COVID-19 Prompts Series of Revisions in Study Abroad, Travel

Due to heightened concerns about the spread of coronavirus, UMass Amherst has announced several travel updates for the campus community, which affect study abroad and exchange programs.

All study-abroad and exchange activities in China, South Korea, Japan and from among the 26 European member nations of the Schengen Treaty Area have been suspended until further notice. This includes Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland.

The International Programs Office (IPO) notes that study-abroad programs in other countries are continuing.

The university has asked students to make arrangements to leave the affected areas as soon as possible for a return to the United States. Students in the program can find information on next steps here. 

Students enrolled in programs in Croatia, Ireland and the U.K. have been offered the option to leave their program voluntarily. Next steps for those students may be found here. 

IPO continues to monitor state and federal guidance on the spread of COVID-19 worldwide and will assist all students to minimize academic disruption to their semester.

General information about travel policies and restrictions will be updated on a dedicated section of the coronavirus website.