While you're away

Advice for All Travelers

The first thing you should do when you arrive in your host city is to contact your family and/or friends to let them know you've reached your destination. If your family needs to reach you while you are abroad because of an emergency, they can pass a message to you through the Office of Overseas Citizens Services, which can be contacted from within the United States at (888)-407-4747 (toll-free), and from overseas at (202) 501-4444. The Office of Overseas Citizens Services will contact the U.S. Embassy or Consulate in the country in which you are traveling in order to pass the message to you.

In addition to staying in touch with family and friends, be sure to do the following:

• Sign up for the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program so the U.S. Department of State can better assist you in an emergency.  This is a free online service that helps the U.S. Department of State contact you if there is a family emergency back home, or if there is a crisis where you are traveling. In accordance with the Privacy Act, information on your welfare and whereabouts will not be released to others without your express authorization.
• Provide your local address and phone number to your emergency contacts and the ASU Global Education Office.  In the case of an emergency, ASU needs to be able to reach you 24/7 while you are on-site.  You may provide this information to your Global Education International Coordinator by email, or enter the information in the Abroad address fields on your Applicant Home page.
• Take control of your own safety. Personal safety is always a concern, regardless of destination. Accidents (motor vehicle, pedestrian and drowning) are among the top causes of injury/death for travelers, so maintain awareness of your surroundings, avoid high-risk activities, and heed locally posted signs and precautions. Travel in groups when possible and avoid being in socially isolated areas that may increase your risk as a target of crime. 
• Take precautions to avoid being a target of crime. To avoid being a target of crime, do not wear conspicuous clothing or jewelry and do not carry excessive amounts of money. Also, do not leave unattended luggage in public areas and do not accept packages from strangers.
• Reach out for help when you need it. In addition to having access to mental health providers within your program location, ASU Counseling Services offers 24/7/365 global access to a mental health provider through a free telehealth service. Learn more and download the app (for android and IOS).
• Learn the local equivalent of 911.  It is your responsibility to ensure that you know how to access emergency services if/when needed.
• Contact ASU in the case of an emergency.  During regular business hours, you can reach us at +1 (480) 965-5965.  You can call the ASU Police Department collect at +1 (480) 965-3456 at any hour of the day, to report an emergency and/or request assistance from the Global Education Office. Press "0" or "9" when prompted to be immediately connected to a dispatcher. The dispatcher who takes your call will collect information from you and immediately notify a Global Education Office staff member who can assist.
• Contact the nearest U.S. Embassy.  Consular personnel at U.S. Embassies abroad are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, to provide emergency assistance to U.S. citizens. Contact information for U.S. Embassies and Consulates appears on the Bureau of Consular Affairs website. Also, note that the Office of Overseas Citizen Services in the State Department’s Bureau of Consular Affairs may be reached for assistance with emergencies at +1 (202) 501-4444.

Independent Travel

One great benefit of many of our programs is the opportunity to travel to other destinations in your free time. However, if you plan to do any extra traveling ask your on-site program director about travel procedures. Your program director may want to know where you are going, where you are staying and when you are returning, and may have restrictions forbidding your travel to particular locations in/around the host country.

Medications

Brand names and measurements of prescription medications differ and you may have difficulty finding your specific medication while abroad. We encourage students with medical conditions to wear a medical alert bracelet or pendant and to research how to replace medications in the host country, if necessary. More information about traveling with medication

Conduct

Remember that as a traveler, you are a representative of ASU, our partner institutions/organizations and your home country.  Be proud of who you represent and always behave in a respectful manner that will leave a positive impression for your host countries, thereby building lasting friendships for you and for all future travelers. Students participating in all ASU Global Education programs are required to follow the laws of the country in which they are traveling (including laws relating to drugs/alcohol) and are expected to conduct themselves within the applicable laws and policies , as well as with respect for cultural expectations for the countries they will be visiting (including norms relating to alcohol consumption, dress, and dating/sex/sexuality).

Remember that you are subject to the Arizona Board of Regents (ABOR) Student Code of Conduct while participating in an ASU Global Education program and that you represent both ASU and the United States.