advice for studying abroad

Advice for studying abroad

You are insured by Kammarkollegiet through your college or university in Sweden throughout your studies abroad. This brochure contains a num-ber of tips to make your journey safer. You can find telephone numbers

for our switchboard and our partner, Falck Global Assistance, at the end of the brochure.

Have a nice trip!

3g o d a r å d v i d u t l a n d s s t u d i e r

Contents

Before travelling......................................................................................4What cover do you have through your Student OUT insurance?

The destination

Vaccinations and medicines

Passports and visas

Choosing your mode of travel

Itinerary

Mobile phones

Credit and debit cards

The journey.......................................................................................6Hand luggage

Labelling luggage

General advice

Transport by car

The journey home ...........................................................................8If something happens

In case of acute illness or accident

In the event of theft, robbery or assault

In the event of delayed luggage or property damage

After travelling.................................................................................9

Checklist.........................................................................................10

4 G o d a r å d v i d u t l a n d s s t u d i e r

Before travelling

What cover do you have through your Student OUT insurance?Read through the terms and conditions of Student OUT on www.kam-markollegiet.se before you travel.

The destinationThe more you know about the customs, climate, religion, political si-tuation and crime, the easier it will be to cope on your own and avoid unsafe situations. For example, you can prepare yourself by studying your destination on the internet and on the Utrikesdepartementet (Swedish Ministry of Foreign Affairs) website, www.ud.se, to get any travel recommen-dations, and current phone numbers etc. for the embassy or consulate. UD Resklar, the travel app from Utrikesdepartementet, gives you current information and practical tips which can make your trip more enjoyable.

Vaccinations and medicinesYou can contact a vaccination clinic or your local health centre for in-formation about which vaccinations are required for travel. Remember that many vaccinations, for example to protect against cholera and malaria, must be given in good time to achieve their full effect before departure. You can gain a good understanding of which vaccinations are needed for which countries on www.vaccination.nu (information in Swedish).If you suffer from any illnesses or regularly use prescription medica-tion, you should take a certificate in English with you that shows the illness you suffer from and what medications you use. It can be useful to have the certificate to show at customs or if you become ill abroad. Do not put your medication in your checked-luggage.


Passports and visasCheck that your passport is valid. Sometimes certain countries require that passports are valid for a certain length of time after your journey home. Check whether a visa is required for the country you are going to. Take a copy of your passport and two extra photos in case your passport is stolen.

Choosing your mode of travel Try to select a company/companies outside of international conflict areas. Avoid stopovers if possible, it is safer to fly to your destination directly.

ItinerarySend your itinerary to your relatives, supervisor/contact person at the university in Sweden and the contact person at your destination. If possible, give them a phone number so that you can be reached during the journey. Keep in contact while you are away, sometimes a text message is enough.

Mobile phonesTurn off voicemail when you are abroad. You should also turn off data roaming to avoid expensive phone bills. Add an ICE (In Case of Emer-gency) to the phone’s contact list, where you enter the phone number of a close relative who lives in Sweden to contact should you have an accident. This is an internationally known code that is used if you need to get hold of a person’s close relatives. Check if there are any good apps to download for your journey. Don’t forget to find out if you need an adapter plug.

Credit and debit cardsWrite your credit and debit card numbers down. Keep the informa-tion somewhere other than in your wallet. Ensure you have the phone number to block your credit and debit cards to hand in a few different places.


The journeyHand luggagePack your valuable property such as medication, travel documents, camera, jewellery, computers, fragile items and important work docu-ments in your hand luggage. Remember that you are not allowed to carry sharp objects in your hand luggage, such as nail files, scissors or pocket knives. It can be a good idea to carry a light change of clothes and some toiletries in case your checked luggage goes missing.Pack your luggage yourself and never leave it unattended. Never carry someone else’s property through customs. Be careful when recei-ving gifts abroad. Use a TSA lock on your luggage so the lock is not broken or destroyed by customs.

Labelling luggageUse a plain two-sided label so your address is not visible. Label your luggage with the address and telephone number at your destination. Inside your luggage, attach a noticeable label with your name and other details in Sweden. Be especially vigilant at the airport and when checking-in at the hotel.Thieves strike when you are busy with other things, e.g. when you are doing duty-free shopping or checking-in at the hotel.

General adviceTry to blend into the background. Be careful of your conduct. Take the destination country’s customs and traditions into account. Do not walk next to the road where the risk of robbery is highest. Do not carry luggage on the side facing the road either. Always carry ID or your passport with you. Keep your wallet where you can feel it.Do not carry more money than you need for the day. Be cautious of people who want to help you at cash machines. In order to avoid becoming ill be especially careful when eating ice cream, mayonnaise, shellfish, raw fish and raw meat. Avoid tap water (and ice cubes in drinks) and juice. Drink bottled water or other bott-led drinks. In some countries, it is wise to brush your teeth in bottled water.


Do not leave any valuables in the cloakroom in restaurants, pubs or other similar places. Remember that a jacket or handbag hanging on the back of a chair is easy to steal. Never sign a document that you do not understand, not even a police report in a foreign language.

Transport by carIn many countries it is wise to not drive yourself. In some countries you must have an international driving licence with you to drive a car. You can get one from Motormännen, www.motor-mannen.se (information in Swedish), in Sweden before the trip.If you need to hire a car, use a well-known car hire company. The co-ver in Student OUT applies when driving a car hired abroad, provided the requirement comes from someone else than the car hire company/car owner. Student OUT also covers damaged or lost luggage, and covers medical care abroad for accidents if the vehicle liability insu-rance does not cover it. The policy does not cover any damage to the hire car itself. It is a good idea to take out excess insurance or excess reduction.Follow the traffic regulations and watch out for hitchhikers and ’acci-dents’ on the side of the road. Check that the backseat is empty before getting into the car. In many countries it is wise to drive with locked doors and windows. Park the car in well-lit parking spaces. Do not leave any valuables in the car.Use well-established and well-signposted taxis and hotel cars. Avoid unofficial taxis. Check the rate that applies before the start of the journey. Sit in the back seat.


The journey homeYou can buy medicines in some countries which are classified as drugs in Sweden. Check that entry is allowed or ask a doctor to issue a certi-ficate for the medication you intend to take with you.Check the amount of alcohol products you are allowed to purchase and take home with you. You can find this information on the website for Swedish Customs: www.tullverket.se

If something happensDuring office hours you can contact Kammarkollegiet if you have any questions or if you have been injured, even if you are in a fo-reign country. Our telephone number is +46 54 22 12 00, e-mail: [email protected]. In emergency situations outside of normal office hours or if you are unable to contact us you can contact Falck Global Assistance on +46 8 587 717 49 or e-mail: [email protected].

In case of acute illness or accidentPlease remember to:• find a doctor and/or hospital as soon as possible• sure to get a medical certificate and save receipts for expenses you have paid yourself• contact Falck Global Assistance in case of serious illness or accident for help with things such as payment guarantees to hospitals ab road, repatriation etc.Submit an insurance claim to Kammarkollegiet. You can find the claim form on www.kammarkollegiet.se.

In the event of theft, robbery or assaultRemember to report theft, robbery and assault immediately to the lo-cal police and request a certificate/copy of the police report. In case of assault it is important that you also visit a doctor for a personal injury assessment. Save all receipts for any expenses incurred in connection with the injury.


In the event of delayed luggage or property damageRemember to report the incident to the carrier and request a delayed luggage or damaged luggage certificate (PIR report). Request compen-sation from the airline directly. The insurance only covers the costs incurred in connection with lug-gage delays at departure. You do not need to report delays to Kam-markollegiet, please make the necessary purchases locally and save all of the receipts. You can find the maximum compensation amount for delayed luggage in the terms and conditions on www.kammarkol-legiet.se.

After travelling Your university and the staff at Kammarkollegiet can learn from your experiences, be sure to share them. The insurance claim form is available on www.kammarkollegiet.se and should be sent to: KammarkollegietSE-651 80 Karlstad


Checklist

• Check the extent of your insurance coverage Send itinerary and flight number

• Note/communicate phone numbers for the hotel, embassy, consulate etc.

• Travel tickets/hotel reservations

• Medical insurance card (MIC card)

• Cash, credit card and/or debit card, electronic access card

• Arrange pick-up/transport

• Vaccination and vaccination certificate

• Medicine/travel pharmacy and any certificates

• Travel Security Kit with medical goods, travel smoke alarms, door alarms, torch.

Suggested travel pharmacy

• Painkillers, mosquito repellent, disinfectant, rehydration solu tion, compresses and tape.

• Record of blood group

• Valid passport, visa and copies

• Extra ID, driving licence and international driving licence if necessary

• Extra passport photos

• Map and description of destination

• Checked appropriate websites

Important phone numbers home:

Important phone numbers abroad:

Kammarkollegiet

SE-651 80 Karlstad

Telephone Kammarkollegiet

SE-651 80 Karlstad

Telephone switchboard: +46 54 22 12 00

Fax: +46 54 15 56 10

E-mail: [email protected]

Website: www.kammarkollegiet.se

Falck Global Assistance

Telephone number: +46 8 587 717 49


switchboard: +46 54 22 12 00

Fax: +46 54 15 56 10


Box 2218, 103 15 StockholmBesök Birger Jarlsgatan 16Telefon 08 700 08 00Fax 08 20 49 69

advice for studying abroad

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