Insurance
ASF requires that trainees be covered by insurance which meets government regulations for exchange visitors. ASF has arranged a group policy with the International Medical Group (IMG) for $2.20 per day specifically designed to meet or exceed those regulations.

You may be exempted from the IMG policy only if you show ASF in writing that you will be covered by insurance which meets all of the following conditions:

(1) Medical benefits of at least $250,000 per accident or illness
(2) Repatriation of remains in the amount of $30,000
(3) Expenses associated with the medical evacuation of the exchange visitor to his or her home country in the amount of $50,000
(4) A deductible not to exceed $100 per accident or illness

Most policies do not cover medical evacuation or repatriation of remains. Please note that the insurance included with an International Student Identity Card does not provide sufficient medical benefit to be an acceptable substitute by itself.

ASF is not responsible for the consequences if you fail to carry such insurance for yourself or if you misrepresent your insurance coverage.

Deposit
Should you be matched to a Placement Offer, you will be asked to show your commitment to the Placement Offer with a $200 deposit.

If the trainer accepts you and you have provided ASF with proof of or payment for insurance, the deposit will be refunded once you begin your practical training.

If the trainer does not accept you, the deposit will be refunded immediately.

If the trainer accepts you but you fail to provide ASF with either proof of or payment for insurance, the deposit will be applied towards enrollment in the group insurance policy for ASF trainees.

Unless you instruct us otherwise, the deposit refund will be sent to your US address in order to help you avoid fees associated with foreign currency checks.

If you renege on your commitment to a Placement Offer, you forfeit your deposit.

Passports, Visas and Permits
If you are matched to a Placement Offer and do not have a passport, apply for one immediately. A passport usually takes three to four weeks to issue.

Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden all are members of the Schengen area, a zone of 15 European countries (Austria, Belgium, Denmark, France, Finland, Germany, Greece, Iceland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden) who have agreed to pursue a common visa policy.

Applicants without US citizenship should check if they need a visa for the Schengen area.

Most trainees (both US citizens and foreign nationals) will need Work/Residence Permits.

Trainees must have any necessary permits and visas before they leave the United States. Work/Residence Permits cannot be obtained after arrival in the host country. For this reason, we advise against purchasing nonrefundable airfares before you have your Work/Residence Permit. Work/Residence Permits are site-specific, i.e. trainees may not work anywhere else without permission of the national ASF partner organization and any relevant government authorities.

Final authority over work permit approval rests with the government of the host country.

ASF is not responsible for the consequences should you engage in practical training without a Work/Residence Permit.

ASF can help only with temporary Work/Residence Permits. Under no circumstances can ASF provide any assistance with permanent relocation, e.g. permanent residency, citizenship.

Denmark
All trainees to Denmark need Work Permits.

The Danish Consulate charges a work permit application fee of $45.

Finland
If your stay in the Schengen area is less than 90 days, you do not need a Residence Permit to train in Finland.

If your stay in the Schengen area including travel before or after your training period exceeds 90 days, you will need a Residence Permit, for which the Finnish Consulate charges a $288 administrative fee plus return postage ($17 for FedEx Overnight). When applying for your Residence Permit, you must include any extra travel time outside of your training period on your application. You must commit to those dates when applying; you will not be able to get extra travel time on your Residence Permit later on. You must leave the Schengen area no later than one day after the expiration of your Residence Permit.

Iceland
Contact ASF for details.

Norway
All trainees to Norway need Work Permits.

Utlendingsdirektoratet, the Norwegian Directorate of Immigration, takes 3 to 4 months to issue the documents used to obtain a Work Permit. Trainees to Norway must have these documents before they leave the United States.

Sweden
All trainees to Sweden need Work Permits.

Trainees apply for Swedish Work Permits through ASF, who endorses those applications to Arbetsförmedlingen Utland, the International Employment Office of the Swedish Employment Service, who recommends approval to Migrationsverket, the Swedish Immigration Board. Migrationsverket charges a work permit application fee of SEK1025 which must be paid by Swedish Kronor Draft at the time of application.