Life insurance for expats & digital nomads
Our international life insurance plans are designed for expats looking to protect the things that matter most. Should the worst happen, you can provide your family with financial security for the future. You can insure your life up to 20 times your current annual salary (up to US$2m), and plans are available in US dollars, pounds sterling, Euros, and UAE dirhams.
- Safeguard your family’s future with international cover when living & working abroad
- US$250k life benefits start at just US$22 per month
- 100% of genuine claims paid in the last 5 years
Who needs international life insurance?
People purchase life insurance because they want their family to have financial security if they die. Perhaps the payout from the life insurance would help pay off a mortgage, or cover the costs of private education for the children.
People purchase international life insurance for the same reasons. But while regular life insurance only covers you for death in the country where you buy the insurance, expat life insurance is designed for people living and working abroad. So if you’re an expat or remote worker, or even if you spend much of the year travelling abroad, international life insurance might be a better fit for your financial planning.
Key benefits of our international life insurance
Insure your life
up to US$2m
Insure your life up to US$2m and safeguard your family’s financial future should you pass away. Add US$500k cover for accident insurance.
Early payment
for terminal illness
If you’re diagnosed with a terminal illness reducing your life expectancy to 12 months or less, we’ll pay your life benefit early. You’ll have freedom to arrange your affairs and spend time with your loved ones.
Increase your cover
for death by accident
With the optional accident benefit of up to US$500k, your family will receive an additional cash lump sum if your death is caused by an accident. If you suffer a severe injury in an accident, we’ll pay an applicable cash lump sum directly to you.
Peace of mind
We paid 100% of genuine expat life insurance claims in the past 5 years. Our plans are underwritten by the Allianz Group, so you can be confident in your cover.
How does international life insurance work?
When you purchase an expat life insurance plan, you decide how much you wish to insure your life for, and who you want that money to go to if you die. As long as you pay your premiums, your nominated beneficiaries will receive a cash lump sum when you die.
If you’re diagnosed with a terminal illness with a prognosis of few than 12 months, we’ll pay the cash lump sum before you die and directly to you. Paying early means you can dispense with your life benefit how and when you choose.
What does international life insurance with William Russell cover?
There are different types of expat life insurance, for example, you may have heard of level term life insurance, decreasing term life insurance, and joint life insurance. We provide annually-renewable expat life insurance: you renew your policy each year without the need for medical questions or examinations, and your life benefit stays the same.
It’s essential to understand precisely what is covered and what isn’t covered by your international life insurance.
| Cover | Cause of death |
|---|---|
| Covered | Common causes of death (cancer, heart attack, accident, illness) |
| Death while you’re living & working abroad | |
| Death while you’re in your country of nationality | |
| Covered after one year | Suicide |
| Not typically covered | Death from a pre-existing medical condition |
| Death from negligence, illegal activity, or drug or alcohol abuse | |
| Death due to war or terrorism in a country the British FCDO advises its citizens not to travel to | |
| Death not reported to us within 12 months | |
| Death while you’re in Iran, Libya, North Korea, South Sudan, Syria or Yemen |
Plans designed to suit different lifestyles and budgets
Life is complex, so we keep our expat insurance plans simple. Our plans are annually renewable, so you're not tied down to long, term-life policies. We cover expats, digital nomads, frequent travellers, and professionals.
Professionals
Our plans are designed for professionals living and working abroad who wish to provide financial stability for their families.
Couples
You and your partner can take out separate policies in the manner of joint-life insurance.
Self-employed
We can provide you with cover if you run your own business.
Over 50s
You can purchase an insurance plan if you're between the ages of 18 and 69, and you can renew your plan until you reach age 70.
Companies
You can add life insurance to your employees' benefits proposition, as long as 50% of the employees covered are expats.
How much does international life insurance cost?
How much you’ll pay for your plan depends on your age, how much you cover you require, and your medical history.
International Life Insurance | |
|---|---|
| From US$7 per month Example price for a 20 year old wishing to purchase US$100,000 cover | From US$15 per month Example price for a 40 year old wishing to purchase US$100,000 cover |
| |
The following table gives you an idea of average monthly premiums for different age groups with a US$100,000 life benefit.
| Age | Average monthly premium*** |
|---|---|
| 25 | US$8 |
| 35 | US$11 |
| 45 | US$27 |
| 55 | US$97 |
| 65 | US$295 |
| ***premium for a healthy person with a life benefit of US$100,000 | |
Is my expat life insurance valid if I move abroad?
With international insurance, not all policies are valid if you decide to move abroad. Whilst it’s always best to check with your existing provider, international policies exist to ensure that in the sad event of your death you’ve got the adequate cover needed for your loved ones.
With William Russell international insurance, your location has no impact on the premium at all. Our premiums are the same for all individual clients worldwide.
Do you have an accident plan?
Yes, we do have an optional accident plan. How much you’ll pay for your plan depends on how much you cover you require, and your medical history.
Accident Plan | |
|---|---|
| From US$14 per month Example price for an 18-69 year old wishing to purchase US$100,000 cover | |
| |
Do you only provide plans to expats?
In most cases, we can only provide life insurance to expats. By expat, we mean people living and working outside of their country of nationality (e.g., an Irish national living in China, an Italian national living in Canada).
Typically, our members reside permanently in a foreign country. But we can sometimes provide life insurance to people expecting to spend at least 6 months of the year living or travelling abroad. In certain countries, we can cover people living in the same country that issues their passports. These countries are Botswana, Kenya, Nigeria, Mauritius, Estonia and Malawi.
We also provide international health insurance.
What is an expat?How does COVID-19 affect my international life insurance?
You’re covered if you die as a result of infection by coronavirus (COVID-19) as you would be for any other viral infection provided you don’t have any relevant exclusions on your Certificate of Insurance.
COVID-19 and our insurance plansWhy do new parents buy life insurance?
Raising children can be expensive. Last December, the Child Poverty Action Group in the UK reported that the cost of bringing up a child is at least £190,000. Expat parents can expect that figure to be much higher, with private school fees, regular international travel, and all the perks that come with the expat lifestyle. Often, your income (or your partner’s) is the only way to pay for these costs of raising your child.
If you or your partner were to pass away, that could take a toll financially as well as an emotional toll. Life insurance is one thing that parents use to put in place a safety net. When parents purchase life insurance, they typically think about costs they would usually use their income to cover. For example, mortgages or debts, monthly bills, education and childcare, and everyday spending such as food and clothing. If the main breadwinner in your household should pass away, you’ll probably want help to cover these costs. That’s where life insurance can help.
Life insurance for expat parentsWhen's the best time to buy a life insurance policy?
There is no set ‘guide’ to when is the best time, but most people purchase life insurance at significant points of their life (e.g., marriage, buying a house, planning children).
Can I use your life insurance when getting a mortgage?
Yes, you can use international life insurance from William Russell to cover a mortgage – we have numerous members around the world who have nominated their banks as the beneficiary of their policy with any residual benefit going to family members.
When I made the call, Maggie was very considerate and supportive. She was professional and clear on guiding me through the various steps. I just felt I should share my experience and say that should you need to claim, the support is there to guide us through this difficult period.
Seth Underwood Member with William Russell, BulgariaPerks of being a member
with William Russell
Transparency matters to us
Insurance is about trust, so we believe in being fair and open. This belief informs our idea of insurance as a partnership between our members and us. That’s why we’re completely upfront with our life plans, and we want you to understand precisely what you’re buying.
We’re committed to fairness
When you buy a plan with us, you're insured with a company in the largest financial services group in the world. We aim to consider your claim within 5 working days. We paid 100% of valid life insurance claims in the past 5 years.
We believe in people
Some insurers rely on AI and Big Data to do their work for them. We think differently. Insurance is a highly personal experience, so it deserves a personal service. We’re a team of real people, at the end of a phone call when you really need us. We don’t hide behind call centres or bot webchats.
