International Group Insurance
International group insurance helps organizations protect employees, volunteers, students, and other team members who live, work, or travel abroad. Coverage may include global group health, travel, and life insurance, depending on the needs of the organization and its members. International Citizens Insurance can help you compare plans based on your organization's needs, locations, benefit requirements, and budget.
Coverage Options at a Glance
Organizations have different insurance needs depending on who they need to cover, where those people will be, and how long they will be abroad.
The three main options are:
Coverage | Best For | What It Provides |
Employees and team members living or working abroad | Ongoing medical coverage | |
Employees and groups traveling abroad | Short-term or annual travel protection | |
International employees and globally mobile teams | Life and disability benefits |
Find the Right Group Coverage for Your Organization
Not sure which type of coverage your organization needs? A global benefits advisor can review your requirements and help you compare suitable options.
Who Needs International Group Insurance?
International group insurance is designed for organizations with employees, contractors, volunteers, students, missionaries, or other members who live, work, or travel outside their home country.
Coverage may be appropriate when:
- Employees move abroad on international assignments and need global benefits.
- Your workforce includes expats, third-country nationals, or employees hired locally in multiple countries.
- Remote employees are based in different countries.
- Employees travel overseas regularly for business.
- A nonprofit or volunteer organization sends teams abroad.
- A school or university organizes international student programs or trips.
- A missionary or faith-based organization has members working overseas.
The right solution depends on how many people you need to cover, their locations and nationalities, and how often or how long they will be abroad. Your existing benefits, budget, and the countries in which your organization operates also matter.
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How International Citizens Insurance Can Help
If you’re responsible for sending employees, volunteers, students, or other members abroad, protecting their health and well-being is paramount. Choosing the right coverage is an important part of that. But comparing insurers, benefits, eligibility requirements, and options across countries can quickly become complicated.
That’s where International Citizens Insurance can help. Our licensed brokers help organizations understand their coverage needs, compare plans, and answer questions after enrollment.
We have experience working with corporate clients, nonprofit and volunteer organizations, missionaries, remote teams, and global business travelers. Clients we’ve helped include:
- A corporate account in Shanghai with expat employees from several countries.
- A volunteer organization building schools in Guatemala.
- 100 remote workers traveling around the world.
- A youth orchestra on a two-week tour of China.
- A Professional Employer Organization (PEO) with employees around the world.
Compare Group Insurance Options
Whatever your organization’s size or structure, our advisors can help you understand your options and compare plans from multiple insurers.
What Is International Group Health Insurance?
International group health insurance provides ongoing medical coverage for eligible members of an organization who live or work outside their home country. It is designed for longer global assignments and globally distributed workforces rather than short trips overseas.
A group health plan may make sense when:
- Employees will live or work abroad for several months or longer.
- You are relocating employees to another country.
- Your workforce includes expats or third-country nationals.
- You employ people locally in several countries.
- Employees based abroad need access to private healthcare.
- You want to bring eligible employees under a coordinated benefits program.
Depending on the plan, coverage may include:
- Inpatient and outpatient treatment
- Prescription medication
- Emergency care
- Maternity benefits
- Mental health benefits
- Medical evacuation services
- Wellness benefits
- Dental or vision options
Coverage, eligibility, exclusions, geographic limits, and benefit limits vary by insurer and plan. Among these benefits, emergency medical evacuation can be especially important when appropriate care is unavailable locally. The U.S. Department of State notes that an air ambulance back to the United States can cost $20,000 to $200,000, depending on the location and medical condition.
Find Health Coverage for Your Global Workforce
Need health coverage for employees abroad? Explore international group health plans, eligibility requirements, and available benefits to find an option that fits your organization.
How Does Group Travel Insurance Work?
Group travel insurance provides short-term coverage for employees and other members traveling abroad. Organizations can choose a plan for a specific trip or an annual option for eligible travelers taking multiple trips throughout the year.
Unlike health plans, which are designed primarily for people living or working abroad for extended periods, travel plans are intended for shorter overseas trips.
Depending on the plan, coverage may include emergency medical treatment, medical evacuation and repatriation, emergency assistance, and other travel-related benefits.
Single-Trip or Annual Coverage?
The right type of coverage depends largely on how often your employees or other members travel abroad.
- A single-trip plan may be appropriate for a defined set of travelers taking a single overseas trip, such as a business conference, a student trip, a volunteer project, a missionary trip, or an organized tour. Coverage applies to the selected travel period and can be a practical option for infrequent travel abroad.
- An annual plan may be better suited to organizations whose employees or members travel overseas multiple times throughout the year. An annual policy can cover eligible trips during the policy period, reducing the need to arrange separate coverage for each trip.
The right plan will depend on factors such as the number of travelers, their nationalities, destinations, trip length, travel frequency, and the benefits required.
Find the Right Travel Coverage for Your Group
Need coverage for employees or other group members traveling abroad? Explore group travel insurance options, eligibility requirements, and available benefits to find a solution that fits your organization.
What Does International Group Life and Disability Insurance Provide?
International group life and disability insurance can help organizations provide additional financial protection for eligible employees living or working abroad. For employers with expats, remote teams, or employees in multiple countries, this coverage can form an important part of a broader employee benefits package.
Depending on the plan, benefits and options may include:
- Term life and other available life insurance options
- Short- or long-term disability coverage, where available
- Benefits for covered deaths resulting from illness or accidents
- Coverage designed for employees working abroad, remote teams, and expats
- Worldwide protection, subject to the terms and geographic limits of the policy
International Citizens Insurance can compare group life insurance and disability benefit options based on your workforce size, coverage needs, locations, and budget. After reviewing your needs, we can provide quotes from multiple insurers.
Protect Your International Team with Group Life Insurance
Need life insurance for international employees? Explore group life plans, eligibility requirements, and available benefits to find coverage that fits your organization.
How Do You Choose the Right Coverage?
Choosing the right coverage starts with understanding who needs it, where they will be, and how long they will be abroad. An employee relocating overseas for several years will generally have different needs from someone taking a two-week business trip.
Other important factors include group size, employee nationalities, existing benefits, desired coverage, budget, and the countries in which your organization operates.
When comparing your options, consider:
- Whether your organization needs health, travel, or life coverage, or a combination
- Which insurers and plans members may be eligible for
- Differences in benefits, plan options, and costs
- Geographic requirements and limitations
- How well each option fits your organization and its members
Expert Benefits Guidance for International Organizations
Our licensed global benefits advisors help employers, nonprofits, educational institutions, missionary organizations, and other international groups compare coverage from multiple insurers.
International Group Insurance FAQs
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There is no single minimum number of employees required for a group plan. Minimum participation requirements vary by coverage type, insurer, and plan. Some plans may be available to only a few eligible members, while others require more participants.
Contact a global benefits advisor to confirm eligibility requirements for your organization.
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Yes. Some plans can cover eligible employees across multiple countries and nationalities. However, eligibility and geographic requirements vary by insurer and plan, so where they live and work, as well as their citizenship, may affect which options are available to them.
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Yes. Some plans can cover contractors. Eligibility may depend on the type of coverage, the contractor’s work arrangement and location, and the insurer’s requirements. Organizations should confirm eligibility before selecting a plan.
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Yes. Organizations can combine different types of coverage to meet their needs. For example, a health plan may cover employees on longer global assignments, while a travel plan may protect those taking shorter trips. Group life insurance can also be included as part of a broader global benefits package.
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To get a quote, you will typically need to provide the number of people who need coverage, their locations, plan requirements, and desired start date. Depending on the plan, you may need to share extra information to determine eligibility and compare suitable options.
Contact a global benefits advisor to discuss your coverage needs.