Documents
Take good care of passports, travel tickets, and any other important documents.
Leave a copy of all information at home and keep a copy with you in a safe place. Items include: copies of the first two pages of your passport, pages containing current visas, traveler checks numbers, credit card numbers, ATM card numbers, medical eyeglass/contact prescriptions, and any other essential documents.
If your passport is lost or stolen, report the loss immediately to the nearest Foreign Service post http://travel.state.gov/travel/tips/embassies/embassies_1214.html) and to the local police. If you can provide the consular officer with the information contained in your passport, it will speed the issuance of a new passport (memorize your number). Keep a Xerox of your passport data page in a separate place from where you keep your actual passport.
When traveling to your overseas destination, keep your passport with you at all times, preferably in a money pouch that you can wear on your body. You should also keep proof of ciizenship (an expired passport copy or copy of your birth certificate) and proof of identity (any type of photo ID), as well as a copy of your passport and serial number, in a separate location; this will expedite the administrative process in the event that your passport is lost or stolen.
At your program site, it is advisable to carry photocopied information with you at all times. Also, if you plan on bringing traveler's checks, you will need your passport to cash them.
Personal Safety
Don't stand out: while "safety in numbers" is a good rule to follow, traveling as an identifiable group of U.S. students will attract attention and possibly cause problems. Try to fit in with the surroundings.
Whenever possible, speak in the local language.
Report suspicious events immediately: Contact the study abroad coordinator/resident director at your study abroad campus if you observe suspicious persons within the premises of your educational environment. Act similarly if anything might indicate threats or an actual terrorist attack on the premises or on student activities.
Careless talk - Do not be free with information about other students. Be wary of new people. Do not give out yours or anyone else's address or phone number to strangers. Don't give away your class or field trip schedule.
Official contact - Your resident advisor may have an agreement with you as far as leaving the campus site and staying with others. Do let your advisor and host family, if applicable, know if you will be staying overnight somewhere else, especially in case of an emergency.
You should dress and behave inconspicuously in public. Try not to "advertise" that you're a foreigner by wearing your college sweatshirt or hanging out in typically American bars and pubs.
Guidelines Concerning Study and Research in Countries Under U.S. State Department Travel Warnings
The University has espoused a set of guidelines with regard to research and study in countries where there are U.S. State Department Travel Warnings. Please visit the Travel Warnings page following page for a full description of the guidelines.
Emergencies On-Site
Most study abroad programs have pre-planned procedures for emergency evacuations in times of crisis. However, you may not be made aware of the specific procedures due to national security. If a situation should occur in which these plans need to be activated, you would be informed about how to proceed. Remember, at any given time, in any given place, a situation could occur. For this reason, students should take general precautions while living overseas. For example, be alert to the possibility of being under surveillance and report anyone loitering around your residence, following you, or acting suspicious. Also, pay attention to daily news reports.
Crime Prevention
- Do not take valuables on your trip which you may have difficulty replacing.
- Take major credit cards, ATM cards, or travelers checks, NOT large amounts of cash.
- Find out which parts of town the locals consider "risky."
- Stay alert in crowds, especially in areas frequented by tourists.
- You can NEVER be too careful with your money and belongings. Use extreme caution at all times. Possibly, the best way to carry your money and passport is in a belt tied around your waist in the inside of your pants, or around your neck, under your shirt.
- Limit your consumption of alcoholic beverages (drink responsibly) and stay away from banned/illegal substances. YOU are ultimately responsible for your own behavior and choices
- Do not just set your bags down next to you; make sure they are touching some part of your body.
- It will be your first instinct to trust many people you meet, but using common sense is not distrust – it is smart.
- Fanny packs can be easily cut off of you on crowded trains and buses. Even in church/religious sites, never let your belongings out of your sight.
- Be especially careful when taking pictures as your attention is focused on your subject and camera, rather than your belongings.
- "When you least expect it - expect it." Above all, use common sense at all times. If something does not feel safe, it probably is not.
American Embassy Overseas
American embassies overseas will assist you in times of national crisis or threatening circumstances. Embassies will not assist you if, by virtue of your own actions, you break the laws of the country in which you reside. If you are arrested and taken to jail for a crime you have knowingly committed, the embassy is not responsible for your release. The U.S. government has no funds for your legal fees or other related expenses.
If you experience difficulties with the local authorities, remember that American officials are limited by foreign laws, U.S. regulations, and geography as to what they can do. Should you find yourself in need of legal counsel, contact the nearest consular office and they can provide you with a list of attorneys and other services. Consular offices will do whatever they can to protect your legitimate interests and insure that you are not discriminated against under local law. But they cannot get you out of jail.
If you are arrested, immediately ask to notify the nearest U.S. Embassy. You have the right to contact the American Consulate. If you are unable to do this, try to have someone contact the embassy for you. The Consulate should visit you, contact family and friends and can assist in the transfer of money, clothing and food.
Register with an American Embassy when you arrive so they know you are there in case an emergency arises. This is especially important in high-risk areas.
Office of Overseas Citizens Service
Should your family need to contact you while you are traveling (e.g. after the program is over), emergency assistance is available through the Pitt Study Abroad Office and the Citizens' Emergency Center of the Office of Overseas Citizens Services (OCS) operated by the State Department's Bureau of Consulate Affairs. That office is open from 8:15am to 10:00pm Monday through Saturday and can be reached at (202) 647-5225. Emergency communication after hours and on Sundays and holidays, contact can be made through the Overseas Citizens' Services duty officer at (202) 647-1512. They can, for example, transmit emergency messages from your family, provide protection in the event of an arrest or detention while abroad, transmit emergency funds to destitute nationals when commercial banking facilities are not available, etc.
It would be wise for you to provide your family with at least a tentative itinerary so that in an emergency, they can give the State Department some idea where to begin looking for you. Keep in contact with your parents on a regular schedule.
Emergencies On-Site
Most study abroad programs have pre-planned procedures for emergency evacuations in times of crisis. However, you may not be made aware of the specific procedures due to national security. If a situation should occur in which these plans need to be activated, you would be informed about how to proceed. Remember, at any given time, in any given place, a situation could occur. For this reason, students should take general precautions while living overseas. For example, be alert to the possibility of being under surveillance and report anyone loitering around your residence, following you, or acting suspicious. Also, pay attention to daily news reports.
Drug Arrests
Drug arrests and convictions among Americans are on the rise. If you are caught with illegal drugs overseas, you are subject to local, NOT U.S. laws. If you are arrested, you must realize:
- Few countries provide a jury trial
- Some countries employ the death penalty, with no questions asked
- Most countries do not accept bail
- Pre-trial detention can often last months
- Inhumane conditions may exist in the prisons
- Officials may not speak English
- The rights an American enjoys in the states do not apply to travel abroad. Each country is sovereign and its laws apply to everyone who enters regardless of nationality. The U.S. government cannot get Americans released from foreign jails. However, a U.S. consul will insist on prompt access to an arrested American, provide a list of attorneys, and provide information on the host country's legal system, offer to contact the arrested Americans family or friends, visit on a regular basis, protest mistreatment, monitor jail conditions, provide dietary supplements, if needed, and keep the State Department informed.
In addition, as you are still a Pitt student and subject to the Student Code of Conduct while abroad, you may be subject to disciplinary preceedings at the University of Pittsburgh if you use, possess, distribute, sell, or are under the influence of illegal drugs or are knowingly present during the commission of the aforementioned violations while abroad. See Appendix D of this Handbook for a full listing of Offenses Related to Welfare, Health, or Safety (taken from the University of Pittsburgh's Student Code of Conduct). You are ultimately responsible for your behavior and choices at all times.
International Driving Permit
Pitt students are strongly discouraged from driving and renting vehicles overeas. If you expect to be driving while overseas, it is recommended that you have an International Driving Permit (http://travel.state.gov/travel/tips/safety/safety_1179.html). While some countries recognize a U.S. driver's license, others do not and may have restrictions such as age requirements or proof of insurance. Verify with your in-state insurance carrier what your insurance options are. First check with the nearest embassy or consulate to find out the specifics. To obtain an International Driving Permit, contact any AAA Office. Again, should students decide to drive while they are overseas, it is at their own risk and the University does not recommend take such risks.
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