Process for Travel to Higher Risk Countries or Travel Involving Higher Risk Activities
CSU supports student travelers in all regions of the world, including in higher risk destinations; however, this travel is discouraged when a lower risk option is available. Nevertheless, travel may be authorized based on educational necessity, high-level in-country support, duration, specific location, measures taken to mitigate risks, previous travel experience, or other factors.
All students traveling internationally for academic or extracurricular CSU purposes, no matter the destination, must register their travel with International Programs. Please contact [email protected] with any questions regarding the registration process.
Additionally, students and employees traveling with students interested in traveling to countries placed on the CSU Higher Risk Destination List, or travel involving high-risk activities (mountaineering, SCUBA, etc.) must request authorization for travel from the International Travel Oversight Committee (ITOC). The ITOC is composed of staff from education abroad, risk management, legal counsel, and support/safety assessment.
Steps to Authorize Higher Risk Travel
- Consult the CSU Higher Risk Destination List below. If you are traveling to a country on this list, or you are participating in a higher risk activity abroad, you must apply & submit an International Travel Oversight Committee (ITOC) petition.
- The committee meets every other Monday at 3:00pm. To ensure your travel is authorized in a timely manner, submit your petition to Education Abroad as soon as your travel is confirmed.
If you have questions or need assistance with this process, please contact [email protected] at any time.
Please note: for students traveling in groups with CSU faculty or staff, often trip leaders complete this step. Check with your leader to see if they have completed this before beginning this process.
Higher risk destination LIST: Petition required
The countries listed below are assessed as having high or extreme risk related to health, safety and/or security. Any CSU employee traveling with students in one of these destinations or any CSU student (undergraduate or graduate) traveling to any country listed below must complete a petition process and have their travel plans reviewed by members of the International Travel Oversight Committee (ITOC) prior to travel. Risk designations are not static and may change based on country or world conditions. Note that this list is based on a variety of established risk indicators. Updated March 2026.
2025-2026 Academic Year
- Afghanistan
- Algeria
- Azerbaijan
- Bangladesh
- Bahamas
- Bahrain
- Belarus
- Brazil
- Burkina Faso
- Burundi
- Cameroon
- Central African Republic
- Chad
- China
- Colombia
- Congo, Democratic Republic of
- Congo, Republic of
- Costa Rica
- Cote d’Ivoire (see Ivory Coast)
- Cyprus
- Djibouti
- Ecuador
- Egypt
- El Salvador
- Equatorial Guinea
- Eritrea
- Ethiopia
- Eswatini (see Swaziland)
- Guatemala
- Guinea
- Guinea Bissau
- Haiti
- Honduras
- India
- Indonesia
- Iran
- Iraq
- Israel, the West Bank and Gaza
- Ivory Coast (Cote d’Ivoire)
- Jamaica
- Jordan
- Kenya
- Korea, Democratic People’s Republic of (see North Korea)
- Kuwait
- Lebanon
- Liberia
- Libya
- Madagascar
- Mali
- Mauritania
- Mexico
- Mozambique
- Myanmar (Burma)
- Nicaragua
- Niger
- Nigeria
- North Korea
- Oman
- Pakistan
- Panama
- Papua New Guinea
- Qatar
- Russia
- Rwanda
- Saudi Arabia
- Sierra Leone
- Somalia
- South Africa
- South Sudan, Republic of
- Sudan
- Syria
- Swaziland (see Eswatini)
- Trinidad & Tobago
- Tunisia
- Turkey
- Uganda
- United Arab Emirates
- Ukraine
- Venezuela
- Yemen
- Zimbabwe