More and more Middle East countries are requiring expatriate workers to purchase local health insurance. Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and United Arab Emirates (UAE) already require it, and Bahrain and Qatar have announced their intentions to also implement compulsory expatriate health insurance.

Expatriates must prove that they have purchased local health insurance in order to obtain a work visa, regardless of any other expatriate coverage already in place.  

The strategy

If you have employees going to work in these countries, our recommendation is either:

• to purchase the least expensive coverage required in that country and maintain a true expatriate policy,or
• to purchase an expatriate policy that complies with local legislation while providing for coverage outside the country of assignment.

Why buy a local policy AND an expatriate policy?

• Expatriates often travel to other countries, and they also need to be covered traveling to and from their home country. Local coverage will not protect that worker outside of the particular country.
• The quality of local care in these emerging countries varies greatly. Most expatriates want the flexibility to choose physicians and hospitals that will care for them, even if it requires travel to another country.
• The expatriate plan ensures that plan provisions are consistent for all of your expatriates located around the world can be maintained.

Purchasing an Expatriate Plan

Norfolk is currently working to establish relationships with Mid East Insurance carriers to ensure all clients have coverage that receives regulatory approval and that can be seamlessly integrated into current expatriate programs.

Contact Norfolk for help

Norfolk is connected with foreign agents that can provide the required minimum coverage from authorized local insurance companies. Contact us for more information.