Life Insurance
Life Insurance for Expats – What Actually Matters
Living abroad gives you freedom. But it also removes the safety net you had back home.
If something happens to you, the consequences are not just emotional – they are practical and financial:
- Who handles the costs?
- Where will you be buried?
- How will your family manage everything from another country?
These are decisions that must be made before, not after.
Why Life Insurance Is Critical When Living Abroad
When you live in another country, you are outside your home system. That means:
- No automatic support from your home country
- Local rules and costs apply
- Your family may need to act from abroad under pressure
A life insurance solution designed for expats ensures:
- Financial support for your family
- Coverage across borders
- A structured process in a difficult situation
Burial vs Repatriation – A Decision You Must Make
One of the most overlooked questions is:
Do you want to be buried locally, or returned to your home country?
Option 1: Local Burial
- Faster process
- Lower cost
- Handled under local regulations
Typical costs vary by country, but can include:
- Hospital fees
- Death certificates
- Funeral services
- Burial or cremation
Even a simple funeral can cost 1,000–5,000 USD depending on location.
Option 2: Repatriation (Returning the Body Home)
This is where costs increase significantly.
Repatriation usually includes:
- Embalming and preparation
- Special coffin (zinc-lined)
- International transport
- Airline cargo handling
- Documentation and embassy coordination
Typical cost: 👉 5,000–15,000 USD or more
Without insurance, this cost is paid by the family.
How We Cover You
We offer expat-focused insurance where life cover is included as part of broader protection.
Key points:
- Death benefit (lump sum payout)
- Often includes accident-related coverage
- Global validity for expats
- Different plan levels with different payout limits
This means:
- Your family receives financial support
- They can choose burial or repatriation
- Immediate costs are covered
What Is Typically Required for a Claim
In case of death, the process usually requires:
- Official death certificate
- Medical report
- Police report (if applicable)
- Policy documentation
A structured claims process ensures that payment is handled correctly.
Important Considerations
Before choosing a policy, make sure you understand:
- What triggers a payout (accident vs illness)
- Total payout amount
- Any exclusions (alcohol, risk activities, etc.)
- Whether repatriation is included or must be covered separately
The Bottom Line
Living abroad comes with freedom – but also responsibility.
Without a plan:
- Your family faces high costs
- Decisions must be made under pressure
- Logistics become complex across countries
With the right insurance:
- Costs are covered
- Decisions are already made
- Your family is protected
Get a live quote
Use the calculator below to estimate your premium based on your age, cover amount and disability options.
Life Insurance Calculator
Get a live premium estimate for life cover with disability protection. Underwritten by our partner.
Your premium
Important to Know — Waiting Periods
These rules apply to new policies and also when you upgrade or change an existing cover. Read carefully before you apply or adjust your plan.
Under 65 years old
- No health check-up required.
- 6 months waiting period for the specific diseases listed below.
- 5 years waiting period for degenerative diseases.
65 years and older
- Two options at application: with a health check-up (less than 30 days old) or without.
- With check-up: 6 months waiting period for specific diseases.
- Without check-up: 1 year waiting period for specific diseases.
- Degenerative diseases: 5 years waiting period — only covered if no condition is found at check-up. If no check-up is done, degenerative diseases are not covered.
Specific diseases — 6 months waiting period (12 months if 65+ without medical check-up)
Coverage starts after the waiting period only if no condition is found during that time. The waiting period is 6 months for applicants under 65, and also for applicants 65+ who provide a medical check-up (less than 30 days old). For applicants 65+ who do not provide a check-up, the waiting period is 12 months. If a condition is found during the waiting period, the specific disease is not covered.
- Hypertension & Cardiovascular Disease
- All Tumors, Polyp or Cyst
- Hemorrhoids
- Prostate Disease
- Diabetes
- Cancer
- Endometriosis
- Cholecystitis, Cholelithiasis
- Calculi of the Urinary Organ
- Hernias (1 year)
Degenerative diseases — 5 years waiting period
Conditions linked to ageing, genetic or progressive diseases that affect the nervous system, muscles, joints, eyes or metabolism. Cover starts after 5 years only if no diagnosis is found during the waiting period.
- Alzheimer’s disease (AD)
- Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS, Lou Gehrig’s)
- Charcot–Marie–Tooth disease (CMT)
- Chronic traumatic encephalopathy
- Cystic fibrosis
- Cytochrome c oxidase deficiencies (Leigh syndrome)
- Ehlers–Danlos syndrome
- Fibrodysplasia ossificans progressive
- Friedreich’s ataxia
- Frontotemporal dementia (FTD)
- Huntington’s disease
- Infantile neuroaxonal dystrophy
- Keratoconus, Keratoglobus
- Leukodystrophies
- Macular degeneration (AMD)
- Marfan’s syndrome (MFS)
- Mitochondrial myopathies
- Mitochondrial DNA depletion syndrome
- Mueller–Weiss syndrome
- Multiple sclerosis (MS)
- Multiple system atrophy
- Muscular dystrophies (MD)
- Neuronal ceroid lipofuscinosis
- Niemann–Pick diseases
- Osteoarthritis, Osteoporosis
- Parkinson’s disease
- Pulmonary arterial hypertension
- Prion diseases (Creutzfeldt–Jakob, fatal familial insomnia, etc.)
- Progressive supranuclear palsy
- Retinitis pigmentosa (RP)
- Rheumatoid arthritis
- Sandhoff Disease
- Spinal muscular atrophy (SMA)
- Subacute sclerosing panencephalitis
- Substance Use Disorder
- Tay–Sachs disease
- Vascular dementia
Existing customers — upgrades and re-applications
If you are already a our member and want to upgrade, downgrade or re-apply for a cover, the same 6-month waiting period applies for specific diseases — unless you provide a medical check-up less than 30 days old.
Any pre-existing condition that has previously generated a claim, and any condition that was already known, will be excluded from the new cover. If a claim has been made under your existing plan, downgrading is generally not accepted.
This is a summary only. The full and binding terms are set out in the our policy document. We are happy to walk you through the details before you apply.