As you prepare to travel, live and work overseas you can enhance your safety by informing yourself about the new environment in which you will live. The internet and contact persons who have recently traveled to the same destination are valuable sources of useful information and lessons learned. Read and carefully consider all material s issued by the sponsor that relate to safety, health, legal, environmental, political, cultural, and religious conditions in host countries. Here are some basic measures that may prove useful.

• Take an extra pair of glasses. Obtaining contact lenses can be problematic in many countries.

Get necessary vaccinations. Because different destinations have different requirements, check with the Center for Disease Control, www.cdc/gov/travel/travel.html

• Insure that insurance policies are up to date and arrange for payment of premiums.

• Authorize a Power of Attorney for a trusted individual.

• Make out a will.

• Consider getting a telephone calling card.

• Purchase a student I.D. card issued by the Council on International Education Exchange, (www.ciee.org). The $20 fee entitles the carrier to health and accident insurance; $25,000 toward medical evacuation and $7,500 toward repatriation of remains.

• Take out property insurance on necessary equipment (cameras, binoculars, laptops, etc.)

• Photocopy passport and visa, credit cards, other documents that need to be replaced quickly, if lost or stolen. Leave one set of copies with reliable person at home and carry extra copies in place separate from originals.

• Notify credit card company of intent to travel. Confirm credit limit.

• Bring extra passport photos.

• Make sure health insurance covers foreign service providers and emergency evacuation expenses.

• Visit country-specific websites for information on political, social, economic, geographic, and other characteristics of your destination country.

• Review project documents, demographic studies, economic surveys.

• Visit Dept. of State Consular Affairs website for security advisories and other travel guidance, www.travel.state.gov/travel_warnings.html. Learn which countries, cities, and roads should be avoided. Insist that the program sponsor provide the entire itinerary before the trip begins and check it closely for any dangerous destinations.

• Visit the Department of Education’s Network for Education Information website www.ed.gov/NLE/USNEI, which provides general guidance to students and educators on study abroad programs and contains links to foreign diplomatic and consular services and country-specific information provided by the Department of State.

• Other useful websites such as www.peacecorps.gov, www.realworldrescue.com, www.fieldsecurity.com, www.interaction.org, www.usc.edu/dept/education/globaled/safeti and www.fieldingtravel.com.

• Get an international driver’s license from AAA, www.aaa.com

• If you plan to carry prescription medicines be sure to have authorization to carry such from your physician. Some prescription medicines are considered controlled substances in other countries.

• Start learning a few common phrases in the local language.

• If possible, establish a reliable, personal contact in the country of destination. Communicate frequently (for clarification, response to concerns, guidance, etc.) with this individual prior to departure

• Leave travel itinerary and contact information with family or friends.

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