Foreign Travel

International travel consists of travel from the U.S. (including Alaska, Hawaii, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the Northern Mariana Islands and the territories and possessions of the U.S.) to a foreign country or travel between foreign countries.

Your letter of appointment details your options to travel internationally. Requirements may vary depending on the sponsoring agency. Please visit the appropriate section below for additional information.

If you are attending a conference also refer to Conferences for more information related to conference travel.

Programs operating under the Oak Ridge Associated Universities ORISE contract with the Department of Energy (DOE) must adhere to the requirements set forth in DOE Order 550.1 Official Travel.

For travel sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy and DOE facilities, a complete and accurate Request for Authorization of Foreign Travel (RAFT) must be submitted to Travel Central at least 45 days prior to the departure date. Travel Central’s foreign travel specialist provides the RAFT form to you and assists you with its completion.

The traveler shall not incur any cost or depart on foreign travel until officially informed by Travel Central the travel has been approved by DOE.

Re-approval by DOE is required when substantial changes are made either before or after final approval. Substantial changes include, but are not limited to, the addition of one or more countries or a change in trip sensitivity from non-sensitive to sensitive. Notify Travel Central of any changes to your trip as soon as you become aware of them.

For additional information regarding foreign travel for DOE-Sponsored Programs, please see the ORISE Participant Travel Guide.

Safety and Security During Foreign Travel

Foreign Travel - Mandatory Overseas Training

ORISE participants who travel outside the U.S. for more than 30 days are required to take security training prior to travel. Instructions for training will be provided upon submittal of the Travel Request.

The following country specific information should be reviewed at International Travel on the U.S. State Department’s Travel Site:

  • Country entry/exit requirements
  • Passport requirements
  • Travel visa requirements
  • Required inoculations
  • Travel alerts or warnings (If active, you should use caution and consider postponing your travel when possible. Please check this often prior to your departure.)
  • Medical facilities and health information
  • Medical insurance

Foreign nationals cannot register with the U.S. Embassy but can use this website prior to commencement of travel to become familiar with country entry/exit and other requirements.

Airfare for Foreign Travel

Our contracted travel agency, Travel Leaders Corporate (TLC), MUST purchase all airfare for foreign trips to ensure compliance with the Fly America Act. If you purchase your own ticket, you risk the cost may not be reimbursed.

Per Diem for Foreign Travel

Foreign travel per diem rates and foreign per diem meal breakdowns are located on the U.S. Department of State's website links below:

Preparing for foreign travel can be an exciting time, but it is important to note there are requirements for this type of travel:

  • Passport – must be valid at least six months from the return date of the trip
  • Enrollment in the Smart Travel Enrollment Program (STEP) - STEP https://step.state.gov/, is free of charge to U.S. citizens. It allows you to enter information about your upcoming trip abroad so that the Department of State can better assist you with important country specific information. This registration can assist you in case of a major crisis or emergency.

There may be additional items/regulations required and you will be notified of those by Travel Central.

The following country specific information should be reviewed at International Travel on the U.S. State Department’s Travel Site:

  • Country entry/exit requirements
  • Passport requirements
  • Visa requirements
  • Required inoculations
  • Travel alerts or warnings (If active, you should use caution and consider postponing your travel when possible. Please check this often prior to your departure.)
  • Medical facilities and health information
  • Medical insurance

Foreign Nationals cannot register with the U.S. Embassy but can use this website prior to commencement of travel to become familiar with country entry/exit and other requirements.

Airfare for Foreign Travel

Our contracted travel agency, Travel Leaders Corporate (TLC), MUST purchase all airfare for foreign trips to ensure compliance with the Fly America Act. If you purchase your own ticket, you risk the cost may not be reimbursed.

Per Diem for Foreign Travel

Foreign travel per diem rates and foreign per diem meal breakdowns are located on the U.S. Department of State's website links below:

There may be times you may have the opportunity to add personal travel to appointment-related travel.

Here are a few things to keep in mind when considering adding personal travel:

  • The primary purpose of the travel must be appointment-related, and personal travel must be incidental. Expenses for lodging, meals and incidental expenses and other associated travel costs are not reimbursed for locations other than the city of business.
  • When personal travel is combined with appointment-related travel, an airfare cost comparison of business travel only vs. combined business and personal travel is required and must be completed by ORISE’s contracted travel agency, Travel Leaders Corporate (TLC).The traveler is responsible for any increase in airfare and other expenses due to the addition of personal travel and the increase in costs are deducted on the Expense Report.
  • If an airfare cost comparison is not completed and approved prior to travel, the traveler is responsible for a proportionate part of their airfare cost equal to the number of days on personal travel as determined by Travel Central.

Example:
Total number of travel days 10 | Business days 7 | Personal days 3

The program would pay/reimburse 70% of the airfare cost and the participant would pay for the remaining 30%.