Helpful Information For Students

The International Student Travel Association (ISTC) is a good resource for students to find out about international student ID cards, some of which offer limited travel assistance services, but these ID cards focus more on entry fee reductions at popular tourist attractions and other retail discounts. Remember, travel assistance services offered by cards and associations likely do not include any international medical insurance coverage or travel protection benefits. The card issuer may recommend a reputable insurer but international medical insurance and travel protection plans must nonetheless be purchased separately.

Some countries require that foreign visitors provide proof of adequate medical insurance for the duration of their visit, especially when staying for extended periods of time.

In particular, students planning to study abroad should be aware that they are usually responsible for the medical expenses that they incur while studying, traveling, and living in the United States and other countries. To ensure that visitors to the US have adequate financial resources to pay for health care treatment, the US government requires that holders of "J" visas have appropriate health insurance coverage. There have been proposals to extend this requirement to holders of "F" visas as well. Be sure to find out what is required for you.