Travel insurance for expats: does your home country count as 'abroad'?

Quick answer: does my travel insurance cover trips to my home country?

In the vast majority of cases, a Dutch continuous travel insurance covers trips to and from your home country, provided the journey starts and ends in the Netherlands and the destination lies within the policy's coverage area. Since as an expat your official address (BRP) is in the Netherlands, a trip to your country of birth is treated like any other foreign trip—your roots don't matter to the insurer. However, there are nuances: if you still own a home in your home country or stay there longer than the policy permits, coverage may be affected. Overlap with a foreign policy can also create problems. The following sections walk you through all key points.

How the coverage area of your travel insurance works

Every travel insurance defines the geographic area where you are insured. This 'coverage area' is the first and most important element to check whether your home country is covered. Dutch policies usually distinguish two variants: Europe and Worldwide. Europe generally includes the EU countries, EEA, Switzerland and the United Kingdom, often extended to Turkey, the Canary Islands and North African coastal countries. But be aware: countries like Russia, Georgia or the Asian parts of Turkey may fall outside. For expats from Asia, Africa, the Americas or Oceania, Worldwide cover is therefore the only option if you want to be insured on your return trip.

• Europe: Cover within the EU, EEA and adjacent countries (depending on the insurer, often includes Turkey, Morocco, Tunisia).
• Worldwide: Global coverage, usually including the United States and Canada, though sometimes at a higher premium or with a separate clause.
• Worldwide excluding USA/Canada: A middle option that reduces your premium if you don't visit those countries.

Does your home country count as a destination?

The core question of this article: does a Dutch travel insurance treat a trip to your country of origin as a standard foreign journey? The answer is almost always 'yes', as long as your trip meets the standard conditions. Your home country is generally not excluded from the policy, unless there is a politically unstable situation or a red travel advisory. For most expats, the rule is: you're registered in the Dutch BRP at a Dutch address, your travel starts and ends there, and the trip is shorter than the maximum continuous duration. Even if you own a second home in your home country, the trip remains covered—provided you don't live there permanently.

Imagine you're an Indian knowledge migrant who travels back to Mumbai every two years to stay with your parents for a month. With Worldwide cover and a maximum trip length of 60 days, that journey is fully insured. The fact you were born in India is irrelevant; the insurer only looks at the coverage area and your Dutch home address. Just keep in mind: if you also take a side trip to Sri Lanka during that month, check that Sri Lanka falls under the same coverage area.

Maximum trip duration and what happens during longer stays

For expats, the maximum continuous trip duration is often the biggest pitfall. Dutch continuous travel insurance policies cover a fixed number of days per trip, typically 30, 45, 60 or 90 days. What many people don't realize: exceeding this limit by even one day invalidates your cover for the entire trip—including the days before the breach. You are then effectively uninsured during the whole journey, and a claim for, say, baggage theft or medical costs won't be paid.

Expats who spend longer summer periods or sabbaticals in their home country run the highest risk. If your standard policy only covers 45 days but you stay for 50, you must arrange an extension beforehand or take out a special long-stay travel insurance. For trips longer than, for example, 90 days, a regular continuous policy is usually unsuitable. Also consider alternatives, as described in our article about insurance for a sabbatical abroad.

Avoid double coverage and don't pay unnecessarily

Many expats have a bundle of insurances that can overlap: a credit card with travel cover, a collective scheme through the employer, an international health policy with repatriation clause, and perhaps a policy in the home country. The risk of double coverage is that you pay premium for policies that cover the same risk, while in the event of a claim you might fall between two stools if both insurers point at each other (the so-called 'overlap problem').

• Credit card: Often includes free baggage and cancellation cover, but medical costs or legal assistance are usually missing.
• Employer policy: May offer worldwide coverage, but the maximum journey length and the deductible can differ.
• Foreign travel insurance: Typically only valid from the home address in that country. Using it for a trip from the Netherlands means you're often not covered.
• Dutch continuous travel insurance: Provides the most complete travel cover from the Netherlands, but check whether the cancellation module is already covered by your credit card.

Make sure you're not paying double for the same cover. With the double insurance checklist you can step by step identify which policies you can drop or must keep. By the way, this doesn't only apply to travel insurance: also in other non-life policies like contents and buildings insurance overlap can exist. For example, in our article on damage caused by a handyman or contractor you learn how liability issues are insured, and in leakage from neighbours: who pays? how different policies work together in water damage cases.

What to check in your policy before you travel

To make sure your trip to your home country is fully covered, it's smart to do a quick policy check before each departure. You don't need to be an expert: with the following points and a look at your policy schedule you'll come a long way.

When a second opinion is worthwhile

As an expat with an international life, your insurance picture can become quite complex. You're dealing with Dutch rules, perhaps a history in your home country, and future plans affecting your residence or work. In such situations, it's not a luxury to have an independent person review your policies. At PolisMoment, we work with one advice office that receives no commission from insurers, so the focus is fully on your situation.

Through the free non-life insurance check you can have your travel insurance and other non-life policies like contents, liability or car insurance reviewed for premium, cover and possible overlaps—all in one go. The check is non-binding, commits you to nothing and costs nothing. Want to know more about how it works? Read our page on how the free non-life insurance check works.