Students studying abroad are often asked by the school or the visa office for health cover with set minimums. Find out what they require first, then compare plans for a term or a year abroad: medical limits, the length of cover, and whether trips home and side trips are included.
What to check
- What your school or the visa office requires, in writing.
- Whether the plan runs for the whole term or year, and can be extended.
- Medical and evacuation limits, and how routine care is treated.
- Trips home and trips to other countries during your studies.
- Sports and activities you’ll do, including university sports.
Read the policy wording before you buy: what’s covered, the limits, the excess and the exclusions.
Each insurer’s own page for this
VisitorsCoverage and SafetyWing have no page for this.
We earn a commission if you buy after following these links. It never changes what this page says, and we don’t give advice. Who each insurer is.
Questions
Does my university require travel insurance?
Many schools and visa offices do, often with set minimums. Ask them for the requirement in writing.
Can student travel insurance last a whole year?
Some plans run for a term or a year; check the maximum length and whether it can be extended.
Is student travel insurance the same as health insurance?
Not always. Travel plans focus on emergencies; some schools ask for broader health cover.
Keep reading
Updated 2026-10-24.