All ISEP students going to Australia are required to purchase the Australian health insurance, Overseas Student Health Cover (OSHC), in order to obtain a student visa for Australia. You will receive OSHC enrollment information from your host institution. Your host institution will only issue your Confirmation of Enrollment (COE) after you have enrolled in the OSHC.

The OSHC covers 85 percent of costs for doctor visits (including eye care, but not glasses or contacts), laboratory services and x-rays. Students are expected to pay 15 percent for these services; the plan covers 100 percent of hospital services.

This insurance does not provide benefits while you are traveling between your home country and Australia, nor does it provide medical evacuation, repatriation, or accidental death, dismemberment or loss of sight benefits.

See your Institutional Information Sheet (IIS) for further information.

For ISEP participants going to Austria, the ISEP student health insurance requirement is waived. Although you are not required to purchase ISEP health insurance, please carefully consider the following:

1. You may not be able to enroll in host country health insurance until after you register at your host institution.
2. National insurance coverage may not cover you when you travel outside of the host country
3. National insurance policies do not include medical evacuation and repatriation of remains.

See your Institutional Information Sheet (IIS) for further information.

ISEP participants traveling to Brock University and Laurentian University in Ontario, Canada are required to enroll in the provincial university health plan. ISEP participants traveling to Thompson Rivers University in British Columbia, Canada, are required to enroll in the ISEP health insurance plan. See your Institutional Information Sheet (IIS) for further information.

If you will study at Brock or Laurentian, you are not required to purchase ISEP health insurance, but consider the following:

1. You may not be able to enroll in host country health insurance until you register at your host institution.
2. Provincial insurance coverage may not cover you when you travel outside the host country.
3. Provincial insurance policies may not include medical evacuation and repatriation of remains.

All foreign students in France are required by law to enroll in Sécurité Sociale (sécu), the French national health insurance program, at a cost of €180, which will be paid upon arrival in France. This is in addition to the required ISEP health insurance.  The ISEP insurance primarily covers emergency medical care; the Sécurité Sociale is necessary in order to see a doctor or dentist for general treatment while in the European Union.

The Sécurité Sociale covers some, but not all, medical expenses (on average about 70%). It supplements the ISEP insurance because it covers:
1. the $25 deductible
2. dental care
3. eye exams and glasses
4. 100% of prescriptions

The Sécurité Sociale does not cover:
1. medical evacuation
2. repatriation
3. medical emergencies during travel to and from France and outside the European Union

The ISEP insurance is required because it covers medical expenses above the $25 deductible as described in the ISEP insurance information. If you did not have the ISEP student health insurance, you would have to purchase even more additional French insurance.

The laws of Germany mandate that all students enrolled in German universities be covered by German National health Insurance. This insurance covers comprehensive medical, dental and eye care, as well as prescriptions for medications, at a cost of approximately 50 EUR per month. This insurance does not provide benefits while you are traveling between the United States and Germany, nor does it provide medical evacuation, repatriation, or accidental death, dismemberment and loss of sight benefits.

Please consider the following:

1. You may not be able to enroll in host country health insurance until you register at your host institution.
2. National insurance coverage may not cover you when you travel outside of the host country.
3. National insurance policies do not include medical evacuation and repatriation of remains.

See your Institutional Information Sheet (IIS) for further information.

IMPORTANT! Due to changes in the Icelandic Immigration Law, anyone applying for a resident permit must present proof that s/he has enrolled in a licensed Icelandic health insurance company.

ISEP recommends that students apply for insurance coverage with the SJOVA-ALMENNAR insurance company. To enroll, please contact Gudny Gunnarsdottir (gg@sjova.is) to obtain an application form. Please note that Sjova-Almennar insurance soley covers medical expenses within Iceland. It does not cover medical evacuation or repatriation.

International students must have appropriate and current medical and travel insurance while studying in New Zealand. Students need to consult their host university for insurance policy recommendations and enrollment procedures. Details for Massey University are available at http://international.massey.ac.nz/prearrivalinfo/index.htm#Insurance.

IMPORTANT: Students will not be allowed to enroll until they have submitted proof of sufficient insurance coverage to the host university.

ISEP participants studying abroad at ISEP member institutions in Switzerland are required to enroll in health insurance policies at Swiss government-approved levels. Students at Fribourg, Lausanne, and Zurich can enroll in a Swiss-based health insurance company or another acceptable health insurance plan according to the local cantonal authorities. For some policies, students may need a supplemental policy to cover regular or unique medical needs such as allergies, diabetes, and psychological visits. Costs vary based on the policies chosen. Students should anticipate paying a minimum of roughly $80USD per month. Students going to Bern have the Swiss health insurance requirement arranged and covered by the Universität Bern at no additional cost.

Students can attempt to have their home country-based health insurance validated, but they should be aware that cantonal government requirements are quite high and coverage for search and rescue are mandated. If students plan to do this, they should verify with their insurance company that the policy can be used in Switzerland (or elsewhere while traveling abroad) as well as obtain as much information about their policy as possible, including such documents as a policy manual, member card, and certification letter from the insurance company. They should also consider the possibility of a supplemental Swiss-based insurance policy.

If students don't have any health insurance coverage before their arrival to Switzerland, they must consider the risks of not having any medical coverage while traveling. If students choose NOT to enroll in any coverage under the ISEP student health insurance program, they must still complete the ISEP online enrollment process by enrolling in ISEP’s MEDEX supplemental policy (MER-Medical Evacuation Repatriation) online.

In order to ensure that all ISEP students have access to emergency medical assistance and coordination of benefits, medical evacuation and repatriation, all students going to Switzerland must enroll in the MEDEX supplemental policy that provides these services at a cost of $7 per month.

Insurance resources for students going to ISEP’s Swiss member institutions can be found on the websites of individual member institutions: Fribourg, Lausanne, Zurich. Students can compare policies and premiums using the Comparis Search Tool. A common policy chosen by students is “Student Care” with CSS. For students going to Bern, please consult section 16 (Medical Requirements/Health Services) of the Informational Information Sheet (IIS) about health insurance arrangements; this document can be obtained from home ISEP coordinators. Students are responsible for researching, paying for, and enrolling in any insurance they take out for their exchange to Switzerland. They are also responsible for the validation process of their health insurance with the local Swiss authorities. Neither ISEP nor its Swiss member institutions are responsible for the services provided by any health insurance company selected by the student.

IMPORTANT! In order to meet United States' visa requirements you must enroll in the ISEP Student Health Insurance for the entire time period listed on your DS-2019. You may not have yet received a DS-2019 visa document from ISEP--please use the dates below that correspond with your Host Institution and Host Placement Period for your insurance enrollment.

If the Host Institution listed on your PPAF is one of the following institutions, please use these dates:

For all other Host Institutions, please use these dates:

EU students going to another EU school are exempt from enrolling in the ISEP insurance program.

Health Insurance Fees for students from U Ghana will be paid through ISEP Central. Please consult your home coordinator for enrollment instructions.

Health Insurance Fees for students from Universidad Nacional will be paid through ISEP Central. Please consult your home coordinator for enrollment instructions.

Fullbright Scholars are exempt from enrolling in the ISEP policy.