- Contact appropriate local authorities (ambulance, police, etc.)
- Contact your International Insurance Emergency Services provider in the case of a medical emergency. They may be able to assist with other non-medical travel emergencies according to your policy.
- Contact your on-site program coordinator
- Contact your family and personal emergency contact so they know you are safe
- Contact your UMD Study Abroad program coordinator and/or UMD International Programs & Services at (218) 726-8764
If you are unable to do so yourself, UMD will inform the person you have listed as your emergency contact, depending on the situation.
Emergency Situations
An emergency situation or condition is one that jeopardizes your physical or mental health, safety, well-being, program participation, and/or requires the intervention of program staff. Such events or occurrences may include but are not limited to assault, civil disturbance, natural disaster, severe or prolonged illness or injury requiring medical attention, disciplinary action, emotional or behavioral disorders, illegal behavior (i.e. drug use), absence from the program site, and academic probation.
If you contact UMD International Programs & Services, provide as much information as possible:
- Names of people involved
- Country and program of study
- Date and time of occurrence/condition
- Description of occurrence / condition
- Action taken thus far
- Action requested by local authorities
- Return contact information
Large-Scale Emergencies
In the event of a political, social, or natural emergency, International Programs & Services will be in close contact with the on-site staff and/or U.S. program contact for any study abroad program offered by UMD. The on-site staff will, in turn, seek advice from the local authorities and the U.S. Consulate or Embassy nearest the program location. Assistance will be managed in coordination with our medical and security insurance provider. We ask that parents, friends, and family communicate with UMD staff to allow on-site staff to focus on working with students and local officials.
U.S. Consulates and Embassies
In the event of an emergency, travelers may also want to contact the nearest U.S. consulate or embassy. You can locate them by visiting the U.S. Department of State's Emergencies website. In addition, the U.S. Department of State's Bureau of Consular Affairs in Washington, D.C. aids Americans needing emergency assistance. The Overseas Citizens Services telephone number is 1-888-407-4747 (from the U.S. & Canada) or 1-202-501-4444 (from overseas). You can find information on what the U.S. Department of State can do in the case of an emergency on their website.
Learn about the University of Minnesota's policies, processes, and best practices to ensure student education abroad opportunities are as safe as possible at the GO SAFE website.
