University Business Travel Insurance

Travel insurance will operate where: the trip includes overnight accommodation and/or involves a rail journey or a flight. 
Note: Commuting is excluded.

GHIC

We advise that all travellers who are eligible apply for a UK Global health Insurance Card to cover more general health care while abroad (depending on country), as it lets you get state healthcare in Europe at a reduced cost or sometimes for free.

If you have a UK European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) it will be valid until the expiry date on the card. Once it expires, you’ll need to apply for a GHIC to replace it.

You can apply for one here. GHIC and EHIC do not replace travel insurance.

Emergencies

Safezone App

• In an emergency please notify our insurers and the University via the SafeZone app or by following the instructions on the SafeZone Information page here. This is for use in circumstances including medical emergencies, illness, injury, lost travel documents, or in the event of political unrest where you may need to return home.

If you are unable to use the Safezone App please follow the below steps

• Emergency medical assistance In the event of a medical emergency you should contact the local medical facility for immediate response. 

• The Insurance Emergency Helpline can be reached on: +44 20 8763 3155 Quote policy number: RTT276323 University of Bristol

• Please also advise the University of your situation via the 24/7 emergency telephone number: +44 117 3311223

Travel to Russia

It’s recently been brought to our attention that any Student or Academic delivering lectures or the like in Russia can be deemed as TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE which is forbidden. A humanities lecture or textbook is not likely to be a problem for say Russia, but a complex science one (for example a lecture or text book on the maths and physics of aerodynamics and rocket propulsion or military equipment) would be an issue. It is therefore possible that simple university lectures or textbooks could trip into the definition of technical assistance so we would look to avoid any lecturing unless we had greater insight into the content/context of the lecture and could be confident it would not be construed as ‘technical assistance’.

Contents

Who can/cannot apply for University business travel and cost: See below

Holiday: I would like to take a period of holiday during my business trip.  Will the University travel insurance cover this?

Personal holiday insurance: Can the Insurance office recommend an insurer who can provide personal holiday insurance? 

Hazardous leisure activity: I want to take part in a hazardous leisure activity.  Will I be covered? 

Pre-existing medical condition/pregnancy: I have a pre-existing medical condition/am pregnant.  Can I travel and if so, is my condition excluded?

Summary of cover and policy wording: What is covered and can I see the full policy wording?

How to apply for travel insurance and make amendments: How do I obtain the University business travel insurance/amend details for a trip that I have already booked?

Visa letters: I am applying for a Visa and need a letter to prove that I have travel insurance.  How do I obtain this?

How to claim: I need to claim, what should I do?

Who can/cannot apply for University business travel and is there a cost?

Students:

The University provides free business travel insurance for students travelling overseas on approved University trips.  To obtain free business travel insurance, please see the section: How to apply for travel insurance and make amendments

Staff:

The University provides free business travel insurance for staff travelling overseas on approved University trips

This includes visiting academics from another University and Emeritus Professors who are travelling on University of Bristol approved business or volunteers assisting on an approved business basis for a University field trip.

To obtain business travel insurance, please see the section: How to apply for travel insurance and make amendments 

• Will the University travel insurance cover my spouse/partner or children? 

No, the University business travel insurance cannot be extended to cover them.  You must purchase your own insurance.

• I am a member of staff/PHD student returning to my home country to carry out University business/research, is cover available to me? 

Limited cover is available to you:

• Emergency Medical cover is not available. 
• Cancellation/curtailment and rearrangement cover* is only available if you are to travel within your home country for the purpose of University business and your trip involves an overnight stay, or a flight.  Commuting is not covered.

Main conditions of cover

Please check that you have met the following conditions before applying for cover: 

• You know of no reason (including non-medical) why the trip is likely to be cut short or cancelled. 
• You will not be travelling against medical advice.
• You will not be travelling to have medical treatment or to have treatment for a medical condition.
• You are not over 80 years of age. 
• You have never been refused cover for travel insurance. 
• You have received approval from the UOB. This includes where the FDCO advise against all but essential travel / all non-essential travel: https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice
  
• Where the FCO advise against all travel (not all but essential travel) or your trip is particularly hazardous, insurers require prior referral and your trip will require approval from the senior management team. Please contact the Insurance Office in these circumstances.
• You are not travelling to a Country where sanctions have been imposed.  You will require permissions in this circumstance. Please contact the Insurance Office to confirm that cover is in place.
• Your journey will not be for more than 12 months.  If it is to be longer than this, please contact the insurance office for advice.  (The insurance renewal date is 1 August and cover may alter.  If your journey takes place over 1 August, please check the travel insurance web pages for alterations).

Please see our FAQ's here: UoB Placement or Year Abroad FAQ 10.22 (PDF, 161kB)