Doing free volunteering

What is insurance for traveling abroad?

• Travel insurance is insurance that provides coverage for risks during a trip or vacation abroad. This mainly concerns loss of or damage to your luggage, medical assistance, or repatriation costs if you need to be transported back home urgently. In some cases, travel insurance coverage also applies on domestic trips.
• With annual travel insurance or multi-trip travel insurance, you are insured for all your trips throughout the year.
• With temporary travel insurance or single-trip travel insurance, you take out insurance for each trip for the duration of the trip.
• Cancellation insurance reimburses (all or part of) the travel sum, cancellation or accommodation costs if you have to cancel or interrupt your vacation.

Why should you take out travel insurance for a short trip, vacation, or long-distance trip?

• Travel insurance can provide coverage in the event of an accident or emergency while you are abroad.
• Travel insurance can provide coverage for damage and accidents during the adventurous or sporting activities you plan to do.
• Travel insurance can continue to provide coverage if your health insurance no longer provides coverage, or if the damage is only reimbursed at cost price of your home country.
• Travel insurance can provide coverage in the event of damage, loss, or theft of your luggage.
• Travel insurance can provide coverage if you are held liable for damage you cause to other people or their property.
• Travel insurance can provide coverage if you have to return home early because something has happened to you or your immediate family.

What is important to insure when you are going to travel abroad?

• That you have insurance that is valid in the country or countries that you are going to visit.
• That you are adequately insured for the sports and activities you are going to participate in during your period abroad.
• That you are insured for emergency assistance and early return if something happens to you or your immediate family.
• That your medical expenses are insured up to the actual cost and not just for the standard costs. The costs per medical treatment vary greatly between countries.
• That you insure your luggage and take sufficient precautions against theft or damage.
• That you are well insured against personal liability.
• That you are well insured in case of accidents.
• That you only insure yourself for legal assistance if there is an immediate reason to do so, unless coverage is already automatically included in the insurance.
• That you pay close attention to choosing the right coverage when performing work alongside your travels.

Check out more about international insurances

• Why and where to take out travel insurances for abroad
• Why and where to take out insurances that cover medical expenses abroad
• Insurance for activities abroad when you are Dutch

What is insurance for volunteering abroad?

• Insuring volunteer work abroad means taking out insurance that continues to provide coverage while you are working as a volunteer abroad

Why should you take out specialized travel insurance for voluntary work abroad?

• There may be several reasons why you need separate insurance when volunteering abroad.
• During specific activities abroad, additional requirements may apply if your work involves extra risks. Only specific insurance policies offer coverage during these activities.
• The risk of accidents is sometimes higher during your work, for example because you are doing work you have little experience with or because of the nature of the work.
• Local projects or employers generally offer no or limited insurance that provides insufficient coverage during your work.
• When volunteering abroad and receiving minor financial compensation (or, for example, food or housing), your home country's health insurance coverage will potentially lapse. You will then need special insurance to remain insured for illness and accidents.
• Regular travel insurance policies generally provide coverage for trips of a limited number of days. If your trip or stay abroad exceeds the maximum number of days, this generally means that for the entire travel period, you will not be covered.
• Regular travel insurance policies generally only provide coverage for recreational travel without voluntary work activities. If you engage in activities other than recreational activities (such as volunteer work), this generally means that for the entire travel period, you will not be covered.

What is important to insure when you are going to work as a volunteer abroad?

• That you have insurance that is valid in the country or countries where you are going to travel and volunteer.
• That you are adequately insured for the sports and activities you are going to participate in during your period abroad
• That you are insured for emergency assistance and early return if something happens to you or your immediate family.
• That your medical expenses are insured up to the actual cost and not just for the standard costs. The costs per medical treatment vary greatly between countries.
• That you insure your luggage and take sufficient precautions against theft or damage.
• That you are well insured against personal liability.
• That you are well insured in case of accidents.
• That you only insure yourself for legal assistance if there is an immediate reason to do so, unless coverage is already automatically included in the insurance.
• That when performing work in healthcare, with wild animals, and with dangerous (agricultural) machinery, you take care to choose the right coverage.

Check out more about international insurances

• Why and where to take out travel insurances for abroad
• Why and where to take out insurances that cover medical expenses abroad
• Insurance for activities abroad when you are Dutch

What is insurance for studying abroad?

• Insurance for studying abroad means that you take out insurance that continues to provide coverage during your studies, your education, and your related activities abroad.
• Insurance for studying abroad is also referred to as study insurance. This study insurance is specifically for when you go abroad for a long period of time to take courses, study, or conduct research abroad.

Why should you take out specialized travel insurance for a study abroad?

• Study insurance is specifically designed for studying abroad, whereas regular travel insurance policies may offer coverage on paper but handle this situation differently in practice.
• Study insurance offers coverage for longer stays than regular (vacation) travel insurance.
• Study insurance is also suitable for many types of activities, ranging from various sports to hiking at high altitudes.
• Study insurance continues to provide coverage if you start working during your trip, whether planned or unplanned. If you have not taken out insurance before departure that allows you to work, there is no guarantee that you will be able to take out insurance abroad that provides coverage.
• Study insurance continues to provide coverage if your own country's health insurance no longer provides coverage.
• Student insurance also covers your healthcare costs above the rates in your own country; with regular insurance, you have to pay the extra costs yourself.
• Student insurance can also continue to provide coverage if (study) visa issuers impose additional requirements on how you insure yourself, for example if you are going to the US and applying for a J-1 visa.
• Student insurance continues to provide coverage if you are staying abroad for a longer period of time and want to visit your own country in between.

What is important to insure when you are going to study abroad?

• That you have insurance that is valid in the country or countries where you are going to travel and work.
• That you are adequately insured for the sports and activities you are going to participate in during your period abroad
• That you are insured for emergency assistance and early return if something happens to you or your immediate family.
• That your medical expenses are insured up to the actual cost and not just for the standard costs. The costs per medical treatment vary greatly between countries.
• That you insure your luggage and take sufficient precautions against theft or damage.
• That you are well insured against personal liability.
• That you are well insured in case of accidents.
• That you only insure yourself for legal assistance if there is an immediate reason to do so, unless coverage is already automatically included in the insurance.
• That you pay close attention to choosing the right coverage when performing work alongside your studies.

Check out more about international insurances

• Why and where to take out travel insurances for abroad
• Why and where to take out insurances that cover medical expenses abroad
• Insurance for activities abroad when you are Dutch

Why Insurances through JoHo

• Specialized: in emigration, work, internships, study and travel abroad.

• Service: JoHo offers multiple travel insurances by multiple companies. Thanks to JoHo's extensive experience, it can offer support in case of problems with insurers, as well as advice and fast and personal handling.

• Safe: JoHo is recognized as a trustworthy intermediary for insurances.

• Social: by purchasing an insurance through JoHo you provide a talented student in The Philippines with health insurance

Why Should You Take Out A Travel Insurance?

• The chance of getting injured or ill is generally higher than when you would have stayed at home. The medical care you will need can be very expensive, even more so if you are treated in a private clinic.

• If you have to fly back because of family circumstances, the flights might be more expensive than your original flight because you have to fly on short notice.

• You might have to deal with the damage, loss or theft of your luggage.

• In case of emergency it can be difficult to figure out what to do. A good travel insurance will have an assistance team on standby for you 24/7 and will be able to tell you what steps to take.

Why Should You Specifically Take Out A Travel Insurance For A Long Trip Abroad?

• Often regular travel or health insurances only cover trips for a maximum number of days (for example 60, 90 or 180 days).

• Depending on your home country, your health insurance might not offer any coverage for treatment abroad.

• During a long trip you might consider specific activities, like paid work or volunteering. Regular travel insurances often don’t cover these kind of activities. The same goes for adventurous/ hazardous sports like skydiving, scuba-diving and bungee jumping.

More on why to use JoHo

• JoHo is one of the few organizations where you can directly purchase a comprehensive range of foreign insurances from a variety of insurers. As with our other products and services, we believe that you should be able to choose between the best, the most cost effective and the most specialized insurance.

• JoHo offers various possibilities from combining insurances to assisting in transferring from one insurer to another.

• When you purchase an insurance policy through JoHo, you will not pay more than if you had purchased it directly from the insurer. Sometimes (through special collective agreements) you will even pay less.

• JoHo offers support with problems that may arise with the insurer. Sometimes disagreement with claims, cancellation notice or insurance premiums can occur. In this situation it helps if you have the assistance of an organization who has an established relationship with the insurer.

Read more about JoHo and JoHo Insurances