Students
Healthcare while studying abroad: what covers you and what you must buy
A state health card is not always enough and many visas require insurance of your own. What covers what, and the order to sort it in.
Tomás Berruezo 5 min Photo by Aydin Hassan on Unsplash It is one of the things left until last and one of the things that causes the most trouble, because in several countries the insurance is a condition for enrolling or for getting your residence permit.
Where a reciprocal health card applies
A state health card — the European card within the EU and EEA, and the UK's equivalent for British students in Europe since Brexit — gives access to the country's public healthcare on the same terms as a resident. For a study placement it covers the everyday, with two limits worth knowing: it covers neither repatriation nor private clinics, and where there is a patient charge, you pay it.
On top of that, for longer stays some countries ask for additional insurance or registration with their health system.
What it covers exactly is in what the European health card covers.
Where it does not
There you almost always have to buy insurance, and often one that meets specific requirements: a minimum level of cover, validity for the whole stay, and sometimes an insurer recognised by the country or by the university.
Any cheap travel policy will not do: if the visa sets requirements, you check them before buying.
What to look at in the policy
- The term: that it covers the whole academic year, not ninety days.
- Medical and hospital cover with a limit that makes sense for that country.
- Repatriation.
- Whether it covers sport and activities, which are routine at university.
- And whether it covers pre-existing conditions, which basic policies almost never do.
The order
First look at what the visa or the university requires, and only then compare policies. The other way round you end up paying twice: once for the one you bought and once for the one they make you take out on arrival.
Frequently asked questions
Is a state health card enough for a full academic year?
For the everyday it is, where it applies, but it covers neither repatriation nor private treatment, and some countries also ask for registration or extra insurance on long stays.
Do I need insurance where the card does not apply?
Almost always, and often with specific requirements on cover and validity set by the visa or the university.
What do I look at in the policy?
That it covers the whole year, the medical assistance limit, repatriation, sporting activities and what happens with pre-existing conditions.
What order do I do this in?
First what the visa or the university requires, then compare policies. The other way round you end up paying twice.
