Student Travel Insurance

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.

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.

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.

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.

You are not covered for the following situations:

1. Travelling irrespective of a big no from your physician

2. Getting treatment for pre-existing illness or any complication caused due to a pre-existing illness

3. Attempted suicide or suicide

4. Terrorism or war

5. Dangerous sports or illegal adventure activities

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.

The extension of the policy will be provided on the basis of the conditions mentioned below:

1. The policy period hasn’t expired

2. The sum insured won’t be increased under any condition

3. There isn’t any claim filed during the policy period

4. The policyholder has to declare his/her good state of health

5. The policyholder has to pay the premium for travel insurance extension before the actual extension comes into effect.

6. The policy period and the extension period don’t exceed the period of two years.

7. There isn’t any option of multiple extensions available. The extension can be availed specifically for one-time only.

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.

A 30-days grace period isn’t applicable in the case of single trip policies. It is applicable only for renewing annual multi-trip plans.

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.

The insurance provides coverage to you specifically for the sickness or accidents that happen unexpectedly when you are studying overseas.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

There are several benefits of having a student travel insurance policy. They include:

1. Covers medical expenses during the course of study

2. Imdenifies pre-paid tuition fees in case of study interruption and death or permanent disability of the sponsor

3. Offers legal prosecution and bail bond

4. Provides financial assistance in case of loss of baggage or passport

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.

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.

​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.

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.

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.

​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.

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.

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.

In order to cancel your travel insurance policy, you need to submit the following documents to the insurer:

1. Details of your policy

2. Letter requesting cancellation of policies

3. Copy of passport/ visa rejection/ cancelled flight ticket

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.

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.

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.

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.

Most travel insurance plans for students cover expenses incurred on dental treatment during your trip abroad.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

No. Insurance companies do not cover pre-existing ailments of the insured student under student travel insurance policy.

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.  

All student travel insurance policies cover medical expenses that include the following:

1. Medical treatment expenses for an illness or accidental injury

2. Pre & post hospitalization expenses

3. Room rent

4. Expenses incurred on expenses

5. Daily hospital cash

6. Cost of ambulance services

7. Pharmacy bills

8. Cost of pathology tests and investigations

The insured student should make sure that the treatment has been prescribed by the doctor or a medical practitioner

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.  

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.