Travel recommendations

Spring and summer 2021

Students at the Faculty of Medicine can go to all study destinations, except when the Ministry of Foreign Affairs advices against all travel to the study destination.

Students who plan to study abroad in the near future should consider waiting as long as possible to book travel and vaccinations, to have an alternative study plan that can be carried out at home, and to stay up to date on the situation in the country they plan to go to.

Approved study plan

Make sure that your study plan has been approved by the study programme before you travel. Any subsequent changes must also be approved. This is necessary in order to obtain credit transfer for your exchange studies when you return.

Financing & scholarships

CNS

If you qualify for CSN (Swedish Student Grants and Loans), it is recommended that you apply for grant and loans both for the semester abroad and the following semester at Lund University. This is to avoid delayed payment for the subsequent semester. 

No certificate is required from your international coordinator in order to apply for student finance for study abroad. CSN can see via Ladok that you have been admitted to exchange studies.

Read more on the CSN website

Faculty of Medicine’s Travel Grant

In most cases, the Faculty of Medicine accords a travel grant if you travel outside Lund University’s scholarship programme. You can apply for a travel grant from the Faculty of Medicine for study abroad. A grant can also be sought for visa and vaccination costs and any costs relating to a placement at a hospital. You must be registered as a student at the Faculty of Medicine throughout the period of your exchange studies.

Read more about the Faculty of Medicine’s Travel Grant

Lund University’s stipends

As a student, you finance yourself the period abroad, as well as any costs relating to the application. Lund University has a range of scholarship programmes such as Erasmus, Nordplus and MFS.

Read more on the main Lund University website

Passport, visa and residence permit

For more information, contact the embassy of the host country for your exchange studies in the country where you have citizenship.

Residence permits, more information on Lund University's central website

Insurance

All students who travel on an exchange are insured via Kammarkollegiet’s (Legal, Financial and Administrative Services Agency) Student UT insurance. The insurance applies from two weeks before to two weeks after the study period (including Orientation Weeks and exams) and is valid only in the host country of your exchange studies. Make sure that you have insurance coverage for trips outside the host country. Please note that Student UT covers medical malpractice, which is often requested for a clinical placement abroad.

NOTE: The Student UT insurance does not apply to students who travel to countries that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs advises against traveling to.

Read more on the Kammarkollegiet website

Insurance certificate

You must take an insurance certificate with you. Send the following information to your international coordinator in good time before departure, they will issue the insurance certificate:

• Name
• Personal identity number / Date of Birth

Other certificates

If you are covered by Försäkringskassan, i.e. if you are covered by social insurance in Sweden, and travel on an exchange in the EU or to one of the convention countries with which Sweden has an agreement on health care benefits, you must take the European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) with you. You can order it via Försäkringskassan.

For travel to Australia and Quebec, you should take with you the certificate "Agreement on social security between Sweden and the convention country". Contact Försäkringskassan in good time about this matter.

Försäkringskassan's website

Note that some countries/universities, for example in North America, require that you also take out insurance via the receiving university.

Accommodation

You are responsible for arranging your own accommodation during your exchange studies period. In most cases, the partner university will provide assistance, but in general you cannot get an accommodation guarantee. Many universities provide accommodation tips on their websites.

Pre-departure course: ReadySetGo

ReadySetGo is a digital course for all students at the Faculty of Medicine going abroad. The course is intended to prepare you for different aspects as a student abroad and will provide you with information, resources and advice about what you need to be aware of and how to act in various situations.

Go to the pre-departure course ReadySetGo (Canvas learning platform)

Languages

MedineLingua is a website that prepares you for exchanges within medical care. The site features vocabulary, glossaries, anatomy images, abbreviations, photos and much more in several languages.

Go to Medine Lingua's website

Vaccinations and infectious disease screening

Only relevant for clinical students:

Certain universities, mainly in Australia, Canada, the USA and parts of Europe, have extensive requirements for vaccinations and infectious disease screening. The requirements vary between universities. Vaccination/screening for hepatitis B, rubella and tuberculosis is often required, and certain universities also require a chest x-ray. MRSA culture screening may also be required. Contact the health care guidance service for more information and help with contacts for any required vaccinations and infectious disease screening.