Placement Year: Overseas Placements

Overseas Placements

If you’re going abroad as part of your placement year, read up on available grants, tips for moving to a new country, culture shock and more.

Before you book travel

Once you have secured your placement, please follow the steps below.

Step 1 - Placement approval

Get your placement documented on MAP for approval. To create a MAP record, you will need:

Details of your placement and role
An international placement agreement form
Job description (where applicable)

Here's a handy guide on how to record your placement on MAP.

The documents required for your placement approval will vary depending on whether you're studying or working abroad.

Work Abroad

You will need:

International Placement Agreement Form - you can download this here. Once completed, please upload this to MAP.
Official Job Description – this should detail your duties and responsibilities day to day and be on letterhead paper or signed by your employer. Please upload this to MAP.
Travel Risk Assessment – once your MAP record has been created, you will be sent a Travel Risk Assessment. Once completed, you should return this via email to onplacementsupport@aston.ac.uk.

Study Abroad

You will need:

Study Abroad Agreement Form – this will be sent to you by the Study Abroad Team. You will need to send it back to studyabroad@aston.ac.uk once completed.
Travel Risk Assessment – once your MAP record has been created, you will be sent a Travel Risk Assessment. Once completed, you should return this via email to onplacementsupport@aston.ac.uk.

When all your documents have been completed and uploaded, your record will be reviewed for approval. This can take up to 3-4 weeks.

Please note that all students undertaking their placement outside of the UK are required to complete a Travel Risk Assessment. This is still true if your placement is based in your country of residence.

Step 2 - Visa

Students are responsible for ensuring they have the correct visa to study or work in their chosen location/s. Aston University staff are not legally qualified to advise on visa processes.

You must not commit financially to your visa application until your placement has been approved.

You will likely be asked to collate a range of documents for your visa application. This may include some of the following that you will need to get from Aston University:

Confirmation of Student Status. This can be obtained from MAP once your placement has been approved.
Confirmation of insurance. Aston University’s insurer’s policy summary may suffice, but some countries may ask for a personalised letter; in this instance contact insurance@aston.ac.uk.
Placement Agreement Form/Contract If this requires a signature from an Aston member of staff, please email your form to onplacementsupport@aston.ac.uk. Please note, we will not be able to sign any documents until your placement has been approved.

Top Tips for Visa Applications:

Enquire with the local embassy/consulate of your placement location.
Make sure all the information is correct before you submit it.
Allow for plenty of time.
Get written confirmation of any visa advice you receive.
If you are going to multiple locations you will need to have a visa for each country. You may also be required to travel back to the UK to make the next application.

Please note, Aston University cannot be held accountable for any financial losses you may incur from an incorrect visa application.

Step 3 - Plan your trip

It's now time to plan your trip. Here are some things you will need to think about:

Checking your passport is valid
Securing your accommodation
Life admin

You will be invited to an International Placement Send-off Session where you can get advice, and tips as well as meet other students who are also undertaking a placement abroad – they may even be in your city! Keep an eye on your emails for the next date.

Safety Abroad

Keep up with national and regional news.
Use reliable sources such as Drum Cussac and FCDO to stay informed.
Refer to your placement provider and local colleagues if you need clarification.
Download the SafeZone app so we can “check in” with you at your placement location.

Insurance

Aston University is committed to providing UMAL travel insurance cover for students who go abroad for their placement. To receive this insurance cover, your placement must be approved, and you will only be covered between your placement start and end dates.

You can review the cover provided by UMAL here. Please download and keep a hard copy of the Travel Cover Summary with you whilst you are abroad.

Travel insurance claim forms can be downloaded here. All claim forms and accompanying documentation should be sent to claims@umal.co.uk

Emergency Advice and Assistance

In the event of an emergency whilst you are abroad, you will need to call the International Medical Group (IMG). They can be contacted 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Their contact details are:

Tel: +44 (0)2920 662425
E-mail: UMAL@global-response.co.uk
Reference: UMAL/117

IMG will assist you with your requirements and decide on the most appropriate course of action to help you through an emergency.

Contact IMG before incurring any medical expenses or being admitted to the hospital. Medical expenses over £300 and any repatriation expenses will not be covered without IMG’s prior approval.

Full details of services available from IMG are set out in the Travel Cover Summary.

Getting used to a new culture

Whether you’ve hopped across the English Channel to France, or flown 9,000 miles to Australia, it’s normal to feel overwhelmed when you move to another country.

Things that you might have taken for granted in your own culture, such as language, gestures and behaviours may be different in your placement country. This may feel difficult or frightening from time to time, which is totally normal. The important thing to remember is that these feelings are only temporary. The experience, skills and friendships you will gain by the end of your placement will far outweigh any settling in nerves in the beginning.

Culture Shock Theory

According to research, our happiness and motivation tend to fluctuate during a period abroad. There are a few stages you might experience, from your arrival at your placement destination to your return home.

Honeymoon period - “This is amazing! I’m living my best life!”
Culture shock – “Everything is different, I’m not sure how I feel about it.”
Adjustment and adaptation – “Okay, I can get used to this.”
Nostalgia – “I wish I was back on placement.”

It’s understandable if you feel like you don’t quite belong at the beginning. In fact, it’s completely normal. Please be assured that there are ways to ease into the new culture around you.

How to handle culture shock

Spending all or part of your placement overseas is a fantastic achievement that you should be very proud of. Not only will it help you to develop an international outlook, you will hopefully have lots of fun in the process.

Here are some tips for handling culture shock:

Take a few home comforts with you. If Marmite’s your thing, take a jar– you might not be able to buy it abroad.
It’s easy to misinterpret behaviours in a new culture. Try not to view these in a negative light, and ask a friend or colleague why things might happen that way.
Research the culture of your placement country – as the Scouts say, ‘Be Prepared.’
If you’re speaking to people who don’t use English as their first language, remember to slow down and think about the words that you use. They may not understand slang (like ‘lit’) or idioms (like ‘over the moon').
Have a go at the local language. Even if you aren’t perfect, a little effort goes a long way!
Sign up for things like Skype and Zoom so you can connect with friends and family while you’re away. Remember, you might need to teach them how to use it before you leave.

Wellbeing Support

ComPsych | Global Student Assistance Programme

If you need wellbeing support while abroad you can access The Global Student Assistance Programme from ComPsych, which offers counselling, legal and financial consultation to students free of charge, no matter where you are in the world.