Job Discussion Forums

[hellsbells]

Just wondered if anyone had run into this problem before...

I'm about to leave for Korea and I want to sort out travel insurance to cover me at least for the first few weeks while my school sorts out my paperwork and my health insurance. However, I can't find a company that will cover me because I've spent more than 6 months out of the last 12 abroad.

I really don't want to fly without any insurance but I don't know what else to do. Any ideas would be greatly appreciated.

[Spinoza]

[hellsbells]

Thanks for the reply Spinoza.

But what else would you really need insurance cover for - other than medical cover? I'm not bringing a whole lot of stuff with me, and I don't have any expensive gadgets like a laptop.

The medical insurance is certainly my primary worry. I used to work for a travel company and used to sell insurance, so I've heard firsthand the horror stories of being injured abroad without cover.

So I do heed your advice that having extra insurance for the whole time you're away would be a good idea. Just need to find a company that'll help!

[Stephen Jones]

No company will cover you the whole time you're away.
As you don't have a country of residence how can you get travel insurance from a company in your non-existent country of residence?
The answer is simple. Be careful what you eat on the plane, and get insurance in Korea, or wherever, the day after you arrive.

[hellsbells]

I don't think that being away from a home country for a short period of time necessarily makes a person a non-resident.

Yes, in my case, I've been in the Czech Republic for the last 8 months out of 12, and I intend to be in Asia for 12 months minimum. So, you might be right in my case - I should just get insurance where I end up teaching. But there must be a lot of other people who travel or teach for 6 or 12 months, and then go home.

All I'm wondering (and my search for travel insurance has made me think about this) - is how these people then get travel insurance for the year after?

What about people who take gap years before university? They're clearly still residents in their home country, but they then can't get insurance for the following year? Seems a really bizarre clause.

[Stephen Jones]

Travel insurance is to cover people who go on holiday; indeed some annual clauses limit the length of any one trip. If you are going to live somewhere they don't want to insure you because your needs will be different - that is to say you won't be popping home if you find you need hospital treatment.

If you leave Saudi on a final exit no way will Norwich Union insure you.

[lajzar]

There are various companies that specialise in health insurance for ex-pats 8such as most of us). Due to the nature of the business, having your insurance company based in your home country isn't necessarily of any particular advantage.

One such company that specialises in this area is called Global Health. However, I don't know if they cover the Korea market. I am sure others exist.

ps: The above shouldn't be taken as a specific endorsement, merely an example. If you ask UK insurance companies specifically for ex-pat cover (as opposed to "travel insurance"), they will usually quote something, but don't be surprised if its something exorbitant.

[tedkarma]

I carry my own medical cover )KW Bateen) no matter where I work. It doesn't matter where you work/live as long as you are outside (I think) the UK, USA, and Canada - and even then they will cover you for up to 90 days a year with an additional premium.

I've used KW Batten for about ten years - and they have covered claims from either my wife or me - from Tanzania, Taiwan, Saudi, Taiwan - and surprisingly enough - they are NOT exorbitantly priced. I looked for years for insurance I could use while working in different countries - particularly as employer's insurance is often flakey, inadequate, or sometimes requires you to use less than optimal facilities.

Anyway - I give the company an A+ for the care they have given my wife and me.

There are actually several options on this webpage:

http://phuketdelight.com/medical.htm

KW Batten's e-mail address is near the bottom of the page.

[hellsbells]

Thanks very much for the helpful replies. I'll look into insurance specifically designed for expats.

I think because I haven't been doing this tefl-thing for very long, I've never really considered myself an expat. But sad to say, I guess I am.

Thanks again.

[matttheboy]

You can get travel insurance that lasts up to 2 years for a single trip. I've got 18 months with Insure and Go (google it) and it cost something like �300 i think. You have to be a UK resident to buy it and have to sort it out before leaving UK. Unless you've officially declared 'non-resident' status (eg for tax purposes) then you're still a UK resident. To make life easier, just don't mention that you've been out of the country for any extended period of time. Most travel insurance can be extended when out of the country as long as you do so BEFORE the policy runs out. If it runs out then you have to go home to buy a new policy. There are some companies that cover you when you're already away but they're much more expensive.

There's no need to mention that you're going to a country to work. Unless you break your neck slipping on a whiteboard marker whilst working and the doctor puts this on the official medical notes you'd send to the insurance company then there's no possible way they can find out. Doctors and the police in most countries are happy to only mention what you want them to mention on official forms...

[Aramas]

Another outfit worth a look is http://www.worldnomads.com.au/index.aspx. It costs less than half the other expat cover I've found, and they seem to cover people from anywhere.

[Spinoza]

[Stephen Jones]

Perhaps you could provide us with the actuarial tables of the number of ESL teachers in Korea who have been sued for damages by third parties.

If you are really worried about it you could take out insurance when you arrive; same probably goes for repatriating your corpse, in the unlikely event anybody ever wants it back.

The agency you give, which incidentally is just a broker and does not issue the insurance itself, seems to have problems with downloading the policy. I would check the small print carefully. On the web site it says in large letters
Holiday Insurance
For Residents of the United Kingdom and Ireland
It was the fact that he is not considered a resident that caused the OP to make his post in the first place.

[hellsbells]

I think I will get an insurance policy specifically designed for expats - otherwise the fact that I haven't been in the UK much is just going to invalidate the cover anyway. But thanks very much for the detailed info Spinoza.

Actually looking at the small print of Go Travel - it just says you have to be a UK resident at the time of taking out the policy. It doesn't specify the whole "can't have been abroad for 6 months" which is what I kept finding with other policies. So, I think I'd be ok.

Anyway, thanks for all your help.

And just for the record, I'm female!

[Spinoza]