Insurance for Business Trips and Secondments
UZH employees who travel abroad on behalf UZH, for example for congresses, conferences or field research, including secondments, are automatically covered by the university’s travel insurance. Insurance coverage applies to employees, teaching staff and PhD candidates traveling abroad on behalf of UZH, as well as to students who travel abroad as part of their curriculum. Students are not insured during postgraduate study programs (i.e. MAS, DAS, CAS), semesters abroad, summer school and mobility programs for example.
Travel Insurance
The travel insurance provided by Chubb applies in case of accident or illness abroad and covers medical costs in case of emergencies abroad as well as the costs for repatriation. It also provides insurance cover in case of travel cancelation, loss of luggage or damage to property and personal injury, for example (personal liability insurance).
Overview of Chubb travel insurance coverage (PDF) (PDF, 93 KB) (Login required)
Travel assistance services
The company International SOS provides travel assistance services including risk assessment and preparation for travel abroad, country-specific travel information and support in case of emergencies and claims.
Travel requiring authorization
Authorization is required for travel on behalf of UZH to areas with an increased risk according to the International SOS assessment. Authorization is also recommended for travel to remote areas. Please read the information on the website:
UZH: Travel requiring authorization
No authorization is required for travel on behalf of UZH to any EU/EFTA countries. Likewise, no authorization is required for travel to countries and areas with an insignificant, low or medium risk according to the International SOS assessment.
Business trips to countries with special insurance conditions
Countries with high medical costs
In order to ensure insurance coverage for countries with high medical costs – e.g. USA, Canada, Japan, Australia – specific travel preparations (see travel preparation point 3 and 4) are required. For optimal support in the event of illness or medical emergency, you must inform International SOS via the Assistance App or by telephone. They can then issue a payment guarantee, for example.
UZH: Travel preparations for business trips
Countries under sanctions
If you are traveling on behalf of UZH to a sanctioned country (e.g. Iran, Syria, North Korea, North Sudan, Cuba, Crimea, Russia), a sanction check must be carried out via International SOS at least one week before departure. See the following website for details: UZH: Travel preparations for business trips
Business Trips by members of the LGBTIQ-Community
The laws and policies of some countries can make it considerably more difficult for members of the LGBTIQ community to stay safe, or can pose significant risks. Many countries criminalise same-sex sexual orientation, trans or non-binary travellers can face difficulties entering certain countries if they present a passport with a name and photo that no longer correspond to their gender identity or show ‘diverse’ or an X as their gender. It may also be illegal to display LGBTIQ symbols such as the rainbow flag in the country you are travelling to. Please enquire about the travel and safety advice for your country viaInternational SOS (registration with International SOS required, see teaser below).
The ILGA world maps provide a comprehensive safety overview. A special risk assessment via the International SOS Assistance App is recommended. Up-to-date information on travelling to the US can be found in the International SOS country reports.
Further behavioural recommendations can be found at theFederal Foreign Office Germany.