Assurance expatriation comparative February 2025
Our survey focused on insurers specialising in expatriate insurance. The rates shown may vary depending on your profile and destination.
Depending on your profile and destination, expatriate insurance may be compulsory. If your expat adventure takes you to Canada, Portugal, Morocco or Spain, find out more beforehand. The golden rule before moving abroad? Take care of as many administrative formalities as possible before taking the plunge into the unknown. This will allow you to change your life with complete peace of mind.
We’ve taken the time to create a complete guide to expatriation in the second part of our survey on the best expatriation health insurance.
We have kept the offers offering the best cover at the best price.
Expatriate health insurance
Expatriation insurance cover
The four best expatriation insurance plans offer comprehensive cover and essential benefits for good health cover abroad:
Coverage of medical expenses
Coverage in the event of hospitalisation
Repatriation assistance and medical transport
Welfare: death and disability cover
Personal liability
Optique
Dental
Maternity
Emergency telephone service
🏆 | ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ | ⭐️⭐️⭐️ | ⭐️⭐️⭐️ | ⭐️⭐️ |
---|---|---|---|---|
Expatriation | ||||
1 month rate | 68 € | 61 € | 71€ | 69 € |
GET A QUOTE | GET A QUOTE | GET A QUOTE | GET A QUOTE | |
Teleconsultation | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ❌ |
Medical expenses | from 1 euro and without excess | 2.500.000 € | from 1 euro and without excess | from 1 euro and without excess |
Hospitalisation | 100% supported | 2.500.000 € | 100% supported | 150.000€ |
Theft or loss of baggage | 2.000 € | 1.200 € | 1.600 € | 2.000 € |
Repatriation | covered at 100% | 500.000 € | ✅ | ✅ |
Sports activities | Covered | Optional | Covered | Covered |
Personal injury | 4.000.000 € | 60.000 € | 500.000€ | 450.000 € |
Recommended for | Most comprehensive coverage | Most economical offer | Actual costs without advance payment | Adapted cover |
Your 1ʳᵉ year of expatriation
Expatriation health insurance is the best health and sickness insurance solution for your first year of expatriation. This insurance will cover your medical expenses, hospitalisation costs, or repatriation assistance only in the event of a sudden and unforeseeable accident or illness.
The major advantage of expatriation insurance? It gives you time to settle in safely in the country of your expatriation. Secondly, you’ll need to find out about local health cover options later on. It’s important to note that expatriate insurance only covers you during your first year!
You will need to take out expatriation insurance if you are preparing to move abroad for any of the following reasons:
- a professional project abroad following a year’s working holiday
- a professional project – employment contract or setting up a business
- an internship or course of study
joining an expatriate spouse.
Taking out expatriation insurance
To make it easier for you to choose, we’ve compared the best expatriation insurances from over 30 offers from leading insurers in the expatriation insurance and travel assistance sector.
Fortunately, there’s nothing complicated about taking out expatriation insurance! All you have to do is choose the cancellation insurance offer that best suits your expatriation trip and destination:
- Chapka
- Haymondo
- April
- AXA assistance
Then follow these steps:
- Fill in the form
- Country of origin
- Destination
- Type of trip
- Departure date
- Return date
- Age of travellers
- Choose the offer corresponding to the holiday you want.
- Proceed to the 100% secure online payment.
- You will then receive your insurance contract by e-mail.
Best expatriate insurance
Residents outside their country of origin
- This expatriate health insurance is designed for people living outside their home country.
- Medical expenses are covered at 100% and at 1ᵉʳ Euro, without recourse to Social Security.
- It benefits from repatriation assistance 7/7 d and 24/24 h, as well as civil liability abroad.
Expatriate health insurance USA: avoid the trap!
Medical expenses in the event of hospitalization in the United States are the most expensive on the planet! For example, a medical appointment with a general practitioner will cost you between €100 and €280 in the USA, and a short trip in an ambulance up to $15,000.
American hospitals do not accept European Health Insurance Card. Without insurance, all medical expenses will be your responsibility. When it comes to medical bills in Uncle Sam’s country, the sky’s the limit! For serious accidents requiring hospital treatment in the United States, we strongly recommend that you take out expatriation insurance with Chapka Assurance, which is the best insurer for this destination.
Expatriating to Spain: the steps to take 🇪🇸
Spain combines a Mediterranean climate, a relaxed lifestyle and proximity to many European countries. It’s easy to see why Spain is one of the favourite destinations for expatriates! More and more senior citizens are coming here to spend their retirement in the sun. At last count, 157,000 French retirees had set their sights on the Cherifian kingdom.
Before you decide to expatriate to Spain, it’s vital to organise a trip to spend a few weeks there. This will give you the opportunity to explore the country, the culture and the language, and to see whether you can see yourself living there in the long term.
Before you decide to head for Barcelona, Alicante or Granada and enjoy the Mediterranean climate, you’ll need to complete a few administrative formalities. Here’s all the information you need to know about moving to Spain.
How do I move to Spain when I retire?
A European citizen’s right of residence in a European Union country is valid for all family members.
Nationals of a European Union country do not have to complete any administrative formalities to enter, travel and reside in Spain, as long as your stay does not exceed three months. If you are staying in Spain for more than three months, you will need to apply for an NIE (foreign national identification number) and register at the central office for foreign nationals (Oficina de Extranjería) or at the police station of the province in which you wish to reside.
The NIE is essential for all administrative and banking procedures (taking out a subscription, opening an account or buying property). Once you have received your residence card (NIE), you will need to register for the census (empadronamiento), which gives you access to Spanish social benefits and enables you to be entered on the Spanish electoral roll for municipal and European elections. Registration is done at the town hall (Ayuntamiento).
If you decide to retire in Spain, you will need a renewable residence permit valid for five years. After making your application at the Central Aliens Office (Oficina de Extranjería), bring your NIE, which you may be asked to produce. You will receive your residence permit within approximately three weeks.
Foreigners who are not nationals of a Member State of the European Union, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein must obtain a visa if they stay in Spain for more than 90 days every six months. This long-term visa authorises residence in Spain without necessarily having to carry out a professional activity.
Moving to Spain
Before you leave, remember to inform your bank, Social Security and tax office of your new address.
No export or import formalities are required, unless you are transporting dangerous goods, weapons or protected animals. If you have a pet, I recommend that you take out a good pet insurance policy.
Taxation in Spain
To avoid double taxation. Once you have lived in Spain for 6 months or more, you are considered to be a Spanish national. Retirement pensions paid by France remain taxable in France, while income from private sources will be taxed in Spain.
Health insurance
If your expatriation to Spain lasts less than a year, it is strongly recommended that you take out expatriation and repatriation travel health insurance. Spanish administrative authorities may ask you to provide proof of health insurance cover.
All you need to know about expatriating to Portugal
The beautiful houses with their colourful facades, the delicious pasteis de nata and the proximity of the ocean – who wouldn’t dream of living in Portugal? The statistics bear this out a little more each year.
Before you decide to move to Portugal, it’s vital to organise a trip to spend a few weeks there. A visit beforehand will allow you to discover the culture and language, and to plan your life there.
Let’s have a look at the formalities involved in moving to Portugal.
How do I move to Portugal when I retire?
European citizens do not need a passport to move to Portugal.
You don’t need a residence visa to retire in Portugal. In fact, you can spend 180 days a year in Portugal, provided you apply for a 90-day authorisation from the date of expiry of the first 90-day period. If you wish to remain in Portugal, you can apply for permanent resident status after having resided legally in the country for five years.
For stays of more than three months, you will need to make a declaration to the town hall in your place of residence. Non-Portuguese residents must apply for a residence permit to stay in Portugal for more than 180 days. You will be issued with a registration certificate, valid for five years (renewable).
To obtain your NIF (Tax Identification Number), you will need to go to the ‘direcção general dos impostos’ in your place of residence with an identity card or passport and proof of address. The number will be issued to you by the Portuguese authorities and you will always be asked for it when you go through the administrative or banking formalities. You can even use it in the supermarket to get tax deductions!
Expatriate travel insurance
Taxes in Portugal
Although Portugal does not attract as many expatriates as Spain or Morocco, taxation in Portugal is particularly advantageous. This is undoubtedly why many retirees choose to move to Portugal.
Portugal offers non-habitual resident status, with a tax rate of 10% for retirees and a capped rate of 20% for those still in work. To benefit from this advantageous regime, you must be resident in Portugal for at least six months of the year. Once this 10-year period has elapsed, you will be subject to the progressive tax system. This system provides for progressive taxation.
Considerable changes
Living in Portugal now comes at a price. Portugal is also facing a housing crisis. In 2023, rents rose by 26.3%, something to bear in mind before moving there.
Expatriation to Morocco
Although Morocco’s easy-going lifestyle may make you dream, it’s important to think carefully about your expatriation plans to North Africa. Take an interest in the administrative formalities and contact expatriate associations in Morocco. You can plan a stay in Morocco to get a taste of Moroccan life before making your decision.
In Morocco, the quality of life is gentle and the weather is fine for eight months of the year. It’s warm and sunny almost all year round. However, temperatures can vary depending on the region. Morocco is divided into four geographical zones: continental in the centre of the country, Mediterranean in the north, Saharan in the south and oceanic in the west.
How do you move to Morocco for retirement?
For a short stay in Morocco, a valid passport covering the entire planned stay is sufficient. For stays of more than three months, it is strongly recommended that you contact the Moroccan immigration service to apply for an extension of up to a further three months.
I made my first trip to Morocco when I was 17, and I literally fell in love with Moroccan culture. But before enjoying the sun for eight months of the year and the fine sandy beaches, you need to ask yourself the right questions about expatriating to Morocco. Depending on your profile (retired, family, working), it’s essential to check the details of your move to Morocco point by point.
Morocco’s quality of life appeals to many families. In general, young working people expatriate for the good professional opportunities. As for retired people, they come here to enjoy the sun and the Moroccan way of life.
Expatriates highlight 3 essential aspects of their choice of expatriation to Morocco:
- The multitude of sports and leisure activities: kite surfing, trekking, desert walks, etc.
- The excellent quality of private medical clinics
- The country’s security and stability
- Professional opportunities in Morocco
For most expatriates in Morocco, expatriation to Morocco is an opportunity to set up a business. If you have the soul of an entrepreneur, Morocco is an excellent choice! Economic growth has been excellent for several years now. So there are good opportunities for expatriates.
Finally, to compare the best travel insurances at a glance, consult our travel insurance comparison.