Welcome to the International Student Insurance Blog, providing you with news and information about international student insurance, international travel help and advice and much more!
Going abroad to Mexico is a unique opportunity – whether you will be learning Spanish, doing a study abroad trip, or vacationing. Although Mexico has public health care available to its citizens/permanent residence through the Instituto Mexicano de Seguro Social, these services are not available to visitors. Instead, you will need to seek treatment in private facilities with your own insurance plan. It is important to know that Mexico does not have any reciprocal health care agreements with other countries – meaning that you will need to have your own health insurance in place for the duration of your trip.
The Travel Medical plan is a trip insurance that will cover you while outside your home country, including in Mexico. The plan can be managed completely online allowing you to have full access to your trip insurance. The plan will cover you for hospitalization, doctor visits, prescription medication, emergency medical evacuation and repatriation. A convenient feature with this plan is that you’ll be able to choose the doctor or hospital of your choice as there is no network in Mexico.
By having suitable trip insurance in Mexico, you’ll be able to rest assured that you have adequate coverage as you venture through the ruins, stroll across the beach, or go shopping in a bodega. The Department of State states on their website that they “strongly urges Americans to consult with their medical insurance company prior to traveling abroad to confirm whether their policy applies overseas and whether it will cover emergency expenses such as a medical evacuation.”
After China, India sends the greatest number of students abroad. The majority of Indian students study in the United States, which is followed by Australia, the UK, Germany and Canada. Health insurance for Indian students studying abroad in important especially as health care may work differently than in India.
Unlike India’s national health care, countries like the United States provide private health care. In the United States, the medical expenses can be costly and you’ll be expected to provide insurance coverage in many doctor’s offices and hospitals. Indian students studying abroad in the US under an F-1 visa may be required by their school or organization to have coverage before the first day of school. Indian students studying under a J-1 visa are required by the US government to have insurance, including repatriation and emergency medical evacuation.
In Australia, the government provides insurance coverage through Overseas Student Health Coverage (OSHC), which will need to be purchased prior to arrival. In other counties like the UK and Canada where they do offer public health care, it is possible that you may not be covered. The British and Canadian Embassies recommend that Indian students have adequate health insurance before arrival since medical treatment can be expensive and students are not covered by their national health care. The exception to this is in the UK if you’ve been covered by a reciprocal health care agreement or enrolled in a course that is 6 months or longer.
Indians traveling to Germany to study are required to have insurance under the Student visa. Students under the age of 30 or until their 14th academic semester can take out the public health insurance, or you can choose to opt out for a private health insurance. International students over the age of 30 will no longer be eligible for the student rate and may voluntarily choose a public fund or a private health insurance provider.
When you are looking for your insurance while studying abroad or if you plan on traveling to other countries, you’ll want a plan that will cover you for the full duration of your studies or trip. The Student Health Insurance is designed to cover you up to 4 years of studying and meets many school and government requirements. The plan includes comprehensive inpatient and outpatient medical coverage (doctor visits and hospitalization), prescriptions, mental health, maternity, sports coverage, emergency medical evacuation, repatriation, etc.
If you are preparing to study in Spain, you will need Spain student insurance to meet the Spanish visa requirements.
Spain is considered a Schengen country, which requires that you have 30,000 euros in coverage. However, the Embassy has added additional requirements for students studying in Spain. In addition to the minimum coverage requirement, your Spain student insurance requires that you have 100% coverage up until 30,000 euros – or its $50,000 USD equivalent.
What does this mean to you? Your Spain student insurance must not have a deductible, co-payment, or coinsurance to be accepted by the Embassy. In addition, your Spain student insurance must include medical expense coverage for emergency medical evacuation and repatriation services.
When applying for your visa, you will need to provide a certificate of coverage/visa letter for proof of your Spain student insurance. Many insurance companies will allow you to purchase your Spain student insurance before departing on your trip. You will be able to choose your dates of coverage, which should be for the entire period you plan to stay in Spain.
Many students have opted for the Atlas Travel plan since this is a comprehensive insurance plan that meets all of the Spanish visa requirements. This Spain student insurance will allow you to choose a $0 deductible, or no deductible, and provides 100% coverage up until the policy maximum you select, with a minimum of $50,000 USD.
After you purchase the Atlas Travel plan, you will have immediate access to your visa letter at Student Zone. You would then just attach this letter to your student visa application. If for any reason you are not issued your visa, you would receive a full-refund. You will just need to send a written or emailed cancellation request before your plan begins.
As you pack your bags for your upcoming trip, you are preparing yourself for an adventure in the fastest growing country within the European Union.
Before leaving, you will need to make sure that you are prepared with your Poland Student Insurance. If you are from a non- EU country, including the US and Canada, you will need to have Poland Student Insurance before entering the country. Poland, a Schengen country, requires that you carry proof of insurance of 30,000 euros or $50,000 in medical coverage. Your Poland Student Insurance will also need to include emergency medical evacuation and repatriation.
Additionally, many insurance companies will provide you with a visa letter, also known as a certificate of coverage, necessary to show proof of your Poland Student Insurance. Your Poland Student Insurance coverage must cover you for the total trip duration, which will also be stated on your visa letter/certificate of coverage.
You may be required to show this letter at the time of entry- so be sure to bring proof of your Poland Student Insurance with you in your carry-on bag!
Many students have found the Atlas Travel plan as a well-suited option as it is easy to enroll and you can get same-day coverage with this plan or you can have coverage begin the date of your upcoming departure. The Atlas Travel plan provides coverage outside your home country for inpatient and outpatient services, prescription drugs, emergency medical evacuation, repatriation, doctor office visits, etc..
Not only does this plan meet the Polish visa requirements, but you will immediately receive a confirmation e-mail. In this e-mail, it will contain your insurance card, letter of coverage, receipt and policy details. You can simply print these documents out to show proof of coverage. You will also have access to Student Zone to get your visa letter which will show proof of coverage for your visa requirement.
Get ready to join a number of other individuals who have traveled to Poland; Poland is ranked as the 17th most visited country in 2008 by the United Nations. Do widzenia!
As you prepare for your upcoming trip to the Czech Republic- whether for business or pleasure- it is important to become familiar with the country’s entry requirements. The Czech Republic is considered one of the Schengen countries. What does this mean? This is a group of countries that have signed the Schengen agreement. As part of this agreement, these countries do not require a visa if you are entering the country for up to 90 days within any 180 day period for business or pleasure. If you plan on studying or working in the Czech Republic, you will need to apply for a visa 3-4 months in advance. No matter what reason brings you to the Czech Republic, you are required to have Czech Republic Visa Insurance.
Czech Republic Visa Insurance is required for any foreigner entering the country and you will need to bring proof of insurance that meets the following:
- Valid coverage throughout Czech Republic
- Valid during the entire period that you will be in the Czech Republic
- Coverage for at least $45,000 USD (or € 30,000)
- Coverage including repatriation for medical reasons, urgent medical care and/or emergency treatment in a hospital
According to the US State Department, a health insurance card will generally be accepted as proof of insurance to enter the country. With some Czech Republic visa insurance plans, you will receive a visa letter that is designed specifically to meet these requirements.
The Atlas Travel plan provides Czech Republic visa Insurance, covering travelers outside their home country. Not only will this plan meet the listed requirements, but after purchase, you will have access to your account where you can print out a tailored letter that will comply with the Czech Republic visa insurance requirements. With this plan, you can choose your dates of coverage, providing coverage anywhere from 5 days up until 1 year, and the plan can also be renewed for three years if you intend to stay longer. If you are interested in learning more about this plan, please do not hesitate to contact our representatives.
This is a question that we are continually being asked, and especially as we head into August – its something we hear more and more often. For schools in the USA, they will require all students to obtain or purchase some form of coverage before they will let you enroll in classes – and you will run into a few scenarios:
Schools will require you to enroll in their health plan – you have no choice and no right to waive out
Schools will strongly suggest you to enroll in their plan – but you can waive out if you show proof of other, comparable coverage.
Schools will let you choose and purchase your own insurance plan (either with, or without coverage guidelines)
In the first scenario – you will have no choice but to accept the schools insurance plan and pay for it. This is becoming more popular for schools to handle their insurance this way as the schools can regulate the coverage and will know what all their students are covered for.
The second and third scenario are also very common, but it has become increasingly complex for students to try and find coverage as many schools will require the insurance to meet certain guidelines and levels. Schools will also use what they call “Insurance Waiver Forms” which are documents that need to be completed by students who do not wish to purchase the schools insurance plan. It will contain your details, the details about the plan you have purchased and must be signed by your insurance company to show that the plan you have purchased meets their requirements.
Of course, this system can seem daunting and complex to many international students. So, to assist students, we have created the International Student School Insurance Requirement Database – which lists nearly every school in the USA and what their requirements are. You can quickly learn if our plans will meet your schools requirements, and in most cases we offer a link to your schools insurance section and to your insurance waiver form along with instructions on how to complete and submit the waiver form.
If you have any questions or need assistance finding an international student insurance plan, then let us know!
Denmark has become a popular international study destination for students from European countries including the United Kingdom, Norway, Germany…… and now from Asia, with a large number of Chinese students. Denmark is a popular destination for students to study for a number of reasons, including modern teaching styles, English familiarity and high academic standards.
One additional reason Denmark is popular with international students – free health insurance!
Well, almost free – as an international student in Denmark, if you get a residence permit and register with the municipal registration office upon your arrival, you will be covered by the Danish national health care within approximately 6-8 weeks.
Therefore, it is advisable to purchase a travel medical health insurance policy for at least the first 8 weeks of your stay, when you will not yet be covered by Danish national health insurance. In addition, you may want to consider purchasing a private plan for the duration of your stay which could provide coverage such as emergency evacuation and repatriation coverage, to cover you on the trip to and from Denmark and any other trips, and for the additional protections a private plan provides.
If you are considering purchasing a travel health insurance plan, or a private insurance plan to cover you in Denmark or abroad, we can offer a range of plans to suit all needs. Please do not hesitate to contact our support team who will be more than happy to assist you.
After recently talking with a client about accessing emergency services around the globe, and also running into this excellent article by Matador Abroad concerning all the ways to access emergency services around the world – we thought it would be a great idea to post this to our blog to support our customers around the globe. Not many people know or realize that simply dialing 911 or 999 wherever you are in the world will get you emergency help – the range of different numbers varies so greatly, that you would need to be a genius to remember all the different combinations.
Of course, remembering the emergency service number for the countries you are traveling to is something that is highly recommended, but if you are visiting numerous countries the list can be quite long. Help, however, is at hand if you are taking your mobile phone with you. GSM networks (which cover most of the mobile phone networks in the world) will automatically route your call if you dial 112 to the nearest emergency service center in that country. As Matador explain “Maybe the most useful thing to have in any country during an emergency is a mobile telephone. The GSM network uses 112 as a world-wide emergency number. When 112 is dialed from a GSM phone, the network will automatically redirect you to the local emergency dispatch, if it’s available.”
If you do not have your mobile phone handy to dial 112, some selected countries are listed below:
* indicates number for Medical service only – do NOT press * when dialling.
North America:
USA and Canada – 911 Mexico – 066, 060, or 080 (some areas direct 911 to local services)
Asia:
China – 999 in most large cities. Elsewhere, 120* Hong Kong – 999 India – 102 Indonesia – 118/119*. Search and Rescue – 115. Natural disaster – 129 Iran – 110 (112 from mobile) Israel - 101* (112 from mobile) Japan and Korea – 119* Malaysia – 999 Mongolia – 103 Philippines – 117 (112 and 911 redirect to 117) Saudi Arabia – 997*. Rescue emergency – 911, 112, or 08 Singapore - 995 Thailand – 1669*. “Tourist” police (English speaking) – 1155 UAE - 998* or 999* Vietnam – 115*
Africa:
Egypt - 123*. Tourist police – 126 Ghana – 999 Morocco – 15* Nigeria – 199 South Africa – 10177*. Police and Fire – 10111 (112 from mobile) Zambia – 991* (112 from mobile) Zimbabwe – 999
Europe:
United Kingdom – 999 or 112 European Union and many other European nations – 112
Oceania:
Australia – 000 New Zealand – 111 Fiji – 911 Vanuatu – 112
Argentina – 107* (911 will work in certain areas as emergency dispatch) Bolivia – 118* Brazil – 192* Chile – 131* Colombia – 112 or 123 Paraguay and Uruguay – 911 Suriname – 115 Venezuela – 171
Be sure to check out the full listing of emergency numbers which can be found on Wikipedia, and also the excellent article by Matador Abroad.
Sweden is a popular destination for international students – last year over 25,000 international students studied in Sweden. High-quality English language instruction, a high standard of living, and free tuition have all contributed to Sweden’s popularity with foreign students. Although Sweden has announced plans to begin charging tuition fees to non-EU students no later than January 1, 2010, Sweden is likely to remain a popular destination.
One item that all foreign students in Sweden must address is health insurance – in Sweden, medical care is very expensive if you do not have health insurance. Here are the Swedish health insurance requirements for different categories of international students:
Non-EU/EEA Students Staying Less Than 3 Months
International students or travelers in Sweden staying less than 3 months will not need a residence permit and will not qualify for public health benefits. Therefore students and visitors should purchase travel health insurance that meets all Schengen Visa insurance requirements (as Sweden is a Schengen country). For these travelers and students, the Atlas Travel Plan is the best insurance solution and will offer travel health benefits such as hospitalization, doctors visits, evacuation, repatriation and much more….
Non-EU Students Staying More Than 3 Months and Less Than One Year
Students planning to stay in Sweden for more than 3 months but less than one year must apply for a residence permit before they arrive; however, they will not be eligible for Sweden’s public health insurance benefits. In this case, a student should purchase comprehensive international travel medical insurance or international student health insurance that meets Sweden’s requirements. In both these cases, the Atlas Travel Medical plan and Student Secure plan would be ideal and can be purchased from 5 days up to 12 months (depending on the plan choice) and will provide a range of travel and student health benefits.
Non-EU/EEA Students Staying More Than a Year
Students staying in Sweden for more than a year must apply for a residence permit before arriving, and they are entitled to Sweden’s public health benefits. Immediately upon arrival in Sweden, you should apply for civil registration at your local tax office. Upon application, you will be eligible for public health benefits even while waiting for your registration to be complete. However, your travel to and from Sweden would not be covered, and the time you spend in Sweden before applying for registration would also not be covered. To fill those gaps, and for the comfort of having additional coverage anywhere you may travel to while studying in Sweden, many students purchase a supplemental travel medical insurance policy. In this case, the Atlas Travel Series would be the best plan.
Students from Nordic and EU/EEA countries
As a student from a Nordic or EU/EEA country, you must register beforehand at a social insurance office in your home country and obtain a European health insurance card, or a FormE128 or E111. When seeking medical care in Sweden, you simply need to bring that card or form with you.
Students from Nordic or EU/EEA countries that do not register with their social insurance office in their home country will need to purchase health insurance, just as non-EU/EEA students do.
To learn more about our plans for students and travelers visiting or studying in Sweden please see:
If you are planning to travel to Russia, whether for work, school or fun, you should purchase adequate health and travel insurance. For some, insurance is mandatory – for instance, travelers from the European Union are required to have medical insurance for their visa (due to reciprocity for the insurance requirements of the Schengen Visa). According to the Russian Embassy, there are no specific requirements for the insurance, except that it be valid in Russia.
The US State Department has stated that “western medical care in Moscow can be expensive, difficult to obtain, and not entirely comprehensive.” Although US citizens are not required for their visa to have insurance before traveling to Russia, the State Department “strongly urges all travelers who visit Russia to purchase travelers’ medical insurance which includes coverage for medical evacuation.”
The Atlas International plan, health and travel insurance offered by International Student Insurance, provides comprehensive international coverage for inpatient and outpatient services, prescription drugs, emergency medical evacuation, repatriation, doctor office visits, etc. With this travel medical plan you can select the days of coverage to match your trip, ranging from 5 days up to one year, renewable for up to 3 years in total. Visit the Atlas International page to learn more, or to quote or buy online.
If you will work or live in Russia for a year or more, you should purchase long-term major medical insurance with Russian coverage. The Citizen Secure plan provides coverage for all medical providers in Russia and is a comprehensive annually renewable plan with $5,000,000 of coverage. Visit the Citizen Secure page to learn more or to quote or buy online.
