
Get exclusive money-saving offers and guides
Straight to your inbox
Updated . What changed?
We’re reader-supported and may be paid when you visit links to partner sites. We don’t compare all products in the market, but we’re working on it!
If you're a non-Australian resident living and working in Australia, you might be thinking about taking out life insurance. Not all non-Australians will be eligible for life insurance but you can still submit and application and have your circumstances considered by an insurer.
If you apply for life insurance, you'll probably be asked to supply some additional information along with your application. You might be asked some of the following:
Your application will then be reviewed before approval.
Australian and living overseas? Read this life insurance guide
To take out a life insurance policy in Australia as temporary resident means meeting specific eligibility requirements, including:
It is important to note that these are just some of the standard requirements that have to be met by non-Australian residents so that they can take out life insurance cover in Australia. However, different insurance companies may have some specific requirements that differ from the ones mentioned above.
The following common visa types are generally accepted by Australian life insurance providers.
You may find it difficult to get cover with certain student visas and other more temporary types, but it can be worth checking with insurers to see if you’re able to find cover.
Yes, but you will typically need to be living in Australia at the time you get cover and planning on staying for a long time, or permanently.
How likely you are to get life insurance on a bridging visa may depend on which type of bridging visa class you hold, how long you have been in Australia and how likely you are to remain for an extended period.
Insurers may accept or decline bridging visas on a case by case basis. Generally, the likelihood of success may depend on how likely you are to get a substantive visa.
Yes, depending on the insurer and the circumstances. Seniors can find it harder to get life insurance regardless of residency, and it may be particularly difficult for non-resident seniors. It will generally be easier to find funeral insurance than a full life insurance policy.
Yes. Pending acceptance in line with any other eligibility requirements, life insurance can cover non-residents with pre-existing conditions the way it covers residents. Learn about life insurance for pre-existing conditions to see how it might impact your cover.
Moving overseas is a significant change, and it’s unlikely that your previous life insurance will be ideal.
Depending on your policy it might be possible to keep the same cover as before. However, your policy from home may specify that you’re only covered overseas for a limited time.
For example, you might only be able to use your existing policy in Australia for up to 6 months, and won’t be covered after that. Contact your current insurer or check your policy terms to see how if you can take it with you to Australia.
Depending on the policy, you might also need to take a medical test before getting cover. Not all policies will require this, but for effective cover it’s generally a good idea to look for policies that do. If you are in relatively good health it may be a particularly useful way of keeping costs down and making sure you have adequate cover.
This is the process by which insurers assess applications to determine the premiums and types of cover available. It includes analysis of factors including age, lifestyle, overall health and general risk level.
Funeral insurance is similar to life insurance, and is designed to pay-out a lump sum in the event of death to help cover immediate expenses. You can generally choose your own cover in the range of around $10,000 to $30,000.
Funeral insurance does not generally require medical tests, unlike many life insurance policies, and the age limits tend to be higher than they are for general life insurance polices
Australian residents and citizens may be automatically accepted when within age limits, and without needing to take a medical test.
For non-resident funeral cover, you'll generally not be able to get these “guaranteed acceptance” terms. You can still get cover, but applications are accepted or denied on a case by case basis. Some of the key conditions to watch out for include:
Check the terms of a policy to see how you’re covered while overseas. Australian life insurance policies usually include worldwide cover automatically, often without limitations. However some policies might specify limitations, and these may vary depending on your residency and citizenship status.
While long term travel insurance policies can include benefits such as income protection or death cover these will typically be limited and are not an effective substitute for a dedicated life insurance policy.
If you will be travelling frequently or spending a lot of time overseas, it’s a good idea to make sure you know how you will be covered overseas. If you’re only going to New Zealand, some of these requirements may be waived.
The type of cover available while you’re overseas and the requirements to maintain it can also vary for different aspects of your policy, and might be different depending on which insurance options you’ve selected. The benefits paid may also vary depending on location. For example, a policy might pay out an additional lump sum for overseas injury to help cover the cost of returning to Australia.
Australian citizens can often enjoy uninterrupted life insurance cover overseas, whether travelling for work or pleasure. However, this may pose additional challenges when making a claim. The beneficiaries will need to be able to provide sufficient medical evidence and a range of other documentation which can be more difficult for insured events that occur outside of Australia.
Australian citizens who live overseas, including Australian expatriates, also have to fulfil certain criteria to be eligible for life insurance cover in Australia.
Australian citizens who live overseas, including Australian expatriates, also have to fulfil certain criteria to be eligible for life insurance cover in Australia.
Insurers will often extend the same cover in Australia and New Zealand, and many of the requirements, such as time limits or the need to return to Australia, may be waived.
If you’ll be moving overseas for an extended period you should let your insurer know. You don’t necessarily need to inform them whenever you take an overseas holiday, but insurers may specify specific time limits after which it no longer counts as a “vacation” and instead becomes “migration”.
In general, insurance providers will want to know:
Whether or not you can retain your cover is also based on factors such as the country's risk category according to the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFAT). If you’ll be residing in a high risk country your application may be more likely to get declined, and you will not be able to take your cover overseas.
To retain valid life insurance overseas you may have to return to Australia a certain amount. This might be once every few months, or once every few years depending on the insurer.
If, as an Australian citizen, you’ll be living overseas for the better part of the year then this has to be clearly stated in your application.
An adviser can help you find cover from trusted life insurance brands.
* The products compared on this page are chosen from a range of offers available to us and are not representative of all the products available in the market. There is no perfect order or perfect ranking system for the products we list on our Site, so we provide you with the functionality to self-select, re-order and compare products. The initial display order is influenced by a range of factors including conversion rates, product costs and commercial arrangements, so please don't interpret the listing order as an endorsement or recommendation from us. We're happy to provide you with the tools you need to make better decisions, but we'd like you to make your own decisions and compare and assess products based on your own preferences, circumstances and needs.
From costs and finance options to what materials you’ll need, learn about bathroom renovations in this comprehensive guide.
$100,000 life insurance policies can be very affordable. Compare costs and cover here.
Compare $500,000 life insurance policies, costs and cover here.
Find your perfect home on wheels with campervan rentals in The Harbour City.
Whether you’re headed into the outback or along the coast, make your trip that bit smoother with the perfect campervan.
What you need to know to turn your passion for the water into profit by starting a swimming lessons company.
The ANZ Rewards Platinum Credit Card offers a competitive rewards program, $0 annual fee for the first year, a $500 gift card, a balance transfer offer and a range of complimentary insurance covers.
Learn how to get life insurance if you have asthma.
How to get life insurance if you have been in a coma.
Can a non resident of Australia get work cover insurance if doing a business in Australia? If yes then which is the best company for this?
Hello Dhruv,
Thank you for your inquiry.
WorkCover (workers compensation) is a full liability insurance that all employers (unless exempt) are legally obliged to take out to cover a worker’s medical and general living expenses should they be injured on the jobsite. While workers compensation laws vary, their basic obligations are the same. It also doesn’t matter what status visa you hold, so long as you’re legally working, all residents and non-residents are entitled to Workcover benefits.
Typically, there are four types of benefits that can be paid through workers compensation:
1. Income replacement
2. Medical benefits
3. Death benefits
4. Permanent disability
Take note that not all these covers will be made available to you. You can inquire through your employer and/or WorkCover Claims Assistance Service where claims are assigned to one of their scheme agents for further assistance.
Hope this helps.
Cheers,
Jonathan
Hi
looking for a provider of Mortgage Protection Plan that covers for Australian Expat
Thanks
Hi there Cheel,
Unfortunately the team of advisers that finder.com.au partners with does not have access to mortgage protection insurance. Alternatively, if you’d like to compare income protection insurance you can do so here: https://www.finder.com.au/income-protection
Best of luck,
Maurice
What are the requirements for a Nepalese citizen living in australia for last 10 years but on a student visa followed by 457 visa since 2012. Being on a 457 visa and on transit to permanent visa what conditions are to be met for life insurance or injury/income protection insurance?
Hi Nray,
Life insurance is typically available to non-residents on a 457 visa. However there some restrictions on cover such as the type of occupation you work in.
If you’d like to get in touch with an adviser you can do so here: https://www.finder.com.au/life-insurance
I hope this helps,
Maurice
My husband and I are moving to Perth in January 2017 on a 457 visa. We are looking for life insurance. My husband and I are non-smokers. He is 63 and I am 46 years old. Please could you send me quotes for life insurance for both of us. many thanks.
Hi Cheryl,
Thanks for your question. finder.com.au is a comparison service and not an insurer. If you would like to receive a quote from the insurance brands in our panel, please enter your details into the form above and an adviser will be in touch.
All the best,
Richard