International travel and activities

International travel and activities

When traveling internationally on Indiana University business, export control restrictions may apply depending on:

  • Where you are going (is it a sanctioned or embargoed country or region?)
  • What you take with you (including scientific equipment, laptops, encryption software, cell phones, tablets, flash drives, cameras, GPS units, and controlled or proprietary research data)
  • What you will be doing and with whom you will be interacting (restricted parties and entities with whom IU is prohibited by federal law from doing business)

IU's Export Control Specialist in the Office for Research Compliance can help you determine if export restrictions or controls apply to your travel and if an export license or other government approval is required before you depart.

Where are you going?

Travel to most countries does not raise export control concerns. Travel to embargoed or sanctioned countries that have restrictions enforced by various departments of the U.S. government requires advance review to ensure compliance with U.S. export control laws and regulations.

If traveling to an embargoed or sanctioned country, please contact the Export Control Specialist prior to travel to evaluate export control concerns.

Find sanctioned country information

Find embargoed country information

What are you taking?

When you leave the U.S., even temporarily, with university equipment, software, or technology, what you take with you may be subject to U.S. export control laws and regulations.

When taking items abroad, you need to verify that the items (e.g., scientific equipment, laptops, encryption software, cell phones, tablets, flash drives, cameras, and GPS units) may be exported to your travel destination(s) without a license or government authorization.

In most cases, university faculty, staff, and students may take common items, software, and technology subject to the Export Administration Regulations outside of the U.S. under a "No License Required" declaration unless this property is exported to a comprehensively sanctioned country.

When traveling, customs agents may ask you to provide an Export Control Classification Number for each item you take. Manufacturers provide product classification charts for their items. An Export Control Classification database can be found here.

If you are planning to take equipment that is not listed in the database, please contact us to obtain the classification number for your specific item(s).

Software

Most commercially available mass market software (such as Microsoft Office) can be exported without a license.

Proprietary software, software that includes encryption, and/or other complex software may require an export license and should be reviewed by the Export Control Specialist prior to export.

Temporary export of university property

The Office for Research Compliance does not require notification for temporary export to a non-sanctioned country of commercially available laptops, tablets, and/or cell phones/devices with standard commercially available software because no license is required.

For export (temporary or permanent) of any other types of university commodities, software, or technology, please contact the Export Control Specialist prior to your travel to evaluate the need for an export license.

Item registration with U.S. Customs and Border Protection

Registering your items/equipment with U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) establishes that you had the items before you left the U.S., and all CBP registered items will be allowed to return to the U.S. duty-free.

For additional information, see

Duties and Value Added Taxes (VATS)

For some destinations, a carnet may be required to facilitate the temporary import of items. A carnet is an international customs and temporary export-import document. It is used to clear customs in certain countries and territories without paying duties and import taxes on merchandise that will be re-exported within 12 months. Carnets are also known as Merchandise Passports or Passports for Goods.

What will you be doing and with whom you will be interacting?

Presentations

Presenting data or information in an international setting (including in the U.S. where the audience may include foreign nationals) that is not published, publicly available, or qualifies as Fundamental Research or the Educational or Public Information Exclusions may result in an unauthorized export.

Financial activities

Payments or financial transactions with a non-U.S. individual, business, or entity may be prohibited by export control laws and regulations and should be screened against the sanctioned party and entity lists. Contact the Export Control Specialist for assistance in screening and verifying your payment or transaction.

Interactions with colleagues

Sharing or discussing fundamental research, published, or publically available information with foreign colleagues is allowed as long as the colleagues are not prohibited from receiving the information by the federal government (e.g., Specially Designated Nationals, employees or representatives of the government of a sanctioned country, or restricted parties).

Fieldwork

Engaging in research, fieldwork, or course instruction outside of the U.S. may not qualify for the fundamental research exclusion, and U.S. export control regulations may apply until the work is published or is made publicly available. Prior to providing course instruction or disclosing information resulting from research or fieldwork when outside of the U.S., determine if the information is subject to export control laws and regulations.