The Expat’s Guide to Not Messing Up Your Insurance

So, you’re doing it. You’re actually moving abroad. The leaving party is booked, you’ve started strategically packing boxes (read: hiding stuff you don’t want to deal with yet), and you’re spending way too much time looking at weather forecasts for your new home. It’s a whirlwind of excitement, chaos, and that one nagging feeling in the pit of your stomach… the ‘life admin’ feeling.

Among the joys of redirecting mail and figuring out if your cat needs a passport, lies the beast of insurance. It’s the topic that can make a grown person want to curl up in a half-packed box and pretend it’s not happening.

But sorting it out is your golden ticket to a stress-free move. This is your no-nonsense guide to getting it right. Of course, if you’d rather just skip the reading and get straight to the answers, you can dive into a deep-dive guide on international insurance here or just book a call with a specialist who can untangle it all for you. For everyone else, grab a brew, and let’s get this sorted.

First Things First: Can’t I Just Take My UK Policies With Me?

This is the million-dollar question. You’ve been dutifully paying for your life and health cover for years, so it should just pop in your suitcase alongside your favourite teapot, right? Well… it’s a bit more complicated than that.

Let’s Talk Life Insurance

In many cases, your UK life insurance policy can come with you. It’s often perfectly happy to cover you wherever you are in the world, but only if you play by its rules. These usually include:

  1. You were a UK resident when you bought it: They signed you up based on your UK status, and that’s the foundation of the deal.
  2. You keep paying from a UK bank account: This is a surprisingly big deal for insurers. Trying to pay from a foreign account can cause all sorts of compliance headaches and may even invalidate your policy.
  3. You tell them you’re moving: This is the big one. Don’t just sneak off into the sunset. You need to call your insurer and tell them you’re becoming an expat. Some policies have geographical restrictions or clauses about permanent moves that you need to know about. Get their confirmation in writing.

Think of your life insurance policy like a slightly fussy houseplant. It can survive in a new environment, but only if you give it the right conditions. Uproot it without care, and it’s not going to be happy.

And What About Health Cover? The NHS Isn’t Going in Your Hand Luggage

This is where a lot of people get caught out. The National Health Service is exactly that: National. It’s funded by UK taxpayers for UK residents. The moment you move abroad and are no longer a resident, you generally lose your right to routine NHS treatment.

“But what about my GHIC card?” I hear you cry. The Global Health Insurance Card (and its predecessor, the EHIC) is a brilliant bit of kit for a holiday. It gives you access to state-funded emergency or necessary medical care in EU countries. It is not private health insurance, and it is absolutely not designed for people who are permanent residents in another country. It’s for temporary stays. Relying on it as your long-term health plan is like using a plaster for a broken leg.

The Big Debate: Local Cover vs. International Expat Insurance

Okay, so if your UK cover won’t quite cut it, the logical next step is to just buy some insurance in your new country, right? It might be the perfect solution. Or it might be a bureaucratic nightmare.

Getting a local policy can be great. It’s often cheaper, it’s in the local currency, and it can feel simpler. But it comes with a few potential pitfalls:

  • The Language Barrier: Trying to understand the nuances of an insurance contract is hard enough in English. In another language? Good luck.
  • Different Systems: Every country has a different approach to insurance. The level of cover you expect as standard might be a pricey add-on elsewhere.
  • Underwriting Woes: Local insurers want to see a local medical history. If you’ve just arrived, you don’t have one, which can make the application process feel like an interrogation.

This is where International Private Medical Insurance (IPMI) swans onto the stage. This is insurance designed specifically for people living and working abroad. It’s the seasoned traveller of the insurance world.

Think of it this way: buying a local policy is like buying a car designed for city driving when you’re about to move to the countryside. It’ll probably do the job, but it’s not quite right. An IPMI policy is the 4×4 Land Rover, built to handle exactly the kind of terrain you’re heading into.

Decoding the Jargon: What to Look for in an International Health Plan

When you start looking at IPMI plans, you’ll be hit with a load of terms that sound unnecessarily complicated. Let’s break them down.

  • Area of Cover: This is crucial. Most insurers offer “Worldwide” or “Worldwide excluding the USA.” The USA is separated because its healthcare costs are so astronomical that including it sends premiums into orbit. If you’re not planning on spending significant time there, excluding it is an easy way to save a lot of money.
  • Levels of Cover: Just like car insurance, you get different tiers. The basic level is usually ‘in-patient only’, which covers you if you’re admitted to hospital. The comprehensive plans will also cover ‘out-patient’ care (GP visits, specialist consultations, diagnostics) and might include extras like dental, optical, and wellness checks.
  • The Deductible (or Excess): This is the amount you agree to pay yourself towards a claim before the insurer steps in. A higher deductible means a lower monthly premium, and vice-versa. It’s a trade-off: are you willing to pay more upfront to have lower monthly costs?
  • Underwriting: This is how the insurer assesses your health before they offer you a policy. You’ll usually see two main types:
    • Full Medical Underwriting (FMU): You fill out a detailed health questionnaire, listing all your pre-existing conditions. The insurer then decides what they will and won’t cover. It’s more admin upfront, but you know exactly where you stand from day one.
    • Moratorium Underwriting: This is a “wait and see” approach. The policy will automatically exclude any conditions you’ve had symptoms or treatment for in the last few years (usually five). If you then go a set period (usually two years) in your new country without any symptoms or treatment for that condition, it may become eligible for cover. It’s quicker to set up, but leaves a grey area.

The Life Insurance Lowdown: Sort It Before You Fly

Let’s circle back to life insurance. While your UK policy might come with you, what if you need a new one, or want to top up your cover?

Here’s a golden piece of advice: It is almost always easier to get life insurance sorted while you are still a UK resident.

Insurers are creatures of habit. They like nice, predictable risk, and a UK resident with a UK medical history is a box they love to tick. The moment you say you’re moving to Country X, things can get more complicated. Some UK insurers won’t offer a new policy to someone about to emigrate, and trying to get a new policy once you’re already an expat can be tricky.

By arranging it before you go, the policy is underwritten based on your UK records and your UK residency. You lock in your cover, and then you’re free to move, knowing your family is protected.

Your Pre-Flight Insurance Checklist: A Simple Plan

Feeling a bit overwhelmed? Don’t be. Here’s a simple, step-by-step plan.

  1. Audit Your Existing Policies: Don’t assume anything. Dig out the paperwork for any life, health, or income protection policies you have.
  2. Call Your Providers: Have a straight conversation. “I am moving to Spain permanently on this date. Please confirm in writing how this affects my policy.”
  3. Research Your Destination: What’s the local healthcare like? Is it expensive? What are the visa requirements? Many countries (like Spain and Dubai) now mandate that all residents have private health insurance.
  4. Get Quotes Early: Don’t leave this until the last minute. Give yourself at least two or three months before your move date to compare international health and life insurance plans.
  5. Be Brutally Honest: When you fill out application forms, disclose everything. That knee trouble you had three years ago? Mention it. Trying to hide a pre-existing condition is the surest way to get a future claim denied.
  6. Keep Your UK Bank Account: Even if it’s just with a small amount of money, keeping a UK account open will make paying for any ongoing UK-based policies a thousand times simpler.

Final Thought: It’s Peace of Mind, Not Paperwork

Moving abroad is one of the most exciting, life-changing things you can ever do. The insurance part is just the boring scaffolding that makes the whole adventure safe and secure. By taking a bit of time to understand your options and put the right cover in place before you leave, you’re not just ticking a box. You’re buying peace of mind.

And that frees you up to focus on the much more important questions, like how to say “another glass of the local red wine, please” in your new language. Good luck with the move!

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