Expat life insurance helps protect your family’s finances, such as mortgage repayments, if you die or become critically ill while living outside the UK.
Did you know it’s possible for many British expats to get Life Insurance with a term longer than 10 years?
Longer-term policies are available for terms of up to 40 years or more.
If your spouse/partner is still living in the UK and/or you own, or are employed by, a UK limited company, then you may still be able to obtain insurance from a UK mainstream insurer.
Chimat can help you find Life Insurance if you live or work abroad – even if you have an existing health condition.
It’s possible for many British expats to apply for:
- Worldwide life insurance cover for mortgages in the UK, including buy-to-let policies
- Life Cover for mortgages abroad
- Life Cover for up to 40 years or more, for family protection purposes
International Life Insurance For Non-UK Residents: Compare Plans
Why might you need Life Cover for expats?
You could benefit from Expat Life Insurance Cover if any of the following apply:
- You have a mortgage in the UK or overseas
- A potential inheritance tax liability in the UK
- Ownership of a limited company registered & based in the UK
- Financially dependent family members living in the UK, for example, your spouse or partner, your children, or an older relative (if you are financially helping them).
If you don’t meet any of the above criteria, we may still be able to help you arrange a policy. In many cases, we succeed in finding people the life cover they need, at a price they can afford.
What about Critical Illness Cover for expats?
We can also help many British expats find Critical Illness Cover.
This can be included with Life Cover and is typically no more expensive than Critical Illness Cover on its own.
What if you have a pre-existing health condition?
If you have a pre-existing health condition, it’s generally more difficult to obtain Critical Illness Cover. It’s still worth asking us, though; we promise to do our best.
Examples of International Life Insurance prices we have offered to British Expats
| Client Information | Policy Details | Premium |
|---|---|---|
| Ages: 36 & 34 Residence: UAE Smokers: No Health: No Issues | Term: 20 years Joint Decreasing Life or Earlier Critical Illness & Decreasing Life Plan Cover Amount: £60,000 & £60,000 | £57.83 / month |
| Ages: 29 & 28 Residence: China Smokers: No Health: None reported | Term: 26 years Cover: Joint Level Life Cover Cover Amount: £275,000 | £16.68 / month |
| Age: 68 Residence: Cyprus Smoker: No Health: No issues | Term: 5 years Decreasing Life Cover Cover Amount: £45,000 | £20.27 / month |
| Age: 47 Residence: Egypt Smoker: Non Smoker Health: Raised BP | Term: 15 years Level Life Cover Cover Amount: £250,000 | £27.11 / month |
| Ages: 34 & 31 Residence: Australia Smokers: Neither smoke Health: No issues | Term: 27 years Joint Decreasing Life or Earlier Critical Illness Cover Cover Amount: £250,000 | £74.24 / month |
| Age: 57 Residence: Philippines Smoker: No Health: No issues | Term: 15 years Level Life Cover Cover Amount: £100,000 | £30.03 / month |
| Ages: 46 & 38 Residence: Germany Smokers: No Health: Cyst Removal | Term: 20 years Joint Decreasing Life Cover Cover Amount: £277,500 | £63.30 / month |
| Age: 29 Residence: Spain Smoker: No Health: Urinary Infection | Term: 33 years Level Life Cover Cover Amount: £67,000 | £5.16 / month |
Life insurance for non uk residents – your questions answered
If you’re intending to become an expat, when should you consider your Life Cover needs?
Ideally, you should consider your Life Cover needs before leaving the UK because some options may no longer be available once you’ve left.
Also bear the following in mind:
- Most UK insurers will not offer a new policy after you’ve become non-resident.
- Most UK insurers will not offer new cover to people who are intending to reside outside the UK within the next two years.
Why do expats need Life Cover?
The reasons you may want to consider Life Cover are generally the same as if you were still living in the UK:
- Family protection – provide a cash lump sum for your loved ones to live on if the worst happens. This can help cover significant ongoing family expenses, such as school fees.
- To repay a mortgage – perhaps on your current home and/or for property in the UK
- Inheritance Tax – to assist your children by providing funds to pay your expected IHT liability.
Are any countries excluded from these new types of Life Insurance for expats?
Currently, it’s impossible to get life insurance for non uk residents or Critical Illness for expats if you live in the USA.
For other countries, it depends on the current circumstances and your location in that country.
What does life insurance for expats cover?
| Cause of Death | Coverage Status |
|---|---|
| From illness, cancer, heart disease, or accidental injury | Covered |
| While living or employed outside your home country | Covered |
| Death occurring in your country of citizenship | Covered |
| A suicide (after the policy has been active for 12 months) | Covered after one year |
| A death linked to an existing medical condition declared before cover started | Not covered |
| Death was caused by reckless behaviour, criminal acts, or misuse of drugs or alcohol | Not covered |
| The death is not reported to the insurer within 12 months | Not covered |
| Resulting from war or terrorist activity in regions, the UK FCDO advises against travel | Not covered |
| A death that occurred in a country or region, the FCDO has advised its citizens to leave | Not covered |
Expat Life Insurance Providers We Work With
- Canada Life
- Standard Life
- Lutine
- Aegon/Scottish Equitable
- William Russell
- Zurich
- HSBC
- Friends Provident
- Liverpool Victoria
- Aviva
- Scottish Widows
Already got Life Cover? Think you’re paying too much for it? Need a longer-term policy term?
If you already have cover in place, but it seems expensive or is limited to a shorter term than you wanted, it could be a smart move to talk to Chimat.
We might be able to find a cover that better matches your current needs.
We’re a specialist broker, sourcing cover from across the whole of the international life insurance market.