Do I need special insurance while working abroad?

When working abroad you will usually be required to pay social security contributions in the country you are working in unless your employer has obtained a valid detachment certificate for you.

You need to check whether the local social security system also covers health insurance which is not always the case (for example in Switzerland). If it does not cover health insurance, you need to take out private health insurance either locally (often required by local legislation) or internationally. If the local system covers health insurance, you should check whether the cover fits your needs. If not, you may want to take out additional private health insurance.

Furthermore, you may want to check whether you would like to continue to contribute to pension plans in your home country on a voluntary basis. If you work in another EU/EEA country or in Switzerland, the contributions you pay to the local pension system are not lost. The time you pay counts towards contribution periods needed in your home country and you obtain pension rights in your working country which you can claim once you retire.

For more information, see our Pensions FAQs, our International Social Security FAQs, and our guides to international tax legislation - or contact our tax specialists.