Health insurance for digital nomads and freelancers abroad
Three months in Lisbon, six in Bali, a winter in Dubai: your address changes, your cover shouldn’t have to change with it. A freelancer has no employer and no group contract behind them, you choose your own health cover, and it’s your business that stops if it’s missing.
Countries covered under one contractWorldwide or worldwide excluding the US
Certificate for a nomad visaRequired by most countries
Signing up after you’ve already leftPossible with several insurers
Stays in France between countriesCovered, for a limited time depending on plan
Nomads with no fixed country
No local contract follows you from one country to the next. International first-euro insurance covers you anywhere in your chosen zone, with no need to declare each move, including your time back in France.
Freelancers settled in one country
Micro-enterprise closed or based elsewhere, no more French social security: you need full cover, hospitalisation and everyday care, sized to the actual costs of the country you live in.
A digital nomad visa to obtain
Portugal, Spain, the UAE, Thailand, Indonesia: most nomad visas require a health insurance certificate covering the entire length of the permit. We check compliance with the consulate’s criteria before you sign anything.
Self-employed workers who keep a foot in France
French tax residency kept, activity carried out partly abroad: the French social security regime can still apply. The right contract is then a top-up, not a duplicate. That is the first thing we check.
Your questions about this cover.
Is a freelancer abroad still covered by French social security?
Not if they have moved their residence out of France: affiliation to the French scheme ends when they leave, even if the micro-entreprise stays registered. Paying URSSAF contributions is not enough to stay covered for care received in Bali or Lisbon. Health cover becomes a personal decision: an international first-euro policy, or voluntary membership of the CFE (Caisse des Français de l’Étranger, the French state fund for citizens abroad), possibly topped up.
What insurance do I need to get a digital nomad visa?
Most nomad visas (Portugal, Spain, the United Arab Emirates, Thailand’s DTV, Indonesia) require a health insurance certificate valid for the whole length of the visa, sometimes with a minimum hospitalisation cap or an explicit mention of the country. Each consulate has its own criteria. We check that the certificate complies with the exact requirements of the visa you are applying for before you subscribe, and we provide it in both French and English.
Can a single policy cover several countries one after another?
Yes, that is how international insurance works: you choose a zone (worldwide, worldwide excluding the United States, or a regional zone) and you are covered in every country in that zone without declaring your movements. Stays in France are included, generally up to a maximum number of days per year depending on the plan. Just make sure the country where you will spend the most time is actually within the zone you have subscribed to.
Can I subscribe once I am already abroad?
Yes, with several insurers, and it is common among nomads who realise along the way that a three-month travel policy is no longer enough. Watch out for waiting periods, which run from the date you subscribe, and for the lack of retroactive cover: an accident that happened the day before is still your responsibility. It is still best to subscribe before you leave, even at the last minute.
What is the difference between travel insurance and nomad health insurance?
Travel insurance covers emergencies and repatriation for a limited stay, usually 90 days, and excludes routine medical follow-up, illnesses that develop while you are there, and maternity. International health insurance covers routine care, specialists, ongoing treatment and hospitalisation, with no limit on the length of your stay. Once you have been outside France for a few months, or as soon as you hold a residence visa, it is the second one you need.
Reviewed by Mustapha Naït Cherif
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