A student travel insurance plan is specially made for students planning to study abroad. It offers essential stay and study-related coverage that a regular travel insurance plan doesn’t provide.
There are various types of international travel insurance available in India. Choosing the right plan after assessing your travel needs is crucial in order to get the correct coverage for your foreign visit/stay. For example, if you are a student planning on pursuing higher education abroad, you will need student travel insurance and not the regular plan. If you are not aware of the differences between student travel insurance and regular international travel insurance, go through this article.
Types of travel insurance in India
Before discussing the key differences between student and regular international travel insurance, let us understand the main types of international travel insurance plans offered in India;
1. Individual travel insurance:
This travel insurance is for solo travellers going on a foreign trip.
2. Family travel insurance: This policy is for family vacations, where multiple members of the family are covered under one plan during the trip.
3. Senior citizen travel insurance:
This policy is specially designed for senior citizens, covering them against unforeseen medical, baggage and journey-related emergencies during the trip.
4. Frequent flyer travel insurance:
This plan, also called an annual multi-trip policy, is for individuals who need to cover multiple trips in a year under a single policy.
5. Student travel insurance:
This plan is made for students, where additional stay-related coverage is offered on top of medical and baggage-related emergencies.
What is regular travel insurance?
A regular or standard international travel insurance plan is a type of policy that covers a wide range of unforeseen events that could happen during the trip. Whether you are travelling for leisure or business, this type of insurance can protect you from unanticipated expenses arising out of medical, baggage or journey-related contingencies. It is usually available for individual and group travel as well as in the form of single-trip or multi-trip policies.
The coverage offered under standard international travel insurance may include;
1. Emergency medical expenses:
The standard international travel insurance covers emergency medical expenses, like the cost of hospitalisation, OPD treatment, dental expenses, room rent, road ambulance, medical evacuation, medical repatriation, etc., in case you fall ill or get injured and require medical care during the trip.
2. Personal accident cover:
While on the trip, if you suffer permanent disablement or accidental death, a lump sum under the regular international travel insurance is provided to your family to help ease any financial burdens caused by such an unfortunate situation.
3. Hospital cash:
If you get injured or fall ill and need to get hospitalised during the trip, the insurer under the regular travel insurance can pay per day sum insured for every complete hospitalisation day for a maximum number of days as mentioned in the policy.
4. Flight cancellation & delays:
For any essential expenses that you need to make due to flight delays and cancellations during the trip, regular international travel insurance will offer appropriate compensation.
5. Other inclusions:
Additional coverage under this policy type can include things like repatriation of mortal remains to the home country, loss of passport, personal liability, emergency hotel accommodation, hijack distress allowance, loss or delay of checked-in baggage, etc.
What is student travel insurance?
The student travel insurance is specially designed to meet the coverage needs of students who are going abroad to pursue higher education. Alongside the usual travel-related coverage for medical and baggage-related emergencies, student travel insurance also offers a wide range of stay-related coverage to ensure that your study remains uninterrupted.
The coverage usually included under student travel insurance are;
1. Medical emergencies:
The student travel insurance plan covers emergency medical and dental expenses in the event you fall sick or get injured and require hospitalisation. It also covers medical evacuation and body repatriation costs.
2. Baggage-related coverage:
In case of loss and delay of checked-in baggage, the policy offers adequate compensation so you can appropriately deal with the situation.
3. Bail bond:
During your stay in a foreign land as a student, if you are detained or arrested by the police for a bailable offence, the policy will cover the bail amount.
4. Sponsor protection:
In the event of the accidental death of your sponsor, the policy will pay the tuition fees to the insured.
5. Study interruption:
In the event your study gets interrupted because of extended hospitalisation or the death of an immediate family member/sponsor, the policy will offer a refund of tuition fees.
6. Other inclusions:
The student travel insurance also offers coverage for loss of passport, compassionate visit, personal liability, permanent disablement, accidental death, etc.
Difference between normal travel insurance and student travel insurance
Now that you have gone through what regular international travel insurance and student travel insurance are and what they offer, let us take a quick look at the key points of differences between these two travel plans;
| Categories | Regular travel insurance | Student travel insurance |
| Designed for | Regular travel insurance is designed for all sorts of individuals who are planning a trip abroad for business or leisure purposes. | Student travel insurance is specially and only designed for students who want to pursue higher education in a foreign country. |
| Age Eligibility | Usually, the age limit in regular travel insurance for single trips is 6 months to 70 years while for annual multi-trips, it can be from 18 to 70 years. [Note: The age-related eligibility criteria vary from insurer to insurer] | For student travel insurance, the coverage is usually offered for students that fall in the age group of 16 to 35 years. [Note: Age criteria can vary depending on the insurer] |
| Essential coverage | The coverage under regular international travel insurance includes emergency medical and dental expenses, baggage-related hassles and journey-related inconveniences. | The coverage under student travel insurance usually includes emergency medical and dental treatment, personal liability, baggage-related hassles and certain stay-related and academic interruption coverage. |
| Stay-related coverage | Not offered in regular travel insurance. | Student travel insurance offers various stay-related coverage, such as bail bond cover, compassionate visit cover, etc. |
| Coverage tenure | In the case of single-trip travel insurance, the maximum limit for a single trip is 180 days. The annual multi-trip plan is valid for 365 days, with a maximum per trip duration being 15, 30, 45, 60, 90 or 120 days. [Note: Varies depending on insurer] | The travel insurance for students is designed to cover an academic session, semester or year. Its tenure can range from 30 days to 2 years. [Note: Varies depending on insurer] |
| Academic coverage | Not offered in regular travel insurance. | Travel insurance for students ensures that your academics don't suffer a hit due to an unforeseen event. It offers academic coverage such as study interruption coverage, sponsor protection, etc. |
Conclusion:
Both regular international travel insurance and student travel insurance are made to fulfil different coverage necessities. While the regular one is ideal for short business or leisure international trips, the student travel plan offers essential coverage for individuals planning to study abroad. So, make sure to assess your needs and choose the right plan for the coverage you desire.
Disclaimer: The above information is for illustrative purposes only. For more details, please refer to the policy wordings and prospectus before concluding the sales.