Plan for Travel
Before departure student must make the following preparations.
Obtain Passport and Visa
- Start the process of obtaining passport and visa early.
Book a Flight
- Once the student has been accepted by the host university/affiliated program, he/she can then proceed to booking a flight as soon as possible to get a cheaper fare!
- Student must be sure to notify host university/affiliated program about his/her flight information.
- Make sure to arrive in-country during recommended orientation period.
- Optional: Ask family members or friends about buddy passes as an option to find reduced fares.
Make Financial Arrangements
- Student must make sure to inform his/her bank(s) about travel arrangements and duration of stay abroad to ensure the bank does not freeze account.
- Student must have some foreign currency before departure.
Consider Health and Safety Issues
- Student should prepare for a healthy and safe experience by educating his/herself before departing.
- Students should assess and communicate their specific health requirements to the Center for Global Educational Exchange so that an early determination can be made about the suitability of a particular study abroad program and what accommodations will be necessary.
- The Center for Disease Control (CDC) website identifies vaccinations that are recommended for travel to different regions of the world.
- To have the most benefit, students are recommended to see a health-care provider at least 4-6 weeks before the trip to allow time for the vaccines to take effect. Even if departure date is less than 4 weeks, student should still see a health-care provider for needed vaccines, immunizations and other medications, precautionary methods, and other health issues to consider.
Resources for LGBTQ+ Travelers
- INTERNATIONAL LESBIAN AND GAY ASSOCIATION (www.ilga.org) Provides LGBTQ+ relevant legal information and news reports by region and country, including an interactive map.
- INTERNATIONAL GAY AND LESBIAN HUMAN RIGHTS CAMPAIGN (www.iglhrc.org) International LGBTQ+ campaign which provides information on the legal, social and political climate towards the LGBTQ+ community by region and country on its website.
- GLOBALGAYZ.COM LGBTQ+ travel and culture website that compiles news reports, links, stories and photo galleries for over 190 countries. Though there are many banner ads, the combination of sources allows for a broader picture of cultural attitudes towards the LGBTQ+ community in a region than basic legal information.
- HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH (www.hrw.org) Compiles reports on human rights issues, including LGBTQ+ issues, for countries around the world.
- SODOMYLAWS.ORG Provides information on the legality of homosexuality in countries around the world and recent news reports.
- THE NATIONAL CENTER FOR TRANSGENDER EQUALITY’S TRAVEL CONSIDERATIONS (http://transequality.org/Issues/travel.html) Provides specific travel considerations for transgendered people.