Safety abroad

Once you are matched with your host school, start your safety requirements. Failure to register your travel with Safety Abroad will mean your travel will not be endorsed by the University of Waterloo, meaning the University of Waterloo will not be responsible for your duty of care during your exchange semester. 

You must complete the mandatory international travel registration form. Then, wait for your next steps from the Safety Abroad team. 

On this form, you only need to register your travel for the dates and locations that you will be attending your exchange university – you do not need to include personal travel dates and destinations. If you do not have the exact dates of your travel, provide approximate start and end dates of your exchange term. Then, send safetyabroad@uwaterloo.ca exact dates once you have them.

For more resources to help you stay safe while abroad, check out the Student Travel Safety page. 

You’ve done it! After preparing, planning and dreaming, you're abroad. You might feel excited, nervous, or both. Keep in touch with the global learning team while you’re away. We’re ready to help if you have questions or concerns about cross-cultural conflicts, safety, program issues, course changes, and extending or shortening your stay. Here are some common answers to questions we get from students who go abroad.

How do I change my courses? 

If you need to make changes to the courses that were pre-approved by your faculty, contact your faculty exchange representative as soon as possible to have the new course(s) approved. Please note: While on exchange you are bound by the host university's policies and procedures regarding course changes.

Can I extend my stay? 

Loving your new school, your studies, and your life abroad? Want to make the experience last longer? You may want to extend your stay for another term. Before talking to the host school, you should contact your global learning coordinator to find out if it’s possible. If we approve your request, your coordinator will contact the host school on your behalf to make the necessary arrangements.

Can I shorten my stay? 

If for any reason you feel that you need to return home early, you should contact the global learning coordinator immediately to discuss your situation and options.

What should I do in an emergency?

Review Waterloo International's who to contact in an emergency webpage ahead of time for a complete list of emergency contacts. 

Being back in Canada after learning so much about another country and yourself might take some getting used to. Sometimes re-entry into your old life can even feel a bit like reverse culture shock. After all, you’ve changed! Waterloo is here to help your re-entry run smoothly.

Here are some things you might want to consider now that you're back.

Get involved

Coming home after being abroad isn’t necessarily the end of your international experience. Your experience abroad is a gift you can share with others. There are lots of opportunities for you to get involved with the international community at Waterloo.

• Get involved with International Education Week
• Continue your international-focused studies with language, cultural, or global issues courses
• Volunteer on and off-campus to expand your cross-cultural learning

Check your transfer credits

If you participated in an exchange, your transfer credits will be assessed once we receive your official transcript from your host university. This process may take 2-6 months following the end of your term abroad. Your faculty exchange representative will establish your transfer credits (based on your pre-approved courses). The approved credits will be added to your Waterloo record (Quest) with the designation credit, but without any numerical grade.