harvard university travel policy

Emergency Support

In case of emergency abroad, first call the local equivalent of 911 listed in the global 911 directory .

You may also contact International SOS by phone at +1-617-998-0000 or through the Assistance App .

IEMT Portal

Access your International Emergency Management Team (IEMT) portal for information.

Harvard College Travel Policy

College international travel policy.

This policy sets forth international travel restrictions for Harvard College students and post-baccalaureate fellows traveling with Harvard sponsorship. Travel with Harvard sponsorship is travel or related activities involving academic work qualifying for Harvard credit, funded in whole or in part by Harvard, or organized or accompanied by a Harvard faculty or staff member acting in a Harvard capacity.

Global Support Services maintains travel risk ratings for high-risk, elevated-risk, moderate-risk, and low-risk countries and regions. These categories of countries and regions are the destinations directly affected by this policy. The risk ratings list is reviewed and updated twice annually and as needed based on world events.

Harvard-sponsored travel to high-risk regions is prohibited. The sole exception to this prohibition is for visiting your parents or legal guardians, but only if your parents or legal guardians reside in the high-risk region and will monitor your well-being throughout your time there.

In certain cases, a country that is classified as high risk may have elevated regions within its borders; in such cases, you may be cleared for travel to the elevated regions once you comply with the restricted travel steps (see below).

Because the list of high-risk countries and regions is prone to fluctuations, Harvard sponsorship may be withheld at any time up to and including your planned date of departure.

Harvard-sponsored travel to elevated-risk regions is ordinarily permitted, but may be subject to restrictions. To receive Harvard sponsorship to these countries or regions, you must:

• Fill out and submit the Travel Safety Questionnaire , to be reviewed by our International Safety and Security team.
• Make adjustments or arrange additional safety mitigation, if recommended by our International Safety and Security team.
• Download and complete the appropriate Assumption of Risk and General Release form (also called a Travel Waiver). This form must be signed by you and a parent or legal guardian.
• Attend a special orientation program for travel to elevated-risk regions, organized by GSS and the Office of International Education.

Based on recommendations of our International Safety & Security team, you may be required to take additional steps before or during your travel to these countries in order to obtain approval for your travel plans; examples include:

• Contacting a designated Harvard official on arrival in country and/or at regular intervals during travel
• Obtaining permission from a Harvard official before making side trips
• Adhering to security mitigation strategies to promote a safer travel environment

Harvard may withhold sponsorship of the planned travel if our International Safety and Security team determines after review that the travel would be imprudent, based on the particular facts of the case.

If a country or region is placed on the high-risk or elevated-risk list during travel, our International Safety and Security team will assess the risks of remaining in country and the risks of departure. Typically, this risk assessment will involve a review of available information from a variety of news sources, in consultation with U.S. State Department officials, safety and security partners and/or other private security consultants, the Office of the General Counsel, and any Harvard affiliates with knowledge of the situation on the ground.

Based on this risk assessment, Harvard will advise you of the risks and the recommended course of action, up to and including immediate departure from the country, and explain how to access Harvard assistance. Harvard may withdraw your sponsorship if you do not follow its recommendations.

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We offer resources and services to book flights, cars, trains, and hotels at Harvard negotiated rates.

See the Strategic Procurement Fiscal-Year-End Deadlines

Harvard has negotiated discounts and benefits with airlines, including complimentary preferred seats, priority check-in, priority boarding, and priority reaccommodation.

Ground Travel

Booking a rental car through one of our preferred agencies offers you Harvard’s negotiated discounted pricing with three major car rental companies.

Rail Travel

Book train travel through one of Harvard’s preferred travel agencies to obtain applicable discounts. 

Harvard has negotiated discounts with local hotels in the Cambridge/Boston area, as well as with several international hotel groups.

Meetings & Events

Harvard works with two agencies that can help you plan your meetings and events.

The preferred and most convenient way to book your travel is through one of Harvard’s preferred agencies. Using one of these agencies will enable you to take advantage of University discounts and benefits negotiated with preferred travel partners.

Egencia (Online Booking Tool)

Harvard has selected Egencia as our online booking tool providing access to negotiated discounts and benefits for Harvard business air, rail, hotel, and rental cars.

The Travel Collaborative

Full-service agency for group and meeting travel services (domestic and international)

Milne Travel

Full-service agency for group, meeting, and event planning services

International Travel Guidance

Harvard University supports academic activity in every corner of the world. Whether you are traveling abroad or organizing an international conference, our guidance can help you execute a well-planned trip.

Benefits-eligible employees are reimbursed using Concur, Harvard’s travel and expense reimbursement system. 

For information on processing reimbursements, visit the Concur section . 

Nonemployees

Students and nonemployees are reimbursed through Harvard’s Buy-to-Pay eProcurement system.

For information on processing reimbursements through Harvard Buy-to-Pay, visit the Accounts Payable Reimbursement page and review the Nonemployee Reimbursement Form.

Travel Support

Travel, reimbursements, and card services Phone: 617-495-8500, option 2

Egencia Online Booking

Egencia is Harvard’s self-service online booking tool for business travel. Learn more about using Egencia and how to request an account. 

Egencia Urgent Support

Urgent Egencia request  Phone: 617-495-8500, option 2

Reimbursement

Concur, reimbursement, or policy questions or issues  Email: [email protected]

Corporate Card

Corporate Card questions or issues   Email: [email protected]

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Travel Services

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FAS Office of Research Administration

Fas addendum to the travel policy.

In addition to the Harvard Travel Policy, FAS has more specific and restrictive guidance for meals, family travel, processing exceptions and faculty recruitment.

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A list of Financial policies listed alphabetically under SEAS-Specific Policies  and  University Policies .

Not finding a policy you are looking for? Please let us know  and we can help!  

SEAS Policies

SEAS Computer Purchasing Guidelines   This reference outlines device types, funding source and approval requirements. The link will bring you to the SEAS Computing website, where you will find the guidelines posted at the bottom of the page.  

SEAS Faculty Startup Funds Spending Policy List of allowable and un-allowable expenses on Faculty Startup Funds.  

SEAS Noise-Canceling Headphones Policy Link to policy stating the unallowable nature of this expense along with the few allowable exceptions.  

SEAS Per Diem Guidance

If seeking reimbursement via per diem, SEAS travelers must follow this guidance.

SEAS PCard Process Guidance Guidance for the responsibilities of cardholder, reviewer and administrator.  

SEAS Standard Operating Procedures for Contracts Commitments and Agreements

University Policies

Business Expense Reimbursement Policy

This policy establishes when Harvard will pay for non-travel business expenses of any individuals conducting business on the University’s behalf. Harvard will reimburse for allowable, reasonable, properly substantiated expenses that are necessary and appropriate in the conduct of University business.  

Fellowship Payments and Reimbursements for Students and Non-employee Postdocs/Fellows At Harvard, we use the term “fellowships” to refer to a host of payments: awards, stipends, grants, and allowances. Fellowships are generally gross income to the recipient, unless they are qualified payments for required tuition and fees for a degree program. This policy and a Fellowships Toolkit can assist in classifying fellowship payments and reimbursements correctly.  

Financial Management of Property, Plant and Equipment (Capital Assets and Equipment)

This policy establishes the proper methods to account for facilities and equipment, including capitalization, depreciation, disposals and impairments, and various funding sources.  

Gifts and Celebratory Events for Employees and Nonemployees Harvard units may occasionally spend modest amounts from appropriate funding sources to recognize employees or non employees under certain circumstances.   

Harvard Records Retention Schedule and Guidance  

Honoraria and Reimbursements for Foreign Nationals This policy outlines the circumstances in which the University can provide compensation to or pay for the travel expenses of guest speakers who are foreign nationals, and describes the associated tax implications.  

Human Subject Payments This policy establishes the tax reporting requirements and data-security protocols related to the payment of human subjects at Harvard.   

Independent Contractor Policy It is Harvard’s policy that an individual who is paid to provide services to Harvard must be hired as an employee unless the engagement satisfies the three part Independent Contractor test. Please review the policy and talk to your HR Business Partner if you have any questions or need clarification.

• Click to view the  SEAS Independent Contractor Process .
• For a more in depth description of the policy and how it is applied, please view the  Independent Contractor Policy Overview .
• For guidance on whether or not an Independent Contractor Questionnaire or Attestation is required to be completed when engaging an individual to perform a service, please view the SEAS Independent Contractor Flow Chart .  

Procurement This policy is intended to ensure that Harvard University resources are used properly in purchasing activities.  

Purchasing Card Harvard Purchasing Cards (PCards) are University-liability credit cards issued in the names of authorized, trained individuals to purchase certain eligible goods and services in support of Harvard University.   

Receipt Requirements/Definition of Receipts

Even with the implementation of the electronic  Concur Reimbursement System , Harvard must follow specific rules that comply with the IRS Accountable Plan to ensure reimbursements are not taxable to the recipient/reimbursee. One requirement is that a reimbursement request must be substantiated with receipts showing evidence of payment. Detailed in this document are the minimum requirements for a receipt to be acceptable as proof of purchase for reimbursement.  

Responsibilities of Purchasers, Preparers and Approvers (ROPPA) This policy defines and codifies the responsibilities of individuals who spend Harvard funds and who prepare and approve transactions.  

Restricted Fund Spending Compliance All Harvard University schools and units are required to establish sound procedures to manage spending on donor restricted funds to comply with terms and conditions. This policy establishes key controls that each school must include in its local procedures.  

Short-Term Operating Advances Harvard only permits a short-term operating advance (STOA) account for human subject payments or short-term projects where use of other payment methods is not feasible.  

Sponsored Travel Policy

There are specific rules relating to travel charged to Federal Awards; please review the  University Travel Policy  (Appendix G) and the  Sponsored Expenditures Guidelines .  

Summary of all Financial Policies Click here to access a University list of each of the policies by title, with a short description of the policy and the system(s) it relates to.  

Travel Policy

This policy establishes how Harvard University will reimburse individuals for travel expenses incurred conducting University business. While no policy can address every scenario, this document is intended to cover the most common travel-related situations; where unusual circumstances arise, the spirit of this policy – along with good judgment – should prevail.  

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One of the most important phases of fieldwork and international research is planning and preparation before you leave. Field activities can be for just a day or for an extended length of time and may take you to the local, international, urban, or rural environment where many hazards may be present. Planning can help you mitigate potential risks. EH&S has created a draft  Field and International Research Safety Plan  to help with fieldwork and international research planning, including site hazards and risks analysis and preparing a mitigation plan.  

Travel Safety and Security Plan  Planning a successful field research trip will take time, effort, organizing, and review. It is recommended that researchers start planning at least 6 - 12 months in advance of their planned travel dates. The first step to take when planning to travel for research is to review the university travel policy and to abide by the travel requirements including registering your trip . Harvard Global Support Services (GSS) is available to provide tools and guidance on international research operations. Travel Tools and checklists are available through the GSS website: https://www.globalsupport.harvard.edu/travel/pre-departure-support/forms-checklists , and more advice about travel safety can be found here .  

Safety and Security, and Best Practices While in the Field  Fieldwork presents unique challenges that can increase the likelihood of discrimination and harassment, including but not limited to, challenging physical conditions, social isolation, and limited communication methods. FAS Science Division is committed to promoting a learning and working environment in which all people are treated with dignity and respect. Harassing, coercive, or disruptive acts can be forms of misconduct that undermine the effectiveness of our research and lead to the impairment of people toward whom such behavior is directed. All relationships among persons involved in fieldwork must be professional. Everyone involved in fieldwork must refrain from and discourage discrimination and harassment of any type. Training to reinforce these principles is available through the 1) Fieldwork Safety and Security workshop the Science Division offers twice per year, and 2) Title IX training mandatory for faculty and students and emphasizes key elements of Nondiscrimination; Bystander Intervention; Allyship; Privilege; Cultural Competency; and Anti-Harassment in the context of trainees’ research. These trainings are available at https://trainingportal.harvard.edu  

Data Security While Traveling  Bringing personal laptops or mobile devices when traveling increases the possibility of data and identity theft, especially in countries deemed to be  high risk . If you are traveling for university business, you may be eligible to loan a device from HUIT for the duration of your trip. Please note this is a pilot program limited to faculty members in the FAS Division of Sciences, with a plan that this service will be extended to a broader population in the future. Faculty who need laptops or mobile devices for their trip should submit the request here: https://huit.harvard.edu/international-travel-loaner-devices . Download the Harvard University Information Technology (HUIT) instruction and security checklist for travelers here . 

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A new semester

Dear Members of the Harvard Community,   At this time of year, with the arrival of new students who bring with them a vast diversity of experiences and hopes, we are reminded that our community is our strength. Whether this is our first or our umpteenth fall term, as energy and excitement about the adventures ahead pervade our campus, Harvard is renewed for all of us. We find chances to connect and reconnect with one another and to begin again, bound by the pursuit of learning and discovery, devoted to genuine excellence, and inspired by the opportunity to contribute to the world.   United by a commitment to our mission, we ensure the future success of this great institution by supporting and encouraging one another, by seeking enlightenment, understanding, and wisdom together. We have everything to gain from our commitments to one another—and so much to lose if we falter. Our community includes people of intensity and passion with beliefs both deeply held and strongly expressed. The challenges we faced in the last academic year have not abated. We anticipate demonstrations and protests, as well as disagreement and argument. We expect tension among individuals who hold opposing positions. We will surely be tested again this term.   As a university, we have a responsibility to ensure that our disagreements can be openly expressed, whether we do so through writing or speaking, individually or collectively through organized protests and other activities, without infringing on the rights of others. We will continue to meet and manage difficult moments informed by our  rights and responsibilities , and guided by widely communicated  processes and policies . Those who fall short of our expectation that the rights of others be honored must be prepared to be held accountable for their actions. We reject bias or hate directed at any individual or group, and we will not tolerate harassment, intimidation, or threats.   But it is not a set of policy statements and strictures that ultimately determines the vitality of our community. It is the everyday choices we make as individuals. Our future will be shaped by the concern and compassion we show—by our willingness to regard one another as fellow human beings, diverse in our views, ambitious in our interests, and committed not only to asserting what we believe but also to seeing the world through eyes other than our own. We must listen attentively and generously in the weeks and months to come, resisting urges to judge too quickly and approaching our dealings with one another in good faith. We must have the courage and the decency to care  about  each other and to care  for  each other.   There is so much that so many of us want to accomplish in the months ahead. Whatever the future holds, we should always keep in our sights our fundamental and enduring commitment to education and scholarship, undertaken with both determination and humility as we address humanity’s greatest challenges. I enter this semester with an undiminished sense of purpose and an optimistic outlook grounded in realism. Each of us has much to gain from being part of our extraordinary community. I hope that we will choose to be stronger together than we could ever be apart.   Sincerely, Alan M. Garber

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August 30, 2024

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University News | 8.30.2024

Harvard Reiterates Campus Rules

As fall semester begins, the university executive vice president underscores the limits to protest..

Photograph by harvard magazine

In another indication that University officials are anticipating campus tension and protest this fall and hoping to avoid a repeat of last spring’s pro-Palestine encampment in the Yard, executive vice president Meredith Weenick emailed a message to the Harvard community Friday morning, reiterating the rules for the use of campus spaces. “We strongly embrace the right to freedom of thought, open inquiry, and free expression, including the right to protest and dissent,” Weenick wrote. But, she added, “This right is not limitless—it may not be exercised in a manner that obstructs the ability of other members of the Harvard community to engage in the activities that sustain our mission.” Echoing President Alan M. Garber’s Thursday message , Weenick pointed to the Statement of Rights and Responsibilities released in January by Garber and Harvard’s deans , which clarified University policy regarding protest on campus grounds. She also cited the University’s rules governing campus use , which, she wrote, “protect the right of all members of our community to teach, learn, research, work, and live on our campus.”

Weenick emphasized a few of those rules in particular, writing:

• Community members must produce a Harvard ID when asked by Harvard administrators or the Harvard University Police Department.
• If activities are in violation of Harvard’s policies or rules, participants will be asked to cease or adjust actions. Campus administrators will work with community members, as appropriate, to find another time, place, or manner for the desired activity or expression in accordance with Current Procedures for Permitting of Campus Protest Activity .
• Continued engagement in an activity that is disruptive or otherwise violates Harvard’s policies or rules may be captured digitally, and participants should be prepared to be held accountable for their actions, including by referral to appropriate school-based disciplinary processes.
• Where there is substantial disruption of the normal operations of our campus, University police may remove or remediate the disruption.

“Members of our community should expect that activities that violate Campus Use Rules, time place and manner restrictions , and other University policies will be addressed promptly,” Weenick wrote.

Students have been returning to campus all week, and Wednesday was move-in day for College first-years. Fall semester classes begin on Tuesday.

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“Harvard will continue to defend vigorously its admissions practices,” President Larry Bacow responded.

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Supreme Court to hear Harvard admissions challenge

Colleen Walsh

Harvard Staff Writer

Decision could upend four decades of legal precedent allowing use of race as factor in decisions, alter higher education in U.S.

The U.S. Supreme Court announced Monday it would hear oral arguments likely this October in a lawsuit challenging race-conscious admissions policies at Harvard and the University of North Carolina. The outcome of the case could dramatically alter higher education in America.

The justices agreed to take up the question of whether Harvard, and colleges and universities across the country, can  continue to use race as one factor among many in their admissions processes. In its announcement, the Court said it would hear the Harvard case in tandem with a similar lawsuit brought against the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Both a federal district judge and a federal appeals court previously found in Harvard’s favor in the case that was launched in 2014 by Edward Blum and the organization he created, Students For Fair Admissions. The Supreme Court has upheld the use of race as one factor among many in admissions since the landmark Bakke case in 1978 and as recently as 2016.

In a statement, Harvard President Larry Bacow said the Court’s decision to take the case threatens decades of legal precedent. He insisted Harvard will continue to defend its admissions process in pursuit of a diverse campus, one central to the University’s educational mission.

“The Supreme Court decision to review the unanimous decisions of the lower federal courts puts at risk 40 years of legal precedent granting colleges and universities the freedom and flexibility to create diverse campus communities. Considering race as one factor among many in admissions decisions produces a more diverse student body which strengthens the learning environment for all,” he said. “The U.S. Solicitor General rightfully recognized that neither the district court’s factual findings, nor the court of appeals’ application of the Supreme Court’s precedents to those findings, warrants further review. Harvard will continue to defend vigorously its admissions practices and to reiterate the unequivocal decisions of those two federal courts: Harvard does not discriminate; our practices are consistent with Supreme Court precedent; there is no persuasive, credible evidence warranting a different outcome. The University remains committed to academic excellence, expanded opportunity, and diverse educational experiences—and to the perennial work of preparing students for fruitful careers and meaningful lives.”

The Court’s decision to move forward sets the stage for a final legal showdown in a process entering its eighth year. The Court first deferred a decision on whether or not to take the Harvard case last June when it asked Solicitor General Elizabeth B. Prelogar, the Biden administration’s chief litigator, to “file a brief in this case expressing the views of the United States.” In December Prelogar urged the Court not to take the case, citing the lower court rulings and Supreme Court precedent.

The case was first tried in 2018. Federal District Court Judge Allison D. Burroughs found in favor of Harvard in her October 2019 decision on all counts, ruling that the College didn’t discriminate based on race, engage in racial balancing or the use of quotas, and that it had no suitable race-neutral alternatives that would allow it to achieve its pedagogical and diversity-related goals. Just over a year later, in November 2020, the First Circuit Court of Appeals upheld Burroughs’ decision.

Material from previous coverage has been used in this report.

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