Information for students
What your visa and university require, what each kind of cover does, and what to check before you buy. We do not sell insurance or give quotes.
A summary of each country guide. Open the guide for the detail and the official source to check.
| Country | What students must hold | Typical route | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| UK | The immigration health surcharge, paid with the visa application, for most stays of more than six months. | Pay online with the visa, for its whole length. It gives NHS access on broadly the same basis as residents. | Since 6 February 2024 it is £776 a year for students. Private insurance does not exempt you. |
| Australia | Overseas Student Health Cover (OSHC) for the whole stay. It is visa condition 8501. | Buy from an approved insurer. Many universities offer to arrange it with the offer of a place. | Keep it continuous. OSHC is not travel insurance, and dental and optical usually need extras. |
| United States | Health insurance, required by most universities. J-1 students must meet federal minimum requirements. | Automatic enrolment in the university plan, or a waiver if you already have cover that meets its standards. | Miss the waiver deadline and you are usually charged for the plan. |
| Canada | It depends on the province. | Ontario: the University Health Insurance Plan (UHIP), charged with fees. British Columbia: the provincial Medical Services Plan for stays of six months or more. | Quebec generally leaves international students to arrange private or university cover. Check for a waiting period. |
| Germany | Proof of cover. Universities will not complete enrolment without it. | Statutory health insurance at the student rate, until the end of the semester in which you turn 30. | Opting out for private cover must be done within three months and cannot be reversed. Travel insurance is generally not enough for the visa. |
| Japan | National Health Insurance, for stays of more than three months. | Join at your city or ward office, usually when you register your address. Bring your residence card. | It pays 70 percent of most treatment and covers care in Japan only. Tell the ward office when you leave. |
| Netherlands | Adequate cover from home or a private student policy, if you only study. | Dutch basic health insurance from the first day of any job or paid internship. | You need municipal registration and a BSN first. A healthcare allowance may help on a low income. |
| Schengen short stays | Travel medical insurance with cover of at least 30,000 euros, valid in all Schengen countries for the whole stay. | Shown with the short-stay visa application. For a semester or a year, the host country's rules apply instead. | It must include emergency treatment and medical repatriation. |
No country in the table matches both choices. Try .
There are three main kinds of health cover for students abroad. A public or national scheme is the host country's own health system, paid by a fee, a levy or contributions, as in the UK, Germany and Japan. A student health plan is arranged by the university or required for the visa, as with US university plans, Australian OSHC and Ontario's UHIP. International private medical insurance covers medical care abroad for a year or more, and is used where students cannot join the public scheme.
Start with what your visa requires, then check your university's own rules on top of it.
Travel insurance suits short trips, travel during holidays and the journey to and from your host country. It is designed for things going wrong suddenly.
Over a semester or a year you are likely to need ordinary medical care: a doctor for an infection, a prescription, a dentist. Travel insurance usually does not cover these, and many visa authorities do not accept it for long stays.
Health insurance does not cover a laptop or a phone. Cover for belongings can come from:
No policy recovers your work, so back up coursework every week.
Usually a single trip, often with a maximum length.
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Usually a year, renewable.
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The questions from our guide to reading a student insurance policy.
Some countries name a specific scheme, such as Overseas Student Health Cover in Australia. Others set minimum levels of cover, and many universities add their own rules. Check the schedule too: the dates should match your visa and your course.
The excess or deductible is the amount you pay before the insurer pays. A low premium often comes with a high excess.
If you have a condition that needs regular treatment, check how the policy treats it. Some policies cover it after a waiting period, some cover it if you declare it, and some exclude it entirely.
Cover for counselling and mental health care varies a lot. If it matters to you, check the limit and whether you need a referral first.
Medical repatriation means the cost of getting you home for treatment. Many visa rules require it.
Find out whether the insurer pays the hospital directly or you pay and claim back, and how quickly you must report a claim. Save the emergency phone number in your phone before you travel.
An overview of the kinds of insurance international students meet: public health schemes, student health plans, private international health cover and travel insurance.
The difference between travel insurance and international private medical insurance for students, and when each makes sense.
The terms in a student insurance policy that matter most: deductibles, exclusions, pre-existing conditions, mental health, repatriation and claims.
When life insurance is and is not relevant for students, including students with dependants and loans that a family member has guaranteed.
What insurance students need for a short-stay Schengen visa, a summer school or a semester exchange in Europe.
Options for covering a laptop, phone and belongings while studying abroad: contents insurance, gadget cover, travel insurance and what to check.
This site gives general information only. It is not an insurer, broker or adviser, and it does not recommend policies.