Travel & exchange
Utrecht University follows the guidelines of the national government and the travel advice of the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Travel related to your study (exchange, internship, research or fieldwork) to areas with a red or orange travel advice, will not be facilitated, unless an exemption request has been filed and approved. On this page you can find more information on this procedure.
Application for stay abroad in an area with a negative travel advice
If you apply for a future study abroad in an area with negative travel advice, you have to file an exemption request in advance. In this request you argue why it is safe for you to travel and stay in the country of destination.
How to request an exception request:
Exchange: The International Office itself monitors travel advisories for countries where there are exchange partners. In case of a negative travel advice you will be informed about the next steps.
Internship/Research/Fieldwork: Report to the International Office of your faculty for an exemption request. To file the exemption request, your stay abroad needs to be registered in Osiris. The International Office of the faculty can help you with your study abroad application in Osiris.
Through Osiris, you will be asked to complete a number of questions about the security situation and your preparation for possible risks. These questions will be part of your study abroad application in Osiris Student and will be made available to you.
The university-wide Committee Negative Travel Advice reviews the submitted exemption requests on a monthly basis and advises the dean of your faculty on the possibility of exemption to your destination. That means it’s important to take completing these questions seriously. The dean ultimately makes a decision. You will be informed of this by email.
What to do when the travel advice changes from green or yellow to orange or red during your stay abroad?
If the travel advice of the area where you are staying changes negatively, you will receive an email about this. In your study abroad application in Osiris Student, a new field will be opened: an exemption request. Here you will be asked to provide information about the security situation in your area within a week, if you believe it is safe to stay at that location despite the negative travel advice.
The university-wide Committee Negative Travel Advice reviews the submitted exemption requests on a monthly basis and advises the dean of your faculty on the possibility of exemption to your destination. That means it’s important to take completing these questions seriously. The dean ultimately makes a decision. You will be informed of this by email.
FAQ
To help you further, you can find an FAQ below. In case a question remains unanswered, please contact your exchange coordinator or the International Office.