Travel insurance
Find out what insurance cover you need before travelling abroad.
All students who have their travel approved by the Study and Work Away (SWAY) Service will be covered, free of charge, by the University's travel insurance policy.
University of Edinburgh travel insurance
Once you have received final approval to travel from SWAY, you will be covered by the University travel insurance for the duration of your exchange or placement.
You do not have to submit a separate application for the University's travel insurance – please do not complete the application form on the Insurance pages of the UoE website.
Please note that this is a travel insurance policy, rather than a private health or medical insurance policy. Although it covers some medical expenses/medical emergencies, day-to-day medical expenses such as GP visits, regular blood tests or medication for pre-existing conditions are not covered. You may need to ensure additional health insurance cover for your personal circumstances.
Some host institutions and organisations may also require students to have additional health insurance/medical insurance cover in place.
All University of Edinburgh students going out on one of our overseas programmes receive the same insurance - this is a blanket coverage and does not change depending on student status e.g. international, RUK, Scottish Home.
If you have any questions about the UoE insurance policy or coverage, please contact the Insurance Office, with your name, student number and the dates of your exchange or placement.
Email: finance.helpline@ed.ac.uk
Phone: +44 (0)131 651 5151
Please read the following FAQs for more information about the University's insurance cover:
You can find a more details on the travel insurance provided for students on the Insurance Office SharePoint site.
Visit the Insurance Office SharePoint site
Once your risk assessment has been approved by SWAY, you will receive a more detailed summary of cover which you should read thoroughly before travelling to ensure it covers you fully for your personal situation and that you understand the conditions of cover.
You should be aware that the following things are not covered by the UoE insurance policy and would require you to take out your own personal insurance:
- Any time spent at your destination outside of the official dates of your exchange (although there is a 7 day grace period on each side)
- Personal travel before, during or after your official exchange destination (e.g. if you are on exchange in France and want to travel to Germany for the weekend, this wouldn't be covered)
Please note this list is not exhaustive and you should contact the UoE Finance helpline should you have any specific queries.
Cover will be confirmed upon receipt of a fully completed and approved SWAY travel risk assessment, which is a mandatory requirement for your exchange or placement. Once your risk assessment has been approved you will be sent a summary of the UoE insurance cover.
If you require official confirmation of insurance cover, either to use in your host institution application or for visa purposes, you can generate your own insurance certificate by following these steps:
- Visit AIG Travel, a worldwide leader in travel insurance and assistance or download the AIG Travel Assistance app (on Apple and Android)
- Register using your University of Edinburgh email address and policy number (which will be sent to you when your travel risk assessment is approved)
- On the website there is an option for Insurance Certificate under the Resources tab along the top; on the app there is a tile for Insurance Certificate
- Complete the requested details for your SWAY approved activity and submit – your certificate will be available immediately
Please note that an approved risk assessment, and therefore the University’s insurance, becomes void if you become ineligible to study or work away. This could be as a result of not passing all exams, or by not securing in time all necessary travel documentation such as visas or residence permits.
Some host institutions and organisations require students to have additional health insurance/medical insurance cover in place. In some instances the partner university insurance plan will be mandatory and you will be required to take out their policy in addition to the University of Edinburgh travel insurance. This may have a cost attached.
If you want to enquire into whether your host institution allows waivers to their plan then we advise you to contact them directly to enquire whether they may accept the medical expenses cover provided by the University travel policy. The Insurance Office can provide assistance with the comparison as well as confirming the cover you have.
If you are doing a work or research placement, you should clarify what insurance cover is offered by your employer. You may need to purchase your own policy in-country to cover for any loss, injury or damage caused by you or to you while under their supervision.
If you have an emergency claim to make there is a 24/7 emergency medical and travel assistance helpline: +44(0)1273 456633.
If your claim is a non-emergency claim you should submit details of this via the AIG portal using the following steps:
- Visit AIG Travel, a worldwide leader in travel insurance or download the AIG Travel Assistance app (on Apple and Android)
- Register using your University of Edinburgh email address and policy number (which will be sent to you when your travel risk assessment is approved)
- On the website click the ‘File a Claim’ tab along the top; on the app there is a tile for this
- Complete the requested details, upload supporting documentation and provide bank details for payment
Your claim will be dealt with directly by the insurers and any questions on appropriate supporting documentation should be directed to AIG.
If you choose not to opt into the University’s insurance policy, it is essential that the insurance you choose meets the requirements of both the UoE and of your host institution.
The University of Edinburgh requires that your insurance policy covers:
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Your own personal circumstances (i.e. pre-existing conditions)
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Repatriation to the UK (or your home country) in the case of serious illness or death
It is your responsibility to ensure that you have appropriate cover in place – the Study and Work Away Service teams are not insurance experts and so cannot check insurance policies for you.
The SWAY travel risk assessment is a mandatory requirement for your exchange or placement, even if you intend to take out your own insurance.
Global Health Insurance Card (GHIC)
UK students going to the EU to study or work abroad are also advised to obtain a Student Global Health Insurance Card (GHIC). The GHIC is a replacement of the European Health Insurance Card (EHIC).
The Student GHIC gives you the right to access medically necessary, state-provided healthcare during a temporary stay in the EU at a reduced cost or sometimes for free. Not all state healthcare is free in the EU and you may have to pay for services that you’d get for free on the NHS. You'll normally pay the same as a patient from that country.
You should refer to the second part of the section "Students studying in the EU, Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein, or Switzerland". Please note that you should apply for the specific Student GHIC card which is different from the standard one. You will need to download the 'Confirmation of Status' letter from your Mobility Online workflow to accompany your application.