Every country has its own rules.

Emergency care is open to everyone. For other care at national hospitals, foreigners without permanent residence must show insurance or pay first. The rules are new, so check them.

Most visitors can’t use Medicare, and many visas carry condition 8501. Here is what each visa asks for, who gets Medicare, and what to check.

Most Indonesian visas don’t ask for insurance. But hospitals ask for payment first, and serious cases fly to Singapore. Here is what to check.

The digital nomad visa needs health insurance valid in Brazil. The public system is open to migrants by law. Many expats add a private plan for speed.

Each province runs its own health plan, and some make you wait. The super visa has strict insurance rules. Here is how Ontario and BC differ, and what the super visa needs.

If you work in China on an employment permit, your employer must enrol you in social insurance. That includes basic medical cover. Here is how it works, and what to check on top.

Nomads and retirees need a private policy with exact wording. Residents who work must join the public EPS system. Here are the rules.

Residents must pay into the Caja, whatever private plan they have. Nomads need their own cover for the visa. Here is how it fits together.

The residence visas for retirees and rentistas ask for a medical certificate, not an insurance policy. Public care is limited. Private care is good but costly.

In Dubai, no insurance means no visa. Your employer covers you, but not always your family. Here are the rules, and what the basic plan leaves out.

The public system is open to residents, but not on day 1 if you don’t work, and it only pays part of each bill. Here is how to cover the gaps.

Everyone in Germany must be insured, and a residence permit needs cover equal to the public system. Here is how to choose, and what gets rejected.

The consulate takes travel cover for the visa. The residence permit then asks for full health cover. If you don’t work for a Greek employer, that means a private plan.

Public hospitals in Hong Kong are cheap for eligible persons. Many foreigners are not on that list. Here is who is, what the rest pay, and what to check in a plan.

We found no official rule that ties health insurance to an Indian work visa. We also could not confirm a public scheme for foreign residents. So the plan is yours to choose. Here is what to check.

Non-EEA students must hold private medical insurance. Everyone else gets public care once they count as living in Ireland for 1 year. Here is what to check.

In Israel, the public system is for residents. If your life is centred there, you join a health fund (kupat holim). If not, you need private cover.

Workers join the public system for free. Retirees and nomads need private cover for the visa, then pay at least €2,000 a year to join. Here are the rules.

If you live in Japan, joining public insurance is the law. A private plan can only sit on top. Digital nomads are the exception.

Kenya’s public fund is run by the Social Health Authority (SHA). A foreigner who lives in Kenya for more than 12 months pays into it. Shorter stays need travel health insurance instead.

Public hospitals charge foreigners full price, and work schemes only cover injuries at work. Here is what each pass asks for, and what to check.

No visa asks for it, so many expats skip it. Then a private hospital asks for payment first. Here is how cover really works in Mexico.

If you live or work in the Netherlands, Dutch basic insurance is the law. A few people are exempt. Here is who must sign up, by when, and what it costs in 2026.

Student visas require insurance. A work visa of 2 years or more may open public health care. ACC covers accident injuries. Here is what to check.

The Pensionado visa asks for a health certificate, not an insurance policy. The public system is tied to the Caja. Private care is the main option for most expats.

The retiree visa asks for a medical certificate, not a policy. The new nomad visa does ask for cover. Here is what each visa needs, and how PhilHealth works for foreigners.

The visa asks for travel medical cover. The public system opens once you are a resident. In between, and after, here is what to check.

Most visitors need a QAR 50 a month policy before Qatar issues a visa. The law covers expats too, but that part is still rolling out. Here are the rules.

In Saudi Arabia, no insurance means no iqama. Your employer pays for you and your family, and visitors need a policy too. Here is who pays, and what each policy covers.

The national plan is for citizens and PRs. Hospital bills for foreigners are high, and families are often left out. Here is what to check.

Study and exchange visas ask for proof of cover from a registered medical scheme. Public clinics offer free primary care. Here is what to check.

Stay more than 6 months and you must join the national plan. Before that, and for your share of each bill, you need your own cover.

Spain has the strictest visa insurance rules in Europe: a Spanish-authorised insurer, no co-pays, no waiting periods. Here is what passes.

Basic health insurance is compulsory for everyone who lives in Switzerland. You have 3 months to sign up. Here is how it works, and what to check.

Taiwan has one national health insurance. Foreigners with a residence certificate can join. If you have a job, you join through your employer. If not, there is a wait.

Retirement visas have hard minimums, the DTV has none, and public care is not free for foreigners. Here are the rules, and what to check.

A residence permit application needs valid health insurance for the whole permit. Most new expats buy a private policy. The public SGK system opens later, after 1 year of residence.

Most UK visas don’t ask for private insurance. You pay a yearly surcharge instead, and it opens the NHS. Here is what the surcharge buys, and what you still pay for.

The US has no public plan you can simply join. Some visas set minimum cover. Others leave it to you. Here is what a J-1 needs, who can use the Marketplace, and what plans cost.

Only long local contracts come with public cover, and most expats use private hospitals anyway. Here is what the rules say, and what to check.