organizer will facilitate the Exception process and complete the form for the entire group. The travel organizer will share a copy of the completed form with all travel participants, who will need to upload a copy to their travel registration per the instructions below. If you are a group travel organizer, please see the FAQs related to group travel certifications and exceptions below. The group travel form can be accessed here. 

Those requiring an approved Exception should download the form and follow the Exception instructions on page 1. Like the Certification process outlined above, the Exception process documents the traveler’s attestation that their travel is feasible, University-related, and that they are aware of resources to better understand risks they could face. It also requires an endorsement (signature) at a department level from an authorized person, which is based on the traveler(s)’ population (undergraduate student; graduate student; faculty or staff reporting lines).

Complete Sections 1, 2, and 3 yourself, then obtain a signature from the authorized University Exception endorser in Section 4:

• Undergraduate students (for travel to Category C destinations) — Submit your signed form to travelcert@princeton.edu for processing to the appropriate endorser
• Graduate students NOT “In Absentia” status (for travel to Category C Destinations) — Department chair only
• Faculty, Postdoc, Researcher, Academic Professional & Staff (for travel to Category X destinations) — Department chair, program director, unit head, or supervisor (as applicable)

Next, complete Section 5 and submit the form to globalsafety@princeton.edu.

The traveler is required to have a risk consultation with GS&S. GS&S will schedule a risk consultation with the traveler to further identify and discuss risks that could negatively impact their health, safety, and security and mitigation plans. This tailored discussion lays the foundation for GS&S to perform a residual risk assessment (e.g., risk after implemented mitigations) and make a recommendation to the authorized University Exception approver: 

• Undergraduate students — The Dean of Undergraduate Students
• Graduate students — The Dean of the Graduate School
• Faculty, Postdoc, Researcher, Academic Professional & Staff — The Provost

GS&S will assess the proposed risk mitigations and make a recommendation to the authorized University Exception approver responsible for approving or denying the Exception. The Exception approver will then return an approved or denied Exception directly to the traveler via email with globalsafety@princeton.edu copied.

Again, a completed, approved Exception form must have Sections 1 through 7 completed in their entirety. Incomplete Exceptions will not be accepted. 

The traveler must upload the completed, approved Exception form using the "file upload" field on the Essential Content tab of your travel registration. GS&S will be in touch with any final steps and approve your trip in the Enroll My Trip system. You will receive an automated email that your travel registration is complete. Safe travels!

Mitigations are, in most instances, common-sense actions you will take to either to lessen your exposure to risks in a given destination or to lessen risk impact if you do encounter it. 

Every traveler and the risks at every destination are unique, so there is no universal checklist of mitigations. It is important to think through risks that could negatively impact your health, safety, and security and what mitigation strategies to deploy to lessen your exposure to risks or to lessen risk impact. Mitigations can be intrinsic to you, such as your lived experience in a destination (e.g., previous travel to a country or living in a country for an extended period), language skills, or extrinsic practices you will adopt while traveling, such as staying in a group at night to avoid petty crime or avoiding popular public areas during peak times where terrorism is a concern.

Here are some examples:

• If using public transportation at night is a safety concern due to crime, a traveler can plan to not utilize public transportation after dark to reduce their risk of fallen victim to crime.
• If walking alone at night is safety concern for solo female travelers due to crime and sexual assault, a traveler can plan to utilize safe means as transportation after dark such as a private taxi service to reduce their risks.
• If earthquakes are a safety concern due to seismic activity, a traveler can prepare a go-bag, have an emergency communication plan, and know what actions to take in the event of an earthquake to lessen risk impact. 

Developing a mitigation plan begins with a thorough understanding of the risks at your destination. GS&S maintains a library of travel safety resources and destination-specific risk information that can help you better understand the risks you may face and possible mitigations one might adopt. We strongly advise travelers to thoughtfully reflect on their destination risks in conjunction with their own profile, identity, planned activities, lived experience, abilities, and knowledge. In some cases, additional training or pre-identifying local assistance may be advised or required by the University. 

Remember, GS&S is here to help. If you have questions about destination risks (ahead of the required risk consultation as part of the Exception process) and would like to schedule a meeting with a member of the GS&S team, please email globalsafety@princeton.edu. Due to the volume of requests ahead of peak travel periods, such a consultation may require up to two to three weeks notice from the time you contact GS&S — please plan accordingly.

Where a group travel certification or exception is required, the group travel organizer is expected to provide information on the importance of the program or trip (in the case of a Certification) and the risk mitigations the group will employ to keep students healthy and safe ( in the case of an Exception Request). 

In general, if you will be sending a group of students on the same itinerary or to participate in the same academic or other program, a group Certification or Exception is easiest and most streamlined approach. This is also true where you may only be sending one student to a destination, but a program makes all or almost all the arrangements related to living and travel arrangements and specific activities. However, where student funding is granted but the travel is student directed, each student must complete an individual travel Certification or Exception – even if several students choose to travel to the same destination separately.

Group travel organizers should also begin the group travel registration process in the Enroll My Trip system. If you are submitting a group travel registration in the Enroll My Trip system for the first time, please contact GS&S before you begin to ensure you are enabled in the tool to create group travel registrations.

Once a Certification has been completed or Exception approved, the group travel organizer should share the final, signed form with all group/program participants, so that they can review the information presented there, have answered their questions about risks, benefits, and planned mitigations, and make an informed final decision to participate. To help ensure this step takes place, each group participant will be asked to upload a copy of the completed group Certification or Exception form in the Enroll My Trip system (upload icon under the Essential Content section).

If you are still unsure about which process is most appropriate, contact Global Safety & Security.