(Updated Jan.14, 2022) Anyone traveling on behalf of Harvard (Harvard faculty, staff, students, and researchers) must follow the guidance below. Individuals not affiliated with Harvard and individuals traveling to Harvard do not need follow this travel guidance but must follow the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Travel Order, Massachusetts Travel Information, and Harvard’s Post-Travel Testing and Quarantine information. See the University’s communications regarding travel and vaccination requirements for Harvard University employees.
Requirements for All Harvard Travel (Domestic and International)
Harvard faculty, staff, students, and researchers must meet the following requirements:
Additional Requirements for All Harvard International Travel
Harvard faculty, staff, students, and researchers traveling internationally, must also:
- Register your travel with International SOS and show proof of registration in the form of the International SOS auto-generated e-mail when submitting a reimbursement (see International Travel Registration requirements)
- If using a preferred agency such as BCD Travel, Travel Collaborative, Milne Travel or Egencia, travelers will be registered automatically with International SOS
- If not using a preferred agency, the traveler must register with International SOS.
Booking Travel
In addition to the requirements above, travelers must continue to follow the Harvard Travel Policy and Business Expense Policy.
- If traveling internationally, register your international travel with International SOS and review Global Support Services Advice for Travelers to develop a safe travel plan. Using a Harvard Preferred Travel agency will result in yourautomatic registration with International SOS.
- Using a preferred agency such as BCD Travel, The Travel Collaborative, Milne Travel or Egencia is strongly recommended. Our agencies are familiar with Harvard travel guidance and policies, COVID-19 safety, and entryrequirements, can advise on best routing, and have access to Harvard discounts.
- Harvard Travel Policy allows for reimbursement of cancellation or change fees with a valid business purpose. The policy also allows for the purchase of refundable tickets and trip cancellation insurance if budget and policy allow. Contact your school or unit finance office for additional details. Please note that trip cancellation insurance policies may have restrictions which may not cover COVID cancellations, so purchasers must confirm if the insurance will cover their situation.
- Review the CDC’s COVID-19 travel notices regarding country rated levels for travel.
- Visit the COVID-19 Information Hub for up-to-date travel restrictions by state and country (CDC Level ratings must be followed).
- See the main Travel Website for additional information.
International Travel Registration Requirement
In order to be reimbursed, Harvard faculty, staff, students, and researchers traveling internationally must register their trip with International SOS . The International SOS program offers medical, mental health assistance, security assistance, and travel assistance for Harvard business travelers. The International SOS program also has additional information around country guides, email alerts, and a training hub for safety and security when traveling internationally.
Travelers booking tickets through a Harvard preferred agency (Egencia, Travel Collaborative, BCD Travel, Milne Travel) will automatically be registered with International SOS. Travelers must submit proof of registration in the form of the email sent by online@internationalsos.com with the reimbursement request.
Reimbursement Request Requirements
Submit the following:
- Receipts, following Harvard policy and local school or unit processes.
- Vaccination and Booster Attestation Form (version 010422) or travel petition exception letter from the OVPIA.
- If traveling internationally, include proof of International SOS registration or Missing International Registration Form.
- If using a preferred agency such as BCD Travel, Travel Collaborative, Milne Travel or Egencia, travelers will be registered automatically for the International SOS Program and must submit the International SOS auto- generated email confirmation.
- If not using a preferred agency, the traveler must register with International SOS prior to travel and submit the auto-generated email confirmation.
- If traveler did not register with International SOS prior to their travel, they must submit Missing International Registration Form.
- The above documentation must be attached at the header level in Concur or as the first document after the nonemployee reimbursement form.
Responsibilities of Preparers/Requestors/Delegates and Approvers
CONCUR
- Confirm appropriate documentation is attached.
- Vaccination and Booster Attestation Form (version 010422) or travel petition exception letter from the OVPIA.
- Confirm International SOS auto-generated email confirmation or Missing International Registration Form is attached for International Travel.
- The documentation should be attached at the header level of the Concur request.
- Approvers are responsible for confirming the above documentation is included in the reimbursement request.
- Approvers are not required to verify that the traveler has submitted proof of vaccination and booster to HUHS.
- Direct any questions to the OVPIA at international_affairs@harvard.edu if:
- Traveler will not complete vaccination and booster attestation form or did not follow the petition process, OR
- Traveler will not sign the Missing International Registration Form.
NOTE: Students or postdocs awarded a travel grant/fellowship paid through a payment request (PR), are not required to submit the vaccination and booster attestation when submitting the PR. However, they are required to submit the vaccination and booster attestation, a travel waiver, and other required pre-travel forms to their awarding department prior to travel.
BUY-TO-PAY
For Harvard students or postdocs/fellows traveling on behalf of Harvard requiring a nonemployee reimbursement (NR) for a valid Harvard business expense the preparer/requestor should:
- Confirm appropriate documentation is attached.
- Vaccination and Booster Attestation Form (version 010422) or travel petition exception letter from the OVPIA.
- Confirm International SOS auto-generated email confirmation or Missing International Registration Form is attached for International Travel.
- The documentation should be attached directly behind Nonemployee Reimbursement Form.
- Approvers are responsible for confirming the above documentation is included in the reimbursement request. o Approvers are not required to verify that the traveler has submitted proof of vaccination and booster to HUHS.
- Direct any questions to the OVPIA at international_affairs@harvard.edu if:
- Traveler will not complete vaccination attestation form or did not follow the petition process, OR
- Traveler will not sign the Missing International Form.
FAQs
Who needs to follow this guidance?
Harvard faculty, staff, students, and researchers must follow this guidance.
Who is a researcher?
For purposes of this guidance, a researcher is an individual performing research for Harvard and may be a post- doctoral, administrative, or academic appointment.
Do postdocs who are fellows/stipendees (e.g., external postdocs) need to follow these processes?
It depends, a postdoc fellow/stipendee must follow this guidance if being reimbursed for a Harvard business expense (NR). If awarded a fellowship/stipend/grant that has a travel component, which is being paid as a payment request (PR), they must follow local pretravel documentation requirements.
Do I need to complete a new vaccination and booster attestation form in 2022?
Yes, because Harvard vaccination requirements have changed in 2022, Harvard employees, staff, and students traveling in the US or internationally need to sign an updated vaccination and booster attestation form (version 010422). Once the traveler submits this latest version of the attestation form, it may be reused when submitting reimbursement requests for any future travel.
Do I need to complete a new vaccination and booster attestation form each time I travel or request a reimbursement?
As long as the new attestation form (version 010422) has been completed, the same vaccination and booster attestation form may be used when submitting reimbursement requests for travel. However, a copy of the attestation must be included for each submitted reimbursement request.
A new letter from the Office of the Vice Provost for International Affairs approving their travel is required for each trip that used the travel petition process.
What if I will not be fully vaccinated or have not received a booster prior to my trip?
If traveler will not be fully-vaccinated or they are eligible but have not received a booster prior to their travel, the traveler must petition for approval to travel and must include a letter from the OVPIA approving their travel instead of the completed vaccination and booster attestation form.
If the traveler is fully vaccinated but not yet eligible for a booster, they do not need to submit a petition request but must submit the vaccination and booster attestation form.
Are there HIPPA considerations with the vaccination attestation form requirement?
No. No personal information is required on the vaccination and booster attestation form.
How often do I need to submit my COVID-19 vaccination and booster documentation to Harvard University Health Services (HUHS)?
You only need to submit your COVID-19 vaccination documentation, including any booster documentation, to HUHS once. If you have been vaccinated and/or boosted through HUHS, you do not need to submit the documentation.
What are Harvard’s vaccination and booster requirements?
What is international travel?
International travel is any travel outside the United States or U.S. Territories and Possessions. U.S. territories and possession include Puerto Rico, American Samoa, Guam, U.S. Virgin Islands and Baker, Howland, Kingman Reef, Jarvis, Johnston Midway, Palmyra, and Wake Islands.
Who are Harvard’s preferred agencies?
Do I need to follow this process if making group travel (e.g., student groups or larger group travel)?
It depends. Group travel is generally related to student travel and already requires registration with International SOS. Many schools organizing group travel for students are familiar with this process and already registering the groups with the International SOS Program. In the reimbursement request, you would note the group travel was registered with the International SOS program as group travel and do not need to include the International SOS auto-generated email confirmation if not available. See Registering Groups and Others. If the travelers were not registered as a group through International SOS, the auto-generated email confirmation would need to be included for each traveler.
Can nonemployees or others register for the International SOS Program?
Eligibility for Harvard University’s International SOS membership depends on your Harvard affiliation and the reason for your travel. Spouses, domestic partners, and dependent children who travel with a covered Harvard affiliate, as well as scholars and fellows and certain individual participating in Harvard-related programs, may be eligible. Contact the Harvard Global Support Services team, which manages the University’s International SOS program.
Do I need to submit a vaccination and booster attestation if I am requesting reimbursement for mileage or travel within the Boston area?
No, local travel or travel within Massachusetts does not require the vaccination and booster attestation documentation.
Do I need to submit a vaccination and booster attestation if I am requesting reimbursement for one-day travel that crosses state lines?
No, if no overnight stay is required, the vaccination and booster attestation is not required.
Do these requirements apply to people not affiliated with Harvard (e.g., visitors)?
No. Individuals not affiliated with Harvard and individuals traveling to Harvard do not need follow this travel guidance but must follow the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Travel Order, Massachusetts Travel Information, and Harvard’s Post-Travel Testing and Quarantine information.
Does an employee (student, staff, faculty) outside the U.S. need to complete and submit a petition or register for International SOS if they are not traveling to/from the U.S.?
: Yes, faculty, staff or students traveling for Harvard business must follow these policies. The travel documentation requirements apply regardless of where they start or end their Harvard-related travel.
The documentation requirement applies any time a traveler crosses a national border. Under normal circumstances, travel would almost always originate from Boston/Cambridge, though in the age of the pandemic may often originate in another country. For example, a faculty member traveling from France to Spain would need to follow the policy and register with the International SOS Program (assuming they are vaccinated and boosted or have received a letter of approval from the OVPIA).
Do I need the petition exception and International SOS Program registration documentation, if I use a University Corporate card to purchase tickets for a non-Harvard employee?
No, the OVPIA petition process and International SOS Registration process is required only for Harvard faculty, staff, students, and researchers. Non-employees traveling on behalf of Harvard for which Harvard is paying may qualify for International SOS coverage and the registration requirement. See International SOS University Membership for details.
Will Harvard pay for COVID testing?
If there is a requirement to have a negative COVID test for approved business travel, then those related expenses would be allowable. Following University policy, a receipt showing proof of payment for the COVID test is required if >$75. Test results or any medical information around the testing should not be submitted with the reimbursement request. Documentation showing that a COVID test is required for travel to that country should be included (it may appear on instructions on the plane ticket, etc.).
If using sponsored funds, additional documentation may be required, including the below. Contact your grants manager for guidance.
If test required from the U.S. to Foreign County:
- Attempt to get a test through Harvard. Document if a test could not be obtained, or if the regular testing cadence would not suffice for travel (maybe it’s not within 72 hours).
- Find a reasonable test cost. CVS is typically free for PCR tests. If this cannot be done, document why it can’t. This applies to both departure from home location and return location.
- Ensure you’ve documented the travel and how it benefits the award and add the documentation to support the testing requirement.
If required from a Foreign Country to the U.S.:
- Find a reasonable test cost. If this cannot be done, document why it can’t.
- Ensure you’ve documented the travel and how it benefits the award and add the documentation to support the testing requirement.
Are quarantine expenses reimbursable?
These expenses are at the discretion of the financial dean or designee. From a tax perspective, as long as there is a legal requirement to quarantine while on or returning from an approved Harvard business trip and all expenses meet the accountable plan rules, then those related expenses (meal/lodging) would be allowable . Additional restrictions may apply based on funding source (e.g., federally sponsored funds), check with your finance or sponsored office for guidance.
Will Harvard pay for trip cancellation insurance?
Trip cancellation insurance may be reimbursed on non-federal funds if approved in advance and it is for a compelling business reason. Travelers are cautioned that trip cancellation insurance does not necessarily provide coverage in all situations; purchase of a refundable ticket may be more appropriate.
Preparers/Approvers
What does a preparer/delegate/requestor and approver need to make sure is included when submitting a reimbursement?
In addition to documentation normally required for reimbursements, the updated vaccination and booster attestation (version 010422) or travel petition exception letter from the Vice Provost for International Affairs AND if, if traveling internationally, proof of registration with International SOS must be included. All other travel documentation (proof of vaccine and booster documentation submitted to HUHS, travel waivers, student pre-departure requirements for international travel) are not required on a reimbursement request.
As an approver, do I need to verify that the traveler has sent a copy of their vaccination card to HUHS?
No, an approver does not need to verify that the vaccination card has been set to HUHS. However, an approver must verify that an approval letter from the OVPIA has been included a reimbursement request if the traveler was required to petition for travel.
Does a requestor buy-to-pay need to collect additional documentation when processing a payment request for a travel grant/award/fellowship to a student or postdoc?
No, travel petition approval or registration for International SOS is not required to be included when processing a payment request for a grant/award/fellowship with a travel component. However, students and postdocs awarded a travel grant/fellowship need to follow school predeparture requirements which may include submitting a travel waiver, registering with International SOS, and other required pretravel forms. These documents would be kept by their awarding department.
What if a Harvard faculty, staff, student, or researcher will not include appropriate documentation/follow the Travel Guidance?
Direct any questions to the OVPIA at international_affairs@harvard.edu if:
- Traveler will not include the vaccination and booster attestation form or did not follow the petition process, or
- Traveler will not register for International SOS Program or sign the Missing International Form.
Harvard Travel Guidance
Vaccination Attestation Form
