International mobility (departures and arrivals)
Information on outgoing and incoming international mobility of employees, doctoral students and students of the University of Silesia in Katowice and foreign guests.
- General information
International mobility (departures and arrivals) including mobility as a part of international exchange programmes (Erasmus+, Education, CEEPUS, bilateral agreements, Polish National Agency for Academic Exchange, etc.) is carried out according to the existing procedures and in accordance with the risk level announced at the University of Silesia and additional requirements related to it.
Standard rules and procedures concerning travelling abroad are available on our website:
For employees: https://us.edu.pl/pracownik/sprawy-miedzynarodowe/mobilnosc-miedzynarodowa/wyjazdy-zagraniczne/
For students: https://us.edu.pl/student/mobilnosc/wyjazdy-zagraniczne/
For doctoral students: https://us.edu.pl/doktorant/mobilnosc-rozwoj/konferencje-i-wyjazdy-zagraniczne/
Information on academic exchange is available at:
https://us.edu.pl/en/wspolpraca/wspolpraca-miedzynarodowa/mobilnosc-miedzynarodowa/
For information on mobility rules according to the risk level, see:
https://us.edu.pl/en/uczelnia/status-zabezpieczen-covid-19/
Standard rules and procedures concerning arrivals from abroad are available at:
https://us.edu.pl/pracownik/sprawy-miedzynarodowe/mobilnosc-miedzynarodowa/przyjazdy-z-zagranicy/
Information on arrivals from abroad as part of an exchange programme is available at:
https://us.edu.pl/en/wspolpraca/wspolpraca-miedzynarodowa/mobilnosc-miedzynarodowa/
Rules for arrivals depending on the risk level are listed below.
International travel
- Recommendations related to COVID-19
The person travelling abroad is required to familiarise themselves with current security procedures and restrictions in place in the relevant country, which are available on the websites of, among others:
- The International Air Transport Association IATA - https://www.iata.org/
- The Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs - https://www.gov.pl/web/dyplomacja/koronawirus-podroze-za-granice and https://www.gov.pl/web/dyplomacja/informacje-dla-podrozujacych
- Embassies, Consulates and Ministries of Health of the respective countries.
Moreover, we would like to inform you that on 15 June this year, the European Commission launched the website Re-open EU: https://reopen.europa.eu/en, where you can check the possibilities of traveling to EU member states during the pandemic.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs calls for reporting each individual travel in the Odysseus system: https://odyseusz.msz.gov.pl/ .
The person going abroad has to make a declaration, depending on the type of trip, among others, of being informed about the regulations and recommendations regarding the pandemic in the country which they are going to, and the obligation to comply with the regulations in place in that country.
Declaration concerning student's/doctoral student's travel under the Erasmus programme – Attachment No. 1
Declaration concerning teaching/training travel of an employee under the Erasmus programme - Attachment No. 2
Declaration of a person travelling abroad on the basis of a foreign assignment, Application for travel abroad - WS - Attachment No. 3
Declaration of a person travelling abroad on the basis of a travel order, Application for travel abroad - WP - Attachment No. 4
We recommend that when planning your trip you should try to limit the potential negative effects of cancelling your trip, for instance by purchasing a refundable ticket, booking accommodation with an option to cancel, thoroughly verifying your insurance, or purchasing additional insurance.
Coronavirus test
If the country of destination or airline requires a coronavirus test, the cost of the test may be covered by the University of Silesia, from funds specified by the relevant fund administrator.
- Foreign travel insurance
For the period from 15 August 2020 to 14 August 2021, the University of Silesia in Katowice has concluded an agreement with Sopockie Towarzystwo Ubezpieczeń ERGO Hestia S.A., for medical expenses insurance and Assistance during foreign business travel.
The insurance is automatically extended to:
- employees, doctoral students, students, non-employees going on short-term trips abroad (up to 30 days) on the basis of the Application for travel abroad - WP - travel order,
- employees going for short-term trips abroad (up to 30 days) on the basis of an Application for travel abroad - WS - foreign assignment. The insurance will also cover persons leaving for longer periods under the quality-focused programmes of the University of Silesia (e.g. mobility of staff).
The cost of insurance will be covered from university funds and will not be charged to the budgets of units of the University of Silesia.
Persons leaving for long-term trips (longer than 30 days) on the basis of the WP application and students and doctoral students going on the basis of the WS application are obliged to buy medical expenses insurance on their own.
Depending on the risk level, a decision on the length of the insurance period may be made on a case by case basis. In case of any questions concerning the insurance coverage, please contact the International Mobility Settlement Office of the International Relations Department (by phone: 323591868, 323591400, or by email: brmm@us.edu.pl).
The insurance covers occurrences resulting from coronavirus infection, in particular COVID-19, an epidemic or pandemic occurring during the period of insurance.
The period of quarantine is not excluded from the insurance coverage, i.e. any illness or accident during the quarantine period is covered (including COVID-19) under the standard rules (including exacerbation of chronic diseases). Any expenses related to quarantine, e.g. accommodation and food, can be covered (reimbursed), but only if you first contract COVID-19 and your doctor recommends quarantine (when a hospital admission is not necessary) until you recover or your return to the country for further treatment (if it is appropriate and possible given to your health condition).
If the quarantine is based on preventive measures, e.g. required by the local authorities, without the occurrence of an illness, the quarantine costs will not be covered (reimbursed).
In the case of a sudden illness, an accident, or any other occurrence covered by the insurance, outside of Poland, the insured or authorized person should immediately call the ERGO Hestia Call Centre, providing the policy number: 436000226046 by calling the numbers: 801107107 or 585555555, which are available 24 hours a day for mobile phones and international calls.
In the case of travelling to EU and EFTA countries, we remind you that you need to take the EHIC (European Health Insurance Card) with you. Details regarding EHIC cards are available on the website of the National Health Fund.
Full information regarding insurance coverage and procedure:https://us.edu.pl/pracownik/sprawy-miedzynarodowe/mobilnosc-miedzynarodowa/wyjazdy-zagraniczne/ubezpieczenie/
- Procedure in case of withdrawal/cancellation/interruption/postponement of international travel
In case of cancellation / annulment / interruption / postponement of the trip abroad, the person is obliged to make every effort to receive a refund of the incurred costs.
Reimbursement and settlement of losses will be handled on a case-by-case basis. Please follow the procedures detailed below.
In case of withdrawal/cancellation/interruption/postponement of the international mobility, please inform the International Mobility Settlement Office of the International Relations Department by email: brmm@us.edu.pl. In a case of a trip financed under a project, the head of the project should also be notified, and they should consult the provisions on this subject in the relevant project.
In the case of withdrawal/cancellation/interruption of travel abroad:
- for which a plane, train or bus ticket or a visa has already been purchased at Travelbank travel bureau, you should contact Travelbank office by email: us@travelbank.com.pl (in the email subject type: UNIWERSYTET ŚLĄSKI), which will inform you about the procedure of ticket cancellation and possible ways of receiving a refund of incurred costs (depending on the type of ticket) or about the procedure of early return and costs associated with it. Please keep all email correspondence regarding this matter in order to document the situation and the efforts you have made to recover the costs incurred. You should try to receive a refund of the total cost incurred. The University of Silesia does not allow exchanging tickets for vouchers
- for which a payment for a conference fee, accommodation, etc. have already been made, you should contact the organiser or hotel to obtain information about the reimbursement possibility. Please keep all email correspondence regarding this matter in order to document the situation and the efforts you have made to recover the costs incurred. As a first step, you should try to receive a full refund of the total cost incurred;
- for which an advance payment has already been made to the departing person's account, a refund transfer should be made in the amount of currency received.
If it is not possible to receive a refund of previously incurred costs, all documentation of the efforts made to recover previously incurred costs related to the international mobility should be immediately emailed to the International Mobility Settlement Office of the International Relations Department.
- Online conferences
In the case of participation in an international online conference, payment of the conference fee is made through the International Mobility Settlement Office of the International Relations Department.
Arrivals from abroad
Arrivals from abroad take place in accordance with the current risk level:
Risk level 0
Arrivals of guests (GZ), students and doctoral students, including arrivals of visiting professors (OZ) and arrivals as part of an exchange programme are carried out in accordance with the current, standard procedures, without additional requirements or restrictions.
Risk level 1
Arrivals of guests (GZ), students and doctoral students, including arrivals of visiting professors (OZ) and arrivals as part of an exchange programme take place with the written consent of the Dean/Head of the Unit on an appropriate application form (GZ, OZ, student application form).
In planning and executing the arrival, it is necessary to take into account the current restrictions on international traffic (closing of borders of specific countries, restrictions concerning air traffic, quarantine, etc.) and other limitations. In some cases, it will be necessary to submit additional declarations and take steps to reduce the potential effects of the increased risk.
Risk level 2
Arrivals of guests (GZ), students and doctoral students, including arrivals of visiting professors (OZ) and arrivals as part of an exchange programme take place with individual permission granted by the Rector. A person inviting a guest from abroad, applying for the arrival of a person with whom a civil law agreement has been concluded or the arrival of a student/doctoral student shall apply in writing to the Rector, justifying the necessity of the arrival. The written request should also include the consent of the Dean/Head of the Unit. The document with the dean's/unit head's consent is forwarded together with the student application form (GZ, OZ) to the International Relations Department.
In planning and executing the arrival, it is necessary to take into account the current restrictions on international traffic (closing of borders of specific countries, restrictions concerning air traffic, quarantine, etc.) and other limitations. In some cases, it will be necessary to submit additional declarations and take steps to reduce the potential effects of the increased risk.
Risk level 3
All arrivals of persons from abroad are suspended, including arrivals as part of an exchange programme. In case of ongoing mobility, immediate contact with the International Relations Department is necessary. It is necessary to take into account recommendations introduced in programmes and projects.
ATTENTION:
All persons arriving from abroad are required to have an individual insurance from their home country, both for the trip and for the time of stay in Poland. It is recommended that the arriving person purchases insurance that covers COVID-19.
Procedure in case of withdrawal/cancellation/interruption of arrival
The inviting person is obliged to make every effort to receive a refund of the costs incurred. Reimbursement and settlement of losses will be handled on a case-by-case basis. Please follow the procedures detailed below.
In case of withdrawal/cancellation/interruption/postponement of arrival, please inform the International Mobility Settlement Office of the International Relations Department by email: brmm@us.edu.pl.
In the case of a trip financed under a project, the head of the project should also be notified, and they should consult the provisions on this subject in the relevant project.
In the case of withdrawal/cancellation/interruption of arrival:
- for which a plane, train or bus ticket or a visa has already been purchased at Travelbank travel bureau, you should contact Travelbank office by email: us@travelbank.com.pl (in the email subject type: UNIWERSYTET ŚLĄSKI), which will inform you about the procedure of ticket cancellation and possible ways of receiving a refund of incurred costs (depending on the type of ticket). Please keep all email correspondence regarding this matter in order to document the situation and the efforts you have made to recover the costs incurred. You should try to receive a refund of the total cost incurred. The University of Silesia does not allow exchanging tickets for vouchers;
- for which accommodation has already been booked at the facilities of the University of Silesia, you should immediately cancel the reservation of guest rooms at the teacher residence hall or the teaching facility;
- for which a hotel reservation has already been made (outside the facilities of the University of Silesia), the hotel reservation should be cancelled immediately.
If it is not possible to receive a refund of previously incurred costs, all documentation of the efforts made to recover previously incurred costs related to the arrival from abroad should be immediately emailed to the International Mobility Settlement Office of the International Relations Department.
- Contact
The first point of contact for persons planning to go abroad or to receive a guest from abroad are the staff responsible for handling international mobility at faculties or other units. List of such persons: https://us.edu.pl/pracownik/sprawy-miedzynarodowe/mobilnosc-miedzynarodowa/wyjazdy-zagraniczne/kontakt-na-wydzialach/
International Relations Department
International Mobility Settlement Office
40-007 Katowice, ul. Bankowa 12
3rd floor, room no. 79
phone number: 32 3591868; 32 3591400;
email: brmm@us.edu.pl
Mobility as a part of international exchange programmes (Erasmus+, CEEPUS, bilateral agreements, Polish National Agency for Academic Exchange, etc.):
International Relations Department
International Exchange Office
40-007 Katowice, ul. Bankowa 12
3rd floor, room no. 75
phone number: 32 3591178;
email: international@us.edu.pl
