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Emergency Situations
Know who to contact in case of an emergency or crisis
Pre-Departure Orientation
Learn, prepare and get equipped for your international experience
McGill Student Travel Registry
Allows us to keep record of your domestic & international travel dates and locations
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Students going on University sanctioned internationalactivities must comply withthe followinguniversityrequirements:
Government of Canada’s Travel advisory
Check the Government of Canada’s on a regular basis to stay informed of any changes for your destination.
Mandatory Pre-Departure Orientation
Complete Pre-Departure Orientation on MyCourses. For information on how to register, please consult the McGill Abroad Pre-Departure Orientation webpage.Note: Exchange students will have a specific deadline communicated by the Safety Abroad Officer via email.
Registration of your travel
With your home government: If you are a Canadian citizen, register with . If you are not a Canadian citizen, register with your home country’s foreign affairs office.
McGill Student Travel Registry
Register your university sanctioned activity via theMcGill Student Travel Registry. Follow the steps to ensure that the registration of your travel is complete and is up-to-date at least 10 working days before your departure. Your specified activity sponsor may ask you to complete this task at an earlier date.
Note: Exchange students are required to complete the travel registry as soon as their documents are available and will have a specific deadline communicated by the Safety Abroad Officer via email.
Medical and Travel Insurance
Ensure you have sufficient travel and medical insurance that covers medical emergencies, emergency evacuation, and trip cancellation and interruption. Most members of the community already have some coverage through the McGill Supplemental Health Insurance Program or their , but travelers should explore whether additional insurance is required for their destination and activities. Don't forget to ask about policy exclusions and limitations related to:
- Personal health factors
- Participation in political demonstrations
- Extreme sports and other risky activities
- issued for the host country and/or regions within
- Other circumstances that may affect insurance coverage
For information regarding field work safety guidelines, please viewField Work Safety.
Before you leave
- Ensure you have the appropriate Travel Health Insurance. Please visit the following McGill websites for more details: , , , international students. Additional information on travel insurance is available from the .
- Plan in case of an emergency. Have the following numbers on hand:
- Local central emergency number (e.g., 911 equivalent) or telephone number for local police, ambulance, fire
- Emergency number of the host partner institution
- Canadian consular assistance number or your home country’s equivalent
- Understand the conditions of the pandemic and prevailing health directives at your destination and plan accordingly
- Have the McGill Student Travel Registry app installed on your phone for quick access to travel advisories, emergency resources, and McGill's support resources
- Research what means of communication will be available to you during your trip. Internet access may be limited depending on your destination. Furthermore, depending on the country, certain website access may be prohibited. Students travelling abroad are advised to download the two-factor authentication (2FA) on their mobile device prior to their scheduled departure. This will allow students to sign into their McGill affiliated email address while travelling which is required for safety purposes. In the event that a student will be using a different physical phone and telephone number while travelling, please consult the following article prior to your scheduled departure:. Should you have any questions, please contact the IT Service Desk for support: 514-398-3398.
- Hibernation Mode: Both Iphone and Android users are required to sign into their McGill Student Travel Registry at least once every 30 days while abroad
- Stay abreast of any health regulations (including immunization) which may apply during your university sanctionedtravels
- Familiarize yourself with any additional travel health warnings for your destination. The outline potential health risks to Canadian travelers and recommend ways to help reduce them
While abroad
- Regularly check the for reports on your host country
- Regularly check your McGill email
- Hibernation Mode: Both Iphone and Android users are required to sign into their McGill Student Travel Registry at least once every 30 days while abroad
- Check if local police force or municipal administration have a twitter account or other social media accounts that you can follow
- Keep your travel documents in a secure place. Make copies of important documents and save them to your email, cloud or a USB
- Stay connected with the Department of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development's social media feeds and follow
Recommended resources
A complete list of all resources and tools for you to consult:
- Student Pre-Departure Checklist
- McGill Abroad webpage
- McGill Student Travel Registry
- Sustainable Travel Guide
- JD Maclean Center for Tropical Diseases (MUHC)
- International Student Services
- International Student Services Health Insurance Website
- Telehealth Services | Student Wellness Hub - McGill University
Note: McGill’s Policy on Student Safety Abroadstipulates that students are not permitted to participate in University sanctioned international activities in locations with an “Avoid non-essential travel”by the Government of Canada, without an approvedtravel exemption. If you deem your travel to a location that is listed as "Avoid non-essential travel" by Global Affairs Canada to be essential, or if you are currently abroad in such a location and deem your participation in a University sanctioned international activity in your current location to be essential, you must request an exemption.
Exemption requests made prior to departure must besubmitted with sufficient notice to allow for a detailed evaluation process to take place - at least 4weeks before making any travel arrangements or 2 months before travel or start of the activity.Exemptions for travel or stay in a country, city or region with an “Avoid all travel” advisory will not be granted.