Insurance abroad
International health insurance: 10 insurers compared.
For people who live abroad or move between countries. Ten insurers that sell cover to individuals, in alphabetical order, with what each one publishes about where it covers you, paying the hospital, and conditions you already have.
New to this? Start with how health insurance works when you get care abroad.
The insurers
Ten insurers, side by side.
Each entry is what the insurer publishes on its own website, checked 27 September 2026. Network sizes are each insurer’s own count. Plans change, so confirm the details with the insurer before you buy.
- International health insurance
Allianz Care
International health plans
- Who it is for
- Individuals and families living abroad.
- Cover
- A core hospital plan, with outpatient, dental, maternity and repatriation cover you can add.
- Paying the hospital
- Can arrange direct billing for most inpatient treatment, with approval first. A network of over 2 million providers, by its own count.
- Conditions you already have
- Full medical underwriting, or a moratorium: conditions from the last 5 years are excluded until you go 24 months without symptoms or treatment.
- International health insurance
APRIL International
MyHealth International
- Who it is for
- Expats and their families.
- Cover
- Five levels of outpatient and preventive cover to choose from.
- Paying the hospital
- A direct billing network across the area of cover. Other claims go through its Easy Claim app.
- Conditions you already have
- Full medical underwriting, a moratorium of two years without symptoms or treatment, or keeping the terms of your previous insurer.
- International health insurance
AXA Global Healthcare
Global Health Plan
- Who it is for
- Expats, retirees abroad, and people moving between countries.
- Cover
- Worldwide, with or without the USA.
- Paying the hospital
- Can often pay the hospital or clinic directly.
- Conditions you already have
- Full medical underwriting or a moratorium, depending on the plan. Your insurance statement shows which terms apply to you.
- International health insurance
BCBS Global Solutions (formerly GeoBlue)
Worldwide Premier and Outside U.S. (formerly Xplorer)
- Who it is for
- People living outside the United States for more than six months, including US citizens abroad.
- Cover
- Worldwide, or outside the US. Any provider outside the US, and the Blue Cross Blue Shield PPO network inside it.
- Paying the hospital
- Arranges direct settlement with the hospital where it is available.
- Conditions you already have
- Covered from the start with proof of previous coverage.
- International health insurance
Bupa Global
Global health plans
- Who it is for
- Individuals and families living abroad.
- Cover
- Worldwide, worldwide without the US, or worldwide without the US and Europe.
- Paying the hospital
- Settles directly with providers in its network.
- Conditions you already have
- Its medical team reviews your history: a condition may be covered, covered for an extra premium, or excluded. A condition left off the application stays uncovered.
- International health insurance
Cigna Global
Cigna Global Health Options
- Who it is for
- Individuals and families living abroad.
- Cover
- Worldwide, or worldwide without the USA, which still includes emergency care on short trips to the US.
- Paying the hospital
- Direct billing with over 1.5 million providers, by its own count. Call before treatment so it can arrange payment.
- Conditions you already have
- Assessed case by case: a condition may be covered, excluded, or covered for a higher premium.
- Nomad insurance
Genki
Genki Resident
- Who it is for
- Digital nomads and expats who live outside their home country, with no time limit per country.
- Cover
- Anywhere outside your home country.
- Paying the hospital
- Guarantees payment to hospitals for overnight stays and surgery.
- Conditions you already have
- A medical questionnaire decides: accepted in full, accepted with exclusions, accepted at a higher premium, or declined.
- International health insurance
IMG
Global medical plans
- Who it is for
- Expats and global citizens.
- Cover
- Several plan tiers, from core hospital cover upward.
- Paying the hospital
- Direct billing providers outside the US, and an in-network provider list inside it. Both send the claim to IMG for you.
- Conditions you already have
- Full medical underwriting, or a moratorium: a condition is covered after two consecutive years without symptoms, treatment or consultation.
- Nomad insurance
SafetyWing
Nomad Insurance
- Who it is for
- Digital nomads and remote workers moving between countries.
- Cover
- Essential for emergencies, or Complete, which adds routine and ongoing care.
- Paying the hospital
- Mostly pay and claim. For an inpatient stay outside the US it can arrange a guarantee of payment, if you call first.
- Conditions you already have
- Conditions you had before joining are excluded.
- International health insurance
William Russell
International health insurance
- Who it is for
- Expats living abroad.
- Cover
- You choose your area of cover when you buy.
- Paying the hospital
- Pays hospitals directly for inpatient treatment, with approval first. An optional cashless outpatient benefit covers network clinics.
- Conditions you already have
- Full medical underwriting or a moratorium. Full medical underwriting is the only option from age 55.
How we built this list
Alphabetical, sourced, and free to be on.
The list covers well-known insurers that sell international health cover or nomad cover to individuals. It is in alphabetical order and carries no ranking or score. Being on it is free, and every insurer is here on the same terms.
Paid placements, when this site carries them, are labelled Sponsored and kept apart from this list. How we research and write is set out in our editorial policy.
Prices depend on your age, where you live and the cover you choose, so ask each insurer for a quote on the same terms.
Your records
Whichever insurer you choose, keep the paper.
A claim needs the medical report and the itemised bill, and an approval if you had one. Keep them in your Private Health Passport, encrypted on your own phone, ready for the claim and for the next doctor.
Questions
International health insurance: common questions.
What is international health insurance?
Health insurance built for people who live abroad. It covers treatment across the area you choose, often worldwide, and it follows you when you move. Travel insurance is different: it covers an accident or sudden illness on a trip.
Is nomad insurance the same as international health insurance?
Nomad plans, such as SafetyWing and Genki, are built for people who move between countries. Some focus on emergency care, others add routine care, and they handle conditions you already have in different ways. Compare what each plan covers before you choose.
Will international health insurance cover a condition I already have?
It depends on the underwriting. With full medical underwriting you declare your history and the insurer tells you what it covers. With a moratorium, recent conditions are excluded until you go a set period, often two years, without symptoms or treatment. Answer every health question in full.
Can the insurer pay the hospital directly?
Most insurers on this list can pay a hospital directly for inpatient treatment, usually after approving it first. Ask before you are admitted, and keep the approval.
Which international health insurer should I choose?
The one that covers the countries you live in and the conditions you have, at a price you can keep paying. Prices depend on your age, where you live and the cover you choose, so ask two or three insurers for a quote on the same terms.