Insurance Planning for a Long Stay Abroad

With remote work more common, spending several months abroad is now a realistic plan for many people, not just students and diplomats. A temporary assignment for a project, a long visit to family, a winter somewhere warm in retirement or a long multi-country trip: long stays need different insurance planning from short holidays. For expats based in Istanbul, the question often runs both ways, with health cover needed abroad and a home, car and residence-related policies left in Türkiye. This guide covers both.

Ask the right questions first: how long, where, why?

1. Duration: how many months, and might it be extended?
2. Country or countries: one country, or moving between several?
3. Purpose: tourism, work, study or visiting family?

The answers decide which type of policy fits. Depending on the purpose and length of stay, the destination may require specific health insurance for a visa or residence permit. Requirements vary by country and nationality and can change; get definitive information from that country’s official authorities.

Options for your health abroad

Long-stay travel health insurance

Travel health insurance is aimed at emergency treatment for unexpected illness or accident abroad. Some products can be issued for longer stays, but they are generally not designed for routine check-ups, planned treatment or ongoing care of existing conditions. See our travel health insurance page.

The local system or local insurance

If you stay long on a work or residence permit, you may need to, or be able to, join that country’s health system or buy local insurance. This differs by country; ask the authorities or your employer.

Your health insurance in Türkiye

If you have private health insurance here, ask how a long absence is treated under the policy; overseas cover may be limited or absent. Before cancelling, consider that coming back later may mean a new health declaration or waiting periods. Foreign residents should also consider how a gap might affect a future residence permit application, and check the current rules with the authorities. See our health insurance page.

What you leave behind: home, car and renewals

• Home: an unoccupied home may be subject to special conditions in home insurance. Have your policy checked and arrange regular visits. See our home insurance page.
• DASK (compulsory earthquake insurance): required for title-deed residential properties under Law No. 6305. Note the renewal date so it is not missed while you are away.
• Car: if someone else will drive it, check the driver conditions in your kasko (comprehensive motor insurance). If it will be used on the road, compulsory traffic insurance must continue without a gap.
• Renewal calendar: put all renewal dates on one list.

Managing policies while abroad

Agree on a communication channel for your policies in Türkiye and keep your phone number and email up to date for renewal reminders and document requests. You can share the details of a trusted person in Türkiye with your agency, but clarify what they may act on. Check that cards used for automatic payments will not expire during your stay; a renewed card can silently break an old instruction. If you need to report damage at home while abroad, a digital channel for photos and documents speeds things up.

A scenario

An engineer at a Maslak company is sent abroad for a project lasting several months. They ask HR how the group health policy works abroad and add a long-stay travel health policy. They check the unoccupied-home conditions for their Sarıyer flat and leave a key with a neighbour. As the car will stay parked, they review kasko and traffic insurance with their agency and put every renewal date in one calendar. On their return, no policy has lapsed.

Checklist before you leave

• Does a health policy cover your entire stay?
• Have you checked the destination’s insurance requirements with official sources?
• Have you decided what to do with your health insurance in Türkiye?
• Are home, DASK and car renewal dates on your list?
• Are your contact details with your agency up to date?
• Will your payment cards remain valid during the stay?

Completing this list a few weeks before departure avoids rushed decisions at the last minute. To review all your policies in one go before a long stay, call +90 530 375 89 61 or message us on WhatsApp; we offer English-speaking support.