Emergency situations

Guidance on steps to take in an emergency situation

Your priority should be to keep yourself safe at all times. Should an emergency situation occur whilst you are abroad, your first action should be to make contact as soon as possible with your nominated contact at your host institution, organisation or place of work, and your family. Your local contact often has the local knowledge and “know how” to advise and support you.

It is important that in an emergency situation such as a natural disaster or political upheaval you keep well away from problem areas and follow any instructions from local authorities.

The Study and Work Away Service monitors worldwide news closely, and in some rare cases we may:

  • Ask you to check in with us to confirm you are safe
  • Evacuate you – temporarily or otherwise  – from your destination

It is essential that you follow all guidance promptly. If instructed to evacuate, you must follow all instructions given by the University of Edinburgh immediately.

Please work through the following emergency checklist before departure to ensure that you are prepared for all eventualities:

What constitutes an emergency?

An emergency situation is one where your health or safety is at immediate risk.  The following drop down lists provide some examples of situations which would (and would not normally) constitute an emergency or crisis situation.

  • Force majeure:​
    • ​​​​​Natural disasters (fire, storms, floods, earthquakes)​
    • Governmental or societal actions (war, invasion, civil unrest)​
    • Infrastructure failures (transportation, energy)​
  • Serious incident, accident or injury​
  • Mental health crisis​
  • Missing/out-of-contact student (from a concerned friend or family member)​
  • Family crises such as a bereavement​
  • Detention eg. by the police in country or at border control  

  • Lost or delayed luggage​
  • Missed flights or seeking advice on what to do next​
  • Accommodation related issues​
  • Visa issues​
  • Failed exams or not meeting assignment deadlines​
  • Problems with courses/studies or academic matters​
  • Strikes at the host institution​

We appreciate that these situations may be distressing and/or difficult but, unless there is an immediate risk to your health or wellbeing, you should contact the relevant Study and Work Away (SWAY) team and/or your School Student Support Adviser during working hours.

Contact the relevant Study and Work Away (SWAY) team

Find more about problem solving and who can help 


 

Key contacts

If you find yourself in an emergency situation, you should follow all advice given locally (by police/government/host institution, etc). 

Use your judgment – call local emergency services where appropriate.

Local emergency phone numbers

In many countries, dialling either 112 (used in Europe and parts of Asia) or 911 (used mostly in the Americas) will connect callers to the local emergency services. Some countries use other emergency telephone numbers, sometimes also depending on the emergency service.

AIG emergency helpline

The University's insurers, AIG, offer emergency support 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, with expert support in-country to deal with emergency situations.  They have offices and support provision around the world and a global medical team. 

The emergency helpline number is: +44 (0) 1273 552 922 

You may be required to provide the University of Edinburgh's policy number which is: 0010628351

AIG can help you with:

  • Embassy and consulate information
  • Immunization, visa and passport information
  • Emergency cash transfer assistance
  • Foreign exchange, ATM and weather information
  • Emergency language interpretation
  • Lost or stolen documents and luggage assistance

They can also provide medical assistance if required, including:

  • Assistance with emergency prescription replacement while abroad
  • Arrange special medical services when required (e.g., oxygen or a wheelchair)
  • Physician/hospital/dental/vision referral details, when medical attention is required and assist with appointments
  • Medical monitoring assistance during medical care abroad
  • Medical evacuation arrangements, at the direction of the AIG Travel medical team

Embassy or consulate

You can get assistance from the British Embassy in your host country (or your home embassy/consulate if you are a non-UK national):

Support at University of Edinburgh

You can contact the University of Edinburgh in case of emergency in the following ways:

During office hours

During office hours, you can contact the SWAY helpline if your situation is urgent:

SWAY Service helpline: +44 (0)131 651 5999

The Study and Work Away (SWAY) Service helpline is available during office hours for urgent situations that require immediate attention and cannot be resolved by email or by calling during our drop-in times.  Please contact the SWAY Service helpline on +44 (0)131 651 5999 if you have:

  • Immediate concerns about your personal well-being or safety in your host country
  • Immediate concerns about the general safety in your host country (e.g. heightened risk of conflicts, terrorism, natural disasters, sudden border restrictions)
  • A medical emergency, or serious health concerns that will impact your activity abroad

​This line is open during our core office hours (Monday-Friday, 10am-4pm). The staff member on rota will do their best to support you and ensure your call is passed on to the relevant team or department, if applicable.

For non-critical situations, including visa issues, flight delays, late documents, etc, it's best to email or call us during usual drop-in times:

Outside office hours

If you need to get in touch with someone at the University in an emergency outside of SWAY's core office hours (Monday to Friday, 10am - 4pm), please use the following number: 

University of Edinburgh phoneline - Out of hours emergency contact: +44 131 650 2257

You can also contact the University's insurers, AIG, at any time of day or night for support or assistance in an emergency - see Key Contacts at the top of this page.

Other resources and support

The University provides signposting to resources and guidance that can help in the event of a mental health crisis or crime, including sexual assault and harassment. 

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