Staying Healthy

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COVID-19 Update

All CSUF students must be fully vaccinated prior to their departure for abroad, unless the student has first obtained an approved medical or religious exemption. ​CSUF cannot grant exemptions to your host country’s vaccination policies.

All students who participate in CSUF approved travel must review and agree to the “CSUF COVID-19 Agreement” and the “CSUF COVID-19 Vaccination Requirement” within their CSUF student applications. You can review the terms outlined in each document by clicking on the document name above.

 

Health Insurance

When studying outside your country, the basic rules of healthcare are more important than ever.

All students are required to have health insurance that covers international travel. Before departing for your host country, review your insurance; know what it does and does not cover. Remember to pack your insurance card with other important documents, such as your passport and visa.

There’s a good chance you might get sick while abroad. Being exposed to unfamiliar environments can play unpleasant tricks on your immune system, so pay attention to what your body tells you.

Being prepared isn’t a bad idea, either. The Center for Disease Control: Pack Smart website offers great advice on what to pack in a travel health kit.

You can find more expert travel health advice from these sources:

Staying Safe

A good way to decide whether you should do something while abroad is to ask yourself, “Would I do this at home?”

If the answer is “no,” then doing it in a foreign country probably isn’t a good idea.

However, registering your study abroad trip (and any side trips) with the U.S. Department of State Smart Traveler Enrollment Program is a good idea. The program will notify the nearest U.S. Embassy in case an emergency happens near you. Enrolling your trip only takes a few minutes, and can be a literal lifesaver during natural disasters, terrorism or civil unrest.

Once you’re settled into your new address and know your local phone number, be sure to update the Study Abroad & Global Engagement Office.

If you’re looking for more traveling safety tips, these sources are excellent:

• SAFETI (Safety Abroad First — Educational Travel Information)
• Center for Global Education