Insurance, health and safety

It is recommended that ALL outgoing students read the information below PRIOR to commencing their exchange programmes.

Study exchange risk assessment form

If you are undertaking a study exchange, it is mandatory for you to complete a Study Exchange Risk Assessment Form at your earliest convenience and no later than 14 days before you leave the UK. If you are travelling to a destination where UK citizens have to quarantine on arrival, you must factor this into your travel plans.

Please ensure that you have read and understood the guidance notes before completing the form and returning it to the Exchanges Office for approval.

Please note that, if you are undertaking a work placement, your respective Placements Officer will provide you with guidance on how to complete a Risk Assessment Form.

Travel insurance

When you travel outside the United Kingdom on a University approved international study exchange or work placement, you will have access to the University’s travel insurance and medical cover, which is administered by Drum Cussac. It is, however, recommended that you acquire your own personal insurance which supplements the provision within the 2023/24 Travel Cover Summary

Further information about the University’s travel and medical insurance and the implications of the COVID-19 pandemic on study exchanges and work placements can be found in the Frequently Asked Questions.‌

More detail: Travel Insurance FAQs →

Medical cover

All students are advised to apply for the UK’s new Global Health Insurance Card (GHIC) prior to travelling to Europe. Whilst the GHIC provides some medical care, it is not a replacement for travel insurance. It is time-limited to the length of the course in the host country, and students will need a supporting letter from their home institution.

Please note that a GHIC will not be valid in Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein and Switzerland, therefore students who plan to study in those countries must ensure that they take out their own personal travel insurance.

The UK Government has a dedicated page on how to apply for a GHIC, with links to the NHS GHIC site for more detailed information.

As a matter of course, it is recommended that all students purchase their own personal travel insurance to supplement that provided within the University’s Travel Cover Summary. If you have any pre-existing medical conditions, you are strongly advised to visit your doctor PRIOR to departure in order to ensure that it is safe for you to proceed. You must ensure that your own insurance includes medical cover and that, if applicable, you have enough medication to last for the duration of the mobility period.

Apply for a UK Global Health Insurance Card (GHIC)

Emergency protocol for students on study exchanges and work placements

This sets out the protocol to follow in the case of an emergency involving Loughborough University students whilst they are undertaking study exchanges and work placements in the United Kingdom and abroad.  Please ensure that you have read the document/page carefully and that you have a clear understanding of your responsibilities as the student. It is recommended that you take a copy of the document with you for reference.

Emergency protocol page → Download the Emergency Protocol for students on placements and exchanges