Accident insurance for students
Students at Tampere University are covered under the University’s accident insurance policy as required by applicable national legislation (Finnish act on compensation for injury or illness sustained during study-related activities under circumstances comparable to work, 24.4.2015/460). The insurance provider is the insurance company Lähitapiola. For a student to be entitled to compensation under the policy, his or her accident must have occurred while engaging in practical study-related activities comparable to work. The policy covers injuries that you sustain while completing practical learning activities on campus or unpaid practical training in an external host organisation and while travelling to and from your host organisation. When you are completing paid practical training, you will be covered under the accident insurance policy taken out by your employer.
The accident insurance policy will also remain valid when you spend a study period or a practical training period abroad, as long as the activities are included in your Finnish home university’s curriculum. All students who travel abroad are advised to take out personal travel insurance that complements the statutory accident insurance policy and provides coverage for illnesses and the interruption or cancellation of their trip.
Please note that the accident insurance policy only covers injuries sustained while participating in practical learning activities or unpaid practical training. Practical learning activities include, for example, laboratory assignments and field work. This means the policy does not cover injuries sustained while attending lectures or otherwise occupying the University’s premises.
What should I do if I have an accident?
- Immediately notify the course teacher of your injury.
- If you need immediate medical attention, go to a municipal health centre or a private clinic. Please be aware that the insurance company will assess your eligibility for compensation on a case by case basis and may in some cases deem you liable for all or part of your medical expenses. When you visit a health centre, state that you are a student at Tampere University and that the University’s insurance provider is the insurance company Lähitapiola. Notify the University's Student Affairs Office of your injury as soon as possible.
- If your injury does not require immediate medical attention, notify the University’s Student Affairs Office of your injury by phone or email (please send the email from your TUNI email address). Provide the information required for the insurance claim: your contact information, a description of your injury, the health centre you visited to seek treatment, the degree you are working towards, and the course (course name and course code) you were attending when you sustained your injury. Indicate whether the course is mandatory or optional. The Student Affairs Office will provide you with an insurance certificate that may be required by the health centre.
- If you pay some or all of your medical expenses yourself, retain the receipts and be prepared to deliver them to the insurance company.