When you travel abroad for UC Santa Cruz business or with UC Santa Cruz property, safety and security must be a primary consideration. The U.S. State Department provides valuable country-specific information for travelers, and should be consulted before your trip.
In addition to your personal safety, it is your responsibility as a UC Santa Cruz employee to safeguard items and sensitive data under your control while on travel.
It is the traveler’s responsibility to abide by export control requirements to avoid potential loss of proprietary information or technology. Penalties for export violations range from thousands to millions of dollars per violation.
Be aware of any import restrictions
Many countries restrict importation of biological, pathogenic or infectious materials and encrypted software or devices. You may also be responsible for duties or taxes if you do not have proper documentation when entering customs.
Export controlled items
- An export may include physical items, including proprietary technical data, that are shipped, packed in luggage, and/or hand-carried.
- All physical or hand-carried items are exports, and they may require a license or a license exception.
- Export controlled items include: laptops, smartphones, PDAs, and GPS; software (including Windows, Mac and Linux OS); anything with encryption technology; prototypes; materials, components, hardware, samples; proprietary information.
Contact export@ucsc.edu for guidance on export license requirements for items you may be hand-carrying or shipping abroad.
Travel restrictions
Travel to Cuba is highly regulated and may require a license. Travel to Iran, Syria, Crimea, and North Korea is not allowed. Travel to other foreign countries (and especially “Countries of Particular Concern”) may be restricted or regulated, depending on current export control designations. Contact export@ucsc.edu if you plan to travel to a country of concern.
Travel with laptop
Academic and scientific staff may take their laptops or other internet-connected electronic devices with them overseas without needing a license as long as all of the following conditions are met:
- Laptop is used for activities related to your university teaching and/or research.
- Laptop must remain in your physical possession and may not be borrowed or used by foreign persons.
- Encryption and software must be pre-loaded on the laptop. If you are utilizing high-powered or unusual encryption software, contact export@ucsc.edu to make sure that such encryption software is eligible for the temporary/tools of trade exception.
- The laptop may accompany you or be shipped no more than one month in advance of your departure and must be returned as soon as possible but no later than one year after export.
- This exception to a license requirement may not be used for travel to Cuba or Sudan, or any country of particular concern.
Best practices for electronic device security have been developed by the National Counterintelligence and Security Center and can be accessed at Travel Tips. For further information on country-specific security precautions, refer to guidance from the Department of State.
If you are traveling abroad to conduct research and need equipment shipped from the U.S. to a foreign country, contact export@ucsc.edu.