You must request pre-approval for international travel through the Concur Travel & Expense System (Concur). Concur routes the request for approval to the traveler's HR Supervisor or SpeedType Approver and to the International Travel Approver/Officer for the traveler’s organizational unit. In addition, all international travel (any trip that is outside the 48 contiguous United States, Alaska, and Hawaii) to a high-risk destination requires approval by the appropriate Chancellor/President or their delegate. This process is required whether the trip is funded by CU or by an outside entity.

The pre-approval process ensures that:

• The University can consistently and thoroughly assess the risks and benefits of international trips with regards to the safety of University travelers; and,
• Important information about regulatory compliance and export controls is communicated to the traveler and the appropriate campus export control office.

For detailed instructions, see Requesting Approval for International Travel [3].

All international travel must be approved by:

(1) the HR Manager or SpeedType approver,
(2) the appropriate Officer, and
(3) if travelling to the following high-risk destinations: Afghanistan, Belarus, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cambodia, Central African Republic, Chad, China, Cuba, Democratic Republic of Congo, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Haiti, Hong Kong (China SAR), Iran, Iraq, Israel, Lebanon, Liberia, Libya, Mali, Myanmar, Niger, Nigeria, North Korea, Pakistan, Palestinian Territories / West Bank and Gaza, Russia, Sao Tome and Principe, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Sudan, Syria/Syrian Arab Republic, Taiwan, Ukraine, Venezuela, Yemen, Zimbabwe the high-risk travel approver (Chancellor/President, or their designated travel approver). The campus high-risk approvers for international travel are:

• Boulder Campus - Danielle Brunner (Delegate Approver for Russell Moore)
• Denver Campus - Alana Jones (Delegate Approver for Constancio Nakuma)
• Anschutz Medical Campus - Alana Jones (Delegate Approver for Donald Elliman)
• Colorado Springs Campus - Kathy Kaoudis (Delegate Approver for Jennifer Sobanet)
• System Administration - Leonard Dinegar (Delegate Approver for the CU President)

Once the pre-approval request is fully approved, Concur sends an email notification to Christopherson Business Travel (CBT) and to the traveler.

At this point, you can contact a CBT Agent [4] to book your trip. You are also able to book your international travel through Concur. Learn more about it. [5]

If your airfare will be paid for by federal funds, you need to be familiar with the Fly America Act [6]. 

If you’re a frequent international traveler, you’ve probably heard of Global Entry, the federal program that allows pre-approved, low-risk travelers to receive expedited clearance through automatic kiosks at select airports upon arrival into the United States.

For those of you who do not have Global Entry, there’s another option: Mobile Passport [7]. This app saves U.S. passport holders time during the entry process at most major U.S. airports (including DIA) and cruise ports. Through the app, you use your mobile device to submit passport and declaration information to U.S. Customs and Border Protection. (No paper forms!) Then, you access designated Mobile Passport lanes in the federal inspection area.

Downloading the app does not require a background check, interview, or pre-approval. And now, through CU’s partnership with the company, you can get Mobile Passport Plus at a discount – and use it for both business and personal trips. Through the promotion, you save $2.00 off the current Mobile Passport Plus subscription price of $14.99 plus any applicable taxes. Your subscription will renew annually unless you decide to stop it. Due to its comprehensive benefits for both business and personal travel, Mobile Passport Plus costs are a personal expense and you should pay using a personal credit card, as opposed to the University Travel Card. 

For more information, see www.mobilepassport.us [8]. When you dowload the app, enter company code CUVIP2020 to get the CU discount on the Mobile Passport Plus subscription. 

CIBTvisas is the leading global provider of travel visas, passports, and non-negotiable travel documents. Through our customized CIBT website, https://cibtvisas.com/cu [9], the partnership with CIBTvisas offers several benefits to CU travelers, including:

• Preferred discounted pricing (40% discount) utilizing the link below or by referencing the CU account number
• Global reach and local expertise, with over 70 offices worldwide
• Compliance with FCPA (Foreign Corrupt Practices Act) and GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation)
• Secure, safe, and easy transactions
• Live customer care Monday-Friday, with e-support Saturday-Sunday
• Real-time order tracking 24/7

The following information US CIBT Account Number for the University of Colorado: 106056
Direct Link to CIBT: https://cibtvisas.com/cuedu [10]

US Customer Care: 800.929.2428 or https://cibtvisas.com/cuedu [10]
Hours of Operation: Monday-Friday; 5:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. (EST)
24/7 Email Support: customerservice@cibtvisas.com [11]

The University provides employees traveling abroad on university-sponsored trips with coverage through an international insurance policy. The policy provided by GeoBlue offers 24/7 travel assistance through International SOS (iSOS). The insurance offers international medical and evacuation coverage for medical emergencies, security emergencies, and/or natural disasters. 

This global medical and security assistance through iSOS is automatically  coordinated with the university’s insurance policy through GeoBlue. In the event assistance is needed, travelers can dial iSOS directly 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, all over the world. If needed, iSOS will contact the provider (GeoBlue) to ensure travelers in need are provided with the medical, security and logistical expertise needed to safeguard them while abroad.  

When making travel arrangements through Concur and/or CBT, international trips will be automatically added to the employee’s International SOS account. Travelers should create an account in iSOS to fully leverage the resources and services available. Information on how to create an iSOS account are provided by University Risk Management here [12]. 

The University of Colorado iSOS membership number is 11BCAS000006. The iSOS app can be downloaded here [13]. The International SOS dedicated phone number is +1 215-942-8478. Assistance is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. 

For international trips that are purchased by a third party or booked outside of Concur or CBT, the traveler will need to import the trip information into iSOS manually. Please contact PSCTravel@cu.edu [14] for assistance completing this import process.