Before planning or booking any side trips/independent travel, students should check with their program to ensure that side trips/independent travel is allowed and confirm any additional requirements the program may have in place for side trips/independent travel.  

Columbia University plays no role in planning any part of such side trip travel and cannot provide a comprehensive review of any side trip travel identified in a Student Sponsorship application. However, affiliates should identify side trip travel and register in ISOS, the University’s emergency assistance provider, so that the University is aware of their location in the event of an emergency and render appropriate support.  To that end, all affiliates engaging in programs overseen by the Undergraduate Travel Review Committee are asked to do the following:

Prior to Departure

Any travel information (including air/ground transportation and accommodations) on-hand prior to departure for planned side travel trips can be included in the School Sponsorship application. All side trip travel taking place immediately before, during, or after Columbia-Led, Columbia-Facilitated and/or Recognized Travel must be registered in the traveler’s ISOS MyTrips profile. Students should register any planned side travel that occurs during a student’s program abroad and takes the traveler away from the program location(s) for more than 24 hours. The University will not provide a comprehensive review of side trip travel, but any identified side trips to ISOS High/Extreme risk or evacuation status locations may require that the dean of the student’s respective school, and in Extreme travel risk locations the Provost, be notified in advance of the travel. It may also require parental notification due to the risk level and/or safety implications associated with the proposed travel.

While In-Country

Students who participate in unplanned side trip travel during a Columbia-Led, Columbia-Facilitated and/or Recognized Travel program have two options for registering their independent travel:

• log into your ISOS MyTrips account and add your travel details (transportation & accommodation) to the trip you already have entered for your current travel program. 

• log in to the ISOS Assistance App and “check in” upon arriving at each new destination. A “check in” only lasts for 24 hours.

Side trips to High travel risk locations may require that the dean of the student’s respective school, and in Extreme travel risk locations the Provost, be notified of the travel. It may also require parental notification due to the risk level and/or safety implications associated with the proposed travel.

Please note that extreme sports/activities – to include but not limited to: mountain climbing, bungee jumping, skiing, activities involving parachutes, scuba diving, etc. – are not covered by Columbia’s travel medical insurance program without prior explicit approval. Please contact GlobalTravel@Columbia.edu if you plan on participating in any such activities.