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Staying Healthy While Traveling

Protecting your health before travel starts long before you leave. Talking to your primary care provider, ensuring medications are ready, and updating vaccinations can save a lot of challenges later on. For assistance with planning for your travel, please contact Global Safety & Risk Management.

Mental Health

Traveling is stressful. Being in a new space can aggravate symptoms we already experience and it can stir up new symptoms we have never experienced before. If you have any pre-existing mental health conditions, make sure to talk to your therapist, counselor, psychologist, or psychiatrist before you go. Talk about the awesome experience you are about to have and talk about how culture shock and other stressors might impact your experience.


Your mental health provider may not be able to provide reoccurring appointments while you are away because of licensing restrictions. Virginia Tech’s policy with CISI covers mental health emergencies and pre-existing conditions.

 AXA Assistance, our assistance provider, can assist with finding an English speaking provider near you for emergency support or reoccurring appointments.

The Cook Counseling Center can assist with an emergency assessment for travelers. If you are concerned about yourself or any Virginia Tech student being (or becoming) suicidal, please call the Cook Counseling Center at 540-231-6557 or one of the other resources listed here.




A Helpful Resource
Download the TimelyCare App before you go! This is the virtual mental health platform available to students and employees. The Talk Now service within TimelyCare allows for 24/7, on-demand support and it works abroad.

Pre-existing Conditions

Taking care of your health starts before you leave. Talk to your primary care provider before you go about your pre-existing conditions, medical risks specific to your destination, ensuring you have enough medication for the duration of your travel, and if you will need any other medications in case of an issue while away.

If you would like a “just in-case plan” before you go, AXA Assistance can help! Our assistance provider can help with a proactive plan for what to do at your destination if you need specialized assistance or treatment while away. To get started, enroll in Virginia Tech’s policy with CISI, then contact AXA Assistance with the following information:

  • Full name
  • Policy number with CISI
  • Participant ID number with CISI
  • Travel dates
  • Destination(s), to include lodging address
  • Diagnosis
  • Support need

If you would like assistance with this process, Global Safety & Risk Management is here to assist.


Prescription Medications

Traveling with prescription medications requires more preparation than simply tossing them in your suitcase. A little planning ahead can save you from serious complications at customs, medical emergencies abroad, or delayed treatment due to confiscated medications.

  • Transport prescriptions in their original, labeled containers along with documentation of the prescription, like the printout from the pharmacy.
  • Medication must be carried by the person it is prescribed to.
  • Medication should be brought abroad in carry-on luggage, NEVER in checked luggage.
  • Carry enough medication to last for the duration of the trip. It is wise to bring an additional 1-2 days of medication beyond your planned travel dates in case there are delays in your return travel.

Consider carrying a signed and dated letter from your doctor, on their letterhead, that includes:

  • Your name, date of birth, your passport number and the length of time you will be in each country,
  • The name (generic) of each medication and dose,
  • The ammount of medication you are carrying,
  • The duration of use for the medication, and
  • The medical condition that the medication is treating.

Several commonly prescribed medications in the United States are restricted or illegal in other countries. Check with the foreign embassy of the country you are visiting or contact AXA Assistance, for pre-departure assistance. Contact Global Safety & Risk Management if you would like assitance with that outreach.