This blog is from one of COBIS’ Supporting Associates.

Written by Pierre de Mirman, Deputy Global CEO at Pacific Prime

If you are a teacher who would like to teach abroad, it’s crucial to consider your health insurance options. Sometimes, health insurance will be provided by your employer, while some countries or schools will require you to get health insurance on your own.

Join me in understanding how teachers can get health insurance when teaching abroad in this article.

Why Health Insurance Matters for Teachers

Before we discuss how teachers can get health insurance in key regions around the world, we first have to discuss why health insurance is important for teachers.

While teaching abroad can be an exciting experience for teachers, it’s important to know that the risk for injuries and illnesses always exists regardless of wherever you are and depending on the severity of your illnesses or injuries, your healthcare expenses may be more expensive than in your home country.

This is where health insurance comes in by covering your treatment and medication expenses so you don’t have to pay out of pocket. Depending on the specific plan, you can also add benefits such as vision and dental care as you wish.

Let’s now move onto how teachers can get health insurance in notable regions in the world.

Asia

Health insurance is usually provided in Asian job markets for teachers teaching abroad. Among the countries in Asia that provide health insurance are South Korea, China, Taiwan, Japan, Indonesia, Malaysia, Vietnam, and Hong Kong. Thailand does as well, but not always.

In some cases where you will have to pay into your health insurance, this will usually be deducted from your monthly salary and ranges from USD $25-50 (approximately GBP 19.54-39.08).

In less-developed countries such as Cambodia or Mongolia, health insurance can sometimes be provided by private and international schools, but this isn’t always the case.

The Middle East

Health insurance is typically provided to teachers teaching abroad as part of the compensation package in Persian Gulf countries such as Saudi Arabia, Qatar, the UAE (including Dubai and Abu Dhabi), Bahrain, and Oman.

On the other hand, in less-developed countries such as Egypt, Morocco, Jordan, and Lebanon, certain employers will provide health insurance but this will vary depending on the school.

Europe

Teachers who want to teach in Spain or Italy will have to get their own health insurance if they don’t pay taxes and lack a work permit in the country. However, teachers who participate in government-operated teaching assistance programs in Spain (and France) will usually get health insurance.

Meanwhile, countries where teachers can receive a work visa and pay taxes such as Germany, Russia, or Turkey, there is a strong likelihood that health insurance will be provided as part of the country’s national healthcare. However, make sure to clarify with your employer during the interview.

In some countries such as the Czech Republic, an affordable health insurance plan known as the Complex Insurance is available for teachers looking for long-term residence permits or long term visas.

The plan costs approximately USD $800/year (approximately GBP 625.63) and includes basic health, dental, and vision insurance.

Latin America

Most teachers teaching abroad in Latin America will need to get health insurance on their own. However, in Chile and Mexico, health insurance is likely to be provided with contracts and work visas by their employers.

Secure Health Insurance When Teaching Abroad

Whether you’re teaching abroad in countries where you get health insurance as part of the compensation package such as China and Dubai or countries where you’ll need to get health insurance on your own such as Italy, make sure to always clarify health insurance accessibility with your employer.

My team of insurance experts at Pacific Prime UK is renowned for their expertise in tailoring group insurance plans for schools of all sizes. We’re dedicated to providing comprehensive insurance solutions for our clients. Get in touch with my team or send me an email via pierre@pacificprime.com for more information on school insurance.