ISP Travel Policy

Whether or not you will need a visa will depend on where you plan on traveling. If your program requires you to have a visa, your program director will give you instructions on how to get the appropriate visa. Regardless of your passport type, you are responsible for getting your own visa if you plan to do additional travel before or after your program.

UK

The UK Home Office requires U.S. citizens to get an Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA) to enter the UK. Any traveler to the UK will need to apply for this before departure.

Download the UK ETA app which can be found on the google play store or Apple marketplace. The app icon has a white background with a little blue crown.

Make sure you are connected to WiFi to continue.

Have your passport ready to scan.

Take your phone out of its case in order to use the app properly.

Follow the prompts to setup your ETA.

If your biometric passport chip cannot be scanned, try again two more times, making a total of three tries, then skip this prompt so you can enter the information manually.

Remove glasses for the photo.

Depending on the exchange rate, in 2024 the ETA cost around US$15.

The app is the simplest was to the get the ETA, but if you do not want to go this route, you can also apply online at https://www.gov.uk/guidance/apply-for-an-electronic-travel-authorisation-eta

After submitting your information and payment, you will receive an email notification that your ETA application has been submitted.

You will eventually (after 3-5 days) receive another email confirmation, this time with your ETA reference number if your application has been approved. While the UK Home Office says it’s not required to have a paper copy of this document, it is recommend printing the ETA reference number email and keeping it with your passport and travel documents.

The ETA is good for two years. U.S. citizens may stay in the UK for up to 6 months at a time with the ETA.

Europe (non-UK)

U.S. Citizens can travel in most other western European countries for 90 days within a 180-day period without a visa. For a list of countries for which this regulation applies to, see https://www.schengenvisainfo.com/.

For all other countries, American passport holders can check the specific visa requirements under the specific country travel information pages.

If you do not hold a U.S. passport, you will need to check the visa requirements at the country’s embassy web pages to see the specific requirements for your passport.

Do not overstay the time you are legally allowed in a country. If you do, you can be assessed a fine and barred from future travel to that country. BYU will not be able to help you if you find yourself in this situation.

To get permission to book your own travel without using BYU Travel, you will need to complete an online waiver that indicates that you understand that any challenges or difficulties you face while on this travel is your responsibility and that BYU will be unlikely to help you in case of emergency.

You'll need to sign the first page of the waiver, and a person who will not be traveling with you and who will agree to provide financial support in case you have travel issues, will need to sign the second page as the “responsible person.”

After you complete the waiver, you will receive a copy of it back with signed approval. Once you have this approval, you can book your travel on your own. Keep in mind that the international medical insurance that BYU provides is only valid for the dates of your program. If you have extra travel dates, you will need to get your own insurance for those days.

If you plan to do additional travel either going to or returning from your program, we require that you sign this waiver and that you limit this travel to Level 1 or Level 2 countries listed on BYU’s Travel Smart system. If you wish to travel to a Level 3 or Level 4 country, you will need to get an exception to this policy. Contact Lynn Elliott at tle@byu.edu if you have questions.

By signing this waiver, you indicate that you understand that any challenges or difficulties you face while on this travel is your responsibility and that BYU will be unlikely to help you in case of emergency.

Also, keep in mind that the international medical insurance that BYU provides you with while on your international study program begins on the first day of the program and ends on the last day of the program, so if you want international medical coverage for your additional travel dates, you will need to arrange that on your own.

Overnight unchaperoned travel (without a faculty member) may occur only if approved by your faculty director and ISP coordinator. The policy for independent unchaperoned travel is the following:

• Independent travel is encouraged prior to the beginning or after the end of the program to alleviate interrupting the flow of the program and imposing logistical challenges. 
• Independent travel is seen as part of the program experience and should have an appropriate academic purpose approved by the faculty director. 
• If you are proposing to travel independently within the dates of the program you will need to complete an ISP Independent Travel Proposal form (available from your faculty director) and have it approved by your faculty director and ISP Coordinator the semester prior to your departure for the program. Approval is not guaranteed. Overnight travel may be limited to the country of program.      
• Independent overnight travel may only occur during the designated “free travel” period on your program calendar, not during any time you perceive to have free time. Due to time limitations for spring and summer term programs, independent travel may be limited to semester-long fall and winter programs.   
• You may only propose to travel to Category 1 countries listed on the BYU Travel Smart website.
• You are required to abide by BYU policies and CES Honor Code guidelines during independent travel. If you do not follow your approved travel plan, you run the risk of being dismissed from the program and being sent home. 
• You will need to attend Church in the LDS congregation where your program is located. Independent travel should not interrupt your regular Church attendance.  This requires that you return to your program location by Saturday with enough time to prepare for the sabbath.       
• Every student is required to have their own bed (no sharing).
• Men and women are required to have separate rooms.   
• Students should travel in groups of three or more. 
• You should only use regular public transportation for your independent travel.  Renting cars or motorbikes is not allowed, nor is hitchhiking allowed. 

Independent day trips (not overnight) from the program should be discussed with the faculty director who will consult with the ISP coordinator.

Simply Travel can be a useful took to book flights to Western Europe directly without talking with a BYU travel agent. However, it does have some limitations, so if you are traveling somewhere besides Western Europe or if you cannot find the flights you want through Simply Travel, please speak with an agent at BYU Travel by coming to 280B HRCB, by emailing them at intltravel@byu.edu, or by calling them at (801) 422-3872.

International study programs are physically, emotionally, and mentally taxing and you must be in good health to participate. Because of changes in environment, diet, sleep, routine, and relationships, some conditions may worsen during an international study program. The availability of healthcare treatment and disability accommodations may be limited depending on the nature of the program and the destination country. Accessibility laws and services available in the United States are not generally available or guaranteed in other countries and some countries limit the prescription drugs you can carry into their boundaries.

If you have a serious medical condition or a disability (physical, emotional, or mental), an international study experience may not be appropriate for you at this time. If you have a regimen of treatment, it should not be altered in order for you to participate.

Please carefully review the requirements of the program and consult with your health care provider before applying to verify that you are adequately prepared to participate. If you have a serious medical condition or disability, please consider consulting with your UAC coordinator, or the International Study Programs office, to discuss the options that might or might not be available to you if you were to participate in an international study program.

When you apply to participate on an International Study Program, you will indicate that you recognize that there are hazards and dangers inherent in BYU international study programs, including hazards and dangers related to travel and study in countries that may be unfamiliar to you. You will also indicate that you are aware that the program may not have the same level of safety and services provided at BYU in terms of transportation, living conditions, residential accommodations, food, public behavior, policing, and otherwise. Finally, as with any activity of this nature, there will be hazards and dangers including the risk of personal injury, paralysis or death, and property damage or loss.

When you apply you will indicate that you understand this risk and that you knowingly and voluntarily assume full responsibility for all the risks surrounding your participation in the program and any other activity(s) undertaken as an adjunct to the program, including all risks associated with your own health problems and physical or emotional limitations.

If you are concerned about the possible risks you will face in the countries your program visits, we encourage you to either speak with the director of the program or to contact the International Study Programs office. They can talk you through the risks you may face and how you can minimize them.

Please contact an agent at BYU Travel. You can speak with them in person at 280B HRCB, by email at intltravel@byu.edu, or by phone at (801) 422–3872.