Essential basics for students abroad

Fed up of the UK? University offers a huge number of options for students wishing to escape to sunnier climes: there are work placements abroad, opportunities to study at a foreign university or assistantships in schools in Europe, just for starters. Already, 1.2m students have taken part in the Erasmus scheme; in 2005-6, the British Council employed more than 2000 teachers; and the variety of places to carry out work placements has never been wider.

However, high-profile cases such as the death of Erasmus student Meredith Kercher have highlighted the risks involved in travelling while at uni. In a BBC Essentials poll of 509 16 to 24-year-olds who were working abroad, one in 20 said they had experienced sexual harassment. And the poll also revealed cases of working students receiving no or meagre pay and having to work overly long hours. So if you’re off to new horizons, how can you make sure you encounter as few problems as possible?

Health

The Foreign and Commonwealth Office issues excellent travel advice, all of which is useful for students pre-departure. UK residents are entitled to healthcare in any of the 27 EU member states, and this also covers Norway, Liechtenstein, Iceland and Switzerland.
Students should have a free European Health Insurance card. You can apply for this online at www.ehic.org.uk, or pick up an application from the post office.
Private insurance is also important though, and should be fairly comprehensive. Check that it covers all eventualities, for example theft, accidents and loss of luggage. Read the small print too, since some accidents (for example those received as a result of excessive drinking) and thefts may not be covered. You must also declare any medical conditions on the form.

It is strongly advised that you have all the vaccinations recommended for the area you will be visiting (see immunisation.nhs.uk for more information). If you do need to take medication, make sure you take sufficient supplies and if necessary, get a doctor’s note for them. Some types of medication are illegal in other countries, so check with the embassy of the country you’re travelling to.

Admin essentials

Normally, a passport must be valid for six months after you return to the UK, so if it is due to expire during your stay or a few months after, it is worth getting it renewed. Any existing time left until it expires will be added onto your new passport, which is usually valid for ten years.
It is also a good idea to acquaint yourself with immigration and custom regulations to avoid any difficult situations while travelling.

Before you go, make two copies of your passport, insurance details and other important travel documents. One should be left with relatives or friends, and another should be taken with you but stored separately from your original documents.

To avoid being hit by sky-high phone bills, look into buying a SIM-free phone before you go for use with both a UK network SIM and one for a network provider in your intended destination.