Once you leave the UK, two things change at the same time: you lose automatic access to the NHS, and a normal UK health insurance policy — the kind built for UK residents — generally stops covering you. What replaces it is international private medical insurance (IPMI): cover designed for people living outside their home country, which travels with you and, unlike travel insurance, is built for the long term.
Every country handles this differently. Some, like the UAE and parts of Australia\'s visa system, make health insurance a legal requirement. Others let you into the public system once you work and pay in, or through the S1 form if you are a UK State Pensioner in Europe. And a few — the United States above all — leave you exposed to enormous bills if you are uninsured. Pick your destination below for the specifics.
Europe
- Spain Home to one of the largest British communities abroad — with a visa insurance rule and the S1 route for pensioners.
- France State cover reimburses most but not all of a bill, so almost everyone in France also holds a top-up mutuelle.
- Portugal Residents can register with the SNS, but the D7 visa needs insurance and many Britons use private care to skip the waits.
- Italy Workers enrol in the SSN automatically and others can pay to join, but regional variation makes private cover popular.
- Germany Health insurance is compulsory for every resident — you choose between statutory GKV and private PKV cover.
- Ireland Public HSE care is not free like the NHS, so private insurance is close to standard for residents.
- Netherlands Every resident must buy Dutch basic insurance from a private insurer, usually within four months of arrival.
- Greece Public ESY access runs through EFKA contributions or the S1 — many Britons add private cover for the islands.
- Cyprus GESY now gives contributing residents universal cover, but many Britons keep private insurance for speed and choice.
- Malta English-speaking public care plus a historic UK-Malta reciprocal arrangement — private cover adds speed and choice.
- Switzerland Basic health insurance is compulsory within three months of arrival, with premiums among the highest in Europe.
- Poland NFZ covers contributors, but most expats use affordable private networks like LuxMed and Medicover for speed.
- Sweden A personnummer unlocks heavily subsidised public care; private cover speeds up non-urgent treatment.
- Belgium Residents must join a health fund; because co-payments remain, most add supplementary hospitalisation cover.
- Austria Statutory ÖGK cover is compulsory for employees; non-workers must arrange qualifying cover to meet residence rules.
- Denmark A CPR number and health card unlock largely free public care; private cover speeds up non-urgent treatment.
- Norway Registered members of the National Insurance Scheme pay modest capped fees; private cover adds speed and choice.
Middle East
- United Arab Emirates Private cover is a legal condition of your residence visa — the basic employer plan is often far thinner than expats expect.
- Saudi Arabia Private insurance is compulsory and linked to your iqama — with no free public care for expats to fall back on.
- Qatar Qatar now mandates health insurance for expats and visitors — employers cover staff, but dependants need their own.
- Kuwait Expats pay annual health fees and hold Dhaman insurance, and many still upgrade to comprehensive private cover.
- Bahrain Bahrain is moving to mandatory health insurance for expats, replacing the old system of paying fees for care.
- Oman The Dhamani scheme makes cover compulsory for private-sector expats, with the premium paid by the employer.
- Israel National cover reaches citizens and permanent residents through the health funds; temporary expats need private cover.
- Turkey A residence permit requires valid health insurance — usually private cover, as SGK is only open after a year.
Asia
- Thailand Superb, affordable private hospitals — but no public cover for foreigners, and retirement visas can require insurance.
- Singapore Expats get no public subsidy and use world-class but costly private hospitals, so international cover matters.
- Hong Kong HKID holders can use subsidised public hospitals, but long waits push most expats towards private cover.
- Malaysia Excellent-value private hospitals, plus a possible MM2H visa insurance rule for long-stay residents.
- China Expats use international hospitals in the big cities and typically want cover with medical evacuation.
- Japan Public health insurance is compulsory after three months, with a 30% co-payment that many expats top up privately.
- India Good-value private hospitals do the heavy lifting for expats, with evacuation cover strongly advised.
- Vietnam Public care is limited for foreigners, so expats rely on private and international hospitals.
- Indonesia Foreign workers may need BPJS, but expats lean on private care and evacuation to Singapore.
- Philippines PhilHealth pays only part of the bill, so expats use private hospitals and international cover.
- South Korea NHIS enrolment is compulsory after six months, and many expats add private cover on top.
- Sri Lanka Free public care is basic for complex cases, so expats use private hospitals and evacuation cover.
Oceania
- Australia A reciprocal agreement helps visitors, but most temporary-visa holders must hold private Overseas Visitors Cover.
- New Zealand Residents and longer work-visa holders get public care; a reciprocal deal helps visitors, but many still go private.
Americas
- United States No universal system and the world's highest medical bills — a single uninsured hospital stay can be financially ruinous.
- Canada Provincial plans cover residents, but new arrivals can wait up to three months — so interim private cover is essential.
- Mexico Expats can enrol voluntarily in IMSS, but most use Mexico's good-value private hospitals with international or local cover.
- Brazil The SUS is free even to foreigners, but crowded — so most expats use private plans and hospitals.
- Costa Rica Legal residents must join and pay into the public Caja (CCSS); many add private cover for shorter waits and choice.
Africa
- South Africa Public hospitals are under strain, so expats use private medical schemes and world-class private hospitals.
- Egypt Public care is limited, so expats rely on private hospitals in Cairo and international cover, often with evacuation.
- Morocco Social insurance covers registered workers only, so most expats use private clinics and international cover.
- Kenya Basic public cover only, so expats use private hospitals and international plans, usually with evacuation.
- Nigeria Limited public cover, so expats use private hospitals and international plans where evacuation cover is vital.
- Mauritius Free public healthcare exists, but expats and retirees favour private clinics and international cover.
What to check before you buy
- Does your visa require it? Several countries will not grant or renew a residence visa without qualifying cover.
- Where are you covered? Worldwide policies include trips home to the UK; region-only policies are cheaper but narrower.
- Pre-existing conditions. How they are handled varies enormously between insurers — this is where a specialist earns their keep.
- Evacuation and repatriation. Essential in some regions, and often required by the stricter visa rules.
Choose your destination above for a full guide, or request a free quote and let a specialist broker compare suitable international policies for your circumstances.