What countries are excluded?

The rules that govern our ‘excluded countries’ are quite complex, and the information below is aimed at insurance brokers. We have explained the rules in simpler terms for members for our health insurance, life insurance, and income protection insurance products.

Different eligibility rules apply to new policies and existing policies. For life insurance and income protection insurance, there is a defined list of countries where members have no cover. For health insurance, the coverage zones govern where members have cover.

Rules for health insurance

• A health insurance policy’s coverage zone defines where a member has cover and doesn’t have cover.
• We cannot issue a new health insurance policy for which the policyholder or any insured member resides in the USA, Belarus, Cuba, Iran, Libya, North Korea, South Sudan, Switzerland, Syria, Yemen, the Republic of Ireland, Lebanon, Venezuela, Russia, Ukraine, Israel, or the Palestinian territories.
• For existing health insurance policies, we can continue to renew a policy anywhere in the world unless a member resides in Iran, Libya, North Korea, South Sudan, Switzerland, Syria, Yemen, the Republic of Ireland, or the USA.

Rules for life insurance

• A life insurance policy gives a member no cover in Iran, Libya, North Korea, South Sudan, Syria, Yemen, or any country or region where the UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office has advised its citizens to leave. If an event takes place while you’re in one of the above countries or regions, and that event gives rise to a claim—we won’t pay that claim.
• We cannot issue a new life insurance policy for which the policyholder or any insured member resides in Belarus, Cuba, Iran, Libya, North Korea, South Sudan, Switzerland, Syria, Yemen, the Republic of Ireland, Lebanon, Venezuela, the UK, Russia, or Ukraine.
• For existing life insurance policies, we can continue to renew any policy for which the policyholder or any insured member resides in the Republic of Ireland, Lebanon, Venezuela, UK, Russia, or Ukraine. For existing group life insurance policies, we can add new employees who reside in these countries.
• In most cases, we can continue providing a life insurance policy when the policyholder relocates back to their country of nationality. One of the scenarios when this is not possible is for US nationals. We cannot provide life insurance to US nationals residing in the USA.

Rules for income protection insurance

• An income protection insurance policy gives a member no cover in Iran, Libya, North Korea, South Sudan, Syria, Yemen, or any country or region where the UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office has advised its citizens to leave. If an event takes place while you’re in one of the above countries or regions, and that event gives rise to a claim—we won’t pay that claim.
• We cannot issue a new income protection insurance policy for which the policyholder or any insured member resides in Belarus, Cuba, Iran, Libya, North Korea, South Sudan, Switzerland, Syria, Yemen, the Republic of Ireland, Lebanon, Venezuela, the UK, Russia, or Ukraine.
• For existing income protection insurance policies, we can continue to renew any policy for which the policyholder or any insured member resides in the Republic of Ireland, Lebanon, Venezuela, UK, Russia, or Ukraine. For existing group income protection insurance policies, we can add new employees who reside in these countries.
• In most cases, we can continue providing a income protection insurance policy when the policyholder relocates back to their country of nationality. One of the scenarios when this is not possible is for US nationals. We cannot provide income protection insurance to US nationals residing in the USA.