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Living overseas

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Original poster

Expat insurance - help needed!! Thanks

42 replies

Selks · 25/07/2011 10:05

Advice needed please...

My son (24) is moving to live in Brunei (next to Malaysia) to be with his lovely girlfriend who lives there. We're hurriedly getting things sorted as he is off in three weeks.

My parting gift to him is to sort his insurance. I've been told that he needs 'expat insurance' rather than travel insurance as he will be living there for a minimum of two years.

Can anyone tell me what I should be looking for in a good expat insurance policy - the minimum things that it should cover, and if anyone can recommend some good insurance companies that offer good expat policies, or if anyone has any other comments or experience of this to share I'd be very grateful.

Thanks in advance

OP posts:
Original poster
Selks · 25/07/2011 15:49

anyone?

OP posts:
LunaticFringe · 25/07/2011 16:02

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Original poster
Selks · 25/07/2011 16:46

Thanks. I did look at them earlier, but the quote they gave me was shockingly high.

OP posts:
MindtheGappp · 26/07/2011 08:18

We used Cigna Expatriate, but that was just for health insurance.

Original poster
Selks · 26/07/2011 10:39

Thanks MindtheGapp.

Does £47 per month sound like an average premium for this sort of insurance, or is it expensive? It's what I've been quoted from a couple of companies.

Son's father who is a UK expat in Sri Lanka has told him that he has some insurance for around £100 per year...waiting to get some details of that but I suspect it's not quite right....

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Original poster
Selks · 26/07/2011 10:46

Crikey, just did a quote with Cigna Expatriate and they wante £150 per month!

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thanksamillion · 26/07/2011 12:57

You could try Banner Insurance - they came in the cheapest for us. But it is (very) expensive.

Original poster
Selks · 26/07/2011 18:12

thanks, will look at Banner.

What do you think it should cover?

  • basic health care, clearly
  • repatriation
anything else?
OP posts:
MindtheGappp · 26/07/2011 18:18

You get what you pay for in terms of coverage and co-pays.

If he is moving permanently, why does he need expat insurance?

Original poster
Selks · 26/07/2011 18:22

Expat insurance is for people living abroad, isn't it?? If he doesn't have that, what do you suggest?

He's going to be living out there for around four years, before they both come back to the UK.

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MindtheGappp · 26/07/2011 18:44

This is just my personal opinion, but expat insurance is a luxury product for people living abroad expecting at least the same level of medical coverage abroad as they would get at home.

For a British citizen, it means that everything is covered, because that's what the NHS gives you.

In developing countries, this probably means having unlimited access to the swankiest American hospitals and consultant care for everything.

This may not be something for a young man with no dependents to be willing to pay for. Local insurance may be fine for him, or just paying as he goes.

Original poster
Selks · 26/07/2011 18:58

What do you mean by local insurance?

Sorry to ask so many questions.....just want to make sure that he can access healthcare and be flown home in the event of an emergency really.

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Original poster
Selks · 26/07/2011 19:02

Apparently Brunei has good free basic healthcare - clinics etc - but for bigger operations or if there are complications then a flight home or to Singapore is needed.

OP posts:
MindtheGappp · 26/07/2011 19:05

By local insurance I mean insurance that their citizens would get.

You may be able to get catastrophic and repatriation (of dead body) cover.

Original poster
Selks · 26/07/2011 19:21

Right. That may be an idea...possibly would only be able to sort that out when he is over there.

Would it be really wrong or dodgy to use a 12 month backpackers insurance - which is about a tenth of the price of expat insurance - for the first year while he susses it all out?

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Original poster
Selks · 26/07/2011 19:22

many thanks for your input by the way MindtheGapp

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MindtheGappp · 26/07/2011 19:28

What visa is he on?

I noticed that on the Brunei High Commission webpage it said you needed to show them your policy when applying for the visa.

With insurance, you need to read the small print very carefully. You have to check that if he's on more than a 3/6 month visitor visa that travel insurance will work. There are places that give you 12 and 24 month coverage for under US$1000 per year - but the devil is in the detail.

Original poster
Selks · 26/07/2011 20:20

He has a three month tourist visa.
His girlfriend who is in Brunei has sorted it out for him. He's hoping to get work out there (he has a possibility of a job) and get a longer working visa of some kind. I'm not up on the full ins and outs of the visa situation.

Blimey this is all so complicated and stressful. He flies out on the 9th.

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MindtheGappp · 26/07/2011 20:27

It sounds really dodgy going on a tourist visa.

Obviously I don't know the specifics for Brunei, but any other country I have come across, a tourist visa is just that - limited time and no intention to work.

Original poster
Selks · 26/07/2011 20:40

Yes I know. But that's up to him. He and his girlfriend have sorted that side of things out. She's pretty clued up on these things though, so maybe there is more to it that I know. Anyway i don't want to get stressed about visa issues. It's enough trying to sort the insurance out.

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thanksamillion · 26/07/2011 20:49

Hmm does sound a bit dodgy re the visa.

Another insurance option might be an emergency evacuation only policy eg global rescue I've been looking into this as we can't afford full insurance at the moment and I wouldn't really want treatment here anyway. But especially if Brunei has reasonable, accessible and inexpensive medical care this might be an option.

If he is only on a tourist visa then I guess you could use the backpacker insurance for now as he will presumably have to leave the country after the three months anyway. It makes you appreciate the NHS!

LunaticFringe · 26/07/2011 20:58

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Original poster
Selks · 26/07/2011 21:07

LunaticFringe....I know, I was thinking backpacker insurance might be best to start off with if he is on the tourist visa.

Actually I don't know if it IS a tourist visa that he has got....it is a 3 month visa and I'm assuming it's a tourist one but I could be wrong. I can find out from him. I've just had a look on the Brunei govt website and they do two kinds of three month visa - 1) professional/business visit visa; 2) short/social visit visa, so it may be that he just has the 'short' visa atm.

Oh god this is all so complicated...

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Original poster
Selks · 26/07/2011 21:08

Thanksamillion....thanks for the global rescue link

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MindtheGappp · 26/07/2011 21:10

Yes, Lunatic, they'd be refused entry. A 3-month tourist looks very different to a 4-year resident.

Is he taking evidence of intending to return to UK, eg return plane ticket, letter from employer, rental agreement?