About insurances
The international students (typically non-EU citizens) are required to have sufficient insurance coverage when they apply for residence permits after they have been selected to a JP. Depending on the type of JP, there might be an external requirement (case example Erasmus Mundus) to provide the health and accident insurance and also the minimum requirements are set by the programme rules. If there is no external requirement, then the programme may decide, if the insurances are provided for all students, for some specific groups (non-EU citizens to facilitate getting residence permit) or getting the insurance is on students’ responsibility. If there is an external requirement (Erasmus Mundus), typically the costs of the insurance are covered by the programme fee. Some JPs include specific activities which might require additional insurance coverage (additional mobility related to field work, internships, summer/winter school travelling etc.) in case these activities are not covered by the insurances which are in place normally at each university.
Case example: Erasmus Mundus
Erasmus Mundus programme has set minimum requirements for the health and accident insurance coverage of Erasmus Mundus master candidates. These minimum requirements are defined in the Grant Agreement of the selected programme. See the “Requirements for health and accident insurance scheme for Erasmus Mundus students” below for details.
According to the current rules, the cover must take effect from when the students start their journey to participate in the master course (maximum two months before the start of the master course) and until at least two months after the end of the studies (end of the course, unless the student leaves earlier).
Usually, the coverage main components of the insurance coverage are:
● Health insurance
● Accident insurance
● Third Party Liability insurance
● Assistance insurance
● Luggage insurance
There are several insurance providers as
example: DR-WALTER Versicherungsmakler GmbH , AON and Marsh .
Check-list how to move on:
- Programme coordinator asks for insurance offers meeting EMJM programme minimum requirements set by the Commission
- There might be some specific requirements set by the local immigration authorities (of the consortium countries where the JP takes place) which also should be met when selecting the insurance provider.
- Compare the received insurance offers and check if the following aspects are taken into consideration
-
- The estimate number of students
- Detailed information on coverage and fee policy
- Intake from x to x (time period) (typically two academic years for EMJM)
- When exactly the insurance cover begins and ends
- Including time frame related to students’ traveling to destination before the start date of the programme and after completing of the programme
- Coverage of property: coverage of rented property, other possible liability coverage
- Luggage coverage (laptops etc)
- Traveling on free-time, tourism, private reasons (covered/not covered)
- Sports? Any excluded sports or activities?
- Coverage when traveling back to home country (to-from) during academic breaks
- On-line study in home country or elsewhere due to covid-19 or other entry restrictions
- Statement from the insurance company confirming that the insurance fulfills the minimum requirements set by the European Commissions
- Description on administration and management of the insurances (how to update and manage the student data)
- Description on specific rules related to on-line study (for ex. students taking courses on-line from their home country, in case of travel restrictions or delayed visa/residence permit), if any
- Description on specific rules related to covid-19 or other specific conditions related to pandemic, disaster, war, war-risk if any
- Any specific restrictions or rules related to mobility of students between and outside if the consortium countries to participate programme activities included in the programme (internship, thesis etc.).
As an example (2023 price level) the price per day (=premium) varies from 0,85€/day/person to 1,50€/day/person (including coverage for luggage and taxes included, 2023). The insurance costs can be covered from the Erasmus Mundus financial support to the programme. Typically, there are some differences in the coverage: free-time travelling (covered or not) and dangerous sports: in Nordic countries, skiing and ice hockey are typical winter sports but, in some insurances these are in the category, “dangerous” therefore excluded from the coverage. Covid-19 pandemic has created some additional rules concerning on-line studying remotely from the home country (covered or not).
Once there is an agreement with the insurance provider, usually the management of the insurance happens via the platforms provided by the company: coordinator of the JP fills in student data into a platform which generates the insurance certificate for each student. All claims and requests for possible reimbursement should happen between the insured student and the company.