To help safeguard university travelers, Duke has contracted with a travel assistance company called International SOS (ISOS), which provides emergency assistance and other services for all students (Duke and non-Duke) studying abroad on Duke programs. These services range from 24/7 telephone advice, to medical referrals, to full-scale medical evacuation by air ambulance. For more information about the services provided by ISOS, please see the following page: https://finance.duke.edu/insurance/travel/sos
You can access and print an ISOS membership card here.
Please be aware that some of the services provided by ISOS may incur additional charges. See the Duke University Corporate Risk Management website for more information. Should you activate a service that has an additional charge, you authorize Duke to bill you for this charge. Please note that such charges may not be billed to you until after you have returned from your time abroad.
Please note that ISOS does not provide domestic coverage within the United States. Coverage is available only when you are traveling outside of the 48 contiguous United States, including U.S. territories such as Puerto Rico, Guam, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. To be eligible for ISOS services, you must be participating in a Duke program or traveling with official Duke support. Additionally, travelers who are abroad but located in their “home country” — defined as the country that issued their passport — may not be eligible for ISOS services. Any questions about this policy should be directed to Duke Corporate Risk Management at corprisk@duke.edu or 919-684-6226.
Finally, it is important to understand that, although ISOS offers students participating on Duke programs travel advice and medical referrals, International SOS is NOT health insurance. All students studying away on a Duke-run program are required to maintain personal health insurance coverage for the duration of their time abroad/away from Duke. See the Insurance section for more information about this health insurance requirement.
International SOS as a Pre-Trip Resource
In addition to calling the main ISOS telephone number (215-942-8478) for any pre-trip questions you may have, you can access country-specific travel advice from the Duke ISOS information portal:
Use Duke’s membership number (11BSGC000072 — also found on your ISOS membership card) as your member log in if asked.
This website is an excellent resource, and can provide you with pertinent medical, security, and general travel advice, such as information on the standard of health care in your host country, how to pay for medical care, the availability of medications, embassy/visa information, dialing code information, cultural etiquette, and financial and banking information. We also urge you to sign up for ISOS email alerts.
