Health insurance and guides for retiring or living abroad
Long-term international health insurance, retirement visas and cost-of-living guides for US and UK readers, mainly aged 50 to 64.
Any nationality · cover starts on the 1st of a month · entry before the year you turn 65
Which describes you?
Pick the situation closest to yours: each guide explains what cover you need, what it costs and where the limits are.
Retiring abroad (50–64)Secure long-term cover with no end age before the entry limit closes.
UK: bridging to the S1Private cover for the years before your State Pension and S1 start.
Remote worker / freelancerLong-term cover that is not tied to one country or one trip.
Moving with familySee what cover costs for each family member, children included.
65 or olderWhy this plan is closed to you, and what to look for instead.
When must my cover start?
Cover must start by 1 December of the year you turn 64, because the plan accepts you only before the calendar year you turn 65. Born in 1962? Your cover must start by 1 December 2026.
Select your year of birth. Age counts as calendar year minus year of birth, as on the application form. You can apply up to 4 months before the start date.
Already 65 or older in the year cover would start? This plan is closed to you; we are preparing a comparison of plans without an entry-age limit.Options at 65 or older
What does it cost?
From €40 a monthyoungest age band, Basic tier, €3,600 deductible, Zone 1
- Age 50–54from €140a month
- Age 55–59from €200a month
- Age 60–64from €325a month
Lowest Zone 1 premium per age band across all tiers and deductibles, from the insurer’s premium table read 2026-10-27. Zone 1 is worldwide except the USA, China and Singapore. Full price tables by age
How does it work in 4 steps?
You apply online, then the insurer assesses your health in a short video interview before it confirms your terms in writing.
- 1Check your deadline and price
Pick your year of birth below, then compare tiers and deductibles for your age band on the plan page.
- 2Apply online
Fill in the insurer’s online application with your zone, level, deductible and start date.
- 3Short video health interview
Via Zoom or Teams, with your medical records from the last five years. Pre-existing conditions are assessed individually: accepted, surcharge, exclusion or decline.
- 4Decision in writing, cover from the 1st
You receive a written policy confirmation with your terms. Cover starts on the 1st of a month you chose, at most 4 months ahead and never before you cross the border.
Expat health insurance by country
Local public systems, private hospitals and what international cover has to do in each country. (33 guides)
Expat health insurance in Thailand
Hospitals, costs and visa insurance rules.
Expat health insurance in Spain
Residency insurance rules, S1 and convenio especial.
Expat health insurance in France
PUMa, top-ups and private cover.
Expat health insurance in Italy
SSN voluntary enrolment vs. private cover.
Expat health insurance in Germany
Public vs. private: rules for newcomers.
Expat health insurance in Netherlands
Dutch basic insurance and when it applies.
Expat health insurance in Japan
NHI rules, co-pays and visa insurance.
Expat health insurance in Mexico
IMSS vs. private international cover.
Expat health insurance in Philippines
PhilHealth and private plans.
Expat health insurance in Portugal
SNS access and private insurance.
Expat health insurance in Panama
Private hospitals and plan options.
Expat health insurance in Costa Rica
CAJA plus a private top-up.
Expat health insurance in Vietnam
International hospitals and cover options.
Expat health insurance in Colombia
EPS, private plans and the pensionado visa.
Expat health insurance in Indonesia
Bali and Jakarta: cover options.
Expat health insurance in Singapore
Zone 2 prices, MOM rules and hospital costs.
Expat health insurance in Greece
EOPYY, permit insurance minimums and islands.
Expat health insurance in Malaysia
MM2H insurance rule, fees and hospitals.
Expat health insurance in Cyprus
GeSY access and pink-slip insurance.
Expat health insurance in Malta
Residence programme insurance rules.
Expat health insurance in Uruguay
Mutualistas, FONASA and private cover.
Expat health insurance in Ecuador
IESS, private plans and visa insurance.
Expat health insurance in Croatia
HZZO duty, contributions and nomads.
Expat health insurance in Turkey
Ikamet insurance rule and SGK.
Expat health insurance in China
Zone 2 prices and social insurance.
Mandatory emirate cover and visa rules.
Expat health insurance in Dominican Republic
Residency, SFS and private cover.
Expat health insurance in Argentina
Decree 366/2025, prepagas and cover.
Expat health insurance in Brazil
SUS, planos de saúde and visa insurance.
Expat health insurance in Peru
EsSalud, SIS and private cover.
Expat health insurance in Cambodia
Care quality, evacuation and zones.
Expat health insurance in Georgia (country)
Entry insurance rule and private clinics.
Expat health insurance in Montenegro
Residence permit insurance and FZO.
Healthcare in…
How the public and private systems work for foreign residents, and what treatment costs. (1 guide)
Public vs. private healthcare in 40+ countries, ranked.
Insurance guides
How long-term international health insurance works, what it costs and where its limits are. (18 guides)
Expat health insurance explained
How international health insurance works, what it costs and who needs it.
What international health insurance costs
Premiums by age, zone and deductible.
All 297 premiums by zone, age and deductible, with CSV.
Long-term cover for retiring abroad before 65.
Cover when you work for yourself abroad.
Options after the entry age, and our upcoming comparison.
Health insurance for Americans abroad
Medicare does not travel: your options.
When the NHS stops and what replaces it abroad.
Long-term cover with up to 180 days at home a year.
When provincial cover ends and what replaces it.
Medicare abroad, coming back, and long-term cover.
How insurers assess existing illnesses.
Family health insurance abroad
Cover for partners and children abroad.
Digital nomad health insurance
Long-term cover vs. travel insurance.
Age limits and the age-65 rule
Entry ages, no end age and what changes after 65.
Visits home: who is covered and who is not.
NHS-funded healthcare in the EU for UK pensioners.
The S1 gap: cover before state pension age
Retired before state pension age? Cover until the S1.
Data and comparisons
Side-by-side tables across countries: visas, insurance requirements and price levels. (1 guide)
Which visas need which health cover.
How do we work?
We check facts against official sources, keep insurance prices in one registry and disclose how the site is paid.
- Sources are named in plain text on every guide, with the body and the date. About and methodology
- Written by Steffan Grund, Insurance specialist (Versicherungsfachmann BWV). About the author
- If you take out a policy through our links we may earn a commission, at no extra cost to you. How we are paid
What if I change my mind?
You keep control after you sign; these are the contract rules of Care Expat World.
- 14-day withdrawal right: 14 days to cancel after signing, without giving reasons.
- The insurer waives ordinary cancellation: No ordinary cancellation by the insurer. Statutory extraordinary termination stays possible for both sides.
- No end date: None. The contract has no maximum term and no age at which cover stops.
age 55-59 from €200/monthApply