Global Term Life Insurance for Expatriates Living Overseas

Protecting your loved ones when you live abroad is just as important when you are living abroad. International life insurance for expatriates is a fundamental part of any global financial security plan. Expat Financial is one of the few independent international life insurance brokerage sources in the world. We cater to individuals living outside the country that they hold a passport in, who want to buy life or accidental death and dismemberment (AD&D) plans.

We offer the expat term life insurance and year-to-year life insurance plans that can provide coverage from a minimum of $250,000 to $5 Million for expatriates residing in most countries. You can obtain a 1 to 30-year level premium and coverage policy while you are living abroad so you can protect your family from life’s uncertainties. The plan is not available to current residents of the USA or Canada and you must be an expatriate living abroad to obtain a quote and apply. 

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Key Benefits of the Expat Term Life Plan

  • Comprehensive life insurance for death from illness or accidents
  • 1-30 year term options
  • Global protection once the plan is established
  • Premiums are guaranteed by the provider for the contract term – other plans are year to year.
  • Coverage is designed for expatriates and global nomads
  • The plan is available to residents of up to 170 countries

Choosing the Right Global Life Insurance Policies

life insurance for expats

TFG Global or our associates can search the marketplace to provide quotations on a no-charge and no-obligation basis from well-known, financially secure and reputable insurance companies. We can also potentially help expatriates decide on the right amount of protection based on their unique circumstances. Note that our expat life plans are not available to local nationals or expatriates currently living in some countries, including the USA, Canada, and the UAE – please contact us for more information. If you are about to move outside of one of these countries, you can make the effective date the day you move abroad. Check our blog for getting the insights on top reasons to buy international life insurance plans.

Who Buys International Life Insurance?

We find a wide assortment of global citizens those buy life insurance for expatriates. Here are some examples of people who buy global life insurance as expats:

  • Single expatriates who have family members who rely on them financially
  • Mortgages – Single or married expatriates who have mortgages on overseas or domestic properties and life insurance is a requirement of the loan
  • Expat couples who rely on their two incomes to meet financial needs or the needs of the surviving spouse
  • Expatriates with children – this is a big reason why expatriates buy global life insurance as they need a pool of capital there to pay off debts and provide an income should the income earners die prematurely. Allowing for life insurance to provide for the raising of children and their education is also critical
  • Companies with one expatriate employee – a group plans may not be available because of the small number of expatriate employees, so some expatriate employees will buy an individual expat life insurance plan.
  • Paying estate taxes – we have encountered expatriates who need international life insurance for expats to pay off government taxes that are due at the death
  • Key-Person expat life insurance – some overseas companies will purchase life insurance for expats to protect the company from the financial losses that are incurred by losing a key employee or to have money available to buy the shares of the deceased employee.

Expatriate Disability Coverage

You can also obtain a quote for an expatriate disability income insurance plan from the Expatriate Group by clicking HERE. This accident and illness insurance can provide you valuable protection against accidental death, permanent disablement and temporary disablement. The income protection policy pays you a monthly income from a total disability after a waiting period of 3 or 6 months. It is a great complement to global life coverage.

Expat Insurance Needs Analysis

We recommend that global citizens complete an online expat life insurance needs analysis online or contact us to complete one. Many advisors recommend that you have enough life cover to pay off your debts and final expenses and also a pool of money left over to replace your income to support your partner and children. There is an excellent life insurance calculator via the Sun Life website.

How do you Buy International Life Insurance?

You first need to complete our expat life insurance quote form noted above and we will examine and send it along to one of our insurance providers. They will then send back a quote if you are eligible. After some back and forth, you can then apply online or offline. The medical underwriters will then request some medical questions and forms to be answered and may require that you take some medical tests and even a doctor’s medical along with proof of your identity and residence abroad. The whole process can take a few weeks or months, so the earlier you get started the better.

Can I Cancel?

Most expat life insurance plans allow you to cancel the Policy at any time, and for any reason. Written notice of instruction to
cancel the Policy should be sent to the Company at its Head Office. We highly recommend you do not cancel any existing life insurance plans.

Common Expat Life Insurance Exclusions

Like any insurance plan, there will be a few common exclusions. Always remember to provide a full accounting of your health history when buying expat life insurance coverage as any commissions or misstatements could lead to your coverage being cancelled or a claim denied. Also, make sure you pay your international life insurance premium and update your credit card and email address as coverage will lapse otherwise. Most expat life plans have the following exclusions, but make sure you read you plan contract in full:

The Death Benefit for most individual life insurance plans for expats shall not be paid if the death of a Life Assured results directly or indirectly from any of the following events or circumstances:

  • Active participation by a Life Assured in any war whether declared or not, civil war, insurrection, riot, terrorist act, mutiny, piracy, civil commotion or other acts of violence originating from any political or civil unrest.
  • Committing or trying to commit an assault
  • Participation in any act which would be deemed a criminal offence, whether convicted or not.
  • Intentional self-inflicted injuries, including suicide, while sane or insane.

Will Domestic Plans Cover Expatriates

This can be a tricky question to answer as there are so many expatriates insurance services from numerous countries. Some countries you are moving to will cover new arriving expatriates or after you have set a permanent residence there. Other nations will simply not cover foreign nationals living in their country. For our clients living in less developed countries, there may simply be no domestic life insurance available or the options available may be financially unreliable and not portable should the global citizen move to a new country.

Some Excluded Countries & Nationalities for the Expatriate International Life Insurance Plans:

Afghanistan, Albania, Benin, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Central African Republic, Djibouti, Eritrea, Guatemala, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Guyana, Iraq, Lebanon, Liberia, Libya, North Korea, Palestine, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Sudan, Syria, Switzerland, Yemen. Additional exclusions could apply where high-risk nationalities are combined with high-risk territories. Additional countries or nationalities could also be restricted by the insurers we work with. We are not able to cover expatriates who will be living in the USA or Canada for expat life insurance – we encourage them to obtain a plan from a local insurer in their respective new countries.

The minimum life insurance amount that we can obtain quotes on is 250,000 or equivalent. Coverage available in GBP, Euro and USD.

FAQ

When people who don’t have life insurance and live abroad pass away, their dependents (family and loved ones) can find themselves in a challenging situation.

Expat life insurance serves as a hedge against the uncertainties of life. It provides you with the comfort in the knowledge that your loved ones will remain financially secure no matter what happens to you in the future.

Many companies provide expat life insurance, but sometimes it isn’t easy to choose the best offer from a list of offers. The best way to acquire life insurance is by selecting a partner with expertise in curating the best plans for your business needs.

With the right offer that caters to your unique needs, you can address the unique circumstances of individuals living abroad in mind. Since expatriates are likely to face different risks and challenges than those residing in their home country, expat life insurance plans become all the more valuable.

Life insurance is a boon for expats living outside of their native country as it can help them cover the cost of a number of things. It can be the much-needed support option for the family once you have departed from this world. Have a look at some of the things that life insurance cover:

  1. Loan repayments that loved ones can’t cover on their own
  2. End-of-life expenses such as funeral costs
  3. Lost income replacement
  4. Payment for college tuition
  5. Financial gift for the ones you love
  6. College tuition payment for children
  7. Coverage for bills and expenses
  8. Payment of co-signed debts
  9. Support for children
  10. Leaving your legacy in the world by paying money to a charity

Life insurance coverage can come to the rescue of your loved one who you leave behind in this world. It can provide vital support to individuals who don’t have a source of income and fund the college education of your wards. If you have major debt, life insurance can help repay the debt and safeguard the future of your family members.

Life insurance supplements an income lost due to the demise of a person from this world. Moreover, when you are alive, it assures you that your loved ones will be cared for when you are long gone from this world. The intangible emotional security life insurance provides makes it so important in our lives.

Below are some important benefits of life insurance:

  • Replacement of Income: If an income is lost due to death, life insurance can help you replace that income. 
  • Financial Safety:With life insurance, you can create a security net that provides your family financial safety after your death. 
  • Help you Pay Outstanding Debts:By purchasing life insurance, you can ensure that your family pays off the debts without compromising the quality of their lives. For instance, life insurance coverage can be used to pay the debt if you have outstanding mortgage payments. 
  • Continuity of Your Business after Death:If you own a business, life insurance can help in succession planning. It can provide funds to facilitate the smooth transfer of ownership or provide liquidity for the business in the event of your death.

Yes, you can definitely get life insurance if you live overseas. However, there might be some exceptions and variations in the type of policy and benefits based on several reasons. Below are a few factors that can influence your life insurance: 

  • Country of Residence:The availability and terms of life insurance coverage may depend on the country you live in. Some insurance companies may have restrictions or limitations in certain regions due to high-risk environments, political instability, or limited healthcare infrastructure. 
  • Policy Options:You may get different types of life insurance policies as an expatriate. There may be options that may not be available to you as an expatriate. Each policy type has its own features, benefits, and limitations, so you should choose the one that suits your needs to the T. 
  • A Variation in Underwriting Process:As an expatriate, you may undergo additional underwriting scrutiny. Factors like your health, lifestyle, occupation, and travel history will be looked at more carefully. It is even possible that some insurance companies may ask you to go for medical examinations or request additional documentation to assess your eligibility and determine the premium.

Yes, it is very much possible to have life insurance in different countries. One of the cases is you might have group term life insurance from your employer and also purchase personal life insurance for your family by using your own money.

If someone is a global nomad who hops between jobs in different countries, life insurance in different countries makes perfect sense. In such cases, you need to have separate life insurance policies for each country where you want coverage.

Each policy will follow the laws, regulations, and underwriting practices of the specific country in which it is issued.

Many international insurance companies operate in different countries and provide you with coverage which spans different jurisdictions. Such providers can offer you a policy that provides overarching coverage across countries, which can simplify the process of managing multiple policies.

As life insurance in different countries involves different dynamics, it is advised that you connect with an insurance expert before purchasing insurance for coverage in different countries.

There is no ‘fixed’ cost for a life insurance policy. There are a number of factors that govern the price of an insurance policy. Have a look:

  • Type of Policy: For instance, term life insurance will have a lower premium when compared with a whole life insurance policy.
  • Coverage Amount: The coverage amount is directly proportional to the premium in almost all cases.
  • Age: As a rule of thumb: the older the insured, the higher the premium
  • Health and Medical History: Factors such as pre-existing medical conditions, family medical history, lifestyle choices (e.g., drinking, substance use and smoking), and overall health can directly impact the cost of the policy. Applicants with better health conditions typically qualify for lower premiums.
  • Gender: Considering that women have a higher life expectancy, they tend to have lower insurance premiums.
  • Occupation: If you are involved in a high-risk profession, for instance, mining, you are likely to pay a higher premium than someone who works a desk job.
  • Dangerous Hobbies: If you love to indulge in risky activities like skiing and high-speed racing, your premium will be higher than someone with safer hobbies.