Certification & Exceptions

Traveler population (e.g. an undergraduate student or faculty) and Destination Risk Category determine if travel will require a Certification or Exception as part of a completed travel enrollment.

Reference the matrices found in the GS&S Travel Policy to determine if your travel enrollment also requires a completed Certification (CERT) or approved Exception (EXC).

The purpose of the Certification process is to ensure that travelers are aware that one or more of their destinations may expose them to increased levels of health, safety, and/or security risks and to document 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. The Certification process captures endorsement of the proposed travel based on the traveler(s)’ population (undergraduate, graduate, faculty, staff).

The traveler should first review destination guidance and available resources to understand location risks. Travelers may access information and resource links through the Global Safety & Security section of the Princeton International website.

A completed Certification & Exception form (current version of forms accessible at the bottom of this page) must have the following information included and actions completed:

• Traveler information, including University department/program/role.
• Travel details, including locality, country or area, and travel dates.
• Purpose of travel.
• Traveler attestations.
• Traveler signature.
• Signature obtained from appropriate University endorser.

The traveler must upload completed, endorsed Certification form to their travel enrollment. 

The purpose of the Exception process is to consider requests for proposed University Travel to high-risk locations that have had the travel purpose endorsed at a Department or Program-level and that have had risks identified and mitigations developed by the traveler. As part of the Exception process, the GS&S team is responsible for completing an assessment of the proposed risk mitigations and making a recommendation to the University administrator responsible for approving or denying the Exception.

The traveler should first review destination guidance and available resources to understand location risks. Travelers may access information and resource links through the GS&S section of the Princeton International website.

A completed Certification & Exception form (current version of forms accessible at the bottom of this page) must have the following information included and actions completed:

• All information and actions required for a completed Certification, and
• Completion of the Risk Identification and Mitigation section by the traveler

The traveler must submit the Exception form to globalsafety@princeton.edu. GS&S will then perform a residual risk assessment (assessment of the risk that remains if proposed mitigations are implemented) and submit the form to the Exception Approver.

The Exception Approver is to return an approved or denied Exception directly to the traveler via email with globalsafety@princeton.edu copied.

The traveler must upload completed, approved Exception form to their travel enrollment.