The Essential Insurance Checklist for Expats

Insurance is rarely the most exciting topic in personal finance, but for an expat it is one of the most consequential. A UK resident who is adequately insured through a combination of state provision (the NHS), employer benefits, and standard UK retail policies may find, on moving abroad, that most of that coverage either lapses, becomes invalid, or simply does not apply in the new country. The gaps can be significant — and the financial consequences of discovering them at the wrong moment can be severe.

This guide covers every major category of insurance that an internationally mobile individual should review before — and after — moving abroad.

1. International Health Insurance

This is the single most important insurance product for any expat. The NHS is funded by UK National Insurance contributions and, broadly speaking, provides cover only in the UK. Once you move abroad, your entitlement to NHS treatment is significantly curtailed: you may be able to return to the UK for treatment in some circumstances, but relying on this for ongoing healthcare needs is impractical.

In most countries, private healthcare is the norm for expatriates, and in some destinations — particularly in Southeast Asia, the Gulf, and many developing markets — the private healthcare sector is where you want to be anyway (the quality of private hospitals in Bangkok, Dubai, or Singapore is excellent).

What to look for in international health insurance:

• Inpatient cover: the essential minimum — hospitalisation, surgery, and specialist consultations requiring admission. All international health plans cover this.
• Outpatient cover: GP visits, specialist consultations without hospitalisation, diagnostics. Many lower-cost plans exclude outpatient cover; it is well worth paying for.
• Dental and optical: often excluded from basic plans; can be added as an optional extra.
• Maternity cover: if relevant, check carefully — many plans exclude maternity in the first 12 months of cover.
• Medical evacuation and repatriation: critical for destinations where local emergency care is limited. If you suffer a serious cardiac event in rural Thailand or an accident in Egypt, medical evacuation by air ambulance to a quality facility can cost £30,000–£100,000+. This cover is essential.
• USA inclusion or exclusion: healthcare in the US is among the most expensive in the world. Plans that include the USA are significantly more expensive than those that exclude it. If you do not travel to the US, exclude it to reduce the premium substantially.
• Pre-existing conditions: declared pre-existing conditions may be excluded, covered with a loading, or covered normally after a qualifying period. Always declare accurately — non-disclosure can invalidate a claim.

Major providers: Bupa Global, Cigna Global, AXA Global Healthcare, Allianz Care, and Aetna International are the most widely used by UK expats. Comparison sites including Pacific Prime, William Russell, and others provide independent quotes across multiple providers.

Budget guide: a healthy non-smoker in their 40s purchasing comprehensive international health insurance (excluding the USA) can expect to pay approximately £1,800–£4,000 per year. A 65-year-old in good health would pay £3,000–£6,000+. Premiums increase with age, coverage level, and destination.

2. Life Insurance

Life insurance is essential for any expat with financial dependants — a partner, children, or business partners. The purpose is straightforward: if you die, the people who depend on you financially should not face hardship.

UK policies and expatriates. Most UK life insurance policies continue to be valid when you move abroad, provided you disclosed your travel or residency plans at the point of application. Check your policy wording carefully — some policies have territorial restrictions or require notification of a permanent change of residence. A UK insurer may continue to provide cover but require a different declaration or premium if you are living in a country considered higher risk.

New policies as an expat. If you do not have existing UK life cover and need to arrange it as a non-UK resident, some UK insurers will not write a policy for non-residents. The solution is international life insurance — products specifically designed for internationally mobile individuals.

Isle of Man-domiciled policies. International life insurance written through Isle of Man (IoM) licensed insurers is particularly well-suited to expats. IoM-domiciled policies are:

• Portable: valid regardless of where in the world you reside.
• Flexible: can be converted between whole-of-life and term structures.
• In a stable jurisdiction with strong policyholder protection regulation (the IoM Financial Services Ombudsman).

Major IoM providers include RL360, Utmost International (formerly Zurich International Life), and Friends Provident International.

Sum assured guidance. The life cover sum should be sufficient to:

• Repay any outstanding mortgage or other secured debt.
• Replace your income for the period your dependants need it (often 5–10 times annual income as a broad rule of thumb).
• Meet any specific financial commitments (school fees, business loans with personal guarantee).

Writing the policy in trust. Life insurance written in trust passes outside your estate on death (no IHT on the proceeds) and is paid directly to the beneficiaries without the need for a Grant of Probate. For expats with significant estates, this is particularly important and worth the modest administrative effort.

3. Income Protection Insurance

Income protection (IP) — also called long-term disability insurance — pays a replacement income if you are unable to work due to illness or injury. For employed individuals, an employer may provide group IP cover. For the self-employed, contractors, or those working internationally outside a group scheme, IP is frequently absent — and this represents the largest single insurance gap for most working-age individuals.

The consequences of being unable to work for an extended period — due to a serious accident, cancer, chronic illness, or mental health condition — are severe if no income protection is in place. Savings are depleted quickly; mortgages may be unserviceable; lifestyle changes are forced.

Key features to understand:

• Own-occupation definition: the best policies pay out if you cannot do your own occupation — not just any job. A surgeon who cannot operate due to a hand injury but could theoretically do administrative work should receive a claim under an own-occupation policy.
• Deferred period: how long after becoming unable to work before the policy starts paying (typically 1, 3, 6, or 12 months). Longer deferred periods reduce premiums.
• Benefit period: until retirement, or to a specified age. Longer benefit periods are more expensive but more comprehensive.
• International IP providers: Friends Provident International, Zurich International, and RL360 offer IP products designed for internationally mobile individuals.

4. Property Insurance: UK Property While Abroad

If you own a UK property — whether you have let it, left it vacant, or retained it for future occupation — you need to ensure it is properly insured while you are overseas.

Standard UK home insurance — will it continue? Most standard home insurance policies require the insured to notify the insurer if the property is to be unoccupied for 30–60 days or more. A property left empty while you live abroad for an extended period may not be covered under a standard policy. An "unoccupied extension" or a specialist unoccupied property policy is required.

Buy-to-let landlord insurance. If you are letting the property, a standard home insurance policy is not appropriate. You need a specialist landlord buildings and contents policy. Landlord insurance typically covers:

• Buildings (against fire, flood, subsidence, and other perils).
• Contents (if you provide furnished accommodation).
• Loss of rent (if the property becomes uninhabitable due to an insured event).
• Property owner's liability (if a tenant or visitor is injured on the property and brings a claim).

Major UK landlord insurance providers include Aviva, Direct Line for Business, Legal & General, and specialist landlord insurers such as HomeLet and Simply Business.

Non-resident considerations. UK insurers generally continue to insure properties owned by non-UK resident landlords, but you must disclose your non-resident status. The insurance premium may be slightly higher, and some insurers may require professional managing agent supervision of the property.

5. Overseas Property Insurance

If you own property abroad — whether a principal residence, a holiday home, or an investment property — you need local property insurance in that country.

Requirements vary significantly:

• In France and Spain, building insurance for apartments is typically managed by the residents' association (syndic / comunidad) — check what individual cover you need beyond this.
• In Dubai, buildings insurance is typically provided for strata-title apartments by the building management; individual unit owners need contents insurance at minimum.
• In Thailand, foreign-owned condominium units need individual property insurance through a Thai insurer or an international provider.

Check local requirements carefully. An uninsured overseas property is exposed to significant financial loss.

6. Travel Insurance for Expats

Standard travel insurance sold on a trip-by-trip or annual multi-trip basis is designed for short-duration holidays — typically with a maximum single trip duration of 30 days. An expat who travels frequently, or who lives in one country and visits others regularly, may find that standard travel insurance does not cover their travel patterns.

For expats, the options are:

• International health insurance with an evacuation component: in most cases, comprehensive international health insurance covers emergency medical costs while travelling, including evacuation. This may make additional travel insurance less necessary.
• Expatriate travel insurance: specialist products designed for those living and working abroad, with longer maximum trip durations and more flexible territorial coverage.
• Trip-by-trip policies: for occasional visits to the home country or specific destinations, trip-by-trip insurance may be sufficient.

Personal liability and legal expenses: some expats add personal liability cover (in case you cause accidental damage to a third party) and legal expenses insurance (in case you need legal assistance in an overseas jurisdiction) to their cover package.

The Insurance Review Process

Moving abroad — or reviewing your position as an established expat — is the right moment to conduct a comprehensive insurance audit. The questions to answer are:

1. Do I have international health insurance with adequate inpatient, outpatient, and evacuation cover?
2. Does my life insurance remain valid overseas? If not, do I have portable international cover?
3. Do I have income protection appropriate to my employment status?
4. Are my UK properties correctly insured (landlord policy if let; unoccupied extension if vacant)?
5. Are my overseas properties locally insured?
6. Does my travel insurance cover my actual travel patterns?

Reviewing these with a specialist expat insurance adviser — rather than simply renewing UK policies by default — typically identifies gaps and reduces costs.

Important Considerations

Insurance products, premiums, and terms change regularly. The products and providers mentioned in this article are illustrative; they do not represent an endorsement and should not be relied upon without current comparison from an independent adviser. Your specific insurance needs depend on your health, family circumstances, country of residence, assets, and employment status. Always seek advice from a suitably qualified and regulated insurance adviser. Past performance of insurance providers is not a guarantee of future claims handling.

How Global Investments Can Help

Global Investments helps internationally mobile clients review their insurance coverage as part of a broader financial planning service. We can identify gaps in existing cover, refer you to specialist expat insurance advisers and brokers, and ensure that your insurance arrangements are integrated coherently with your wider financial plan — covering life cover written in trust, income protection structured for self-employed or contracting arrangements, and property cover across multiple jurisdictions. Contact our team to arrange a financial planning review.