Updated as of March 7, 2022

The U.S. State Department reissued its Level 4 “Do Not Travel” advisory for Russia in light of recent events in Ukraine. As the Travel Advisory states, they advise U.S. citizens not to travel to Russia due to the unprovoked and unjustified attack by Russian military forces in Ukraine, the potential for harassment against U.S. citizens by Russian government security officials, the embassy’s limited ability to assist U.S. citizens in Russia, COVID-19, and related entry restrictions, terrorism, limited flights in and out of Russia and the arbitrary enforcement of local law. U.S. citizens should consider departing Russia immediately if already in the country.

Although travel to the rest of Europe has not been impacted, disruptions are still possible.

The United States announced sanctions on Russia for its military presence in two regions of Ukraine. The European Union may also soon announce sanctions. A potential impact to travelers, particularly in NATO countries in Europe, may be cyber-attacks conducted by Russia against financial institutions, communications and/or other utilities. 

Travel recommendations to consider while abroad:

1. Remember to have multiple ways to access your funds, including cash, in case of a disruption of your ATM banking services. If possible, keep cash available to cover the costs of food for a week.
2. Be sure to review travel security updates from Crisis 24. These are sent to all registered travelers.
3. Consider how you will communicate locally and internationally in the event of a communications blackout or social media outage.
   • Your local U.S. Embassy or Consulate can also send out messages on your behalf if your mobile service is inactive.
   • If you haven’t done so already, take a look at the location of the nearest U.S. Citizens Services bureau or U.S. Embassy on a map to see how far it is from you, and how you would get there if you needed assistance or document replacements. For other nationalities, please take note of your nearest embassy or consulate.
4. Double-check your current travel plans and consider how you would respond to delays in flights.
5. Have paper copies of important documents that you may normally access digitally, such as your student insurance.

February 25, 2022

On February 24, Russian President Vladimir Putin launched a military invasion of Ukraine. As a result, the United States and other nations have announced sanctions against Russia. These developments have heightened security measures in countries sharing borders with Ukraine, Belarus and Russia, impacting transportation and border crossing in those neighboring countries.

The U.S. State Department has issued a Level 4 — Do Not Travel Warning for Ukraine due to the conflict. As a result, and out of concern for the well-being and safety of the UC community, the University of California Office of the President is directing all members of the UC community to avoid all travel to Ukraine at this time. Additionally, travel to neighboring countries should be carefully evaluated.

Should travel abroad during this time be necessary, it is of utmost importance that all faculty, staff, and students take the following steps:

• If you are traveling on university business, you must register your trip
• Review the DOS Travel Advisories related to your destination(s) prior to making travel plans.
• Register your travel with the U.S. State Department’s STEP Program to receive timely notifications of safety and security concerns

Currently, the situation in Ukraine is likely to impact travel conditions outside of the immediate region. Currently, Ukrainian air space and that of the border areas with Russia and Belarus are closed due to ongoing military operations. Flight times are also likely to increase in Europe as the UK and Russia have banned each other from using their airspace.