In this article
Why parents abroad need to think about this
Medical and security incidents that require evacuation are rare but not unimaginable. Parents abroad encounter them through three main routes. The first is medical: a serious illness or accident where the host country medical system is not equipped to provide the necessary care. The second is political and security: civil unrest, terrorism, natural disaster, pandemic or armed conflict that makes continued presence in the host country unsafe. The third is family emergency at home: a parent or sibling in the home country who needs the family to return urgently, where evacuation infrastructure (rather than a regular flight) is sometimes the only practical option.
For most expat postings, the probability of any single event is low. The combined probability across a five to ten year posting is higher, and the cost of being uncovered when an event occurs can be hundreds of thousands of dollars for an air ambulance, plus the wider family disruption. The cover is not a luxury for postings in higher risk jurisdictions and is sensible insurance even for postings in safer ones. Read our international health insurance for families piece for the related medical cover context.
What "evacuation cover" actually includes
The "evacuation insurance" label is loose and covers several distinct product categories. Knowing which one a family is actually buying is the first question to ask any broker.
Medical evacuation moves a patient from the location of the medical incident to a hospital with appropriate facilities, often via dedicated air ambulance. The receiving hospital is usually the home country (for citizens of the home country) or a regional hub with the required specialty (for example, Bangkok for cardiac care in much of South East Asia, Dubai or Johannesburg for parts of Africa). Costs of a medical evacuation can range from 30,000 to 250,000 USD depending on the route and the equipment required.
Political and security evacuation extracts the family from a country experiencing civil unrest, terrorism, natural disaster or other security threat. The trigger is typically a foreign office advisory or the policy's own security desk recommendation. Cover usually includes transportation to a safe third country, hotel and subsistence for a defined period, and travel onward to the home country.
Repatriation of remains covers the return of a deceased family member to the home country. The cover is usually included with medical evacuation but not always at the necessary cover ceiling.
Trip interruption and travel disruption cover the costs of changed flights, accommodation and onward travel when an evacuation occurs. The cover is usually a sub-limit of the main evacuation policy rather than a standalone product.
| Cover type | What it does | Typical sum insured |
|---|---|---|
| Medical evacuation | Air ambulance to appropriate medical care. | 250,000 USD or higher. |
| Political/security evacuation | Extraction from unsafe host country. | 50,000 to 150,000 USD per person. |
| Repatriation of remains | Return of deceased to home country. | 30,000 to 100,000 USD. |
| Trip interruption | Changed travel costs after incident. | 5,000 to 25,000 USD sub-limit. |
Why employer cover often falls short
The standard expat employee benefit package includes some form of medical evacuation cover for the employee. Three gaps are common.
First, dependants. Many employer policies cover the employee at one limit and dependants at a lower limit, or extend dependant cover only to medical evacuation rather than political. Families with three or four dependants often discover that the per-person ceiling is inadequate for a multi-person evacuation. Read the policy schedule for the per-person sub-limits, not just the headline policy limit.
Second, political evacuation. The product is structurally different from medical evacuation and is often a separate policy. Many employers do not buy it for the family, particularly for postings the home office considers low risk. The judgement of "low risk" is sometimes optimistic.
Third, the trigger language. Some employer policies require a US State Department or UK Foreign Office level four travel warning before activation, by which point commercial flights are often suspended and the policy operationally less useful than expected. Better policies activate on the carrier's own security desk recommendation, which can be days or weeks earlier.
Check the cost calculator for the budget impact
Our cost calculator includes a line for evacuation and assistance cover so the family budget is set with realistic figures, not a rough estimate.
Policies worth knowing about
Four providers dominate the expat-family evacuation market. International SOS offers the most comprehensive product with a global security desk and medical clinic network; the family annual cost is typically 1,200 to 2,500 USD for a family of four. Global Rescue offers a US-leaning product with strong air ambulance capability; family cost similar. Allianz Worldwide Care includes evacuation as a rider on its main international medical cover, which is the right combination for many families. AIG Travel offers a more traveller-oriented product that works well for families with frequent regional travel beyond the posting country.
The choice between providers usually comes down to the family's risk profile. International SOS is the default for high-risk postings and for families who value the medical clinic network on top of the evacuation itself. Global Rescue is preferred by US families and those with mountaineering or adventure exposure. Allianz Worldwide Care is the integrated medical-and-evacuation choice for families who do not want a separate policy. AIG Travel is the lightest-touch option for families on lower-risk postings.
The annual premium difference between providers is meaningful but not enormous. The cover difference (per-person ceiling, country list, assistance services) is often more important than the price. Read our expat life insurance piece for the related personal protection cover.
When the cover matters most
Three categories of country make the cover most valuable. The first is countries with limited domestic medical capability, where a serious incident requires evacuation to another country. Much of South East Asia outside the major capitals, parts of Africa, parts of Latin America and parts of Central Asia fall into this category. The second is countries with elevated political and security risk, where evacuation may be needed for non-medical reasons. The US State Department and UK Foreign Office maintain current lists; broadly, much of the Middle East outside the GCC, parts of West Africa, parts of South Asia and parts of Latin America are flagged. The third is countries with high natural disaster exposure, where evacuation may be needed at short notice (parts of South East Asia for typhoon and earthquake, the Caribbean for hurricane, parts of the Pacific for tsunami).
Postings in the GCC, in Singapore and Hong Kong, in most of Western Europe and in the major US and Canadian cities have a meaningfully lower probability of triggering an evacuation event. The cover is still sensible, but the case for a premium policy is weaker than for the higher-risk jurisdictions.
A workable family approach
The pragmatic approach for most expat families is to read the employer policy carefully and identify the gaps. The gaps are usually one of three: per-dependant sub-limit, absence of political evacuation cover, or restrictive trigger language. A modest top-up policy from one of the four providers above usually fills the gaps at 1,500 to 3,000 USD per year for a family. The policy is then a quiet line in the family insurance schedule, with the family hopefully never needing to use it. Read our family relocation checklist for the broader move planning and the practical pre-arrival checklist.
FAQ
Do employer policies usually cover family evacuation? Often partially. Many cover the employee well and the dependants less well. Political evacuation cover is frequently absent. Read the policy schedule before assuming the family is covered.
What is the difference between medical and political evacuation? Medical moves a patient to appropriate care. Political extracts the family from civil unrest, terrorism or natural disaster. Each is a distinct cover.
How much does family evacuation cover cost? 800 to 2,500 USD per year for a standard family of four. More for higher risk jurisdictions or comprehensive combined cover.
What trigger should I look for in the policy? Activation on the carrier's own security desk recommendation rather than on government-issued advisories at the highest level. Earlier activation is materially more useful in practice.