Moving to Singapore
Cover through a previous employer usually ends when the job does. Moving countries can mean fresh underwriting on the new plan, and anything diagnosed since you last applied may be excluded or loaded.
The useful thing to settle before you land is which of those applies to you, because the answer decides whether you are shopping on price or protecting a history you have already built.
What cover typically costs
| Age | Monthly, from |
|---|---|
| 25 | USD 116 |
| 30 | USD 138 |
| 35 | USD 155 |
| 40 | USD 201 |
In-patient cover only, for a single adult resident in Singapore, worldwide excluding the United States, on a deductible of USD 8,500. Real rates from our current rate table, priced August 2026. Indicative and subject to underwriting.
Two things to consider
- Continuity
- Whether your history travels with you or the new plan underwrites you from scratch. Some programmes let you continue without fresh underwriting. Many do not, and most people have never checked which one they are on.
- Where you would actually be treated
- A stay in a private hospital here costs meaningfully more than a subsidised stay in a public one. That gap is exactly what the cover is for.
Your health cover checklist for moving to Singapore
Moving countries is busy, and health cover is easy to leave until something happens. Here are the questions worth asking, in the order they tend to come up. Tick what you've done, skip what doesn't apply to you, and print it or email it to yourself to come back to.
This is general information to help you know what to ask. It isn't advice about your situation, and your own policy documents always come first.
Before you move
Ask HR (or the insurer, if you're arranging cover yourself) for the full policy wording and the table of benefits.
Why it matters: the summary tells you what's covered; the wording tells you the conditions and exclusions that sit behind it.
Ask in writing when your cover begins, and whether that is your arrival date, your start date at work, or something else.
Why it matters: a gap between your old cover ending and the new one starting is the easiest thing to miss.
Ask HR or the insurer whether your spouse and children are covered from the same date.
Why it matters: families often assume they're included when the programme covers the employee only.
Talk to your doctor about the timing of any planned treatment, and ask your new plan how it treats conditions you already have.
Why it matters: how existing conditions are handled varies by plan, so it's worth knowing before you rely on cover.
List what you take regularly and ask whether it is covered at all, whether there is a limit, and whether it needs approval first.
Why it matters: it's far easier to ask before you need a repeat prescription than after.
Ask your current insurer for your certificate of cover and table of benefits (showing your start date and any exclusions), and a summary of your claims history, and keep copies.
Why it matters: a clear history helps when a new plan asks about your health.
Look in the wording for any period before certain benefits start, such as maternity, and write down the dates.
Why it matters: cover can be in place and still not pay for something yet.
Ask whether your cover stops, carries on, or can be continued, and whether your family's cover follows yours.
Why it matters: employer cover usually belongs to the job, so it's worth knowing the answer before you need it. If continuation is possible, the window to apply is often short, so ask for the deadline.
After you land
When your card or certificate arrives, check the spelling of every name, the dates of birth, and that each family member is listed.
Why it matters: small errors can slow things down when you come to claim.
Save the claims contact, and ask which treatment needs to be approved before it happens.
Why it matters: knowing this on a calm day saves a scramble on a stressful one.
Find out which hospitals and clinics your plan works with, and pick a GP and a nearby hospital in advance.
Why it matters: where you're treated can change what you pay.
Add your renewal date, the end of any waiting periods, and any deadline for adding a new baby or new family member.
Why it matters: some of these dates are short, and easy to miss in the first busy months.
Not sure where you stand?
If any of these answers leave you unsure, ask us about your situation. We'll go through it with you.
What we do
- Work out what your current cover would carry across before you cancel anything.
- Set the start date so there is no gap between the old plan ending and the new one beginning.
- Put the disclosure together properly, because a history declared badly is the thing that comes back at claim time.