Pre-departure checklist

Five blocks of checks to go through before leaving to live abroad: effective date, countries and zones covered, assistance and repatriation, family, useful documents. Tick items as you go, then print the page or save it as a PDF.

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Effective date

Note your planned departure date and compare it with the effective date stated in the contract.
Check from which moment care is covered: signature, payment or effective date.
Check that your current cover stays in force until departure, with no gap between two contracts.
Look for a waiting period before some benefits apply.
Check the length of the contract, its renewal terms and any notice period.
Check the cancellation or suspension terms of your current contracts.

Countries and zones covered

Note your planned country of residence and the countries where you may stay (business trips, holidays, trips back to your home country).
Check that your country of residence is in the contract’s zone, in the policy terms and not only in a brochure.
Check whether some countries are excluded or subject to special conditions.
Check what happens if you change country during the contract: declaration, adjustment, possible exit from the covered area.
Check the rules for temporary stays outside the zone: emergencies, maximum length, cap.
Check how care is paid for locally: advance payment, direct billing, reimbursement, accepted facilities.

Assistance and repatriation

Check whether the contract includes assistance, which number to call and at what hours.
Check in which cases repatriation or medical evacuation can be arranged, and who decides.
Check which costs are concerned: medical transport, a relative travelling with you.
Check the limits of assistance: caps, exclusions, risky activities, exceptional situations.
Check the language of the assistance service and how to reach it (phone, messaging, app).
Write down the assistance number and the contract number of each person, somewhere you can reach offline.

Family: spouse, children, maternity

List the people leaving with you (spouse, children, others) with their ages.
Check whether the spouse and children are covered by the same contract, and on what conditions (age limit, studies, country of residence).
Maternity: check whether pregnancy, childbirth and newborn care are covered, and whether there is a waiting period or a minimum membership period.
Child born abroad: check the procedure and the deadline to add the child to the contract.
Check the types of care useful to the family: paediatrics, vaccines, dental care, optical care.
Check what changes with a family event: birth, separation, a relative arriving or returning.

Useful documents

ID documents for each person (passport, visa or residence permit) and their validity dates.
Contract, policy terms, benefits table and any amendments, as a digital copy.
Insurance certificates and insurance cards for each insured person, and how to access them offline.
Proof of your current cover and of your rights to compulsory health insurance.
Any proof the host country may ask for with the visa or residence permit: check the required form with the authority concerned.
Current prescriptions, health and vaccination records, to keep for yourself: do not attach them to a study request.
Scanned copies of these documents, kept separately from the originals.

This list is a general reminder: it replaces neither the policy terms of your contract nor an advisor’s opinion. Conditions depend on each contract.

Pre-departure checklist: what to check for your health insurance

1Effective date

2Countries and zones covered

3Assistance and repatriation

4Family: spouse, children, maternity

5Useful documents

Effective date

Countries and zones covered

Assistance and repatriation

Family: spouse, children, maternity

Useful documents