International health insurance in Singapore is for people the national schemes do not reach, or who need treatment in more than one country. That mainly means foreigners living here, who are not covered by MediShield Life, and Singaporeans who live or work abroad for long periods, because MediShield Life excludes overseas treatment.
We do not rank these plans. They are priced individually and vary widely in scope. Here is who is covered by what already, and the criteria to compare on.
What the National Schemes Cover, and Where They Stop
MoneySense notes that MediShield Life covers Singapore Citizens and Permanent Residents for large hospital bills. Two limits follow.
- Foreigners are outside it. Employment Pass, S Pass and Work Permit holders, their dependants, and long-term visit pass holders are not insured under MediShield Life.
- It stops at the border. MOH’s list of exclusions includes overseas medical treatment.
Integrated Shield Plans are built on MediShield Life, so they are for citizens and PRs. Some include limited emergency cover overseas; the terms are in each contract. Our health insurance guide explains the local layers.
What Employers Must Provide for Work Pass Holders
| Pass type | Employer’s medical insurance duty (MOM) |
|---|---|
| Work Permit | At least S$60,000 a year per worker, for inpatient care and day surgery |
| S Pass | At least $60,000 a year per S Pass holder |
| Employment Pass | Not required; may be offered as a contract benefit |
| Dependant’s Pass holders | No MOM requirement |
For Work Permit and S Pass holders, the higher $60,000 limit took effect from 1 July 2023, with further changes from 1 July 2025. MOM’s page for migrant workers explains that for claim amounts above $15,000, insurers pay 75% and employers 25%.
For Employment Pass holders, MOM says medical insurance is not a requirement. Employers may offer cover in the employment contract, or encourage Employment Pass holders to buy their own.
Employer cover, where it exists, usually ends with the job. MoneySense makes the same point about all company policies.
Who Tends to Look at International Health Insurance
- Foreign professionals whose employer offers little or no medical cover, or whose family is not included.
- People who want the option of treatment in their home country.
- Singaporeans and PRs posted overseas for years.
- Retirees who split their time between Singapore and another country.
- Families with children studying abroad.
Short trips are a different need. Travel insurance handles emergencies on a trip; it is not ongoing medical cover.
How to Compare International Health Insurance in Singapore
These are the criteria we would line up, plan against plan.
- Area of cover. Worldwide, worldwide excluding the United States, or a region such as Asia. This is usually the biggest driver of price. Check how long you may stay outside the area before cover lapses.
- Annual limit. The most the plan pays in a policy year, and any lifetime limit.
- Inpatient only, or outpatient too. Outpatient, maternity, dental and health screening are often separate modules.
- Deductible and co-insurance. A higher deductible lowers the premium. Make sure you could pay it more than once.
- Pre-existing conditions. Excluded, covered after a waiting period, or covered at a higher premium. Ask for the underwriting basis in writing.
- Direct billing network. Whether hospitals in the places you live bill the insurer directly, or you pay first and claim.
- Evacuation and repatriation. Matters if you spend time where specialist care is limited.
- Renewal and portability. Is renewal guaranteed for life? Can you keep the plan if you move country, change jobs or leave Singapore? How are premiums revised with age and claims?
- Who the insurer is. Check that the insurer is licensed here on the MAS Financial Institutions Directory. Policies bought from an insurer not regulated in Singapore fall outside local consumer protections.
MoneySense’s questions to ask apply here too: whether the insurer can change premiums yearly, when the policy can end, and how a claim affects future premiums.
A Worked Illustration
An illustrative Employment Pass holder, aged 40, lives in Singapore with a spouse and one child. The employer provides a group plan for the employee only, with a $100,000 annual limit, valid in Singapore.
Lining up the gaps:
- Spouse and child: no cover at all. Not eligible for MediShield Life.
- Employee: covered in Singapore while employed. Nothing between jobs, and nothing in the home country.
- Limit: a serious illness at a private hospital could exceed $100,000.
The family might compare three routes: a local private medical plan for the dependants only; an international plan for the whole family with a regional area of cover; or an international plan with a high deductible that sits above the employer’s group cover.
Each trades premium against scope. A regional plan costs less than a worldwide one but would not pay for treatment in, say, Europe. A high-deductible plan is cheaper but leaves the first slice of every bill to the family.
This is an illustration only, not a recommendation. We quote no premiums because none are published in official tables; ask each insurer for a written quotation on the same specification.
The short version: MediShield Life covers citizens and PRs, in Singapore only. International health insurance is for foreigners here and for anyone needing treatment abroad. Compare area of cover, annual limit, pre-existing condition terms and portability before price.
Who It May Not Suit
- Citizens and PRs who live in Singapore and travel occasionally. MediShield Life or an Integrated Shield Plan, plus travel insurance for trips, already addresses this.
- Someone leaving for good. A plan bought in the destination country may fit its health system better. If you are a citizen moving away, also read about what happens to your CPF when you leave Singapore.
- Someone with a significant medical history. Exclusions may remove the conditions most likely to need treatment.
- New Permanent Residents. Once you become a PR, you are covered by MediShield Life and can buy an Integrated Shield Plan. See CPF for new Permanent Residents.
What To Do Next
- Read your employment contract and group policy: who is covered, where, up to how much, and when cover ends.
- Write a one-page specification (area, limit, deductible, modules) and ask each insurer to quote on it.
- Ask how pre-existing conditions will be treated before you apply.
- Check the insurer on the MAS Financial Institutions Directory.
