Coming to UBC on exchange

iMED is a temporary health insurance that is automatically triggered by your course registration.

To ensure the health and safety of exchange students, iMED was implemented several years ago, after a number of instances in which international or exchange students incurred large medical costs in Canada due to not having sufficient insurance coverage. It is mandatory for all incoming exchange students who are not covered by a Canadian provincial government health care plan. Exchange students will be covered by iMED in addition to whatever other insurance you may have.

With your iMED card, you won’t have to pay for your visit if you see a doctor at the Student Health Service at UBC or the University Village Medical and Dental Clinic in the Village on campus. Also, iMED covers emergency hospitalization and medical services (including outpatient treatment at a doctor's clinic) for an unexpected sickness or injury. See this page for more information. Contact International Student Advising if you have any questions about your health insurance coverage. 

One copy of your transcript will be sent to your home university approximately six weeks after the end of the term. If you need to order an additional transcript, please visit this website for instructions on how to place an order.

Please notify Go Global at your earliest convenience if this is a possibility. It is also your responsibility to contact each of your UBC instructors to inform them of your late arrival and make up for any missed course material. 

Please refer to the International Student Guide.

Your personalized final exam dates are posted on your Student Service Centre. UBC Enrollment Services will release the exam schedule midway into the term. Please confirm your exam schedule before booking your return flight.

Please refrain from booking flights until you receive an official Letter of Acceptance (LoA) from Go Global before purchasing a ticket. If you chose to purchase your ticket before you receive your admission decision, make sure you buy cancellation insurance.

For any questions regarding study permits or Visa/Electronic Travel authorization applications, or travelling to Canada, please review the UBC International Student Guide. For step-by-step instructions on how to apply for your student permit, please review UBC’s online tutorial: How to apply for an initial study permit.

If you have further immigration questions, you must connect with our International Student Advisors who are Regulated Canadian Immigration Consultants/Regulated International Student Immigration Advisors. You can connect with them here. If you would like to contact them for an appointment, please review the instructions on their page. Ensure to let them know you are an incoming UBC exchange student and share your UBC Student ID number.

Exchange students will not be charged any tuition fees. They will have the mandatory International Health Insurance (IMED) and the U-Pass Program fees assessed and charged to their student account. You may view and pay these fees on UBC’s Student Service Centre (SSC) by logging in with your Campus Wide Login (CWL) Information. See this page for more information on living expenses to be aware of during your exchange term. 

As Go Global does not manage housing in any capacity, your inquiries would be best addressed by UBC housing at information@housing.ubc.ca.

This is typically not an option available to exchange students. Please contact the UBC Housing office (information@housing.ubc.ca) directly to see if you can make an arrangement.