European Law and European Union: blogs, contributions, stories, summaries and tips around the theme

Why should you take out specialized travel insurance for a long trip abroad?

• Regular travel or health insurances often only cover trips for a maximum number of days (for example 60, 90 or 180 days). This limits your flexibility!
• Your health insurance from back home may not offer any coverage abroad or only in specific hospitals.
• During a long trip you might undertake special activities like paid work or volunteering. Regular travel insurances usually don’t cover these kind of activities. The same goes for adventurous sports like skydiving, scuba diving and bungee jumping.

Volunteer or intern abroad insurances

• Working as a volunteer or intern offers a great learning experience. Meet new people and make a difference! You will develop your knowledge and skills, as well as that of others. You will gain international skills, contribute to a better world and gain useful experience for on your resume.
• However, just like at home there is always a chance that something goes wrong during your time abroad. Such as sickness, accidents, stolen luggage and of course things that can go wrong back home that you may ned to return for. 
• If you have the right travel insurance it will help you financially and offer help when you need it.  On this page you can read about how you can make sure you’re properly insured before, during and after your work as a volunteer.

Why insure specifically as a volunteer or intern abroad?

• Volunteer projects, foundations , NGOs & local companies typically don’t have suitable insurance. Even if they do, it might only be valid during your time at work and not during your daytrips.
• Regular travel insurances often don’t cover volunteering abroad or your work as an intern
• Volunteerwork & internships often involves doing work for which you are not trained or have little experience doing. This might result in a higher chance for accidents.

Why insure medical expenses abroad with an emigration or expat insurance?

• Being well insured while living or working abroad is important. Sometimes the new country of residence has a good national health care system, but this is certainly not always the case. As an alternative to the national health insurance, an international (expat) insurance is a frequently used replacement, with a number of advantages: international coverage, reimbursements and conditions, often according to high standards, worldwide coverage and flexibility. A number of good and affordable options are listed below.

Check out more about

• Why en where to take out travel insurances for abroad
• Why en where to take out insurances that cover medical expenses abroad
• Insurance for activities abroad (NL)