Get Travel Authorization

Faculty, Staff, and Students traveling abroad on behalf of the University must obtain advance approval of travel outside the United States, and register their trip prior to departure.

Forms

• Make sure your browser allows pop-up windows from https://utd.bplogix.net.
• For International travel purposes, students include Research Assistants, Teaching Assistants, and Teaching Associates.
• To monitor progress of a travel request you have submitted, are the traveler, an approver in the process, or are noted as the contact person for the traveler, log in to the IRSO ITA portal and click on Requests in Progress.

Employee travel.

• Review what can be considered University travel and check the Restricted Countries page for any special situations.
• For University travel, that is, travel that is for work or academic reasons, regardless of funding. Submit the employee form.

Individual Student travel. If the trip:

• Has credit component to it, work with International Education first. International Education will submit the travel request on the student’s behalf.
• Is to a conference, event, volunteering program, or other similar activity, and is sponsored by a UTD department or by a Registered Student Organization, submit the individual student form.

Student Group Travel. If two or more students will go on the trip, and the group trip:

• Has an academic component to it, work with International Education first. International Education will submit the travel request for the group on your behalf.
• Is to a conference, event, volunteering program, or other similar activity, and is sponsored by a UTD department or by a Registered Student Organization, submit this student group form.

Personal Travel (employees and student employees), that is, travel for leisure or any non-university-travel related reasons, and you are:

• Going to China (including Hong Kong and Macao), Cuba, Iran, North Korea, Russia, or Venezuela (see the Restricted Countries webpage)
• Submit an international personal travel report (IPTR) prior to departure. The IPTR is simply a notification to UTD, it is not tied to an authorization process.

To request an update to an ITA or an IPTR you have submitted use the ITA Update Request. Some of the common updates requested are the following:

• Updating the itinerary of the ITA. Usually to adjust estimated absence dates, or official activity dates.
• Adding clarifying information to the Activity Purpose field, such as the full name of a conference and its website url.
• Closing of the ITA. The trip didn’t or will not take place, it is not UTD travel, or the ITA was submitted in error. This is important to know for insurance purposes.
• For a group ITA, updating to indicate departmental sponsorship of insurance fee.
• For a group ITA, removing of a trip participant from a group ITA as they are no longer going.

Planning considerations

• Travel authorization must occur prior to departure (UTDPP1108).
• UTD requires travel authorization before allowing international travel booking with UTD contracted agencies (UTDBP3104). In extreme situations where the traveler is running out of time, an international travel booking may be allowed as an exception after IOC approval. Contact travel@utdallas.edu to request it.
• IOC detailed review may be needed if the destination is noted as high risk (UTDPP1092 and UTDPP1108). IOC review takes 1 to 5 business days. If the case is complex it may take longer.
• Monitor your destination entry restrictions and risks, UTD may authorize travel, but it does not mean your destination will allow you entry or has no risks.

Destination restrictions

• For some destinations, UTD travel is not allowed,
• Some destinations require detailed review and risk authorization by the International Oversight Committee (IOC),
• Some destinations fall in the IOC authorized destination profile.
• To check where your intended destination falls view the High Risk Regions page.

Passports

• A current passport is needed for your travel authorization request.
• Some countries require that your passport be valid at least six months beyond the dates of your trip. Some airlines will not allow you to board if this requirement is not met. See FAQ on passports.
• We recommend you to initiate as early as possible application or renewal procedures for your passport. You can apply for a U.S. passport at UTD.

Steps the request will go through

1. Traveler review.
2. International Risk and Safety (IRSO). Review of destination, manifest information. Proxy authorization for IOC authorized destinations, and as needed work with traveler to prepare case for IOC detailed review.
3. International Oversight Committee (IOC). Detailed review, as needed.
4. Conflict of Interest (COI). Review of conflict of interest risks, as needed.
5. Export Control (EC). Review of export control risks, as needed.
6. Sponsoring department. Review of the activity, participants, and funding.
7. Final authorization
   • President Designee (PD). Dean, VP, or other President designated administrator to sign off on international travel.
   • Additional levels of authorization when needed.
8. Registration of the trip.
   • IRSO will register the activity site and official activity dates with On Call.
   • Travelers should register their flight and lodging with On Call once they have this information available.

If you submit/process/authorize international travel requests, join the International Travel Updates Listserve to get updates on international travel authorization processes and related information of interest.  News are few but worth getting.

To subscribe/Unsubscribe: Email IRSO@utdallas.edu or Go to the list environment homepage. Log on with your net ID and password. Search for the list International Travel Updates. Click on the list that comes up. On the left menu, click on Subscribe/Unsubscribe.