Expat health insurance premiums can be paid by card, PayPal, or SEPA bank transfer, and all charges are processed in euros. Payments are billed either monthly, starting on the 1st of each month, or annually as a single yearly charge, and the payment frequency selected at signup cannot be changed. Refund eligibility depends on how soon a policyholder cancels relative to their purchase date and policy start date, and the same cancellation and refund rules apply regardless of whether payments are monthly or annual.
What payment methods can I use for expat health insurance?
We accept several payment methods for expat health insurance:
Credit or debit cards from major providers, including Visa, Mastercard, American Express and Discover.
PayPal, which lets you pay without sharing your card details.
International bank transfers using any IBAN that supports SEPA payments, including some accounts based outside the EU.
We process all charges in euros (EUR). If your payment method is linked to a different currency, your bank may apply its own foreign exchange conversion rate or additional fees.
When am I first charged, and how does ongoing billing work?
The timing of the first payment and later charges depends on the payment frequency selected at signup:
A/ With monthly payments, the first charge is taken on the day of signup. It will require you to manually enter your payment method at checkout, and that payment method will be saved as your default payment method. If your policy starts on the 1st of a month, we charge the full monthly premium at checkout. If your policy starts mid-month, your first payment is prorated to cover only the remaining days of that month.
After the first payment, premiums are automatically charged on the 1st of each month that falls within the active policy period, and billing continues until the policy is canceled.
Recurring payments are fixed to the 1st of the month and cannot be adjusted.
For example, if you sign up on June 10th for a policy starting September 1st, you are charged the full September premium at checkout on June 10th, and the next charge is automatically withdrawn on October 1st.
If your policy starts on July 15th instead, your first charge covers July 15–31, and the next charge is automatically withdrawn on August 1st for the full month of August.
B/ With annual payments, a single payment covering the full year is charged on the day of signup. The following year's premium is then charged on the same date each year until the policy is canceled.
For example, signing up on June 10 for a monthly policy starting September 1 results in the full September premium being charged at checkout on June 10, with the next charge withdrawn on October 1. If that policy instead starts July 15, the first charge covers July 15–31, and the next charge is withdrawn on August 1 for the full month of August.
Will I be charged if I cancel shortly after my policy starts?
All policies have a 30-day minimum billing period. If you cancel within 14 days of purchase and have not made any claims, you can receive a full refund regardless of the minimum.
If you cancel after the 14-day purchase window but before 30 days of coverage have elapsed, what happens depends on when your policy started:
If your policy started on the 1st of a month, your initial payment already covers the 30-day minimum, so no additional charge applies.
If your policy started mid-month, the 30-day minimum period extends into the following calendar month. In that case, if you have selected monthly payments, we charge a prorated amount on the 1st of that following month to cover the remaining days of the minimum period.
For example, if your policy starts on July 15th and you cancel on July 31st outside the 14-day purchase window, a prorated payment is taken on August 1st to cover the period through August 14th (the end of your 30-day minimum) if you have selected monthly payments.
Can I change my payment method or billing date?
You can update your payment method at any time by following these steps:
Open the account section in the menu.
Select account settings.
Select "Billing and payment."
Select "Payment method."
Select "Add payment method" to open the payment details section.
Enter your new card or IBAN details.
Select "Make this my primary payment method" if you want the new method used for future premium payments.
Once saved, the updated payment details apply to your account immediately.
The billing date cannot be changed — recurring monthly payments are fixed to the 1st of each month.
Can I switch from monthly payments to annual payments, or from annual payments to monthly payments?
No. The payment frequency selected at signup cannot be changed for an existing policy. Switching frequency requires canceling the current policy and signing up again with the preferred payment option. This switch is unnecessary in most cases, since a visa application is generally not affected by whether monthly or annual payments are chosen. The cancellation and refund policies are the same for both payment frequencies.
What happens if a payment fails, and how do I retry it?
If a payment fails, you'll receive an email notification and see a billing error in your account. You can retry the payment at any time from your account once you've resolved the issue. Common fixes include:
Adding funds to your bank account.
Removing a restriction with your card provider.
Updating your payment details or trying another payment method.
What refund options are available if I cancel?
Refund eligibility depends on when you cancel relative to your policy start date and purchase date:
If you cancel before your policy start date, you receive a full refund because no coverage has begun.
If you cancel within 14 days of purchase and have not made any claims, you can receive a full refund even if the policy has already started.
If you cancel more than 14 days after purchase, you do not receive a refund, but your policy remains active until the end of the paid calendar month. In case of annual payments, you will receive a refund for the following months.
The only exception is if you cancel within the first 30 days after your policy start date and outside the 14-day purchase window, you have the option to end coverage at the close of the 30-day minimum period rather than at the end of the second calendar month. If you have already been charged for a full second calendar month, we refund the prorated amount for the days beyond that 30-day minimum.
For example, if your policy started on May 25th and you cancel on June 15th outside the 14-day purchase window, you can choose to end coverage on June 24th (the end of your 30-day minimum). In that case, you would receive a prorated refund for June 25–30 from the full June premium charged on June 1st.
Refunds take 3–7 business days to appear, depending on your bank.