How To Get Expat Life Insurance In The Philippines

As an expat debating a move or living in the Philippines, you might already be sifting through a mountain of expat life articles, wondering which pieces of the puzzle you’ve missed. Part of that might be putting together a financial plan that includes life insurance. 

With all the unknowns of international living, the need for financial planning doesn’t disappear when you move to or live in a tropical paradise. Things might be cheaper in general than back home, but your family will still need to survive. Also, there are still things like mortgages and private schools in the Philippines that will need solid financial planning.

At William Russell, we’ve helped expats navigate insurance processes around the world since 1992. With our support, you can move almost anywhere, feeling confident about your family’s future.

What to consider when buying life insurance policy

When you pay for life insurance, you’d like to think that if you passed away, your family will have a pain-free process making a claim for your life benefit (which should be enough to support them).

To make sure this is the case, consider the following when looking for a life insurance policy:

1/ How much coverage you have

First, ask yourself how much coverage the policy provides and what your family needs. Remember to include major expenses like mortgages and future education costs for your children in your coverage calculation. Plans usually cover a multiple of your salary (i.e., 2x, 5x, or 20x). 

2/ Area of cover

Your life insurance policy should reflect your lifestyle as an expat. It’s crucial to check if the coverage is worldwide or limited to specific locations. For instance, will your insurance coverage remain effective while you’re in the Philippines, for travel (work and leisure), and for trips home?

3/ Customer service

If you die and your beneficiary needs to file a claim, they will want easy-to-access customer support. Your beneficiaries will want compassion, consideration and empathy. They won’t want to be put on hold for many calls, passed from pillar to post and asked to fill in a lot of paperwork.

So, before you purchase your policy, check if the insurance provider outsources their customer service to call centres. You’ll also want to check if they have personalised services with a dedicated team member assigned to each policy. Online review platforms like Trustpilot and Feefo can help you find independent customer reviews and see what others say about the insurance provider.

4/ Early pay-out if diagnosed with terminal illness

Some insurance providers (including William Russell) will pay your life benefit to you if you’re diagnosed with a terminal illness and you only have 12 months or less to live. This means you might receive your insurance payout as a lump sum before you pass. It means you can settle your affairs (for example, taxes, debts), take your family on holiday, set up your family’s affairs and distribute inheritances while you’re still living.

5/ Compassion

The last thing your family needs is complicated administrative paperwork while grieving. They don’t want to spend hours doing paperwork, waiting on hold and being met with suspicion and scepticism.

Make sure to work with an insurance provider that understands expats well (or specialises in working with them for many years) so your family doesn’t have to go through more administrative burden dealing with translators, visas and certificates. This gives you confidence that your family will receive what they’re due should anything happen to you.

William Russell has been offering insurance for expats since 1992, and our life insurance plans cover all the above. Read on to find out more about how to get started with William Russell, and how we meet the main considerations above. 

How to get life insurance with William Russell

You can see prices and get a quote for our insurance plans in just a few minutes via our online quote tool. We’ll ask you a few details (your age, your location), and then we’ll show you prices.

A few days later, someone from our team will reach out to you to see how they can help you. Head to our online quote tool and follow these steps:

1. Tell us in which country you’re living and your age.
2. Select life benefit as part of your insurance plan. 
3. Let us know your desired coverage location and the amount you wish to insure your life for. You can choose up to 20 times your annual salary, with a maximum limit of US$2,000,000.
4. We’ll get in touch with you to discuss your needs.
5. If you want to apply, fill out the application form and email it to our sales team. Your application may require a medical exam. If you have questions, choose the ‘contact us’ option, and we’ll be in touch soon. 

What you get with William Russell life insurance

By taking out life insurance with William Russell, you’re creating a safety net for your family’s future. Here’s what you’ll get:

Financial protection for your family 

Your payout should be sufficient to ensure your family’s financial security if you pass away. When you sign up for a policy with William Russell, you can insure your life for up to 20x your current annual salary (up to US$2 million). For example, if your salary is US$50,000, you could insure your life up to US$1 million. Your loved ones would get this payout in a lump sum. You can also:

• Choose your beneficiaries, regardless of where they live. 
• Select your preferred currency for your premium and lump sum payments. You can choose from pounds sterling, US dollars, or euros. These are all stronger currencies than the Philippine peso (PHP) and might be better financially for your family if they plan to move home.
• Select a payment frequency that suits you – you can pay your premium monthly, quarterly, half-yearly, or once a year.

Coverage wherever you go

While you might be based in the Philippines, life and work can take you across the globe. You shouldn’t have to worry about whether your life insurance policy will cover you if you leave the country. All William Russell life insurance policies cover you worldwide (with a few exceptions), so your family stays protected at all times.

Insurance policies you can trust

The Financial Services & Markets Authority (FSMA – based in Belgium) and the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA in the UK) regulate all our insurance policies. We’ve been in business since 1992 with members in 150+ countries.

93.63% of our members with life insurance renew their policy with us each year – find out why our members stay with us, and why you should too.

Personalised support

If your family has to make a claim, the last thing they need is multiple conversations on a busy, automated call centre. William Russell members have a dedicated policy manager to contact directly when they need to.

If you pass away, we’ll make sure your family receives a respectful and personalised service. Your beneficiaries will have up to 12 months from your death to file a claim during this stressful time.

No further medical testing

Depending on your medical history, you might need to complete a medical exam before starting your plan. After your plan begins, we’ll reimburse these expenses up to US$750. 

If you become sick and your health worsens, we won’t ask for further medical tests or change our underwriting decisions.

Early payout for terminal illnesses 

If you receive a terminal diagnosis with less than 12 months to live, you can access your life insurance benefit early in one lump-sum. This gives you the time to help your family organise your finances. For example, if you’re physically able, you may decide to use part of your payout to move back home to spend time with extended family, parents, and close friends.

Optional accident insurance (up to US$500K) 

By signing up for our accident insurance, we’ll pay out (up to US$500K based on your policy) if you’re in an accident that stops you from working. 

For example, Jon was one of our members working as a hotel resort manager in South Africa when he had a traumatic car accident. It led to life-altering injuries to his legs and permanent disability despite surgical interventions.

Jon claimed up to €500,000 with the optional accident benefit provided by William Russell. This monetary cushion meant he could cope with the unexpected change in circumstances. He used this money to relocate to the Netherlands and modify his home to suit his new needs. This insurance was crucial to help Jon adapt to his sudden lifestyle change.

International life insurance to fit your needs

If you’re staying in the Philippines for at least six months, you can get an insurance policy to fit your needs with multiple coverage levels. You’re not stuck with a one-size-fits-all plan. We offer specialised life insurance options for:

• Couples
• Single expats working abroad 
• Self-employed entrepreneurs working abroad
• Businesses or groups

Our life insurance group plans can cover you, your partner, and your wider family. We can also offer you an international group policy for your staff if you’re a business owner. 

What’s covered by William Russell’s life insurance plans?

Our life insurance policies cover the most common causes of death. However, there are a few exceptions you should be aware of before you start your policy: 

For any queries about what we’ll cover, don’t hesitate to contact our team. 

We also offer health insurance 

If you want to make sure you and your family can access private medical facilities in the Philippines, consider health insurance plans with William Russell. 

While our life, health, and income protection plans are separate policies, you’ll have the same William Russell team member managing your plans and a separate team member for claims. This makes managing your insurance needs a breeze. 

Choose William Russell for your life insurance in the Philippines 

The expat life can be exciting – and full of uncertainties – especially when your family shares those adventures with you. With William Russell standing by, you and your family can breathe easier in almost any country.

We developed our life insurance plans to meet your unique needs as expats – so you can sleep better at night knowing your family’s covered, wherever life takes you.