Insurance for outgoing exchange students
If you are going on an outgoing student exchange programme you must have insurance that meets the minimum requirements. Proof of your insurance purchase must be shown to the International Mobility team at UC International Relationshops Office prior to your departure.
Minimum insurance requirements
It is a condition of the exchange programme that all UC students participating in an outgoing exchange must have full medical and travel insurance coverage for the entire period they are overseas.
It is your responsibility to buy insurance and check that it meets all of the UC recommended minimum requirements below. You must also to check that the insurance you buy also meets the requirements of the overseas university you will be attending. Some universities will require you to buy a specific insurance policy.
You are advised not to purchase insurance until you have been accepted into the partner university as insurance companies may not offer a refund once the insurance is purchased.
Insurance period
The insurance period must cover you for all travel and all destinations visited prior to and after the exchange, including non-study and vacation periods. Your insurance coverage must begin from the day you leave New Zealand and must cover you until you re-enter New Zealand.
Pre-existing health conditions
A pre-existing condition of health is not covered by insurance unless you have applied to the insurer and received a notice of acceptance of such condition. Please also read the policy exclusions in the policy wording very carefully.
Proof of purchase
Proof you have purchased insurance must be submitted to the International Mobility team prior to your departure.
International students
All International students going on exchange must take out Studentsafe-Offshore for the duration of their exchange and must provide proof of this when enrolling at UC for the period of the exchange. You can get quotes and purchase Studentsafe-Offshore online.
Minimum requirements
- Unlimited cover for hospitalisation, general practitioners, and prescriptions.
- Unlimited cover for medical rescue/repatriation should you become seriously ill or injured and need to be accompanied home with a medical professional.
- NZ$15,000 for funeral expenses and repatriation of your body back home.
- Reasonable costs for accompanying relative cover. If you becomes seriously ill or die, cover is required to support a relative to accompany and support you. This should include the relative's day-to-day accommodation, reasonable living costs and the cost of airfares.
- NZ$10,000 to fly you home, should a member of your immediate family become critically ill or die.
- NZ$25,000 for death or disability benefit.
- NZ$1,000,000 for personal liability.
- NZ$25,000 for loss or damage to baggage and other personal effects.
- NZ$10,000 for travel delay and missed transport connection.
- NZ$1000 for emergency dental treatment.
The following requirements must also be met:
- The insurance commences on the day the student begins their travel.
- The insurance applies whilst the student is in transit.
- The insurance applies 24 hours a day for the total period of travel overseas.
- The insurer must provide emergency 24-hour, 7 day per week cover and assistance.
- Any excess or co-insurance must not exceed NZ$1000.
- The broker or agent promoting the policy is a reputable and established company with substantial experience in the travel and medical insurance business.
- The insurer (or re-insurer) is a reputable and established company with substantial experience in the travel insurance business. The credit rating must be no lower than A from Standard and Poors, or A from A M Best.
Disclaimer information: The University of Canterbury advises students to read the insurance policy wording carefully taking particular note of exclusions. It is the student's responsibility to become familiar with the level of cover and any refund conditions.
The University of Canterbury takes no responsibility for misunderstandings over insurance content and conditions or for medical and travel costs not covered by insurance or for the activities of the insurance companies involved.
It is the student's responsibility to ensure the master policy they choose is compliant at the time of purchase and continues to meet the University's minimum requirements.
If an insurance company imposes additional restrictions, conditions or exclusions on the insurance cover offered by the master policy, the University reserves the right not to accept the insurance policy as a compliant policy.
The University reserves the right to alter the minimum requirements at any time.