What is the CIEE Difference?

Emergencies

Make sure your son/daughter designates you as their emergency contact so you will be informed if they run into difficulty while abroad. Since students are almost always adults over 18 years of age, you will not receive information unless you are designated as their contact. In some cases, even that is not sufficient, so you may want to have them sign a release form as a precaution.

Before your son/daughter departs for their studies abroad, discuss how you will handle any family emergencies that may arise. It’s best to have a written emergency communication plan listing the methods of communication to use and the order in which to use them. The plan should include all family telephone numbers; access codes for messages on family answering machines; phone numbers for several out-of state relatives; and several e-mail addresses, including a backup address at an overseas provider such as Yahoo! Australia.

Emergency Contact

You can call 1-800-40-STUDY (1-800-407-8839) or 207-553-4000 24/7. If you receive a recording during normal business hours, 9 a.m.–5 p.m. Eastern time (ET), press zero to reach an operator. After 5 p.m. ET, follow the prompts for the CIEE emergency answering service.

Emergency Response Team

The CIEE Study Centers emergency response team consists of the following individuals:

Documentation Needs

Below is a list of information and items both you and your son/daughter should have access to in case a situation arises while he/she is studying abroad. A majority of the information and items should be kept in a safe place that no one else has access to.

1. Contact information for:

   1. your son/daughter, if housing has been assigned

   2. the on-site resident director. This information can be found in your son/daughter’s pre-departure materials, their MY CIEE account, or the “Final Details” email sent out two-to-four weeks prior to departure.

   3. home office of CIEE, including the 24-hour emergency number

   4. Study Abroad office at the home school

   5. son/daughter’s doctor's office

   6. Citizen Assistance section of the embassy or consulate nearest your son/daughter’s Study Center

   7. U.S. State Department Office of Overseas Citizen Services

2. Insurance policy numbers and how to submit claims

3. Son/daughter’s credit card numbers

4. Son/daughter’s passport number

5. Duplicate lost passport kit containing:

   1. two passport photos

   2. official copy of his/ her birth certificate

   3. photocopy of passport’s photo, signature, and visa pages

6. The “Dates, Details and Arrival Information” document found in the “Readings” section of your son/daughter’s MY CIEE account