Insurance for employees on University business abroad

The following information is to help you to research and understand the risk and insurance issues when you travel overseas on University business. Travel /travel-and-living-abroad arrangements should be made through your faculty or department. The content on this page should be read in conjunction with the International Business Trip Policy and Guidelines (see below) and any other policies published on the HR policies page / intranet page, the Travel and off-site activities page of the Health and Safety website and any information relevant for your trip.

Checklist

Have you:

consulted the Control Risks (see below for log in information) and the Foreign Office websites and undertaken a full risk assessment?
explored, through your GP and sites e.g. the World Health Organisation any medical requirements and/or health issues in the country you're travelling to?
ensured you are carrying the emergency contact number card?
printed and ensured you are carrying the summary of cover information provided by UMAL (the University’s insurers)?
provided your itinerary, hotel addresses and dates to your line manager?
taken copies of your passport and any other documents you risk losing and would need access to in the event of these being lost or stolen?
carried out a full risk assessment (click here for form)?

The Universities and Colleges Employers Association (UCEA) publish Safety in Fieldwork, which provides detailed guidance on planning trips, incident management, communications, fieldwork with disability etc.

Control Risks (CR24) country reports and information

The Control Risks database generates risk reports for countries across the world. It is recommended that you consult the Control Risks database for each country you visit, prior to travel, as part of your risk assessment. Please email andrew.kingston @ beds.ac.uk for details of how to access this service, which is provided to the University by UMAL. Similar advice and forecasts are available through the Foreign Office website

We would urge anyone travelling abroad on University business to use the CR24 service and register both yourself and a University-based contact on CR24’s alert service for the country or region you are travelling to so that if there are security issues in the region you are visiting then you will be alerted to these and provided advice should you need to evacuate.

A wide range of booklets containing travel advice is available from the Foreign Office website.

Travel cover

UMAL publishes tips for travellers and an overview of cover and services provided to the University in respect of medical rescue or security incidents if you become ill while working overseas. This information should be taken with you when you travel. Please note that our certificate reference is UMAL/063. If you have a medical condition before you travel, please seek your doctor's advice and approval for you to travel before you leave. If you are travelling in or through the Economic Union, you should carry a European Health Insurance Card (EHIC; formerly E111).

The University also has a policy to cover legal expenses incurred against colleagues abroad in respect of injury, financial loss or criminal proceedings. Key facts about policy - PDF 107.4 KB