Visitors Policy

Updated March 29, 2022

The university adjusted the visitor policy, effective February 11, to facilitate greater activity on campus. To protect the health and safety of faculty, staff, and students, the university has established this policy for all visitors to the Yale campus, with some exceptions noted below.

All visitors to campus must be invited by a university host.
All visitors and their hosts must be vaccinated and boosted, when eligible.
All visitors must carry vaccination and booster documentation and be prepared to provide it if asked.
Both the visitor and the host must follow university mask guidance and all other university health and safety guidelines. Events, gatherings, and meetings that include visitors must comply with the events, gatherings, and meetings policy.

Who Are Visitors?

A visitor is an individual who is coming to campus and is not a Yale student, employee, or trainee. Visitors include, but are not limited to, family members not residing in residential colleges, speakers for a class or conference, candidates for positions, alumni, donors, residential college fellows, visiting scholars and researchers, non-Yale students [1], Yale students on leave or not currently enrolled, vendors, consultants, suppliers, contractors, site monitors, regulatory inspectors, insurance adjusters, clinical trial monitors, anyone registered in Yale’s sponsored identity system, and others performing work on campus [2].

Short-term Visitors
Short-term visitors are those who will be on campus for a single visit of less than 24 hours and do not anticipate returning to campus in the future, and who are not given independent access to Yale facilities.

Longer-term Visitors
Longer-term visitors are those coming to campus for more than one visit of less than 24 hours, one or more visits of longer than one day, and those who will be given independent access to campus.

[1] Minors and undergraduates from other institutions who wish to engage in university activities must do so remotely until May 29, 2022. For clinical or research activities, faculty members or principal investigators must submit a remote-only application in the EHS Integrator.

[2] Individuals registered in Workday should submit their vaccination status here.

Who is the University Host?

The Yale employee of a sponsoring department, school, or organization who is responsible for overseeing the visit and assuring the visitor follows Yale’s requirements during the visit is considered the “host.” The department, school, or organization may designate the Lead Administrator, the Health and Safety Leader or other managerial employee as the university host to assure compliance with these visitor requirements. Students may not act as hosts. If there is an academic or business reason for the visit to take place on campus rather than virtually or at a future date, student organizations may invite visitors by working with faculty or staff members as the official hosts.

Host and Visitor Obligations

University Host Responsibilities

Provide the visitor with an individual invitation that includes the visitor’s responsibilities (see below).
Ensure the visitor complies with the visitor responsibilities in advance of, during, and after the visit.
Instruct longer-term visitors to complete the Vaccination and Booster Attestation form to attest to their vaccination status.
- Maintain a copy of each longer-term visitor’s Vaccination and Booster Attestation form.
- In handling visitor attestations and immunization documentation, please review the university’s Best Practices for Managing COVID-19 Data.
Report any concerns, issues, or reported illnesses to the Health and Safety Leader.

Visitor Responsibilities

All visitors must coordinate their visits with the university host.
All visitors must carry proof of vaccination and booster documentation and provide it if asked.
Longer-term visitors should complete the Vaccination and Booster Attestation form.
All visitors must also:
- Comply with any university travel requirements.
- Follow university health and safety guidelines, including masking requirements, while on campus.
- Self-monitor for any COVID-19 symptoms and do not come to campus if experiencing symptoms.
- Notify the university host if they become ill or test positive for COVID-19 while on campus or within 72 hours following the visit.
- Participate in contact tracing if requested.
While testing for visitors is generally not available through Yale’s testing program, they may be tested through New Haven area testing services or Yale New Haven Hospital test sites.

Exceptions

Please note that adherence to masking and other health and safety guidelines are still required.

Audiences and Spectators: Individuals attending performances and competitions are subject to the approved health and safety plans for the host units.
Conferences: Events that include large numbers of visitors (approximately 100 or more) are subject to approved health and safety plans for host units.
Yale Health Center: Open to all members and their enrolled family members.
Residential Colleges: Spouses and family members living in residential colleges are not considered visitors. Students living in residential colleges are not permitted to host visitors.
Delivery or Pick-up of Goods: Vendors on campus solely for the purpose of delivering or picking up goods while required to be masked at all times are not required to attest to their vaccination status.
Departments with Customized Visitor Policies and Processes: Some departments have specific visitor health and safety plans, such as those working with vendors on capital campaign projects. Departments may submit a request to the COVID Review Team for an alternative process for confirmation of vaccination status based on the department’s specific, critical needs.
Yale Golf Course: View more information on golf course use.
Yale University Art Gallery: View specific information on the Gallery site.
Yale Center for British Art: View specific information on the Center site.
Yale Library: Visitors may not access library spaces without written permission from the library, unless they are Yale Facilities service providers.