Travel Insurance For Working Abroad

Every year, there is an exodus from the UK of tens of thousands of young people taking university gap years or other extended overseas breaks, with the funding for their travels often coming in full or in part through casual work overseas. 

There are also those who travel abroad to work as volunteers, perhaps undertaking manual labour on charity construction or irrigation projects, or teaching English as a foreign language.

But it’s important to note that, if you’re looking to work abroad or volunteer your services, a standard travel insurance policy is unlikely to cover you.

Does travel insurance cover me for working abroad?

If you’re planning on working during a gap year or you’re taking an extended trip overseas and you want the option to work or volunteer, then it is important to have insurance. But standard travel insurance is unlikely to provide the protection you need.

Standard travel insurance is designed for leisure trips, not for working abroad, and tends to cover shorter trip durations. This means that, if you were working overseas and had an accident at work, it would be unlikely that you’d be covered. 

If this meant you needed hospital treatment or other medical care for which you had to pay, you could be left with a bill for thousands of pounds.

Can I get travel insurance for working abroad?

If you’re going to be working or volunteering abroad you’re likely to need a specialist travel policy.

Long-term travel insurance, gap year insurance and backpacker insurance are specialist policies that could be suitable.

Some long-term policies can extend to two years, for example, although policies with cover for six months up to 12 months are more common. Some allow you to make trips back to the UK during the period of cover, although these trips will be limited in number and duration.

It is these specialist policies that will cover you for some types of work, both paid and voluntary, while you are overseas. But it is important to read the small print of the policy, including the terms and conditions and any exclusions, to ensure the work you want to do is covered.

What’s covered under working abroad travel insurance?

Specialist travel insurance for working abroad, such as gap year cover, will cover you for travel and working abroad, and is likely to include:

• medical and repatriation cover: if you’re unwell or have an accident and suffer injury you’ll be covered for any medical bills that arise. This will be the case even if you’re injured while working abroad, provided the type of work is within the scope of the policy (see section on what is not covered, below). You’ll also have cover for medical repatriation back to the UK
• personal liability and legal expenses cover: this covers any costs that might arise if you accidentally injure someone or damage someone else’s property (during your leisure time, not while working). This includes any legal bills if the injured party takes you to court to sue for damages. Exclusions will typically apply on this cover for personal liability in the workplace, the idea being that the business’s employer’s liability cover will address such risks
• cancellation and curtailment: if you have to cancel or cut short your trip then you’ll have cover for lost expenses and costs. Usually the reasons allowed by the insurer for cancellation and curtailment will be specific, such as bereavement or serious illness (always check policy small print for the specifics of the cover)
• delays and missed departures: cover for costs associated with delays or missed departures (this could be particularly relevant for gap year travel where you might be moving between many countries during your trip). Delays and cancellations will have to be due to reasons specified in the policy
• baggage and gadgets: you’ll typically have cover up to a specified limit for the loss, theft and damage of bags and belongings, with a single item limit in place (this is the maximum you can claim for one possession). Typically this might be up to around £300, and valuable items such as jewellery or a camera will also have their own specific limit. With some good backpacker travel policies your gadgets, such as mobile phones, may be included as standard, but this isn’t always the case, so again, check the details of your cover.

Most long-term travel or backpacker policies will also offer optional, additional cover at an extra cost, including for adventurous and extreme sports, such as water sports and winter sports.

What’s not covered under working abroad travel insurance?

Some policies won’t cover heavy manual labour, such as on a building site or with farm machinery, or jobs that might be considered more dangerous, such as working at heights, underground mining or deep sea diving.

If you’re working in a ski resort, you’ll need to make sure you have the necessary cover if you are working as an instructor or a guide. It would be worth checking the small print to see how you’d stand if you were working as a chalet assistant.

If in doubt about cover for the type of work you want to do while overseas speak to your insurer. It may be that you’ll need to take out a specialist policy for some types of work – and this might require payment of a relatively high premium.

Does travel insurance cover me if I volunteer while abroad?

Always read the details of the policy before you buy, but generally long-term travel cover and backpacker cover will cover you when you’re working abroad whether you’re doing paid work or unpaid voluntary work.

However, if the nature of your voluntary work is deemed dangerous by insurers, you might have to hunt for a policy that does not exclude the activity in which you’ll be involved.

Can I get cover if I’m working abroad for longer than one year?

Around 98,000 British nationals emigrated to live and work abroad last year, according to the latest government figures. 

If you’re planning to stay overseas for an extended period (typically more than a year), gap year and backpacker travel cover may not be sufficient. International health insurance is a product that can provide cover for medical treatment while you’re living abroad. 

Depending on your circumstances, where you’re living overseas and whether or not you’ll still have access to NHS care, you could consider this type of health policy. Premiums are typically paid monthly or annually. But cover levels and the terms and conditions will vary between providers, so it is important to read the paperwork and understand exactly what cover you’re buying.

While some insurers will only offer coverage for emergency treatment, such as inpatient and day patient care for acute conditions, such as cancer, others have more extensive coverage, including out-patient treatment, dental cover and GP services, among other things.

Another option might be to buy insurance from a local provider in the country where you are working.

Does a GHIC cover me for working abroad?

The free global health insurance card (GHIC), which replaced the European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) after Brexit, entitles UK nationals to the same level of state-provided emergency and “necessary healthcare” as local nationals when visiting countries in the European Union, as well a handful of other countries, including Australia. 

But it is important to note that this may not mean the treatment is free. It won’t cover any private medical care.

While it is a prudent step to take a GHIC when staying in countries where it is accepted, it isn’t a replacement for travel insurance.

That’s because the GHIC won’t cover the broader range of risks you’ll get with good quality travel cover, such as repatriation if you need to return home to the UK due to a serious injury, cover for personal liability, and cover if your belongings are lost or stolen.