Need to travel or assistance with planning a trip? Please see below

Traveling to the UK?

Beginning January 8, 2025, the UK will begin requiring travelers from the US, Canada and Australia complete an Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA) before traveling to or connecting through the UK.  Other Europeans will need an ETA to travel to the UK starting on April 2, 2025, when the rules go fully into effect.

The ETA will be completed online and while it could only take a few hours to receive approval for entry, it may take up to 72 hours so travelers should not wait until the last minute. Once granted, ETAs are digitally linked to a traveler’s passport and allow for stays of up to six months at a time.

Travelers will need to provide: 

• A valid passport
• A recent digital headshot that follows the UK's passport guidelines 
• An email address
• Details of travel plans
• A valid debit or credit card to pay the application fees

An ETA costs £10 (approx. $13 USD), permits multiple journeys, and lasts for two years or until the holder’s passport expires—whichever is sooner.  If travelers haven't received permission to enter before arrival, they may be fined or denied boarding.

The UK has plans to fully digitize its borders by the end of 2025. For full details, travelers can visit the official UK site at:
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/apply-for-an-electronic-travel-authorisation-eta

Holiday Hours Destinations Unlimited

The agency will be closed the following holiday dates/times.  Should travelers need assistance before our office is open again, contact the tier 2 after-hours emergency service center 844-886-8808.  The number is also provided at the bottom of every itinerary.

• Tuesday, December 24^th (Christmas Eve)
• Wednesday, December 25^th (Christmas Day)
• Tuesday, December 31^st (New Years Eve) 
• Wednesday, January 1^st (New Years Day)

Announcement: New Travel Policy for Remote Workforce 

See the article on remote work

The new travel policy impacting remote workforce persons to ensure we are compliant with IRS policy is available.  The new policy is located in the Operations Manual under 22.1 Travel for Faculty and Staff section g.

Announcement: Protrav Mobile App

https://university-shared-services.fo.uiowa.edu/protrav-mobile-application

Announcement: Additional coverage for insurance 

An outline of the coverage additions and changes can be found at insurance-plan-changes. 

Announcement: National and Enterprise

The Universities Account Number was compromised by being posted on a public website with a description of the institution linked to the account and the benefits. In order to ensure the U of I was not susceptible to fraudulent rentals, travelers may be asked to present an email with their credentials in their signature, proof of the trips purpose via email, business card (old school), or a badge, etc. to identify themselves.

Announcement: Preferred Travel Vendors/Discounts

Contractors/Consultants who are contracted to provide professional services to the University of Iowa are eligible for some University travel discounts and may utilize the services of the University’s travel service providers, for more information go to: Travel Vendor Discounts

Announcement: Eastern Iowa CID Airport

Please see the following link for a possible health screening program to implement July 27^th  at the Cedar Rapids area airport.

CID Unveils Health Screening Program

Announcement: Current travel Guidelines

Please see the following for current travel Guidelines:

https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/

https://international.uiowa.edu/study-abroad/study-abroad-resources/health/ui-international-travel-policy-students

Current Trips Approved April 1-July 31, 2020

Over 3100 domestic and international trips for this time period are currently routing for approval or already approved in ProTrav.  Since expenses are already reconciled to some of these trips, the trips will not be voided. Due to the Governor’s directive, travel is no longer permitted, and these trips will be marked with the following description:  Trip Cancelled per Iowa Governor directive. ProTrav will send a notice automatically to the traveler and approvers noting that this change has been made to the trip.

If a trip was previously approved and falls into the categories about, you will need to resubmit your request following the instructions above for exceptions.

The Board of Regents has suspended University-sponsored international travel for 30 days effective March 5. Find additional details pertaining to this in The FAQ link.

Announcement: Eastern Iowa Airport’s cell phone waiting lot temporary move.

Read more at Eastern Iowa Airport temporary cell phone lot.

Mission Statement

The Travel office is responsible for auditing and processing all payments related to University of Iowa Business Travel. They are also available as a resource for information regarding Travel Policy and Processes.