International health insurance is designed for people living abroad for extended periods. Unlike standard travel insurance that covers short trips, this provides ongoing health coverage in your country of residence abroad.
What is international health insurance?
Also called global medical insurance or expat health insurance, it covers hospitalization, doctor visits, prescription medications, and emergency medical evacuations for people residing outside their home country. Plans can be customized for individuals, couples, families, and students.
Who needs it?
- Expatriates - corporate transfers and long-term overseas assignments
- Remote workers and digital nomads - working from different countries
- International students - studying abroad for semesters or full degrees
- Retirees abroad - settling in another country for retirement
- Anyone with a visa requirement - many countries mandate proof of health insurance for visa approval
What to look for
- Coverage scope - hospitalization, outpatient care, prescriptions, dental, vision, mental health
- Provider network - access to quality hospitals and doctors in your country of residence
- Cost structure - premiums, deductibles, copays, and annual maximums
- Evacuation coverage - transport to appropriate facilities if local care is inadequate
- Renewability - ability to extend coverage year over year without re-underwriting
How is it different from travel insurance?
Travel insurance covers short trips and includes trip cancellation, baggage, and travel delay benefits. International health insurance focuses purely on medical coverage for long-term stays - it does not typically cover trip cancellation or baggage loss. If you’re traveling for less than a few months, standard travel insurance is usually the better choice.
Sitata's travel insurance is so much more
Every plan includes 24/7 chat assistance, real-time safety alerts, telemedicine, flight tracking, and fast digital claims.
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