Once you’ve made your way through the application process, it’s time to start preparing yourself for your exchange experience!
A couple of months before you’ll commence your exchange, we organise a compulsory pre-departure workshop in which we run through all the things you need to think about. There are a couple of things though, that you can already start organising.
Health and travel insurance
UTS offers all UTS students going on exchange comprehensive health and travel insurance.* The university also partners with International SOS (ISOS) (opens an external site), a 24-hour emergency resource centre. The travel insurance cover is available for a maximum 365 days from the date of travel for each period overseas. Students should contact UTS Insurance if they have questions regarding this. You will also receive the UTS Insurance Guide in the pre-departure workshop.
Note: some partner universities may require you to take out additional compulsory insurance.
*International Studies students continuing on exchange after their period of in-country study must first return to Australia to be eligible to receive UTS insurance. Alternatively these students can look into purchasing their own additional cover for their extended overseas travel dates (Note: There are a limited number of insurance providers that will issue cover that commences after departure from Australia, so please research this thoroughly).
Passport and visa
You must have a valid passport and, for some countries, a student visa. Your Study Abroad and Exchange Officer will notify you when your acceptance from the host university has been received. You can then apply for a visa and/or residence permit (if required). Visit the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade website (opens an external site) to learn more about visas and to find your nearest embassy or consulate.
If you are an international student you may need to apply for a student visa for your exchange host country from your home country. Contact the embassy or consulate of your host country to find out more.
Flights and accommodation
Once you have a valid passport, visa and/or residence permit, you can book and pay for your flights. Try to book that arrives close to the start of the host university's orientation period. You don't want to miss out on that!
Accommodation
To get a feel for where you'll be studying, it's a good idea to organise temporary accommodation for a few days before orientation. Once the semester starts, your accommodation options will vary depending on where you're studying. Some universities provide on-campus housing in student dorms, while at others you will need to find your own. Find out more by reading previous student feedback and by researching housing options at the host institution.