Prepare for Your Internship

We recommend that you carry photocopies of all important documents and give copies to your family or friends.

Passport

Your passport must be valid for at least 6 months longer than the duration of your trip. Scan a copy of your passport before you leave and save it somewhere secure and easily accessible.

Make a note of the address and telephone number of the Australian embassy or consulate nearest to your host university in case of emergencies.

Student visa and other entry requirements

Check with the host university, a travel agent, or the country’s consulate/embassy here in Australia to find out your visa requirements and costs. You will need to research visa requirements for other countries you plan to travel through while you are overseas. You will need to also research other entry requirements for your host country and any other countries you plan to travel through while you are overseas.

We are unable to provide detailed advice on visas. Contact the consulate/embassy of your host country if you have any specific questions about visas.

If you require evidence of support from UQ, you can request a UQ Internship Confirmation Letter for your visa application. 

Banking

Notify all financial institutions in Australia about your travel plans if you plan to use your Australian account/cards while overseas. Be aware of any fees associated with international withdrawals/purchases.

Centrelink

If you receive assistance from Centrelink, you may be able to continue receiving these payments while you are overseas as a UQ exchange student.

You can request a Centrelink letter from Global Experiences after you have been officially accepted by your host university. Contact Centrelink for more details concerning your eligibility and payments. Rent Assistance is not generally paid while you are on exchange.

OS-Help Loan & other funding

Please note: if you have received an offer for an OS-HELP Loan or UQ Internship Grant, you cannot be paid until you have submitted your travel details within the online application system. 

International SOS/MyTrips

International SOS offers UQ travellers 24/7 pre-departure medical, safety and security information and advice. International SOS also provides routine and emergency assistance when UQ’s people are travelling. In addition, International SOS will help UQ locate and confirm the safety of its travellers in times of crisis both domestically and internationally. There is no additional cost to UQ travellers to access International SOS. 

In order to be covered by UQ’s Corporate Travel and Health insurance and access International SOS, you must complete the following steps:

• Complete the Travel Details Form on your Internships Workflow (StudentHub)
• Create an account/register with ISOS
• Create your profile
• Create a new trip and enter your travel details

Please refer to the MyTrips user guide for detailed instructions on how to enter your details.

MyTrips is a tool provided to UQ by International SOS that allows travellers to record their trip details. By recording your trip details, you will be registered with and covered by UQ’s Corporate Travel Insurance for the country in which your global experience is taking place. By recording your trip you will receive travel alerts before and during travel. It also enables International SOS and UQ to contact you during an incident or emergency while you are travelling. 

If you are participating in a UQ approved Internship you can be covered by UQ's Corporate Travel Insurance. 

UQ Corporate Travel Insurance Coverage Details

UQ’s In-person global internship participants are covered by UQ’s Corporate Travel Insurance:

• Only in the city of their experience
• For direct travel to/from the host country for the duration of the program

If you plan to travel outside of your host country, we recommended that you purchase additional travel and health insurance before you leave. You can take out additional coverage with UQ’s insurer Chubb Travel Insurance Ltd or another insurance company. It is up to you to organise any additional coverage.

Refer to the student travel brochure for a summary of the insurance policy. This document can also be found in the link below. Be aware that Internship students are classified under 'other types of UQ authorised travel'.

Find out more about UQ's insurance policy

Field Trips

If you are participating in a field trip as part of your in-person global internship, you must enter your itinerary into your International SOS account. Failure to inform UQ of this travel may result in not being covered by UQ’s insurance.

Certificate of Currency

When applying to the host university or for your visa, you may be required to show proof of insurance (called a Certificate or Currency). To obtain a Certificate of Currency from the UQ Insurance Office you must:

• Register with UQ and be approved by the Internship Team. This includes having your credit approved by your UQ Faculty (if required).
• Request a UQ Internship Confirmation Letter (found in your workflow) from the Internship Team. 
• Submit your UQ Internship Confirmation Letter to the UQ Insurance Office and request a Certificate of Currency.

Please note: it can take at least 2 weeks for the UQ Insurance Office to process your Certificate of Currency.

If you have any questions about requesting a Certificate of Currency insurance@uq.edu.au

Mandatory host health insurance 

Some universities will require you to purchase an insurance package in addition to the UQ insurance, to meet visa or enrolment requirements. You should contact your host university directly if you have any questions.

Some partner universities allow you to apply for a waiver from purchasing their insurance package if you submit a:

• Certificate of Currency (login required), 
• summary of the travel policy, and
• document provided by the host university’s insurer outlining the requirements that must be met in order to receive the waiver. This document must be submitted to insurance@uq.edu.au and signed by UQ’s insurance company.

Emergency situations

In the event of an emergency overseas follow the instructions of the local authorities in the first instance.

Contact International SOS on +61 2 9372 2468 (reverse charge available) or via email to  sydney@internationalsos.com. Provide UQ’s Membership Number: 12AYCA778031.

Before you travel you must complete an online Travel Declaration (as part of your UQ Internship Registration Workflow).

A Travel Declaration must be completed for activities that require: travel more than 50km from your usual place of residence; and an overnight stay (minimum of one night). The Declaration outlines your responsibilities while engaging in this travel and provides information on the UQ processes in place to ensure your safety and support while engaging in your internship. By completing the Travel Declaration you acknowledge that you have read, understood, and accepted these responsibilities. UQ continues to provide all students with appropriate and relevant insurances during their internships (i.e. professional liability and WorkCover). 

Cyber Security. Please read and ensure you understand the Cyber Security management whilst working from the home document attached here: UQ_WIL_WE_StudentCyberSecurityAndDataUse.pdf.

Working from Home. Please also take into consideration the working from home criteria attached here: Virtual_Internships_Guidelines-and-Confirmation-for-Working-from-Home_v1.pdf