Regulations for study trips abroad, NLA University College

1. General Guidelines

The study trip with lectures, excursions, and fieldwork is a mandatory part of several studies at NLA University College. The students who travel are of age and fully responsible for their own actions. However, when a group travels together, it is necessary to take some precautions to ensure that learning is as effective as possible and that the trip can be carried out in a good way for all participants. It is important to remember that students also represent NLA University College when traveling. You must therefore familiarize yourself with and sign this set of rules.

1. Ministry of Foreign Affairs' travel advice
   Students are expected to familiarize themselves with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs' travel advice and recommendations for the countries being visited.
   Go to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs' travel advice.
    
2. Culture
   As guests in the countries we visit, it is important to familiarize ourselves with and take into account local customs and norms of behavior. This is also important for the cooperation that NLA University College will continue to have with resource persons, institutions, and accommodation providers in the years to come. The student is expected to respect local norms of behavior and follow any corrections from the study tour leader, guide, or others.
    
3. Laws and regulations
   Students are expected to follow the laws and regulations that apply in the countries we visit and comply with any orders and instructions from authorities, the study tour leader, or guide. It is also noted that Norwegian law can be applied to Norwegian citizens abroad and must be observed in the same way as in Norway.
    
4. Participation in the program
   Out of respect for those we visit, the study tour leader, and fellow students, all students are expected to participate in the program and arrive at the scheduled times. Absence due to illness must be reported to the study tour leader as soon as possible, and no later than at the start time of the program. Absence for other reasons must be clarified with the study tour leader in advance.
    
5. Use of intoxicants
   a) For reasons of safety, health, reputation, and the academic program, it is not allowed to be intoxicated during the study stay. This means that it is not allowed to consume more than two units of alcohol per day. Some trips may have zero tolerance for alcohol and intoxicants.
   
   b) All use of illegal narcotics will result in immediate exclusion and/or repatriation. It may also lead to prosecution.
    
6. Study tour leader's instructions
   The study tour leader's instructions, messages, and corrections must be followed.

2. Vaccination and Own Health

Precautions and Privacy

Study trips require good and stable physical and mental health. NLA University College works for a predictable stay for both students and employees. We therefore want to provide information about the precautions that each individual should take to safeguard their own health, and also facilitate openness around health challenges. In practice, this is done through information meetings, self-declaration forms online, conversations with health personnel, and guidance from the study tour leader/study consultant.

Based on Article 9 2a) of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), it is voluntary to provide health information in connection with the study trip. For your own safety, however, we recommend that each student assesses whether there are any conditions that may be relevant to disclose in connection with the study trip.

All information given about personal health is confidential and treated in accordance with the current Personal Data Act with regulations, as well as NLA University College's current guidelines. The information will only be processed by study tour leaders, the responsible study consultant, and emergency preparedness officers, and will be deleted no later than 1 year after the completion of the trip.

Responsibility for Own Health and Vaccination

During the study trip, each student is responsible for their own health. The student must have familiarized themselves with the health risks that exist in the areas they are going to, including the Ministry of Foreign Affairs' travel advice and NLA's ROS analysis (risk and vulnerability analysis).

The student is responsible for taking the required/recommended vaccines for travel to the respective areas, cf. national guidelines.

Self-Declaration Upon Registration

When registering for the study trip, students are asked to submit a form with relevant information for, among other things, ordering tickets and consenting to the travel regulations.

In order to safeguard the safety of students and employees, it is important that the study tour leader has sufficient information should a situation arise. If you have allergies/health conditions/medications that you want/think the study tour leader needs to be aware of, we ask that this be reported in a separate field in the registration form. If you have questions or are unsure about what may be relevant information, you are welcome to consult the study consultant and/or study tour leader both before and after registration, see the separate section below.

Clearance from Doctor/Conversation with Health Personnel

If there is doubt about health status and risk on the study trip, we strongly recommend that you clarify with a doctor/health personnel whether you are able to complete the trip.

Conversation with Study Tour Leader/Study Consultant

If you have specific questions or are unsure whether your health condition is compatible with the study trip, you are welcome to contact the study consultant and/or study tour leader for a conversation at any time in the process. A conversation will be particularly relevant if your health condition requires some form of facilitation on the trip, or if the study tour leader needs information on how he/she should react in given situations (e.g., in the event of various types of seizures). Based on the information provided in the registration form, the study tour leader/study consultant may also contact individual students with an offer of such a conversation.

Responsibility if Health Condition Has Consequences for Study Trip Participation

If a health condition prevents participation in the study trip, and this is only clarified after a contract/binding registration has been submitted, the student will be fully responsible for covering expenses NLA University College has incurred in connection with already completed orders or other budgetary commitments. Refund of such expenses must possibly follow from private travel insurance. NLA University College is not a party to such claims.

If, after arrival abroad, the study tour leader finds it uncertain whether a student can complete the trip for health reasons, the study tour leader may advise the student to return home earlier. The study tour leader will then be helpful in consulting a doctor, and possibly organizing travel back to Norway. The student is responsible for any additional expenses related to this, and is responsible for contacting and clarifying with their own insurance company about a possible refund.

3. Action Plan for Undesirable Behavior

Undesirable behavior means behavior that deviates from the travel regulations or the study tour leader's messages/instructions.

Preventive Measures:

Information about expectations for behavior, travel regulations, etc.
Signing consent to travel regulations / self-declaration of responsibility.
Active correction of undesirable behavior (study tour leader, guide, fellow students or others)

Damage-Limiting Measures Level 1:

If correction of undesirable behavior does not have sufficient effect, the student must be given a verbal warning from the study tour leader. It must be made clear that a formal warning is being given. Content in the regulations/self-declaration must be repeated and any consequences of a new breach must be specified. Formal warnings must be reported to the department head and head of studies within a reasonable time.

Damage-Limiting Measures Level 2:

In the event of a new case of undesirable behavior after a formal warning has been given, the study tour leader may recommend that the head of studies make a decision on immediate a) exclusion and/or b) repatriation from the trip (see below). In the event of particularly gross violations, such measures may be implemented without prior warning. The decision must be made in writing, with information about the time and place of any verbal warning, and to a reasonable extent explain the basis for the decision. The decision is delivered to the student, and a copy/image is sent to the department head and study consultant at NLA.

Repatriation against the student's will should only be used where the study tour leader and department head and/or emergency preparedness manager for study trips, after a concrete assessment, find it indefensible and/or clearly contrary to NLA's interests to allow the person to stay alone in the country.

Where there is no basis for repatriation, the student is nevertheless entitled to reasonable assistance from the study tour leader to book an earlier return journey if they wish to do so.

a) Exclusion

The student loses the right to follow the scheduled program. This applies to excursions, shared transport, academic gatherings, etc. If the group has accommodation in several places during the stay, the student also loses the right to use the booked accommodation facilities as soon as the group leaves the accommodation that was used when the decision on exclusion was made. If it does not create disproportionate practical challenges for the rest of the group, the student can, by agreement, use pre-booked transport to the airport for joint return travel.

b) Repatriation

In addition to immediate exclusion, the study tour leader ensures that an earlier return journey is booked for the student. Upon return, expenses for this will be invoiced to the tour participant, regardless of whether the journey was used or not. Information about the journey must be communicated to the tour participant as soon as possible, and in reasonable time before departure.

The student is responsible for financial expenses and/or losses in connection with exclusion or repatriation. If NLA University College has to advance expenses for the student in question (return travel, board and lodging and other necessary expenses), NLA University College will demand these refunded by the student in question upon return to Norway.

Exclusion and repatriation from a study trip is considered a temporary expulsion. The board of NLA University College or the board's appeals board may also consider whether the student's behavior provides grounds for a decision on permanent expulsion from the study, cf. Uhl. §4-8.

Revised 19.06.25

 

You can download the travel regulations for study trips as a PDF here.