Digital Citizen

Digital Citizen

The 4 Insurances Every Expat Needs (+Templates How To Check Providers)

Four Policies That Matter.

Benjamin Hies's avatar
Benjamin Hies
Oct 23, 2025
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When you move abroad, insurance becomes more complicated.

Not in a scary way. Just in a “you need to check a few things” way.

Some policies are valid across borders. Others? Only in specific circumstances. You might get emergency coverage without routine care. And if you stay abroad too long or don’t return home enough, your policy could stop paying out after a year.

None of this is obvious until you read the fine print or call your provider.

I’ve put together a breakdown of what to look out for, which questions to ask, and what to check in your current policies. If you are planning a move or already living abroad, this will be very helpful for your insurance strategy.

Let’s start.


Why These Four

There are dozens of insurance products marketed to expats.

  • Pet insurance

  • Travel insurance

  • Health insurance

  • Disability insurance

  • Evacuation coverage

  • Political risk insurance

  • Personal liability insurance

  • International car insurance

  • Kidnap and ransom insurance

  • Cyber insurance for digital nomads

  • Professional indemnity for contractors

You could spend hours comparing options and still not know what you actually need.

I narrowed it down to four.

Why these four?

They cover the risks that could ruin you financially. Everything else is either situational or the financial impact is manageable. Also, I am personally using those. And prefer to give advice that has worked for me in the past.

Let’s go through each one step-by-step.


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