Before you go

Staying safe and well

Whatever your plans abroad, prioritise your personal safety and your physical and mental wellbeing.

You shouldn't assume that your exchange or placement will be risk-free.  Often the things that go wrong for travellers could have been prevented or made less stressful by taking a few simple precautions. With this in mind, it makes sense to spend a little time getting prepared before you travel - you could save yourself a lot of problems later on. 

Personal safety

Things like pick pocketing, protests and demonstrations, or even terrorism are a possibility wherever you go. Knowing what steps to take to minimise these risks will help your time abroad be as safe as possible.​​​​​​

Use common sense - during your time at Edinburgh, you will be used to either living in or navigating around a city, so you will probably already be taking various steps to ensure your personal safety. Just remember to take the same steps whilst abroad, especially while you are getting familiar with your new destination!

The following guidance and practical tips will help you ensure you're as well prepared as you can be.

Look after your physical and mental wellbeing

Remember that hospitals, doctors surgeries and the healthcare system in general in your host country are likely to work differently from the UK. It's a good idea to do a bit of research before you go, to make sure you're as prepared as possible.  You can find out more using the following resources:

National Travel Health Network and Centre (NaTHNaC) website

NHS Fit for Travel website

GOV.UK country healthcare guides

Take a look at some more tips and guidance to ensure you know what you need to be aware of before you go away:

See also:

Emergency Situations