How much is international health insurance?

International health insurance typically ranges from about $500 per year for basic plans to $5,000–$6,000+ per year for comprehensive coverage, wiInternational health insurance typically costs between $500 and $6,000 per year for individual cover, with premiums varying based on your age, chosen plan, region of cover and any optional benefits selected. Expatriate Group offers four plan tiers to suit different budgets and healthcare needs, with cover available across three geographical areas. Policyholders who remain claim-free are also eligible for Premium Rewards discounts of up to 20% on renewal.

The cost of your policy is directly linked to the level of cover you choose. Expatriate Group’s four plans offer a clear progression from essential inpatient protection through to fully comprehensive cover.

Primary is the foundation plan, covering hospitalisation including room and board, surgeries, anaesthetists fees, specialist and nursing fees, intensive care, drugs and dressings, home nursing and rehabilitation. It also includes in and outpatient oncology, associated pre and post hospitalisation consultations, GP consultations, diagnostics, emergency evacuation and repatriation, and accidental emergency dental treatment. It is the lowest cost option and suits expats who want solid core protection.

Primary+ Lite builds on Primary by adding prescribed medicine, capped outpatient benefits and emergency transportation. It suits expats who want some outpatient access at a more accessible price point than the full Primary+ plan.

Primary+ adds comprehensive outpatient and GP services including prescribed drugs, diagnostic tests including MRI, CAT and PET scans, physiotherapy, psychiatric care and oncology, alongside a full hospitalisation benefit. It also includes emergency dental treatment, an annual medical check-up after 12 months of cover and emergency transportation. It is the most popular choice for working expats who want day-to-day healthcare access alongside full hospital cover.

Select is the most comprehensive plan available, including everything in Primary+ plus maternity cover including complications of pregnancy and newborn care, routine and restorative dental, eye examinations, glasses and contact lenses, travel vaccinations, cervical smears, mammograms, prostate screening, physiotherapy and alternative therapies, and income replacement. It is suited to expats who want fully comprehensive cover including preventive and family benefits.

Age is the single most significant factor. Premiums increase with age, reflecting the greater likelihood of requiring medical treatment. A policyholder in their 30s will pay considerably less than one in their 50s or 60s on the same plan. The maximum entry age across all plans is 65.

Region of cover has a direct impact on price. Expatriate Group offers three cover areas. Area 1 covers Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Asia and Oceania, excluding China, Hong Kong and Singapore, and is the lowest cost option. Area 2 covers worldwide excluding North America. Area 3 covers worldwide including the USA and Canada and carries the highest premium, reflecting the higher cost of healthcare in North America. All plans include cover outside your chosen area for trips of up to 30 days, up to $50,000 per event.

Plan tier determines your benefit level and is a major driver of cost. Moving from Primary through to Select adds progressively more benefits, each of which contributes to the overall premium.

Optional benefits on applicable plans, such as enhanced dental, maternity or optical cover, add to the base premium depending on which are selected.

Region of cover is one of the most significant variables in the cost of global health insurance. Expatriate Group offers three cover areas, each priced to reflect the cost of private healthcare in that region.

Area 1 covers Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Asia and Oceania, excluding China, Hong Kong and Singapore. This is the lowest cost option and suits expats based in regions where private healthcare costs are lower relative to North America or Western Europe.

Area 2 covers worldwide excluding North America. It offers broader protection for expats who travel frequently across multiple continents but do not require cover in the USA or Canada, where healthcare costs are among the highest in the world.

Area 3 covers worldwide including the USA and Canada and carries the highest premium. It is suited to expats based in or regularly travelling to North America, or those who want the broadest possible cover with no geographical restrictions.

All plans include emergency cover outside your chosen area for trips of up to 30 days, up to $50,000 per event, giving additional peace of mind when travelling beyond your primary cover region.

Expatriate Group rewards policyholders who do not make a claim with discounts on their renewal premium through the Premium Rewards scheme. On the Primary plan, one claim-free year earns a 5% discount, two years earns 7.5% and three or more years earns 10%. On Primary+ and Select plans, one claim-free year earns 10%, two years earns 15% and three or more years earns 20%. This makes long-term expat health insurance increasingly cost-effective the longer you hold cover without claiming.

Premiums can be paid in full by debit or credit card at the start of the policy, or by monthly instalments with a deposit paid upfront and the remaining 11 payments collected monthly from the same card.

Because premiums are calculated individually based on age, plan tier, region and selected benefits, the most accurate way to understand your cost is to request a personalised quote. Expatriate Group covers more than 100,500 expats across 182 countries through more than 55,000 active policies, with plans designed to be competitive across a wide range of budgets and locations.