Travel insurance coverage for student trips
Canadian residents can protect their student trips with travel insurance benefits
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At a glance
- Travel insurance for students: World Nomads Travel Insurance plans may help cover emergency medical expenses, trip cancellations and lost baggage so students can focus on learning, not logistics.
- Flexible protection for study abroad and adventure: Flexible coverage for study abroad, gap years, volunteering and independent travel, including over 250 adventure activities.
- Manage your policy anywhere in the world: Buy, extend or claim online – even while you’re already overseas.
- What may be covered
- What's not covered
- Which plan should I choose?
- Who is eligible for a travel insurance plan for students?
- How to use your travel protection coverage for student trips abroad
- Top safety tips we recommend for your student trip
- FAQs
Every year, more than 10% of Canadian undergraduate students study, intern, or volunteer abroad for academic credit — many of them headed to the US or the UK. Roughly the same percentage take a gap year between high school and university. Whether you’re earning credits overseas, teaching English or backpacking through a new country, travel doesn’t always go according to plan. Lost luggage, sudden illness or an accident on a weekend trip can quickly turn your adventure into a stressful situation. With a World Nomads Travel Insurance plan, students can explore with confidence, knowing they’re protected for those just-in-case moments.
What's not covered
- Routine healthcare (non-emergency)
- Care or treatment that is fully payable under any other insurance plan
- Any reckless or illegal behaviour, including being under the influence of drugs or alcohol
- Travel within your home province
What can travel protection for student trips cover?
Many students discover that their health insurance back home doesn’t extend overseas or even out of province – which means they may have no coverage when they travel. Travel insurance coverage for students may help cover unexpected medical costs if you get sick or injured abroad, from food poisoning to emergency medical evacuation. It may also offer coverage for trip interruptions, lost belongings or travel cancellation – so you can focus on your studies (or your next adventure), not surprise expenses.
Which plan should I choose?
Choosing the right travel insurance coverage depends on your trip type and planned activities. Each of our four plans – Standard, Explorer, Epic and Annual – offers different coverages and benefit maximums.
| Standard Plan | Explorer Plan | Epic Plan | Annual Plan |
|---|---|---|---|
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Ideal for: Coverage Includes:
Covering the basics for your trip. Get a quote |
Ideal for: Coverage Includes:
Optional 'Cancel for Any Reason' available. Get a quote |
Ideal for: Coverage Includes:
Optional 'Cancel for Any Reason' available. Get a quote |
Ideal for: Coverage Includes:
Get a quote |
Who is eligible for a travel insurance plan for students?
- Any Canadian up to 69 years old. The plan and prices are the same, as students are treated the same as all other travellers.
- If several students from the same family are travelling together, a family travel insurance plan may be worth considering. A family plan can cover 1 or 2 adults and up to 7 dependent children, for the same price. Dependent children up to 21 years of age (or up to age 25 if they are full time students) can be included on the same family plan.
How to use your travel protection coverage for student trips abroad
- Print out or save your plan details in an easy-to-find place
- If something goes wrong during your travels, you’ll call our 24/7 Emergency Assistance Team. They can direct you to an appropriate medical facility if you are sick or injured, or assist you with rebooking if you are stuck at the airport, and much more. Be sure to have your plan number handy so they can find your information easily.
- Stay in touch! As the unexpected situation develops, keep our team informed so they can continue to assist you.
- Save all paperwork (digital or otherwise) relating to your situation. This includes receipts, boarding documents, doctors’ notes, billing details, etc. The more information you have with dates and payments made, the easier your claim will be to file later.
- You must notify us immediately and file your claim, as soon as possible. Your claim form and proof of loss must be submitted no more than 90 days after the loss occurs or ends, or as soon after that as reasonably possible.
Top safety tips we recommend for your student trip
- Keep copies of important documents. Store photos of your passport, student ID and travel insurance in secure cloud storage in case your bag or wallet goes missing.
- Know the local emergency numbers. 911 doesn’t work everywhere. Save the local police, ambulance and embassy contacts before you go.
- Stay alert in shared spaces. Student housing and hostels can attract petty theft – use luggage locks and lockers and keep valuables out of sight.
- Respect local laws and customs. Even minor infractions can have serious consequences abroad. Learn basic local etiquette and avoid political demonstrations.
- Practice safe nightlife habits. Go out with friends you trust, keep an eye on your drink and plan how you’ll get home safely – especially in unfamiliar cities.
FAQ
Here are our most frequently asked questions about cover for student travel insurance. You can also find the answers to other questions in our Help Center or you can ask the customer service team.
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Am I covered if my luggage is lost or stolen?
Yes,. World Nomads travel insurance provides coverage for lost or stolen luggage. Each of our four plans – Standard, Explorer, Epic and Annual – offers different coverages and benefit maximums. Compare plans to decide which one is best for you.
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Do I need to have Government Health Insurance Plan coverage in Canada while I’m travelling?
Yes. You will still need to have Government Health Insurance Plan (GHIP) coverage in your home province while you are on your trip. If you don’t, your total limit for all emergency medical expenses during your trip is CAD $40,000 per person.
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What if I’m travelling within Canada – do I still need travel insurance?
It’s not mandatory but you may want to consider it. World Nomads’ coverage starts when you leave your home province and provides essential protection against a wide range of mishaps that you could encounter on the road. A good travel insurance plan can help prevent unexpected events from turning into full-blown disasters. Keep in mind that your GHIP covers the basics out of province for emergency medical care, but not everything – which is why many travellers still take out travel insurance, even for trips within Canada.
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What happens if I get sick or injured while travelling?
If you become seriously ill or have an accident overseas, travel insurance can help cover medical treatment and hospital costs. It also gives you access to 24/7 emergency assistance, so support is just a phone call away when you need it most.
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Can I cancel my trip if something comes up before I leave?
Yes, trip cancellation coverage allows you to cancel your trip before departure for specific covered reasons, such as illness or unforeseen events. All World Nomads plans cover trip cancellation for covered reasons, but our Epic and Explorer plans also offer optional Cancel For Any Reason cover, giving you more flexibility if your plans change.
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What is emergency evacuation and why might I need it?
If you’re seriously sick or injured in a remote location without adequate medical care, emergency evacuation can cover the cost of transporting you to the nearest suitable facility or even back home. It may also include additional support, such as bringing a family member to your bedside in certain situations.
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What if I have to cut my trip short?
Trip interruption cover helps if your journey is cut short after it’s already begun. If you need to return home early or miss part of your itinerary due to a covered reason, it may reimburse unused, prepaid, non-refundable travel costs.
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How do I make a travel insurance claim?
You can make a claim online 24/7. Have your documents and receipts handy to upload, and get started. If you get stuck, you can call us collect on +1 416 646 3723 or send an email to worldnomads@travelguard.com and we will assist you with your claim.
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What do I do if I need emergency assistance?
No matter where you are in the world, our 24/7 Emergency Assistance partners at Travel Guard are ready to help – 24 hours a day, every day of the year. Whether it’s a medical emergency, stolen gear, missing bags, or a natural disaster, they’re the first call to make. Need a translator? They can help with that too.
When you call, you’ll be asked if you are experiencing a travel emergency. If you are having a medical emergency, you’ll be connected with Emergency Assistance right away. If your situation is not urgent and you are calling outside of normal business hours, you’ll be able to leave a message and be called back.
The contact information for medical emergency assistance is:
Phone: +1 866 878 0192 (toll-free from Canada and the Continental U.S.); or
Phone: +1 416 646 3723 (collect from anywhere else in the world)
Travel Insurance Benefits: how we can take care of you
Trip Cancellation
Insurance protection for your hard earned vacation in the event of unexpected cancellation.
- Standard Plan: $2,500
- Explorer Plan: $10,000
- Epic Plan: $15,000
- AMT Plan: $10,000
Trip Protection
- Unexpectedly hospitalized?
- Travel buddy unfit to travel?
- Close relative suddenly dies?
We’ve got your back.
Emergency Evacuation & Repatriation
We’ll get you to hospital or home quickly.
- Standard Plan: $250,000
- Explorer Plan: $500,000
- Epic Plan: $750,000
- AMT Plan: $500,000
Emergency Evacuation & Repatriation
- Banged up abroad?
- Need a hospital urgently?
- Medevac home?
Help starts here.
Gear & Baggage Protection
Coverage for the theft, damage or delay of your bags, tech and sports gear.
- Standard Plan: $1,000
- Explorer Plan: $2,000
- Epic Plan: $5,000
- AMT Plan: $2,000
Protect your gear
- Passport or tech stolen?
- Airline lost your gear?
- Bags delayed?
Help starts here.
Protect your health
- Emergency Medical & Dental Expenses
- Emergency Evacuation and Repatriation
- Bedside Companion Travel and Subsistence
- Emergency Professional Services
- Return of Remains
- Return of Travel Companion/Dependent Children
Protect your trip
- Trip Cancellation
- Trip Interruption
- Trip Delay
- Optional Cancel for Any Reason (Explorer or Epic)
- Trip Exchange (Explorer, Epic or AMT)
- Rental Vehicle Damage (Explorer, Epic or AMT)
Protect your stuff
- Baggage and Personal Effects Theft or Damage
- Baggage and Sporting Equipment Delay
- Travel Documents Theft or Damage
- Sporting Equipment Theft or Loss by a Common Carrier
- Covered Adventure Sports listed in Policy
Assistance Services
- 24/7 Worldwide Emergency Medical Assistance
- Worldwide Travel Assistance
- Personal Security Assistance
- Adventure Traveller’s Hotline
- Bag Trak
Before your trip, check the latest government advice for any travel alerts for your destination.