Practical details to organise and participate in
Sign and send the contract
Students who have been granted a Minor Field Scholarship will receive the document “Contract and scholarship form” by email.
You have to sign the document and send it by email to: mfs.io@umu.se.
Preparatory meeting (mandatory)
Once you have been granted a scholarship, you must participate in a mandatory preparatory meeting at Umeå University.
At the meeting, you will receive information about the scholarship, insurance, personal safety, health as well as practical details which will help you before, during and after your planned field studies.
Get permits in the host country
It is your responsibility to investigate if you need a permit to conduct your field study in the host country. Indicate that you are to do a study, do not mention research, investigation, mission or work. Keep in mind that you are doing a minor field study at undergraduate level.
Apply for a visa
It is your responsibility to apply for a visa. Visa applications are submitted to the embassy or consulate of the host country, or through your travel agent. It may be easier to apply for a tourist visa rather than a student visa, but that is a decision you have to make.
Vaccinations and medical examination
Get all recommended vaccinations for the country you are travelling to. If you have a chronic illness or if there are other health-related concerns that could affect your stay abroad, you should undergo a medical examination to ensure there are no obstacles for your travel. Contact your health centre for information about how to proceed.
The scholarship should cover any costs for vaccinations and medical examinations.
Insurance
When you do Minor Field Studies and are registered in Ladok, you are insured through Kammarkollegiets (The Legal, Financial and Administrative Services Agency) insurance Student UT. The insurance covers you:
- during the travels to and from the host country;
- 24 hours a day during your stay in the country where your field study is carried out; and
- two weeks prior to the start of your field study and two weeks after the end of your field study.
To be covered by the insurance you must be registered in Ladok.
The insurance does not apply if you stop over in another country on your way to, or from, the host country. If you remain in the country after your field studies, or if you travel to another country, you need to take out your own insurance.
Insurance certificate
To receive an insurance certificate, you must submit:
- an insurance agreement signed by your supervisor at Umeå University and the contact person in the host country; and
- a copy of your airplane tickets (return trip).
If the insurance certificate for some reason cannot be signed (for instance if your contact person is not affiliated to an organisation), you must notify the University’s MFS coordinator through mfs.io@umu.se to take out a separate insurance.
Buy airline tickets
Purchase airline tickets, roundtrip, to the town you will be based in. Choose the cheapest alternative and, if possible, a flight that arrives in the host country during daytime.
Save your boarding passes – you must hand them in (original) to the International Office when you return to Umeå.
Inform various contacts and authorities
Notify the International Office of your travel plans
When the flight ticket has been booked and you have set a departure date, you must notify the International Office of your travel plans by sending the scholarship form to mfs.io@umu.se. This so that you have time to receive the scholarship, insurance certificate and other certificates well in advance of your trip.
Also contact the International Office when you have returned to Sweden.
Report your stay abroad to the Swedish embassy or consulate
Before departure, you should inform the Swedish embassy or consulate in the host country about when, where and why you will reside in the country. As address, state your contact person and their authority or institution.
The assistance office at the embassy has no obligation or possibility to help you with practical, technical or administrative issues. This is your contact person's responsibility.
When you are on site, you must give the embassy or consulate your contact details, for example your mobile phone number.
You can report your stay abroad on SwedenAbroad.se (in Swedish)
Keep in close contact with your contact person in the host country
Send your project description and inform your contact person about your arrival.
Keep in close contact before departure and discuss project issues, arrival time, practical things such as housing, government contacts and transport.
Keep in close contact with your supervisor at Umeå University
Keep in close contact with your supervisor at the University when you are in the host country so that your supervisor can follow your progress. Remember to take note of any specific instructions from your department.
In case of emergencies or security situations
Safety and travel recommendations
Prepare for the trip by looking at the Swedish Ministry for Foreign Affairs' (UD) travel information (in Swedish). You can also visit the 1177 website for travelling advice concerning health and vaccinations (in Swedish) for the country you are travelling to.
Umeå University must ensure that you are informed about the Swedish Ministry of Foreign Affairs' travel information before and during your field studies and that you consult with the relevant foreign authority if necessary.
The Swedish Ministry of Foreign Affairs' website contains information on which countries the authority advises against traveling to (in Swedish).
Travel information from the Swedish Ministry for Foreign Affairs (in Swedish)
Advise against travels from the Swedish Ministry for Foreign Affairs (in Swedish)
Travel advice and vaccination on 1177.se (in Swedish)
Advice against travel before you have left Sweden
If the Swedish Ministry of Foreign Affairs' travel information contains advice against staying in a specific country or region, or states that "only necessary trips are allowed to the country or region", you will not be allowed to travel to the country or region as a part of your scholarship.
An MFS-study cannot be undertaken when the Swedish Ministry of Foreign Affairs issue the following advice or recommendations:
- advice against non-necessary travels to a country;
- advice against all travels to a country; or
- when all Swedes are urged to leave a country or part of a country.
If the advice against non-necessary travels and all travel is only applicable to one specific part of the country (a region), it may be possible for students to carry out the field study in a secure area of the country as long as the dangerous areas are avoided also when travelling to or from the main destination.
If Umeå University has decided to grant you a scholarship and the Swedish Ministry for Foreign Affairs' travel recommendations change to advice against any travels, before you leave, the scholarship will be withdrawn.
Advice against travels when you have already travelled to the host country
If you have already travelled to the host country when advice from travelling comes into effect, you need to return home within 30 days. In that case, you do not need to meet the MFS conditions of spending eight weeks in the field.
If the Swedish Ministry for Foreign Affairs urges Swedes to leave the country or region, you must leave the country or region immediately.
We recommend that you also download the app Resklar – the Ministry for Foreign Affairs' app for travel information.
Contact details in case of emergency
In case of emergency, for example, injuries, accidents or a changed security situation where you need immediate assistance, you should contact FALCK Global Assistance. They are able to help you quickly in your location.
Bring the following contact details:
Phone, immediate assistance: + 46 8 587 717 17
Fax: + 46 8 505 939 13
Email: fga@se.falck.com
Also, contact the MFS coordinator on mfs.io@umu.se, your contact person in the host country and your supervisor at Umeå University if anything happens.
