If you're planning an extended stay in another country, expatriate insurance can cover your medical bills if you're injured, reimburse you for loss of personal property, and even provide assistance if you have to evacuate because of a natural disaster. Most expatriate insurance policies cover you for the length of your stay, and can be purchased every six months or annually.

Several insurance providers focus exclusively on expatriate services, and offer options both for travelers and for expatriates living or working in another country on a long-term basis. The most commonly purchased kinds of expat insurance are:

1. Expatriate life insurance
2. Health / medical insurance
3. Personal property and auto insurance
   

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Be prepared for injury or illness with expatriate health insurance

Many expatriates aren't covered by their existing health plans while traveling, living or working in other countries. But health coverage may be the most crucial kind of insurance they purchase because of the dangers posed by unfamiliar surroundings, whether it's an insect-transmitted illness, food poisoning or a simple accident. There are two kinds of expatriate medical insurance: worldwide and worldwide excluding the United States. And, most expatriate health care insurance policies are portable, so you can use them while traveling through various countries without any waiting periods where you have no coverage.

I recommend: To find the best coverage for you and your family, compare insurance plans at a site like Insure.com, or find a company that specializes in health insurance, such as Private Health Associates.

Stay legal with expatriate auto insurance

Just as the United States requires liability insurance for all vehicles, many other countries require drivers to purchase liability policies before they can register their automobiles. Because it is difficult to transfer auto insurance from one country to another, it's easier to purchase a new plan when you relocate. However, policies in other countries may differ significantly from the typical American plan, and may have much lower coverage limits.

I recommend: GEICO offers worldwide auto insurance, or look into expatriate insurance specifically for the country you're relocating to, such as Aon, which provides coverage for expatriates in France.

Protect your belongings with personal property expatriate insurance

Expatriate insurance can reimburse you for items lost while moving to another country, or after relocating there. Personal property insurance is often attached to a home insurance policy, and can include 'all fixtures and fittings within the home,' or on a 'worldwide all risks' basis. You can also insure your valuables during transit with international transport insurance. Home insurance policies are typically only available to homeowners, and cover rebuilding costs. For a higher premium, you can add risks specific to the geographic location you're relocating to, such as floods, typhoons or other 'acts of God.'

I recommend: Clements International offers personal property, and other insurance coverage, to expatriates, both individuals and businesses living anywhere in the world. Lloyd's of London also offers worldwide personal property insurance coverage.

Protect yourself in high-risk areas with specialty expatriate travel insurance

In especially volatile regions, you may need more than basic medical or life insurance. Some firms offer specialized insurance covering everything from emergency evacuation to war and terrorism to kidnap and ransom.

I recommend: Sunburst International Risk Management and Chubb both offer specialty, high-risk insurance plans, including kidnap and ransom insurance.

Seek expat insurance advice at online expatriate communities

Fellow expatriates may be your best source of information about what kinds of expat insurance you need and how to purchase it. Most includes articles on the various kinds of expatriate insurance, a list of service providers, and forums where you can ask other citizens living abroad about their experiences.

I recommend: Check out the "Going Abroad" discussion forum, the health care and insurance resource guide at ExpatExchange, or the resources section at TransitionsAbroad.com.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Expatriate travel insurance policies may include exclusions you may not think of--acts of war, terrorist acts, civil commotions or nuclear explosions, for example.
• •  Purchase overseas insurance prior to your trip, preferably from a provider that specializes in expatriate insurance.