Overseas Placements

You are responsible for your own insurance when working abroad. UK residents who will be working in EU countries or Switzerland should apply for a UK European Health Insurance Card (EHIC). All students must take out a full-year travel insurance policy with medical cover (ensuring that it is valid for work abroad) since cover under the EHIC card is limited.

Non-EU students, and students going to non-EU countries, must ensure that they take out a full-year travel insurance policy with medical cover. You can either purchase a University of Bath University Overseas Student Travel Cover or you can purchase your own separate comprehensive insurance policy. Please note that if you are participating in the Erasmus programme, you are required to purchase the University of Bath Travel Cover, as other policies cannot be accepted.

The University of Bath Travel Cover can be found here

You need to ensure you are covered for the following things whilst you're abroad:

• Medical expenses
• Emergency repatriation
• Loss of personal possessions/money
• Personal liability
• Personal accident benefits

If you do not use the Travel Cover provided by the University then you should also check to see if any of the following exclusions exist and whether they will affect you:

• Exclusion of cover if you are working - obviously not appropriate for placement
• Life style exclusions (such as excluding claims whilst under the influence of alcohol/drugs)
• Activity exclusions ("dangerous activities" can include some sports such as skiing and other activities like motorcycling)
• Pregnancy exclusions (some policies won't let you travel within three months of the due date or may not cover the baby if it is born early)

For more information about accommodation when you're abroad, have a look at our Housing tab. Also check out our placement student map to see who else is nearby on placement on the Finding Others page.

While you are living abroad you may experience certain emotional reactions to your new environment. You should be aware of the possibility that your initial excitement might be followed by a feeling of being overwhelmed by all the new experiences.

Culture Shock
Cultural differences which may affect you include climate, food, language, dress and social behaviour. The feelings of confusion which you may experience are a perfectly normal reaction to arriving in an unfamiliar culture, and are commonly referred to as “culture shock”. Culture shock can manifest itself in many different ways. You may feel lonely and homesick, you may find it difficult to concentrate, having implications for your work or academic study. Some people find that culture shock manifests itself in more physical ways, such as headaches and stomach aches. If you find that you experience any of these symptoms when you are settling in to your new environment, remember that they may well be attributable to culture shock, that this is a perfectly normal reaction, and that there are ways in which you can ease the symptoms.

Here is some helpful advice if you think you are suffering from culture shock:

• Remain in regular contact with family and friends from home
• Keep familiar things around you, such as photographs
• If it is a certain type of food which you are missing, try to find out if there is anywhere you can buy it
• Try to develop friendships with local people so that you can learn more about one another’s culture
• Persevere if you are experiencing difficulty with your language skills. It may feel very tiring constantly having to listen to and speak in a different language. Ask people to repeat what they have said.

Personal Behaviour and Breaking the law
The onus is on you not to cause unnecessary offence and distress to the people of the communities in which you live and work. On arrival in the country it is most important to find out as soon as possible about local customs and etiquette.

In some countries, it is best not to express strong views on politics or religion. You should be wary of entering into political discussions. Be particularly careful of commenting on local politics and on no account become actively involved. You will most likely be welcome to practice your own faith as long as you also respect the official religion and do not attempt to proselytise.

You should obviously take all reasonable precautions to ensure that you do not break the laws of the country where you are working. If you do so inadvertently and find yourself in trouble over it, you should inform the Placement Manager as soon as possible, giving an honest account of the circumstances. The University cannot accept responsibility for payment of fines or take any action which evades the legal process. We would draw your attention to the laws most countries have concerning black market currency dealing and drug use and trafficking. Students should also be aware that in many countries homosexuality remains illegal with severe consequences for people whose lifestyle attracts the attention of the authorities or local community.

Travel
If you have a driving licence, take it with you. Get yourself an International Driving Permit. There may be restrictions on hiring a car if you are under 25 years old. Keep your licence and insurance with you at all times to avoid on the spot fines. If travelling by air, make sure that you keep valuables and an extra set of clothes in your hand luggage.

Resident's permit
On arrival, check with your employer how to go about getting a resident’s permit as many countries outside the UK require you to have one. There is often a small amount of bureaucracy attached, but nothing that a good phrasebook and a bit of patience can’t solve!

Holidays
Do not assume that UK holidays apply. In the USA, for example, Good Friday is not a holiday, and neither is Easter. Check with your potential supervisor about holidays and about national holidays.

Before you leave, make sure you've gone through our checklist of things you'll need whilst you're abroad. If you aren't sure if you have or need some of the following, then please contact the placements team for your faculty or the mobility office.

• Passport and Visa
• Tickets and travel documents
• A copy of your Birth Certificate
• Spare passport sized photos
• Driving Licence, International Driving Permit
• European Health Insurance Card (EHIC)
• Travel Insurance documents
• Copies of passport and travel insurance documents
• A small amount of local money
• Proof of student status, International Student Card (ISIC)
• A source of emergency funding
• Contract or confirmation of employment
• Correspondence from/to your employer and employer contact details
• Accommodation address details
• Copy of your transcripts, CV, etc.
• Important phone numbers