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Student insurance
The University has a number of insurance policies and strategies to ensure you and your property are appropriately covered.
- Student insurance
- Insurance for placements and work experience
Student insurance
Travel insurance update for students: Middle East as of 4 March 2026
Travel insurance for students
- The University’s corporate travel insurance policy will cover travellers already overseas with emergency medical, evacuation and certain political risk evacuations.
- It can cover loss of deposits and extra expenses when a trip is cancelled due to an insured event.
- The cover is for University students and staff on approved travel.
Students stranded in the Middle East
- University students who have been affected by the Middle East conflict should be covered by the University’s travel insurance policy. This would include reasonable costs for temporary accommodation and rescheduling flights.
- Individuals in Iraq will not be covered by insurance, unless they arranged special one-off insurance cover before they started their trip.
Cancelling pre-booked trips to the Middle East
- Students who are cancelling pre-booked trips to the Middle East should be covered if the airline has cancelled their flight or if the country’s travel advisory status on smartraveller.gov.au has changed to Do Not Travel.
- The travel advisories are updated regularly. For more information on the region, check the Smartraveller page about Middle-East Travel Advice and Safety.
Booking future trips to the Middle East
- If you book travel to the Middle East now, and subsequently have to cancel because of the conflict, you will probably not be covered by travel insurance. This is because at the time of booking the conflict was a known risk.
More detailed guidance
For a full summary of cover and emergency assistance details, refer to the 2025-2026 Travel Summary Booklet (pdf, 1.6 MB).
Making an insurance claim
Please ensure you keep records of all invoices and other evidence in relation to any future/potential insurance claim. Please see the process below for submitting your insurance claim.
The steps to submit a claim are outlined in the 2025-2026 Travel Summary Booklet (pdf, 1.6 MB). All travel claims should be submitted online using the claims portal.
Getting further help
For questions about insurance, please contact internal.audit@sydney.edu.au.
If you are having trouble accessing the claims portal, please download and complete the Travel Claim Form (pdf, 840 KB) and email it to ahclaims@gbtpa.com.au.
Please note that the ‘Travel Approval’ section of the form should be completed by your University of Sydney exchange contact. This is usually the Study Abroad team. Email the team via sydney.abroad@sydney.edu.au and ask for help completing the Travel Approval section. Otherwise, please obtain approval from your Faculty/School supervisor who arranged your University authorised travel or exchange.
Travel insurance
When you’re covered
As a student who is currently enrolled or admitted to candidature, you are covered by the University's travel insurance policy when your travel meets the following criteria.
- It is a formally approved part of your curriculum-related studies and contributes to the completion of your enrolled degree (for example student exchange, vocational placement and research fieldwork).
- It is formally approved by your faculty or school before your departure. You are required to have written confirmation of the approval from the University to include in any insurance claims you make.
- You are representing the University (for example on a pre-approved sporting or debating team/activity) and have been formally approved.
You should not provide copies of the insurance certificates to external organisations if the activity has not been appropriately approved by the University. The University’s insurance will only be available if the activity has been appropriately approved (in writing) before the relevant activity commences.
There is an excess of $3,000 on non-medical expenses which is required to be borne by the faculty or school. Please make sure you have a clear understanding of what’s covered and the costs that will be refunded (if any) by the University before you travel.
The insurance cover will last for the duration of the course or placement, and any additional days at the start or the end that are deemed appropriate. These additional days can be up to a maximum of one week (7 days) at either end of the approved activity. If you wish to undertake any personal travel on additional days, you should take out a separate policy for that period.
Please note that the maximum duration for each trip is 365 days. Any extension must be pre-approved by the insurer before you commence travel. Please confirm in advance with internal.audit@sydney.edu.au whether the University’s travel insurer will extend insurance cover for your trip beyond the 365-day limit.
Emergency contact details
In the event of a medical emergency, or if you need help in relation to your insurance coverage, call International SOS on +61 2 9372 2468 (reverse charge).
You can call this number from anywhere in the world, 24 hours a day and can reverse charge the call.
Print and keep your Proof of insurance (pdf, 138KB) to have these emergency contact details on hand.
Personal travel
During your University-authorised travel, the University's travel insurance covers personal travel on weekends within the same country as your exchange/placement. You are not covered for periods of extended personal travel you take before, during or after the approved University travel activity.
You can contact usyd.assistance.inbox@aon.com if you have any questions about whether your personal travel will be covered.
In situations where you are not covered by the University's travel insurance, you need to consider taking out your own travel insurance. Most insurers will require you to take out your own travel insurance for the duration of your trip, including the portion that is covered by the University. Having dual cover does not affect your ability to make a claim.
You can purchase separate personal travel cover at your own cost from an insurance provider.
Certain countries are not covered
Some countries are not covered by the University’s travel insurance because they are subject to sanctions or are deemed to be higher risk for travellers. Please email usyd.assistance.inbox@aon.com to discuss your options if you want to travel to countries that have been sanctioned by Australia or the UN, US or EU.
What’s covered
The Corporate Travel insurance policy applies if the distance exceeds 50 km from the place of departure to and from the place of business (excluding everyday travel). The policy covers a range of things such as loss of deposits, luggage, personal effects, overseas medical expenses and so on.
For more information on what you are covered for in the University's travel insurance policy, you can refer to the documents below:
- 2025-2026 Travel Claims Summary Booklet (pdf, 1.6MB)
- 2025-2026 Travel PDS, Policy Wording & Schedule (pdf, 3.9MB)
Medical conditions
If you have pre-existing medical conditions, you will need to provide Aon with a 'fit for travel' letter from your treating doctor, which includes:
- details of your condition
- management of the condition
- your suitability for overseas travel.
Email a copy of this letter to usyd.assistance.inbox@aon.com and hold onto this letter in case you need to make a claim.
Exclusions
If you are in Australia on a student visa, or residing here temporarily, you are not covered for medical expenses if you travel back to your home country.
If you undertake placement or an approved activity in your home country, there are certain restrictions around country of residence cover, such as medical expenses incurred within your country of residence, as you are expected to have this cover as a resident.
The University’s student travel insurance also does not cover:
- routine medical procedures (such as check-ups)
- loss or damage to personal effects (there must be evidence of theft).
COVID cover
- Losses caused by an expected, known and/or foreseeable event within the control of students may not be covered under the policy.
- Medical benefits will continue to be paid subject to the policy terms and conditions.
The insurer will assess individual instances on a case-by-case basis, looking at all the relevant circumstances.
Travel advice and security
You can visit the Australian Government’s Smartraveller website for travel advice.
Global mobility travel registry
If you are travelling overseas for University business, you are strongly encouraged to enter your University-authorised travel details onto the Global mobility travel registry at least 30 days prior to your departure. By registering your trip, you will:
- be provided with important health, safety, logistical updates and assistance before, during, and after the international trip
- enable rapid location and communication in case of an emergency
- confirm that your trip has been authorised by the University, which is a requirement to be covered by the University’s travel insurance policy
- meet the conditions of scholarships and funding associated with University-authorised travel.
How to make a claim
Travel claims
The following insurance excess applies:
- Corporate travel - $3,000 per claim. The excess does not apply to 'overseas medical and additional expenses' (including medical evacuation and repatriation in the event of an injury, illness or death) or 'hospital cover', where the excess amount remains at zero and will be covered by the insurer.
The $3,000 insurance excess will be charged to your relevant faculty or school.
Students (including Higher Degree Research students) should lodge travel claims online.
Please follow the steps found on page 12 of the 2025-26 Travel Claims Summary Booklet (pdf, 1.6 MB):
Please note the following when selecting the product/insurance policy that applies to your situation:
- University of Sydney – Non‑Medical Under Deductible (3000) CT
Select this option if you are submitting a non‑medical travel insurance claim under $3,000. - University of Sydney CT AIG
Select this option for:- Non‑medical travel insurance claims over $3,000.
- All medical travel insurance claims.
- University of Sydney LOI AIG
Select this option for Group Personal Accident claims.
If you are having trouble accessing the online claims portal, please complete the Travel Claim Form (pdf, 840 KB) and email it to ahclaims@gbtpa.com.au. Please note that the ‘Travel Approval’ section in the form should be completed by your University of Sydney exchange contact. This is usually the Study Abroad team; emai sydney.abroad@sydney.edu.au and ask for help completing the Travel Approval section. Otherwise, please obtain approval from your Faculty/School supervisor who arranged your University authorised travel or exchange.
To avoid requests for additional information and delays in processing of your claim, you should submit adequate evidence to support your claim such as copies of medical reports, invoices/receipts/proof of payment for each expense you are claiming, police report, your itinerary and evidence of authorisation from the University to travel.
Corporate Services Network (CSN) is the appointed claims manager for processing, assessing and paying validated student travel claims. CSN acts under the program on behalf of the University and AIG.
If you have submitted a non-medical related travel claim for more than $3,000, once CSN has assessed and validated your claim you will receive the payment in two instalments. One payment will be from the University ($3,000 excess) and the other from AIG (value over the excess).
Personal accident claims
The University’s Group Personal Accident policy provides cover (primarily in Australia) for undergraduate and postgraduate students on pre-approved activities (e.g. placements, fieldwork, etc). Under the Group Personal Accident insurance policy, there is an insurance excess of:
- $50 for medical expenses which are not covered by Medicare.
- $1,000 for all other expenses.
If your claim relates to medical expenses which are covered by Medicare, even in part, they will not be covered by the Group Personal Accident policy.
If the cost is above the insurance excess, you can submit your claim online. Follow the steps under ‘Travel claims’ above. You will need to:
- select the product ‘University of Sydney LOI AIG’
- enter the Policy Number 2200103822.
Alternatively, you can complete the personal accident claim form (pdf, 572 KB) and email it to ahclaims@gbtpa.com.au for assessment.
For claims below the insurance excess, you should contact your Faculty or School in the first instance for consideration of cost reimbursement.
Enquiries
For emergency travel related enquiries, please contact International SOS on +61 2 9372 2468 (reverse charge).
AON Risk Services is the University insurance broker. If you have travel and personal accident claim enquiries, please email usyd.assistance.inbox@aon.com.
For general insurance enquiries, please email Scott Loder at scott.loder@aon.com.
Last updated: 10 March 2026