The opportunity to go to a foreign country and study is something that every student dreams of but not everyone gets to do so. Going abroad to study is a really exciting chance and there is a lot that one needs to look into before boarding the plane. Starting from the college to the course to the accommodation there are a bunch of things an international student should keep in mind. Amongst these, something that is often overlooked is having international travel insurance in place.
The insurance covering travel is either standalone or comes combined with health benefits as well. Most countries like the United States of America, Australia, New Zealand and Canada make it mandatory for students travelling to their country to study must have both travel as well as medical insurance. The travel insurance for German student visa must cover all the insured in all the twenty six Schengen countries. It is optional for students going to countries like China, United Kingdom, Malaysia and Singapore but it is still recommended as one never knows what uncertainty might take place. There is however exceptions in every case and some countries do not require overseas student health cover for students coming from every country. For example, even though the Australian Government requires international students to have travel insurance but if a student is a Norwegian and is covered by the Norwegian National Insurance Scheme then he or she does not require a separate insurance while going to Australia to study. Similarly a Swedish student covered by Kammarkollegeit and a Belgian student insured under the Reciprocal Health Care Agreement with Australia do not require separate policies while going to the country.
At the time of applying for visa because students should have travel insurance in place, depending on which country they are travelling to, many universities give the option to buy insurance from them. However, these are most often offered at a premium and are advisable to buy from an insurance company itself. While it proves to be more economical to buy insurance from your home country, one should check the minimum requirements that the policy covers because sometimes a particular university might not honor a particular insurance policy if it does not meet their minimum coverage requirement.
Parents invest a lot of money on child while sending abroad to study and to be insured against risks and uncertainties helps them sleep better at night. In case of cancelled flights and accommodation bookings, loss of important travel documents like passport and loss of personal belongings like luggage, the monetary cost incurred is covered to a certain extent if one has travel insurance in place. The percentage of the loss covered varies from policy to policy. Apart from covering monetary loss, it also provides an agent who is available for assistance round the clock through a helpline number. Some travel insurances, as mentioned above, also cover medical costs but not to the depth that a separate medical insurance might provide. The basic health costs covered range from doctor consultation fees, basic diagnostic tests and medication that is required.
Insurance is basically the difference between a substantial bill that burns a hole in the pocket and one that is a manageable expense. Apart from the monetary relief, it also provides peace of mind to the individual and his family.
