Covid-19 Updates
ISS is here to help ensure you maintain your status amid this ongoing global health pandemic. Please read our latest updates on how this virus impacts your immigration status.
Health Services- University Health Services (UHS) is the campus health care clinic and is open to all current UW-Madison students.
In addition to providing high quality health care, counseling, and prevention services, the goal of UHS is to act in ways that are culturally competent and appropriate to the diverse communities at UW-Madison.
Other Important Information…
The Student Health Insurance Plan (SHIP), offered through UHS, provides international students with a comprehensive and accessible health insurance plan. Registration with the SHIP office is mandatory for F-1 and J-1 visa holders. International students must either enroll in SHIP or receive a waiver based on a qualifying insurance program approved by UW-Madison.
Check out the SHIP website for more information.
Please note: If you have F-2 or J-2 dependent family members, they are also required to enroll in SHIP or receive a waiver as part of an approved insurance program.
Protect yourself and others by getting your vaccines.
COVID-19 Vaccine
COVID-19 vaccine is readily available on campus at no cost. Vaccination is free and you do not need to present identification. Visit the MyUHS portal and search for appointments on campus. If you’re already vaccinated off-campus, remember to upload your record to MyUHS. This includes vaccines approved for emergency use by the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) or the World Health Organization (WHO). Vaccines that are not currently FDA or WHO emergency use-approved can still be uploaded to your MyUHS for review by a medical doctor.
Find vaccine information on the UW-Madison COVID-19 vaccine information page. If you have personal questions, please submit them via MyUHS secure message, not email.
Other Vaccinations
Wisconsin law [SS 36.25 (46)] requires students who will live in a University Residence Hall to affirm that they have received vaccination against Meningococcal disease and Hepatitis B. University Health Services (UHS) has a health record form for students to complete which is confidential and retained by UHS. Students are required to affirm this information before they can move into the UW Residence Halls by visiting the UHS website.
Regardless of where you live, all students entering college are recommended to have certain vaccinations before arriving to campus. For a list of what vaccines are recommended please visit
UHS website – Medical Clearances
These vaccines are available at University Health Services (UHS) for a fee (some may even be covered through the Student Health Insurance Plan (SHIP)).
Immunizations available at UHS
For more information about the vaccines or to schedule an appointment, call UHS at (608) 265-5600.
The city of Madison and the UW-Madison campus community are strongly committed to safety. Although campus and the city of Madison are quite safe, UW-Madison still wants to ensure that students have access to a number of resources to further protect students on and around campus.
These resources include:
University of Wisconsin Police Department (UWPD) serves as our campus police force and works in conjunction with the City of Madison police force. The UWPD is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week if you need them.
WiscAlerts and electronic Crime Warnings serve as our campus emergency alert system provided by UWPD to inform the campus community of any emergency situations by phone and e-mail.
Badger Watch is a volunteering program that provides free training to students and campus staff about safety issues on campus and tips to keep yourself safe.
SAFEwalk is a free nightly service that sends student employees to accompany you home from anywhere on campus.
Nighttime Campus Bus Service can also help you to get home after a long night of studying in the library.
Lightway Walking Paths are a network of well-lighted paths for pedestrians.
Emergency Telephones are placed throughout campus (over 60 currently in place) and connect instantly to the local emergency operator.
Office of Cybersecurity at UW-Madison offers guides and training to help students prevent identity theft and other online scams.
Beware of scams at all times!
Unfortunately, many F-1 and J-1 international students have been common targets for scams. Scams are fraudulent or deceptive services that try to acquire your money or personal information illegally. Please read through the page linked below for ways to identify and protect yourself against scams.