Your first month as an expat: a health-cover checklist
From registering with a local doctor to understanding what your international policy covers, here is a practical run-through for your first 30 days abroad.
12 August 2025 - 4 min read - Expat Healthcare 360 team
Moving to a new country is a long list of small admin tasks, and sorting your health cover usually gets buried somewhere between finding a flat and getting a local SIM card. This guide is a short, practical checklist to keep your medical situation tidy in your first month - without taking over your whole weekend.
Before you arrive
Take a paper copy of any prescription medication you rely on, plus a short letter from your doctor explaining what it is, in case customs asks. Photograph your insurance card and save the image offline - local data plans can be unreliable in your first week, and a screenshot saved to your phone gallery works even with no signal.
Your first two weeks
After 30 days
Add your insurance reference to any longer-term paperwork - a tenancy contract, your employer onboarding, your child's school registration. If you took out outpatient cover, book a routine check-up so you have a baseline reading on file for the future.
If you change country mid-policy - and many expats do - log in to your insurer's member portal and update your country of residence so the direct-billing network refreshes around you. It only takes a minute and prevents surprises later.
Keep reading
Outpatient vs inpatient cover - what is the difference?
Two of the most common terms on a policy document, plainly explained, with examples of what gets paid by which benefit.
When does Global Evacuation actually matter?
A short look at the situations where evacuation cover is the difference between an expensive flight and a life-changing one.