It’s crucial to get some form of travel insurance before you work abroad; as well as ensuring that you aren’t going to be caught out during your trip, you should also check to see whether you’re eligible for any employer liability insurance. Annual insurance policies and expatriate insurance from providers such as Direct Asia can help you to narrow down what levels of cover you need, making it easier to avoid problems after leaving the country.
Ensuring You Are Insured Before Working Abroad
Deciding on What Insurance You Need
There are several types of insurance that might be suitable for working abroad, which can include gap year travel insurance; this is typically a good idea if you want to make multiple trips while working to fund your way, and can simplify the process of getting insurance. You can use gap year insurance to reduce the risk of travelling between countries, and can also use policies that take into consideration any extreme sports or other activities that might end up increasing your premiums.
It’s worth outlining what level of medical insurance you’ll need, which can depend on where you’re travelling to; if you’re working within Europe, then you should be able to make use of a European Health Insurance (EHIC) card, which entitles you to NHS-reimbursed treatment. Look into what basic medical coverage is available through your employer, as well as whether you need to get specific policies for credit card loss, emergency assist, and theft of possessions.
Getting the Right Cover
There can also be cases where you can look into getting some form of workplace insurance from your employer. If you’re going abroad, for example, to work in the foreign office of your current employer, then it can be possible to extend a companywide liability policy. This form of insurance can be applicable to temporary occupation, as well as insurance that requires a minimum level of cover if your work takes you to high risk areas, or requires you to drive an insured vehicle.
For longer term employment in another country, it can be worth investigating expatriate insurance; this can often be tailored to your circumstances so you can receive the same cover as you would back home. Depending on where you’re based, expat insurance can be useful if you’re concerned about dealing with the details of a policy in another language. Expat insurance can typically be arranged before you relocate, and can be expanded to include automobile, medical and dental, property insurance and other areas that require some cover.
As with any type of insurance, it’s crucial to have planned out how much cover you require before you go abroad; speak to your employer and check your contract to see where you can save, and to prevent taking out additional policies that might not be relevant. General insurance policies that cover travel between different countries are similarly worth exploring if you’re freelancing or working and backpacking at the same time.