University of Wisconsin–Madison

In an Emergency

An emergency card is available for you in MySA. This emergency card contains our emergency contact and insurance information. Print the card or save it on your phone and carry it with you throughout the duration of your program.

It’s important to know how to react and who to contact first in an emergency. This will depend on what the specific issue is, but your first calls could be to:

Local emergency services (your host country’s 911 equivalent)

You should become familiar with the procedures for obtaining emergency health and law enforcement services in your location.

AXA assistance company (CISI’s Team Assist Plan)

Your international health insurance, CISI, partners with AXA Assistance Company to provide worldwide, 24/7 assistance service through their Team Assist Plan (TAP). If you require help finding local medical assistance, you can call AXA Assistance Company. An operator will help locate a medical provider near you and start your claim case.

UW-Madison’s Study Abroad Emergency Phone

If you need to contact UW-Madison for assistance with an emergency:

  • During business hours (8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Central Time), call the Study Abroad Resource Center at +1-608-265-6329.
  • During non-business hours, call our emergency phone at +1-608-516-9440. This phone is answered by a UW-Madison study abroad staff member who can assist you. This number is for health and safety emergencies only.
  • We are committed to providing prompt and thorough assistance to students. When you make contact, provide as much of the following information as possible:
    • Your name
    • Location and program name
    • Date, time, and description of occurrence/condition
    • Action taken thus far
    • Your contact information

If there is a large-scale emergency or natural disaster in your location, contact UW-Madison as soon as possible. In such circumstances, we will be in close contact with you, your onsite staff, and, if applicable, the program provider for your program. Typically, on-site staff will seek advice from local authorities and the U.S. consulate or embassy nearest the program location. Assistance is managed in coordination with CISI (our medical and security insurance provider). Parents, friends, and family are asked to communicate directly with our staff in order to allow on-site staff to focus on working with students and local officials.

Health & Safety Resources