Student Travel Insurance is a type of insurance designed for students studying abroad. It provides coverage against medical expenses, baggage-related risks, stay disruption and other travel-related risks that students may face during their trip.
A student travel insurance policy comes loaded with unique features such as policy extension and auto-renewal facilities. The coverage under student travel insurance plan not just aids students to pay their hospital and medical bills, but also takes care of visits from family in case of emergency hospitalization, medical evacuation, repatriation, bail bond etc.
So, if you’re travelling abroad for higher education, you must cover yourself with student travel insurance to eliminate the odds of the financial risks arising out of any unpredictable and unfortunate instances.
Why Do You Need Student Travel Insurance?
If you are studying out of India and living alone, there might be possibilities for things to go wrong and you would require support or a back-up to tackle the situation. For instance, an unfortunate event leading to emergency hospitalization can burn a hole in your pocket, as medical expenses are exorbitant in a foreign country. Students living outside India may also have visitors from their families during an emergency medical condition, which requires financial backup as well. Student Travel insurance covers all such eventualities and ensures that you don't have to bear the out-of-pocket expense. Other than these, student travel insurance comes in handy in covering those non-medical expenses as well such as:
Expenses arising out of emergency hospitalization due to an accident or illness
Unfortunate events like loss of checked-in baggage, etc.
Bail bonds and tuition fee
Delay in take-off or cancellation of flight
Loss of passport
Compassionate visit
Bail bond cover
*For the complete list of inclusion, kindly refer to the policy document
To those going abroad for studies, a student travel insurance policy is highly recommended to ensure that any eventuality, such as a medical emergency leading to hospitalization does not lead to a financial catastrophe.
Overseas Student Insurance – Salient Features:
Overseas student insurance comes with certain features that differentiate it with other types of travel insurance. Take a look at some of the most common features of an international student insurance plan offered by insurance providers in India:
Age Restriction – Most student travel insurance plans offer coverage to people falling within the age group of 16 and 35 years who are travelling abroad to study in an international school/ university.
Student-Specific Covers – All overseas student insurance plans come with certain covers that have been designed exclusively to protect you from any adversities that you are likely to face during your stay abroad. Some of these student-specific covers are study interruption, bail bond, sponsor protection, loss of laptop/ tablet, etc.
Worldwide Coverage – No matter which part of the world you plan to study in, you will be protected under international student insurance. This is because a student travel insurance plan comes with worldwide coverage.
Cashless Hospitalization – All overseas student insurance plans come with cashless hospitalization facility. This means that you will not be required to pay the hospital bill during discharge if you were admitted at one of the network hospitals of the insurance provider.
Refund on Policy Cancellation – In case the university/ college abroad does not accept the student health insurance policy that you had purchased in India, then you can easily get it cancelled. All insurance companies come with student insurance policy cancellation option. In fact, most providers refund the insurance premium paid by the insured student on a pro-rata basis for the policy period that remained unused.
Auto-Renewal – Most insurance companies come with auto-renewal option that can be used to automatically renew your student medical insurance policy for the next semester if your existing policy tenure expires at the end of your semester.
Easy Extensions - Sometimes the overseas study course of an insured student is extended or his final semester exams are delayed. In such a situation, you can easily extend your student health insurance plan without any hassle to cover the entire duration of your stay abroad. Moreover, you can also use the auto-renewal feature to automatically renew.
Is it necessary to have Student Health Insurance?
Yes. In most countries, it is mandatory for overseas students to possess a valid student health insurance policy to study in their colleges or universities. In fact, many countries like the Schengen countries do not allow students to obtain a valid visa until they have bought an overseas student insurance policy.
The applicant student has the choice of either purchasing an international student insurance policy in India before travelling abroad or they can opt for the student medical insurance offered by their university abroad. People who buy their overseas student insurance in India will end up paying less as compared to those who will buy their student health insurance abroad as the premiums paid in Indian currency (INR) would be lower than the premium paid in US dollars (USD).
Here is a list of countries where student health insurance is a mandatory requirement by most colleges and universities:
Student travel insurance is a protection that shields the insured student from any unpredictable adversities faced during his stay abroad. If a person is travelling overseas to study, he is always advised to get a valid student health insurance plan. To help you understand the importance of overseas student insurance, take a look at the following reasons:
Stay Protected – Problems do not come knocking at the door. If you face an emergency during your stay abroad, then it could drain you emotionally as well as financially. But if you have a valid international student insurance policy, you do not have to worry about it as you will be covered from any unpredictable adversities such as accidents or medical illness.
High Medical Costs – Healthcare costs are not the same all over the world. More so, the cost of healthcare is infamously expensive in several developed countries such as the United States of America and Europe. But if you have overseas student insurance, you can avail medical treatment without thinking about the skyrocketing healthcare costs as medical expenses are covered under such policies.
Mandatory in Countries like the USA – In countries like the USA, it is mandatory for overseas students to possess a valid student health insurance policy. It is an important admission document for foreign students as you will not be allowed to study in the universities and colleges of such countries without a valid student travel insurance policy.
Protects Student’s Personal Savings – Overseas students, who do not have international student insurance, end up paying from their personal savings if they face an emergency or financial loss. However, if you do have a valid student insurance policy, you can save up your personal funds as the insurer will cover all the monetary expenses incurred during an emergency.
Here’s What Student University Medical Plan Offer:
Most universities abroad offer medical insurance plans to overseas students who have secured an admission offer with them. Either it is mandatory for such students to purchase health insurance from the university or buy an overseas student travel insurance plan in their home country.
In case you are considering buying a student university medical plan, take a look at the coverage offered by most international universities:
Medical & Dental Coverage – The plan will cover any expenses incurred on prescription or medical treatment that you may undertake during your study abroad. It will also cover any expenses incurred on your vision or dental treatment.
Coverage While Travelling – A student university medical plan will continue to protect you from any unforeseen adversities even when you are travelling to some other place for vacations during the policy term.
Round the Clock Medical Assistance – The plan will offer you 24x7 medical assistance and care irrespective of which part of the world you are vacationing. In fact, you can reach out to a doctor round the clock using your mobile phone, webcam-enabled laptop, tablet, etc.
24x7 Access to a Nurse – Most student university medical plan enables you to speak to a registered nurse round the clock for help. For example, the nurse can advise you for allergy relief or help you out during a fever.
Mobile App Benefits – A lot of medical plans offered by overseas university comes with a mobile app that will provide you with benefits for staying healthy.
Student Travel Insurance Policy: Inclusions?
Student travel insurance policies offer the much-needed coverage that helps neutralize travel-related risks during a student's stay abroad while pursuing his higher education. The exact coverage varies from insurance provider per insurance provider.
Here are the basic elements of insurance coverage offered:
Emergency Medical Charges
It offers reimbursement to the insured person, for the incurred medical charges, in case of an unexpected illness or accident.
Dental Treatment Expenses
Student travel insurance provides dental treatment expense reimbursement, for acute pain or injury.
Permanent Disability
In case the insured is permanently disabled due to the accident, it pays pre-decided compensation to the insured's family.
Accidental Death Benefit
In the event of accidental death, it pays pre-decided compensation to the insured's family.
Medical Evacuation
It pays for the actual expenses or the pre-decided amount insured, whichever is lesser when repatriating the insured back to his/her country.
Body Repatriation
Student travel insurance pays for the actual expenses or the pre-decided amount insured, whichever is lesser in case of repatriating the mortal remains of the insured person back to his/her country.
Loss of Checked-in Luggage
In case the insured's luggage, personal documents are checked into a common carrier, reimbursement is provided to him/her for the replacement of any lost or damaged articles.
Delay of Checked Luggage
Student travel insurance offers an amount, for buying toiletries and fresh clothes, to the insured because of delay in luggage.
Missed Departure or Missed Connection
The insured person is provided reimbursement for the incurred expenses because of missed departure, or missed connections by the airline under Student travel insurance.
Trip Delay
The insured person is provided reimbursement for the incurred expenses due to trip delay if it is delayed for more than 12 hours.
Loss of Passport
In case the insured person's passport is lost, Student travel insurance policy will reimburse the actual incurred expenses for making arrangements for a fresh or duplicate passport is provided.
Personal Liability
Student travel insurance pays for damage(s) that an insured is legally bound to pay because of a lawsuit for property damage(s) caused by him/her. Also, it offers benefits for medical expenditures that an insured is legally bound to pay, against a lawsuit for causing an accident that resulted in causing bodily injury to someone.
Study Interruption
In case there is any interruption in the study of the insured person due to an emergency, Student travel insurance compensates for the loss.
Sponsor Protection
In case of accidental death of the sponsor of an insured person, Student travel insurance pays for insured's tuition fees.
Daily Cash Allowance Benefit
Daily cash allowance is provided in case an insured person is hospitalized for more than a specific number of days as mentioned in the policy document.
Bail Bond
While travelling, it covers the bail amount for an insured person in case of arrest/detention by local police for a bailable offence.
Compassionate Visit
In case there is a need for a compassionate visit by an immediate family member of the insured, Student travel insurance covers that compassionate visit.
Treatment for Expecting Mothers
After completion of the waiting period of 10 months, Student travel insurance covers pregnancy-related in-patient medical expenses. Again depending on the type of policy that covers the particular situation.
Childcare Benefit
Some insurance providers under student travel insurance provide hospital cash allowance for childcare.
Hijack Cash Benefit
It offers a distress allowance to the insured person as mentioned in the policy. This is in case your flight has been disrupted because of a hijack.
Fraudulent Charges for Payment Card Security
In the event of the insured's payment card being stolen or lost, reimbursement is provided for the unauthorized expenses that an insured person is responsible for.
Emergency Accommodation Benefit
In case of a natural catastrophe, when an insured person is unable to stay at his/her original accommodation, the compensation is provided for additional expenses of emergency accommodation under Student travel insurance.
Student Travel Insurance: Exclusions
Every student travel insurance policy has certain situations that are out-of-the coverage list.
Student Travel Insurance will not cover expenses incurred due to a pre-existing medical ailment unless the same condition is covered by the policy.
Expenses incurred due to any of the following situation:
Suicide; injuries or illnesses due to self-infliction
Any kind of mental disorder Depression, stress, or anxiety
Any Venereal disease
Alcohol or drug abuse
HIV/AIDS
Expenses incurred in a situation when you are
If the insured is travelling without the consent of his physician
Travelling to avail a specified medical treatment.
Suffering from a terminal disease.
Theft, damage or loss of passport due to carelessness and negligence, or not reported to the local police authorities on time etc are not covered under Student travel insurance.
Partial damage or loss of checked-in baggage (only complete loss or damage is covered). Moreover, precious items inside the bag are also not covered by Student Travel Insurance, unless it is mentioned in the list of inclusions.
Any situation arising due to war or nuclear threat in the country you are travelling to are not covered by Student travel insurance.
Facts You Should Know about Student Travel Insurance
Negligence towards matters and fact related to insurance can lead you to an inadequate insurance plan. Listed below are a few facts that you should know:
Eligibility
You are eligible to enter a student travel insurance plan at the age of 16. However, a person above 35 years of age cannot buy such a policy. Pursuing education should be the primary purpose of your travel. This policy is valid for both domestic or international travel.
Compulsory Clause
As having health insurance is a mandatory clause for students in foreign countries, almost every foreign universities offer health insurance. However, by opting for student travel insurance, the students can cover themselves for medical emergencies abroad. Some universities may also decline the admission application in case the student is not insured.
Cheaper Premiums
Premiums for these travel insurance plans are cheaper in case of policies bought from domestic insurance providers in India. The premiums are lesser by nearly 1/3rd of the premiums payable for the policies offered by the universities abroad.
Substitutes
Student medical travel insurance is provided at very affordable rates by the insurance companies in India. It is advisable to choose a plan that can substitute the health covers provided by the university but can offer better coverage. Moreover, by comparing the plans, one can save a lot on premiums of student travel insurance.
Mandatory Risk Covers
Due to the urban lifestyle in the western countries, many universities have made it compulsory for students to have coverage against specific risks like drug dependency, mental and nervous disorders, alcoholism, and other expenses related to intercollegiate sports injuries, pregnancy, mammography, cancer screening, and childcare benefits.
Waiver of Premiums
If you, as a student, have availed a health insurance plan from an insurer in India, then you can claim a refund from the foreign university as the premium is already included in the fees paid to the university.
Easy Extensions
You can continuously stay covered for the entire term of your academic course by opting for an auto-renewal of policy. You can also simplify the same with the help of online renewal and advance the extension of policy.
Pregnancy Clause
Any expense related to pregnancy and childbirth is not covered. However, the expenses incurred due to any unforeseen emergency, save the insured person's/child's life in case of acute complications are covered. Coverage would be provided only if the insured person has not completed 38 years of age and 30 weeks of pregnancy.
Study Interruption Cover
If you have opted for study interruption cover and you are hospitalized for a consecutive month or more due to illness, injury, or medical repatriation, then you will get a reimbursement of the tuition fee that has been paid for that period. Also the same implies, if your sponsor or an immediate family member expires, leading to discontinuation of your studies.
Claim Process of Student Travel Insurance
During your stay in the foreign land, you never know when you need to file a claim. Here is the claim process for student travel insurance.
Immediately get in touch with your insurance provider to inform about the loss or arising of a claim. You can register it by calling on their s helpline number and provide them the claim details. In case you need any assistance, feel free to raise your doubts.
In case of an abrupt mishap or sudden sickness; where it's not possible to notify your insurance provider well in advance before seeking medical intervention, get in touch with your insurance provider as soon as possible.If required by your insurance provider, you need to undergo a medical examination. Don't worry about the costs since it will be covered by your insurance provider.
Student Travel Insurance Cancellation Procedure
Before embarking on your journey, you can cancel your trip anytime, but you have to justify the reason. Here is the cancellation process for a student travel insurance plan in India.
Give a written notice to your insurance provider 15 days in advance, mentioning your policy number, attaching the scanned copy of your passport and stating the reason for the cancellation. You can also cancel the plan within 7 days after the date when you were supposed to travel or the expiry date of your plan in case you haven't undertaken that trip.
The insurance provider will verify the original passport to make sure that you didn't undertake that journey. Wait for tour insurance provider to approve your cancellation.
Premium Refund upon Early Return
There are some insurance providers, who offer a premium refund upon early return. If you end your trip before the expiry of your insurance plan and you haven't filed any claims, you can get in touch with your insurance company to get a premium refund. In case you get a refund, it will come with a few deductions.
Extension of Student Travel Insurance
There can be situations that may force you to extend your stay abroad. For instance, if your exams get postponed and are rescheduled post the expiry of your policy. Or if you get hospitalized for an illness/ accidental injury that extends your stay beyond your original schedule. In all of these situations, a need to extend your student travel insurance will arise. Luckily, all travel insurance policies allow the insured to extend their student travel insurance policies.
If your overseas stay gets extended due to reasons beyond your control, then your travel insurer will extend your policy, provided you have paid the additional premium amount applicable. Several factors determine the additional amount of premium that you would have to pay in order to extend your student travel insurance policy. The period of extension, your age, type of insurance plans, location of your university, etc. are some of the factors that influence the additional premium that you’ll have to pay.
Besides, your student policy will be extended if you meet the following conditions:
The student travel insurance policy hasn’t expired already
Sum insured amount remains the same even after policy extension
No medical claims have been filed during the policy tenure
Insured must declare that he does not have any pre-existing health conditions
The additional premium should be paid before the policy extension period comes into effect
The total policy period, including the original policy period and extended period, does not exceed a period of two years
Most insurance companies allow insured students to extend the policy only once. However, the exact number of times you can extend your travel insurance depends on the policies of your insurance company. You should check with your insurance provider to find out the exact number of times you can extend your student travel insurance policy.
Make sure to inform your insurance company or the assistance provider as soon as possible so that the policy extension can be made effective on time. Also, keep in mind that the extension of your travel insurance policy depends on the sole discretion of the insurance company.
Moreover, you can extend your student travel insurance policy only if the ongoing claim is related to one of the following covers:
Loss of passport
Dental treatment
Emergency financial assistance
Loss/ delay of check-in baggage
Trip delay
Missed connection
Trip cancellation & interruption
Hijack distress allowance
Saving-Up on Student Travel Insurance Premiums
If you are looking forward to save some money on your insurance premium, here are a few things to be covered when it comes to lowering down Student Overseas Travel Insurance premiums.
Buy Your Travel Plan Online - Purchasing a student travel insurance plan online is super easy and convenient as compared to offline modes. It helps you to save your money and fetch amazing discounts and offers.
Analyze the Involved Risks - It is very important to assess the safety and health risks associated with the destination you'll travel to. If it's less risky, then there is no need for you to buy a higher health cover. You can go for the basic coverage based on the duration of your trip in the foreign country.
Buy an Insurance Plan Soon After You Book Your Trip - The closer you are to the trip, the higher the insurance premium you'll be offered. When you've already secured your seat in a college, don't delay purchasing travel insurance for students. This way, you will get the lowest premiums and the maximum insurance coverage,
Opt For The Right Deductible - The deductible is a pre-decided amount that an insured person has to pay at the time of filing a claim and the remaining amount is covered by the insurance provider. The deductible affects an insurance premium; ensure that you opt for the deductible basis on what fulfils your travel insurance expectations.
What Does PolicyBazaar Do For You?
Buying student travel insurance from PolicyBazaar can offer following benefits:
Make an ideal choice by comparing various insurance quotes
Choose the plan according to your specific requirement
Complete transparency of information
Compare and analyze the features and USPs of various plans simultaneously
Buy the most efficient product in the least amount of time
Focused on providing students with financial coverage against those travel-related eventualities, student travel insurance provides the much-needed assistance in the hour of need.
You can also opt for other benefits with your travel insurance policy to fortify the cover and make your policy a comprehensive one. These riders include provision for a bail bond, reimbursement of tuition fee under sponsor protection, compensation on loss of passport and a lot more.
Ans: Travelling brings lots of excitement and fun. However, you shouldn’t avoid the possibility of uncertainties while travelling. Overseas Travel Insurance can be a saviour in case of a financial emergency arising out of travel-related risks such as baggage loss, loss of important document like passport, a medical emergency etc. A travel insurance policy covers you for the unanticipated expenses incurred while travelling and keeps your trip safe.
Ans: You don’t have to worry if you have bought a student travel insurance policy and not travelled during that specific period. A wide number of insurance companies refund the premium in such a case.
Ans: If you haven’t travelled during the policy period, you are supposed to submit the following documents as the proof of that so that the refund could be processed.
1. Xerox copy of the passport pages
2. Submit a valid reason for the cancellation of the policy
3. In case the trip was cancelled because of the refusal of the Visa by the Embassy, the Visa rejection letter would need to be submitted.
Ans: The student travel insurance plan doesn’t provide coverage for injury, loss, damage, legal liability etc. arising directly or indirectly from travelling to/ in or through the restricted countries, such as Cuba, Democratic Republic of Congo or Afghanistan.
Ans: When your overseas stay is extended for the reasons that are above and beyond your control, then the extension can be provided by your insurer after receiving the additional premium amount. In these particular cases, you should reach out to your insurer as soon as possible and provide the necessary information.
Ans: If there is any road mishap and you need immediate medical intervention, then you can contact the alarm centre/assistance companies with the required details.
Ans: For single trip insurance, there isn’t any free look period applicable. When it is effective, it is non-cancellable, non-refundable, and non-renewable. For annual multi-trip insurance, there is a free look period of 15 days for the new annual multi-trip.
Ans: There is only one situation where your policy can be cancelled, i.e. when you haven’t undertaken your trip and you are able to justify it by producing your passport. A cancellation request would be entertained with 14 days post the date of insurance as mentioned in the policy. When you get your policy cancelled, a particular amount of money would be deducted as the administration charges from the amount that is to be refunded.
Ans: When you travel abroad to study, you are exposed to various risks arising out of some unexpected/unfavourable events. Unfortunately, events like passport loss, baggage loss, an accident or any medical emergency may take place any time. If you’ve travel insurance coverage, it safeguards you against all such events. It makes sure that in a foreign land, you don’t have to face any kind of emergency that causes inconvenience to you.
Ans: When you have to register a claim in the event of hospitalization, you can inform your insurer about the same on its helpline. Before making a call, keep the details like policy number, passport number etc. handy.
Ans: A deductible is the amount of a claim that has to be borne by you (i.e. the insured). A policyholder chooses to add deductibles in order to minimize the premium payable for the policy. In case of a claim, a policyholder has to pay such out-of-pocket expenses before the insurer pays for any expense.
Ans: People who are going overseas to study at an international university should purchase a student travel insurance policy. Moreover, the applicants should be between the age of 16 and 35 years.
Ans: Buying student travel insurance for your study trip abroad is not mandatory universally. However, many international universities have made it compulsory for all students to possess valid travel insurance. Make sure to check the insurance requirement with your university as some of them prefer students to buy insurance policies from them.
Ans: If you are going to travel abroad to pursue education, you should buy a student travel insurance policy before the date of your departure from India.
Ans: Yes. It is mandatory for all applicants of student travel insurance to be in India at the time of purchasing the policy. This is because travel insurance policies cannot be purchased if the applicant has already left the country to study abroad.
Ans: Almost all universities abroad accept/ recognize the international travel insurance offered by insurance providers in India. However, it entirely depends on your university if it accepts your travel insurance policies. This is because certain universities have tie-ups with specific insurance companies and want their students to purchase international travel insurance policies offered by them.
Ans: No. Only one travel insurance policy can be issued to a person travelling abroad for studying. You cannot buy more than one student travel insurance for the same journey.
Ans: An Emergency Assistance provider is an organization appointed by the insurance company that offers customer-centric services to the insured student in case of an emergency abroad. It helps to provide assistance in case of an emergency abroad as their representatives are present all over the globe. It also helps the insured student to raise a claim and sometimes, settle it on behalf of the insurance company.
Ans: Many insurance providers require insured students to file an FIR in case of claim related to an accident. You should check with your insurer if you need to file an FIR in such situations.
Ans: Yes. You will get a refund if your travel insurance policy is not accepted by your university abroad. The refund will be made as per the terms of your policy. You need to submit a letter requesting cancellation. The refund will be effective from the date of request and the confirmation of the claim.
Ans: The exact number of times that you can extend your student travel insurance policy depends on the guidelines of your insurance company. You should check with your insurance provider for the terms of policy extension.
Ans: In case you meet with an accident abroad and suffer from injuries and losses, your travel insurer will cover the cost of your medical treatment. In the worst-case scenario, if the accident leads to your death, compensation will be paid to your family. In case you suffer from a permanent total disability as a result of the accident, you will receive compensation from your insurer. However, the extent of the compensation and the treatment expenses is limited to the sum insured of your student travel insurance policy.
Ans: The exact extent of risk coverage in a travel insurance policy varies from one insurance company to another. Most travel insurance policies cover the following risks:
1. Medical treatment expenses
2. Loss of passport
3. Dental expenses
4. Loss/ delay of check-in baggage
5. Medical evacuation
6. Trip delay
7. Repatriation of mortal remains
8. Personal accident
9. Accidental death & dismemberment (common carrier)
10. Trip cancellation & curtailment
11. Personal liability
12. Missed connection flight
13. Sponsor protection
14. Bail bond
15. Study interruption
16. Compassionate protection
17. Maternity cover
18. Childcare benefits
19. Fraudulent charges for card payment security and many more.
Ans: Any injuries caused while playing regular sports or during the inter-college sporting events are covered by most travel insurance companies. But if you participate in adventure sports activities, you’ll have to pay for the medical expenses incurred as it will not be covered under the student travel insurance.
Ans: In case you end up losing your passport while studying abroad, your student travel insurance policy will cover the expenses incurred in obtaining a duplicate or new passport. However, no expenses will be covered if the passport is lost due to the carelessness of the insured student or if it has been confiscated by the police or the customs officials.
Ans: A student travel insurance policy will not reimburse any expenses if your baggage does not clear on time. The policy will only cover the delay in the arrival of check-in baggage.
Ans: Travel insurance policies for students only cover loss or delay in the arrival of check-in baggage. Any loss or expenses incurred on the loss of hand baggage will not be compensated by the insurance provider.
Ans: If you get injured or suffer a loss while travelling in a common carrier, you will be covered under your student travel insurance policy. A common carrier refers to a public trAnsport service that is licensed by the trAnsport authority of that country for providing services to the public.
Ans: Almost all student travel insurance policies cover pregnancy-related expenses and the expenses incurred on treatment of any illness/ complication arising out of pregnancy. However, it is advised to all insured students to check the extent of coverage with your insurance provider.
Ans: If you suffer an injury on the last day of your student travel insurance and need to extend your stay abroad, the policy will cover the expenses incurred up to 30 days after the expiry of the policy. You need to prove that travelling back to your home country is not possible. You also need to intimate the Emergency Assistance Provider that you cannot return to India as per schedule. However, if you contract a new disease within the extended period, your insurance provider will not cover any expenses.
Ans: In case your examinations have been delayed and rescheduled to happen after the expiry of your student travel insurance policy, you will have to extend your policy. This is because the policy will cover the insured student for the pre-decided policy tenure only.
Ans: In case you fall sick or get injured during the policy tenure and have to repeat a semester, you will be covered by your insurance provider under the study interruption cover. The only criteria are that you should be hospitalized for more than one month consecutively. Your insurance provider will reimburse the tuition fee pre-paid to the university for the total number of months for which you had to miss the classes and any extra expenses you had to pay.
Ans: Student travel insurance covers expenses incurred in obtaining a new or duplicate passport if it is lost during your trip abroad. If you lose your passport after you have returned back to India, your travel insurance policy will not cover any expenses incurred.
Ans: The premium for a student travel insurance policy can be paid both online and offline. If you buy travel insurance offline, you can pay the premium in cash or by cheque. If you want to pay the premium online, you can do so using a debit card, credit card or via internet banking.
Nonetheless, all applicants of travel insurance for students are advised to check the exact modes of payment from their insurance provider. This is because the payment mode may vary from one insurance company to another.
Ans: Each student, who wishes to be covered under travel insurance, should decide the scope of your student travel insurance on the basis of their financial capacity and the requirements. You should consider the tenure of the policy, coverage offered as well as the amount of premium you can pay before you finalize the sum insured amount.
Ans: The additional amount of premium that you would have to pay in order to get your policy extended depends on several factors. These factors include the type of plan, the period of extension, age of the student, place where the university is located, etc.
Ans: Most insurance companies do not provide any discount on the premium amount. Nonetheless, each applicant of student travel insurance is advised to consult the insurance provider for any discounts, if any.
Ans: In the event of hospitalization due to an accidental injury, the insured student should intimate the assistance provider of the insurer within 24 hours of getting hospitalized.
Ans: If you are admitted at one of the network hospitals listed by your insurance company, you can avail cashless treatment. In a cashless treatment facility, the treatment bill will be settled directly by the insurer. In case you are not admitted at a network hospital, you will have to settle the bill and file for a reimbursement claim with the insurance company.
Ans: Sub-limit is a restriction or limit on the indemnity provided by a travel insurance provider. It helps the insurer to calculate how much compensation should be paid to an insured student, taking into account the age of the insured and the coverage of the policy.
Ans: Sum Insured is the maximum amount that an insurance provider pays to the insured student in case a claim has been made. In no circumstances, the insured will receive greater compensation or reimbursement than the sum insured mentioned in the student travel insurance policy.
Ans: Many insurance companies allow the insured to register a claim after he has returned back to India. In most cases, it is allowed up to 30 days of getting back to India. The insured is advised to check with the insurer if they provide this facility.
Ans: Most insurance companies send the reimbursement claim amount directly to the bank account of the insured. If the online trAnsfer is not possible, the insurance company will issue a cheque in favour of the insured student.
Ans: A student travel insurance policy begins on the day you commence your travel abroad. The policy ends as soon as you return back to India or with the expiry of the policy tenure, whichever is earlier.
Ans: No. Most insurance providers do not offer cashless facilities for dental treatment. You may have to pay the dentist for your dental treatment and later file a reimbursement claim. However, you should check with your travel insurer if they do provide cashless dental treatment facility.
Ans: Most of the travel insurance companies in India do not provide any travel health card that you can show to a healthcare provider abroad. You are only required to submit a copy of your student travel insurance policy and inform the assistance provider about your hospitalization.
Ans: Yes. Almost all travel insurance policies cover expenses incurred on availing emergency ambulance services. It includes the cost of trAnsporting the insured student from one healthcare provider to another if recommended by the treating doctor.
Ans: No. Student travel insurance only covers the cost of medicines purchased on the recommendation of a licensed doctor or medical practitioner. Any medicine bills without the prescription of the doctor will not be covered under your insurance policy.
Ans: It is extremely important to submit all the supporting documents at the time of filing a reimbursement claim. It helps the insurance company to check the validity of the claim and the extent of coverage offered. If you are unable to submit all the documents required by the insurer to process your reimbursement claim, your travel insurance company will reject your claim.
Ans: In order to process a reimbursement claim, insurance companies ask the insured to submit several documents in original. In case you have lost some of your original documents that need to be submitted in support of your claim, your insurer will deny your claim and will not make any payment.
Ans: You can extend your student travel insurance policy even if there is an existing claim going on, provided you declare that you do not have a pre-existing medical condition. It can be extended only if the ongoing claim is related to covers including:
1. is the maximum amount that the turse the tuition fee any to another. d yout trl insurance policy.will cover the cost oDental treatmentLoss of p
2. Loss/ delay of check-in baggage
3. Loss of passport
4. Emergency financial assistance
5. Trip delay
6. Hijack distress allowance
7. Missed connection
8. Trip cancellation & interruption
Moreover, the extension of the policy is at the discretion of the insurer.
Ans: No. Student travel insurance only covers the insured traveller and protects him from any unforeseen emergencies he may face during his stay abroad. The family members of the insured student will have to take separate international travel insurance or family travel insurance, based on their requirement.
Ans: The number of days taken to settle a reimbursement claim varies from one insurance company to another. You need to check with your travel insurer to find out the exact number of days it will take to pay your claim amount. However, most companies take a maximum of 30 days from the date of receiving all the supporting documents to settle a reimbursement claim.
Ans: All the details regarding the benefits provided under a student travel insurance policy are clearly mentioned under a policy schedule. You can also go through the policy wordings to find out the sub-limit for each benefit or coverage provided under the policy.
Ans: In case you fall ill during your stay in a foreign country, you should visit a doctor or healthcare provider. If you were taking an outpatient treatment, you can pay the bill and register a reimbursement claim with the insurance provider.
If you get admitted to a hospital for more than 24 hours, you need to inform your insurance company or the assistance provider about your hospitalization at the earliest. The insurer will settle the bills directly with the network hospital in case of cashless treatment. If you are not admitted to a network hospital, you will have to file a reimbursement claim after you have gotten discharged from the hospital and settle all the bills.
Ans: Some of the key features of student travel insurance provided by insurance companies in India are:
1. It covers students between the age group of 16 and 35 years
2. It offers exclusive covers that are specific to the needs of the students studying abroad such as study interruption, sponsor protection, loss of laptop/ tablet, bail bond, etc.
3. It comes with worldwide coverage and thus, covers students travelling to study in any corner of the world.
4. It offers cashless hospitalization facilities to the insured students if he/ she are admitted at one of the network hospitals of their insurance provider.
5. It comes with a policy cancellation option in case the overseas university/ college rejects the student medical insurance purchased in India.
6. This travel insurance can be easily renewed between semesters through the auto-renewal option in case your existing policy expires at the end of your present semester.
7. You can easily extend your student travel insurance in case your final semester gets extended or delayed.
Ans: F1 visa is meant for non-US citizens who are enrolled in an academic course at an educational institution or university in the United States of America. If you are applying for an F1 visa, you should purchase a suitable student travel insurance that adequately covers you from any adverse events you may face during your stay in the US.
Ans: If you are going for conducting research work in a foreign university, then you can buy an overseas student insurance plan to stay protected from any emergencies. On the other hand, your spouse can get a regular international travel insurance policy for his stay abroad and get it extended before its expiry.
Ans: Yes. You can cancel your student health insurance policy if your university does not accept it. However, you will have to provide a valid rejection letter from a competent authority of your overseas university to get your policy cancelled. You can check with your insurance provider if there is a specific time limit for cancelling the policy.
Ans: Several universities abroad offer health insurance policies to overseas students studying with them as part of the admission benefits. However, students with a valid international travel insurance policy with equivalent coverage can seek a waiver from the university. To do so, the student will have to request a University Insurance Waiver form with the college/ university authorities. The form can be either downloaded or can be obtained from the university and have to be submitted after filling every year for insurance waiver.
Written By: PolicyBazaar - Updated: 10 February 2021
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Ansh
Wadhwan, February 10, 2021
★★★★★
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Abohar, January 22, 2021
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Yashwant Nagar, January 22, 2021
★★★★★
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I was studying in New Zealand and had purchased a student travel insurance policy at policybazaar.com before leaving India. During my stay, I got severely ill and had to be transported to a hospital. My travel insurer acted as my saviour and rescued me to the nearest hospital right on time. All the medical bills were paid by the company. Can never thank you enough for the help.
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Abohar, January 21, 2021
★★★★★
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Tajpur, January 21, 2021
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Zamania, April 07, 2020
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Koraon, April 06, 2020
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Abohar, March 30, 2020
★★★★★
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Bungtlang South, March 25, 2020
★★★★★
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Mannarkad, March 24, 2020
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Anchal, January 24, 2020
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Surandai, January 15, 2020
★★★★★
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Ranebennur, January 09, 2020
★★★★★
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Like always, I got my student travel insurance from Policybazaar and it was much cheaper than other providers.
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Upleta, January 02, 2020
★★★★★
Thanks to Policybazaar team
The team called me and explained all the benefits of different student travel insurance providers and hence I could easily choose the best.