Foreign Travel Reporting With a Clearance

Before You Go

Under SEAD 3, cleared people submit an itinerary for unofficial foreign travel and get approval before the trip. Your agency may also require a defensive security or counterintelligence briefing first.

While You're Away

SEAD 3 discourages unplanned border crossings into countries that weren't on your approved itinerary. If plans change, note what changed and when.

After You Return

• Report any change from your approved itinerary within 5 business days of return.
• Unplanned day trips to Canada or Mexico are reported when you get back, within 5 business days.
• Puerto Rico, Guam, and other U.S. territories aren't foreign travel under SEAD 3.
• In an emergency, SEAD 3 says at minimum to tell your supervisor or management chain, then follow up.

What the SF-86 Asks

The SF-86 asks about foreign travel in the last 7 years, outside official U.S. Government travel. For each trip it asks for the countries, dates, how many days, and the purpose. If you travel often, a running log saves hours when the next questionnaire arrives.

Keep a Simple Log

For each trip, keep the countries, the month you left and returned, the purpose, and when you reported it. Passport stamps, airline accounts, and booking emails help you rebuild older trips. ClearanceTrail's Travel tab keeps this encrypted and flags planned trips that aren't marked reported yet.