25 March 2023 - New UQ Policy and Procedure Library 

The new Policy and Procedure Library (PPL) platform is due to be updated on Wednesday 3 April. 

The UQ Travel website and all PPL links within it will been updated. 

For more information please refer to the PPL wesbite

17 October 2023 - Israel-Hamas conflict expanding into broader regional escalation

On 9th October 2023 the Department of Foreign Affairs and Travel (DFAT) updated their travel advice for travellers to reconsider their need to travel to Israel and the Occupied Palestian Territories, and advised to avoid all non-essential travel

The University understands that travel to Israel may be necessary, however the health and safety of all UQ travellers is a priority. To enable us to continue to protect the health, safety and wellbeing of our people, effective immediately:

  1. Travellers and travel approvers must re-assess whether travel to Israel approved prior to 10 Oct 2023 is necessary and should be undertaken.
  2. UniTask approvals will be rescinded by UQ Travel and travellers will need to resubmit for High risk destination approval.
  3. Any travel yet to be approved and / or booked should be deferred until further notice.

The conflict in Israel and Gaza is having an impact globally. Regardless of the overseas destination (including transit locations), all UQ travellers should exercise additional vigilance.

Travellers are advised to:

Travel Insurance

Travellers with confirmed bookings for travel to Israel should continue to monitor the situation and investigate their options now for changing or cancelling their travel arrangements. Travellers should be aware of cost implications and time restrictions (e.g. cancellation window). If existing travel bookings to Israel which were part of previously approved UQ travel are altered or cancelled, please be aware that:

  • Where possible, costs should be recovered from the travel supplier, including airline, travel agent, accommodation or other transport provider, before making an insurance claim.
  • Travellers who will not be entitled to a full refund or credit, and therefore will need to make an insurance claim under UQ’s travel insurance, will be required to demonstrate that it was necessary to alter or cancel their journey. Cover for cancellation will therefore depend on the date of travel, the date on which you change your travel arrangements, and the situation in Israel at the time of making that change.  
  • If your travel arrangements are more than four (4) weeks away, it is therefore recommended that you delay cancelling your travel until the travel date is less than four (4) weeks away, in case the position on travel improves. Cover is unlikely to be available for cancellation of travel arrangements that are more than 4 weeks away, unless cancellation is necessary for other reasons (e.g. where the purpose for travel no longer exists because it has been cancelled by a third party).

Contacts and further information

For more information regarding UQ’s travel insurance, please contact UQ Insurance Services.

UQ travellers with travel booked to Israel can contact FCM Travel Solutions for assistance with changing travel plans if required.  Bookings not made by FCM Travel Solutions, please contact the travel provider.

All approved travel should be registered with International SOS (ISOS), for more information please refer to UQ Travel.

Refer to the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) for more information on Israel:

DFAT Smart Traveller – Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories

Travel emergency 24/7 contact

International SOS (ISOS) Assistance is the University’s 24/7 emergency contact.

Phone +61 2 9372 2468 (reverse charge available). If you do not have telephone access, email sydney@internationalsos.com.

Quote UQ membership number 12AYCA778031

The situation will continue to be monitored.

 

Refer to Travel News for more UQ Travel News and Updates