Expat Death & Disability Insurance (Prévoyance)

Prévoyance covers the financial consequences of disability or death — lump sum, income, income continuation — not medical costs (health insurance) or emergency organisation (repatriation and assistance). Three different needs, often lumped together under the same 'insurance' label.

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Who it’s for

Expats with dependants who stayed in France
Employees abroad with no company death-and-disability scheme, unlike an employee in France who is often covered by an industry-wide agreement
Expat freelancers and independent workers, with no safety net in case of extended work stoppage

Who it’s not for

Those looking for cover of medical costs: see expat health insurance
Those looking for emergency organisation or medical evacuation: see repatriation and assistance

What prévoyance typically covers

Work incapacity: partial income continuation during a work stoppage.
Disability: compensation for lost capacity to work, as an income or a lump sum.
Death: a lump sum paid to named beneficiaries to protect the household's standard of living.

Why this risk is often less well covered abroad

In France, an employee frequently benefits from a company death-and-disability scheme, sometimes made mandatory by an industry-wide agreement, on top of Social Security benefits. This protection doesn't automatically carry over abroad: a local contract, a freelance status, or expatriation outside the French general scheme can leave a coverage gap in the event of an extended work stoppage, disability or death — a gap that only a dedicated death-and-disability guarantee fills.

How this fits with CFE and health insurance

CFE's basic contribution covers reimbursement of medical costs (the sickness-maternity- disability branch), not a death lump sum or a disability income in the sense of a prévoyance contract. An optional add-on of prévoyance benefits (daily allowances, disability, death lump sum) exists on top of CFE's health guarantee, for an additional contribution — see the detail of CFE contributions. Standard expat health insurance follows the same logic: prévoyance is a separate component, never automatically included in a health guarantee.

Go further

The Prévoyance and assistance guide details all of these guarantees and how they fit together with assistance and repatriation.

Frequently asked questions

Does CFE cover disability or death?

Not in its basic contribution, which reimburses medical costs. An optional add-on of prévoyance benefits (daily allowances, disability, death lump sum) does exist on top of CFE's health guarantee, for an additional contribution.

Does an expat employee automatically have prévoyance cover like in France?

Not necessarily. An employee in France is often covered by a company death-and-disability scheme, sometimes mandatory under an industry-wide agreement. This coverage doesn't automatically carry over abroad and depends on the local contract or the employer.

Written by Expavy