AnkyroWho it’s forFamilies abroad
Family health insurance, for life abroad.
Maternity cover starts 10 to 12 months after you buy, and a newborn has to be added within weeks. Here are the real rules from insurers’ own pages, and how to plan around them.
The facts
The rules and numbers that matter for you.
Checked against official sources and insurers’ own documents on 23 October 2026. Terms change, so the broker confirms them again before you apply.
- Maternity: a 12-month wait at William Russell
All maternity benefits for individuals start after 12 months. Pregnancy care during that wait is not paid, and complications after IVF are excluded until after the 12-week scan.
Source: william-russell.com - Routine birth vs complications
At William Russell, routine maternity is on Gold only, up to USD 18,500 per pregnancy. Complications for the mother are on every plan, from USD 4,800 on Bronze to full cover on Gold.
Source: william-russell.com - Newborns: add them within 30 days
A baby born abroad must be added within 30 days of birth, at the same plan level, with the premium paid. Newborn benefits depend on the mother being on the same family plan.
Source: william-russell.com - Congenital conditions: 12 months first
For a newborn’s congenital or hereditary conditions to be covered, at least 1 parent must have been insured for 12 months before the birth. Cover is USD 10,000 on Silver and USD 100,000 on Gold.
Source: william-russell.com - Genki Native: maternity on Premium only
Pregnancy cover is on Native Premium, not Basic, after a 12-month wait. It pays for prenatal check-ups, scans, midwives and birth in hospital or at home.
Source: genki.world - Cigna Global: no maternity on Silver
Silver has no maternity cover. Gold pays routine maternity up to USD 7,000. Platinum pays routine and inpatient maternity, each up to USD 14,000.
Source: cignaglobal.com - SafetyWing Remote Health: a 10-month wait
Maternity pays up to USD 2,500, 4,500 or 7,500 depending on the plan, after 10 months. The plan is sold to companies covering their team, not to individuals.
Source: safetywing.com - Giving birth back in the UK can be billed
If you no longer live in the UK, you can be charged as an overseas visitor: 150% of what the NHS treatment costs. Urgent care is given first and billed after.
Source: gov.uk
Plan maternity cover a year ahead
Maternity is the one benefit you can’t buy when you need it. William Russell and Genki Native both make you wait 12 months. SafetyWing Remote Health makes you wait 10. Care during the wait isn’t paid, so a pregnancy that starts early is mostly on you.
So the timeline works backwards. If you’d like to try for a baby next spring, the plan needs to start this spring.
If you’re doing IVF, read the rules even more closely. William Russell, for example, excludes complications after assisted conception until after the 12-week scan.
Routine maternity vs complications
Plans split pregnancy in 2. Routine maternity is the normal path: check-ups, scans, the birth and the hospital stay. Complications are what goes wrong, like an emergency caesarean or a pre-eclampsia admission.
Some plans cover complications on every level, but routine birth only on the top one. At William Russell, complications for the mother are on all plans, while routine maternity is on Gold only. At Cigna Global, Silver has no maternity cover at all.
Look at the cap, not just the yes or no. Cigna Gold pays routine maternity up to USD 7,000. William Russell Gold goes up to USD 18,500. In a private hospital in Dubai, Singapore or Hong Kong, the lower cap may not cover the bill.
Getting your newborn covered
Your baby isn’t covered automatically. At William Russell, you have 30 days from the birth to add them, at the same plan level, with the premium paid. Ask the insurer what happens if you miss it.
Conditions present at birth have their own rule. A parent must have been insured for 12 months before the birth for congenital conditions to be covered, and the cap on Silver is only USD 10,000.
Tell the insurer before the due date, and ask which papers they need to add the baby. Newborn benefits also depend on the mother being on the same family plan.
Kids: the cover you’ll use most
Young children tend to see a doctor more often than adults, mostly as outpatients. A plan with strong hospital cover and weak outpatient cover can look cheap and still cost you money every month.
Check what counts as routine for children. William Russell lists basic newborn checks and vaccinations among newborn benefits. Travel and nomad plans, like Genki Traveler, leave out preventive care and check-ups altogether.
Older relatives are a separate question. William Russell can add parents and grandparents after an assessment, as long as each person is 75 or under when the plan starts.
Visa rules that cover the whole family
Some countries make the visa holder responsible for the family’s cover. In Dubai, employers are encouraged to insure spouses and children, but if they don’t, the sponsor must make sure each dependant has valid insurance.
Others raise the money you must show. Greece’s nomad visa needs 3,500 euros a month after tax, plus 20% for a spouse and 15% for each child. Greek law also asks every permit holder for full health cover.
Before you apply, check whether each family member needs their own certificate of cover. Ask the visa office whether 1 family policy with several names is enough, or whether each person needs their own.
What to look for
4 things that matter most for you.
Ankyro checks each of these on every plan, so you don’t have to read the fine print.
- Maternity wait
10 months at SafetyWing Remote Health, 12 at William Russell and Genki Native. Count back from when you’d like a baby.
- Routine birth, not just complications
Many plans only pay routine maternity on the top level. Check the cap too: USD 7,000 and USD 18,500 are very different.
- Newborn deadline
William Russell gives 30 days to add a baby. Congenital cover needs a parent insured for 12 months first.
- Outpatient cover for kids
GP visits, vaccines and check-ups are where families claim most. Make sure they’re in, not just hospital stays.
Common mistakes
3 we see all the time.
- 01Adding maternity after the pregnancy test. With a 10 to 12-month wait, that baby won’t be covered.
- 02Picking a plan that covers complications but not a routine birth. A normal delivery is then paid by you.
- 03Flying home to the UK to give birth after you’ve moved away. Hospital care can be billed at 150% of cost.
Questions
People also ask.
Does international health insurance cover pregnancy?+
Often, but only on higher plans and after a wait of 10 to 12 months. Cigna Global Silver and Genki Native Basic, for example, have no maternity cover.
Can I get maternity cover if I’m already pregnant?+
Almost never for the current pregnancy. William Russell does not pay for pregnancy care during its 12-month waiting period, so check each insurer’s waiting rules before you buy.
How do I add a newborn to my health insurance abroad?+
Tell the insurer as soon as the baby is born. At William Russell you have 30 days to add them, at the same plan level, with the premium paid.
Is it cheaper to have a family plan or separate plans?+
It depends on ages and the insurer. Sometimes 1 family plan is cheaper, sometimes 2 adult plans plus kids are. Ankyro prices both.
Can I give birth in the UK if I live abroad?+
Yes, but if you no longer live in the UK you may be charged as an overseas visitor, at 150% of the NHS cost. Urgent care is given first and billed after.
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