Health Insurance & Immunizations
Health Insurance Requirement for F-1 and J-1 Students
Any international student with F-1 and J-1 visa status who is enrolled at the UW in a program that lasts a quarter or longer must purchase the UW International Student Health Insurance Plan (ISHIP).
You are enrolled automatically for quarterly, student-only coverage for each quarter you register for classes. If you want to enroll your spouse and/or children, you must indicate this when you register and complete and submit a dependent enrollment form.
The insurance requirement can be waived only for students who are funded by their government or by the U.S. government.
Cost Per Quarter
Below are ISHIP fees for the 2021–22 school year. All costs are subject to change.
Student-only plan: $393 per quarter
F-2 dependents: $383 per person per quarter
Coverage Periods
ISHIP is valid for the following dates of coverage:
- Autumn 2021: Sep 1, 2021–Jan 2, 2022
- Winter 2022: Jan 3–Mar 27, 2022
- Spring 2022: Mar 28–Jun 19, 2022
- Summer 2022: Jun 20–Aug 31, 2022
Plan Benefits
See the LifeWise Benefit Booklet for a detailed explanation of the medical benefits provided under the ISHIP plan. You may also want to visit the ISHIP Resources page, which contains videos, forms and other useful information in a variety of languages. If you have additional questions, visit the ISHIP Office, which is located in the Hall Health Center in room 187B of the Health Promotion Office, or visit the ISHIP Office website.
Insurance for Non-F-1 Students
If you’re studying in one of our programs but are not in the United States on an F-1 or J-1 visa, you’re not eligible to purchase health insurance through the UW. Because visits to hospitals and medical clinics are expensive in the United States, we strongly recommend that non-F-1 students purchase medical/travel insurance in their home country that will provide coverage for the duration of their stay in Seattle.
Immunizations
Because the health of our students is important to us, all UW IELP students are required to provide proof in English that they are immune to certain diseases. Your requirements depends on your age.
- If you’ll be under 22 as of the first day of your program, you must provide evidence of immunity to measles, mumps, and meningococcal meningitis A, C, W and Y. Get requirement details.
- If you’ll be 22 years or older on the first day of your program, you must provide evidence of immunity to measles and mumps. Get requirement details.
How to Verify Your Immunization Status
To meet the immunization requirement, you must submit the UW Immunity Verification Form through an online portal.
COVID-19 Immunization Requirement
To help protect the health and safety of our community, the University of Washington is requiring all students, including students enrolled in fully online programs, to be vaccinated against COVID-19 or submit a request for a medical or religious exemption.
Vaccinated Students
Vaccinated students must verify their vaccination status through a secure student attestation form. After answering a few questions about your vaccination, you’ll be asked to upload proof of vaccination, such as a vaccination card or other vaccination record.
To access the attestation form, you’ll need a UW NetID. If you don’t have a NetID yet, you can set one up using the student number and private access code (PAC) sent to you after you were admitted to our program. If you haven’t received this info (or if you’ve misplaced it), contact us for help.
Students who haven’t yet been vaccinated will have opportunities to do so when they arrive in Seattle. Many clinics and pharmacies in Seattle and Washington offer COVID-19 vaccines:
- https://vaccinelocator.doh.wa.gov/
- For sites in other states: vaccines.gov
UW Hall Health Center on the UW Seattle campus will also have a limited number of vaccine appointments for its patients.
Students Requesting an Exemption
In addition to the student attestation form, students who are requesting an exemption for medical reasons or deeply held religious beliefs must complete a COVID-19 Medical or Religious Exemption Request. Philosophical exemptions are no longer allowed by Washington state.
To access the attestation form, you’ll need a UW NetID. If you don’t have a NetID yet, you can set one up using the student number and private access code (PAC) sent to you after you were admitted to our program. If you haven’t received this info (or if you’ve misplaced it), contact us for help.
Deadlines
New students must submit their UW Immunity Verification Form and provide proof of vaccination against COVID-19 or submit a request for exemption before they can register for classes.
Continuing students won’t be allowed to register for any future quarter classes until they have satisfied the UW Immunization Requirement.