Internship Abroad: What Insurance Should You Take Out?

Every year, many young people do an internship abroad. If you're one of them, whether for your studies or for work, have you thought about insurance to cover you?

Whether it's during your higher education, to test your language skills, or to actively discover other societies, many of you take the plunge and do an internship abroad.

These more or less lengthy periods of professional immersion often act as a turning point. There's often a life before and a life after an internship abroad, during which you get to know another culture.

That said, just as when planning an Erasmus exchange, you need to think beyond the excitement of leaving. What happens if you need medical treatment while you're there? Or surgery? What happens if you get arrested? Or lose your papers? What if you need to get back home no matter what because a family member is hospitalised? Who's responsible for handling all these things?

An agreement for every internship abroad

No internship in Belgium takes place without an internship agreement. This is true for studies, professional internships, career changes... So this also applies to internships abroad.

The internship agreement often sets out many practical points. Whether or not the intern is paid, "working" hours, special conditions... And also the insurance policy that the host organisation takes care of.

Our first piece of advice, and certainly the most valuable: read this internship agreement thoroughly. When signing it, don't hesitate to ask the right questions if something isn't clear to you.

An internship abroad as part of your studies

If you want to do an internship abroad as part of your studies, it's your school that issues the internship agreement for the employer to sign. And every university, every college has its own specifics.

It's essential that you check the scope of the insurance covering you, and any special conditions you may sometimes need to meet to be eligible.

Universities and colleges often offer specific insurance to their students doing an internship abroad. This is usually subject to certain criteria, such as being properly enrolled and having signed a contract that allows you to complete your programme abroad.
As a result, students can benefit from specific types of insurance, such as workplace accident insurance, civil liability insurance, or even travel insurance. But the offering in this area varies from one educational institution to another.

As you can see: no agreement is the same. For more information, don't hesitate to dig into the FAQs and the "International Mobility" sections of your school and relevant websites. And get in touch directly with the department responsible to ask for specific information.

Internships abroad for young graduates

Once they finish their studies, many Belgians also try their luck abroad. For them, the safest option remains, of course, to start with an internship period. As one school's FAQ puts it quite well:

"Once you finish your studies, you no longer have student status. To do a graduate internship, you must be registered as a jobseeker."

So the first thing to do is register your status with the relevant regional employment agency.

Key links for finding an internship abroad

FOREM offers language internships abroad, in European countries (such as Malta or the Netherlands) or in emerging countries (Brazil, China, India). In any case, it states: "Before leaving, the candidate must be up to date with their health insurance (European Health Insurance Card) and take out the necessary insurance. Language internships abroad are not covered by any insurance provided by Forem."

Actiris also has a specific page for internships abroad, for Europe only. The website doesn't mention any specific insurance conditions for internships. So check with your contact person.

An internship abroad with an international organisation

Many international bodies offer internship programmes for students or young graduates. Here's a non-exhaustive list:

• The United Nations offers internships for students and young graduates. New York, Vienna, Bangkok... So many places where interns can experience the reality of diplomacy first-hand. As the website states: "In the event of an accident or illness during the internship, medical expenses are the intern's responsibility, and they must provide proof of valid, recognised medical coverage abroad."
• UNESCO - responsible for education, science and culture - offers internships to students and young graduates. To apply, there are many criteria to consider: you must be at least 20 years old, speak fluent French or English... As for insurance, here's what's stated: "You must provide proof of comprehensive health insurance valid for the entire duration of the internship and recognised in the country where you'll be doing your internship. UNESCO will provide limited insurance coverage of up to USD 30,000 against risks of illness, disability, or death."
• The World Health Organization (WHO) offers internships for students who have completed at least 3 years of study. These internships, lasting a minimum of 6 weeks, can open the doors to WHO's various offices around the world. Regarding insurance: "By signing the official internship agreement, interns confirm that either they or the organisation funding them (university, institute, etc.) will cover all travel and living expenses, and that they have taken out adequate health insurance providing coverage in the country of assignment."

Once again, each internship abroad has its own specific arrangements. You can even see that taking out insurance is a requirement for some institutions.

For internships outside Europe, feel free to also check our page "How to prepare for your Erasmus exchange". The insurance and travel conditions are exactly the same.

In short: taking out insurance for an internship abroad

As we mentioned at the start of this article, every institution, every school, every organisation works a bit differently. The basic principle is to find out about the insurance included in internship agreements, and about the insurance required to apply.

We strongly encourage you to get in touch with your health insurance fund to check your coverage. But plan ahead. To properly cover the duration of your internship, also take out travel insurance for long stays.

Our Long Trip assistance cover covers:

• Reimbursement of medical expenses incurred abroad
• Repatriation or early return in case of illness or death
• Legal or administrative assistance
• Assistance in case of lost or stolen luggage

Planning an Erasmus exchange? Much longer than an internship abroad, this study period is a real opportunity for students. But have you thought of everything? EHIC, insurance... Discover everything you need to know by clicking here.

Article written in collaboration with We are the Words.