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Expat income protection insurance
Will income protection cover you if you're working overseas?
Key takeaways
- You can still get income protection if you're an expat or are working overseas.
- Some insurers are specific about the eligibility criteria, so it pays to be informed.
- Some providers limit the amount of time you can spend overseas to 3 or 12 months.
Does income protection cover you abroad?
Yes, many policies can. To be eligible for income protection while working overseas, you will generally need to do one of the following:
- Let the insurer know of your work or travel plans when you apply for cover. It will likely increase the cost of your premiums, but ensures you're covered while overseas.
- Provide evidence that you intend to return to Australia within three to five years. Evidence can include a clearly defined overseas contract, temporary work visa or return flights. If you don't intend to return, you are best to just get income protection insurance from a provider in the country you're living in.
- Provide evidence of your occupation. Some insurers may also need to see evidence that your job requires you to travel overseas.
Finder survey: Have Australians lied on their income protection insurance policy?
| Response | |
|---|---|
| I've never lied on an insurance policy | 93.6% |
| I lied on my current policy | 4% |
| I've lied on a past policy | 2.4% |
Source: Finder survey by Pure Profile of 1110 Australians, December 2023
Who provides income protection with worldwide cover?
| Provider | Conditions | |
|---|---|---|
 AIA Income Protection | If you travel overseas, AIA's income protection policy covers you 24 hours a day, seven days a week, anywhere in the world. You will need to inform the insurer of your travel plans when you apply for cover as this may alter the cost of your premiums. | |
 RAC Disability Income Insurance | Once issued, insurance cover is provided worldwide and 24-hours a day, subject to any special terms and conditions we may apply to your cover. | |
 AMP Elevate Income Insurance | When you are accepted for cover, AMP will offer insurance protection 24 hours a day, seven days a week, anywhere in the world. However, if you fall ill or are injured outside Australia or New Zealand, you may need to provide additional medical documentation and/or undergo an additional medical examination by a medical practitioner chosen by AMP. | |
 Asteron Income Protection | When you apply for cover, you'll need to provide details about your travel plans, including your destinations and the purpose of your trip(s). 24/7 worldwide cover is available from Asteron, although special loadings and exclusions may apply to cover. | |
 BT - Income Protection | BT income protection cover offers protection anywhere in the world all year round. However, special loadings and exclusions may apply to cover. | |
 ClearView LifeSolutions Income Protection Cover | Unless the policyholder and the insurer agree on special cover terms at the time of application, ClearView offers income protection cover anywhere in the world. | |
 CommBank Income Protection | Cover is provided 24 hours a day, seven days a week, anywhere in the world. However, specific exclusions may be applied to your policy for injuries sustained in certain countries, or specific circumstances (eg, terrorism) in certain countries that could lead to an injury. | |
 MLC Income Protection Insurance | When applying for cover, you'll need to provide details about your travel plans including your destinations, duration of trips and purpose of travel. Cover is offered 24 hours a day all around the world, but specific exclusion and loadings may be applied depending on where you are planning on visiting. | |
 OnePath OneCare Income Secure Cover | OnePath offers protection 365 days a year anywhere in the world, subject to any specific terms and exclusions which may apply to your policy. | |
 TAL Accelerated Protection - Income Protection Insurance | TAL offers a maximum benefit period of 90 days if you reside outside of Australia. Depending on your circumstances, exclusions and premium loadings may apply. | |
 Zurich Income Replacement Insurance | Zurich Wealth Protection policies provide cover all year long, all around the world. However, if you are claiming income replacement benefits you will need to have a medical examination every 12 months in order to continue receiving benefits. |
Can I use Australian income protection while working overseas?
With so many Australians working overseas in industries such as oil, gas and mining, there are plenty of insurance companies happy to cover Australians working abroad for periods at a time. The main requirement is that you can show you intend to return within three to five years.
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Does life insurance cover you overseas?
Yes, life insurance can cover you while you are overseas. Here's a breakdown of how it works:
Life insurance
Unlike income protection, it's possible to get Australian life insurance cover even if you don't plan on returning. There may be some more cover restrictions and your premiums might be higher, especially if you're in a country the Australian government considers dangerous, but you'll be covered as long as you continue to pay your premiums.
TPD insurance
Insurers may require total and permanent disability insurance policies to be modified so that you have to return to Australia within a certain period of time after being unable to work. This clause is usually inserted so that you can receive treatment to Australian standards.
Trauma insurance
You should also be able to get trauma insurance if you're living overseas. Keep in mind though that if you're residing in a dangerous area or working in a dangerous job, you might not be able to get cover.
Do I have to tell my insurer if I'm going overseas?
If you plan to go overseas for a significant period of time, then you need to let your insurer know. This is because it won't have factored the added risks of being overseas into your cover. As a result, you risk not being covered if something happens.
When you let your insurer know that you're going to be overseas, it's likely to raise your premiums to account for the added risk (and the potential cost of repatriation) and it may introduce specific conditions where you won't be covered.
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