Insurance, health and safety
Please ensure you read the following information before travelling overseas for your exchange programme, placement or internship, or commencing a work placement or internship in the UK.
Study exchange risk assessment form
If you are undertaking a study exchange, it is mandatory for you to complete a Study Exchange Risk Assessment Form at your earliest convenience and no later than 14 days before you leave the UK. If you are travelling to a destination where UK citizens have to quarantine on arrival, you must factor this into your travel plans.
Please ensure that you have read and understood the guidance notes before completing the form and returning it to the Exchanges Office for approval.
- Download the Study Exchange Risk Assessment Form
- Download the Guidance Notes - Study Exchange Risk Assessment Form
Please note that, if you are undertaking a work placement, your respective Placements Officer will provide you with guidance on how to complete a Risk Assessment Form.
Emergency protocol for students on study exchanges and work placements
This sets out the steps to follow in the case of an emergency involving º¬Ðß²ÝÊÓƵ students who are undertaking study exchanges, work placements or University-arranged internships in the United Kingdom and abroad.
In advance of beginning your exchange, placement or internship, please ensure that you have read the emergency protocol on the next page carefully and that you have a clear understanding of your responsibilities as the student.
Medical cover for international exchanges and placements
All students who are resident in the UK are advised to apply for a Student Global Health Insurance Card (GHIC) prior to travelling to an EU country or other destination covered by the scheme. You will need to request a letter from the University to confirm your exchange details. Whilst the GHIC gives access to some medical care, it is not a replacement for travel insurance and is time-limited to the length of the course. A GHIC is not valid in Iceland, Liechtenstein or Norway and using a GHIC in Switzerland is restricted based on immigration status.
The NHS website provides further information on how to apply and which countries are covered by the scheme.
In addition to a GHIC, you are advised to purchase your own personal travel insurance to supplement that provided by the University. If you have any pre-existing medical conditions, you are encouraged to visit your doctor prior to departure in order to ensure that it is safe for you to proceed. You must ensure that your own insurance includes medical cover and that, if applicable, you have enough medication to last for the duration of the mobility period. You must also check that any medication can be taken into your destination country, and any country through which you are transiting.
Some countries may also require you to take out public health insurance for the duration of your stay. You should research the requirements carefully in advance of your placement or exchange and factor in the necessary costs and timescales.
Travel insurance for international exchanges and placements
When you travel outside the United Kingdom on a University-approved international study exchange or work placement/internship (i.e. one which is part of your programme, or for which the University is allocating Turing funding), you will have access to the University’s travel insurance and medical cover, which is administered by UMAL. You are also very strongly advised to purchase your own personal insurance which supplements the provision within the 2024/25 Travel Cover Summary.
Further information about the University’s travel and medical insurance can be found in the Frequently Asked Questions.