After Acceptance into the Berkeley Exchange Program

After the student has been accepted, IAS will notify the student and the partner institution administrator by email. IAS will work with the student to coordinate the administrative procedures related to their stay at Berkeley. This office will oversee the issuance of the necessary visa documentation, and assure that health insurance requirements are met.

Health Insurance: Exchange students are required to maintain health insurance with the levels of coverage required by Berkeley during the participation in the exchange program.(Please note that some of the forms and information below refer to "International Visiting Scholars." The information also applies to International Exchange Students.) If the student does not have existing insurance that meets the requirements, the student may purchase coverage through Berkeley's insurance providers (Health and Welfare Benefits for Int'l Visiting Scholars). The plan is available through University Health Services, also known as The Tang Center. It is recommended that students purchase temporary insurance to provide coverage until they are able to purchase coverage through Berkeley's insurance providers. If the student's home insurance meets the University's minimum requirement for health insurance, the student may request an exemption from purchasing this. The student must provide documentation of coverage as direction on Evaluation and Verification of Health Insurance form. Please note that documentation of coverage must be provided IN ENGLISH for IAS review upon arrival in Berkeley. If the students' home insurance does not cover repatriation and medical evacuation, they can buy a separate plan for this coverage from the Tang Center as well.

[Top]

Arrival at Berkeley: Exchange students are expected to arrive at the start of the semester. Please refer to the Academic Calendar. IAS Orientation meetings are held twice at the beginning of the semester. The dates are indicated in the Acceptance Letter. It is necessary to attend only ONE session. Any questions or concerns exchange students may have will be addressed during the orientation. If an emergency should arise, however, the student should not hesitate to contact IAS either by email at exchange@uclink.berkeley.edu, or telephone at (510) 642-9656, or stop at the IAS offices located at 360 Stephens Hall between: 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.; 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.

[Top]