Taking your Broadening Horizons placement abroad

Placements can be taken abroad, but please consider the overall costs of this option.  You would need to use your RSTG and apply for Flexible Funding but there may be a cap on the amount you can claim for the latter. Your host organisation may have to contribute to costs of placements overseas.  Please consider accommodation and travel costs, visa implications and travel/health insurance. You must also inform your university that you are travelling abroad for your placement.

Finding a Placement Outside the UK

You may secure placements abroad via collaborators/colleagues of your supervisor and the research team. Alternatively, you can find international job vacancies, placement opportunities and country-specific career information on GoinGlobal. Each university has its own set of guidelines about studying and working abroad. Please refer to their websites:

Applying for a Visa for your Placement Outside the UK

Home Students  International Students
Please contact the relevant embassy or consulate website to apply for a suitable visa.  Please contact your own embassy for any travel restrictions
For EU/Schengen Visas check the Government website.  Please contact the relevant embassy or consulate website to apply for a suitable visa.  For EU/Schengen Visas check the Government website.  
Contact your University or Students’ Union Advice Centre for visa advice and support  Contact your University or Students’ Union Advice Centre for visa advice and support  
GW4 Universities Additional Information on travelling abroad and visas:  

Bath: https://www.bath.ac.uk/guides/travelling-abroad/  
Bristol: https://www.bristol.ac.uk/directory/visas/student-visa/course/adding-a-work-placement-or-study-abroad
Cardiff: https://www.cardiff.ac.uk/study/student-life/student-support/international-student-support  
Exeter: https://www.exeter.ac.uk/students/international/applyingforavisa/studentvisas/  

International Students Visa Compliance While on Placement out of the UK

The Broadening Horizons placement is an integral and mandatory part of your PhD programme. 

For international students taking their placement abroad, you must comply with your original Tier 4 visa requirements and know how to report to the UKVI while on placement.

Please find below details and contacts for visa compliance at your university.

Bath 

Please submit a request for an authorised absence using the Bath student records system SAMIS online.  This is NOT an Interruption to Studies – it allows the University of Bath to advise what engagement monitoring contact is required from you for your Tier 4 UK visa.

Bristol

Cardiff

Exeter

Travel insurance 

This Is needed for a placement outside the UK.  PhD students are eligible for university travel insurance, and we would strongly recommend using this. Please check your university’s student intranet for further information as well as the links below:

Bath

Bristol 

Cardiff

  • Please send your name, student number, departure and return dates to the  University Insurance Officer before leaving.  You will then be a breakdown of the cover and emergency procedure details.  The cover allows up to five days holiday around the placement to be included. Any additional leave should be covered by your own travel insurance.
  • Please contact: insurance@cardiff.ac.uk or contact your School Manager to discuss in the first instance
  • Placements in the Ministry of Defence can have local agreements whereby the insurance risk is to be signed over to the University Insurance Company (UMAL). These agreements should not be signed without a discussion with the University Insurance Officer who will check with UMAL that they will agree. 

Exeter

NOTE: Most of the GW4 universities provide the safety app SafeZone. Please check with your individual universities if this can be used when travelling overseas.

Health insurance

When travelling to EU states:

  • You will need to obtain a UK Global Health Insurance Card (GHIC) that is specifically for studying abroad purposes as a student (Refer to ‘UK students going to the EU’ section).  This will be a paper application.
  • This is free and can be obtained through the NHS Choices Website                                          
  • Entitlement to a UK GHIC is not based on nationality but residency.

When travelling to non-EU states:

  • This will vary from country to country so further advice will need to be sought.
  • When undertaking placements in the USA – additional healthcare insurance is most likely required.
  • International Students: health insurance – the health surcharge as part of your visa application is only applicable to the UK.