Guides
Moving-abroad guides, written straight
The paperwork, the order to do it in, and the insurance trap that refuses more visas than anything else. Concrete, sourced, and honest about the limits.
The order to do it in
Your move, month by month
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Open your visa window
Start months ahead. Apply through the official portal and book your consulate slot.
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Arrange the insurance certificaterefuses the most visas
The step families get wrong most — travel cover is refused. Get a policy structured for residence.
Read the insurance trap -
The consulate appointment
Bring the full file, insurance certificate included. A compliant certificate removes a common refusal reason.
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Arrive & register
Validate the visa, complete OFII (France) or the questura (Italy). Keep private cover through the bridge months.
Every guide
Moving to France from the US: the paperwork checklist
The paperwork order for US families moving to France on a long-stay visa: visa window, the insurance certificate, the appointment, and OFII on arrival.
Moving to France from the UK: what changed after Brexit
Since Brexit, UK families moving to France need a long-stay visa and private health insurance. Why your GHIC is not residence cover, and the paperwork order.
Moving to Italy from the USA: the paperwork checklist
The paperwork order for US families moving to Italy on an elective residence visa: the ERV file, €30,000 health cover, then the questura and permesso.
Schengen visa insurance vs long-stay insurance: the difference
The most common visa rejection: bringing Schengen travel insurance to a long-stay application. Here is the difference and which one a residence visa needs.
Does Medicare cover me in France? What US retirees need to know
Medicare generally stops at the US border and does not cover routine care in France or Italy. Here is what that means for US retirees moving abroad on a visa.
Portugal D7 visa health insurance requirements, explained
How Portugal's D7 and D8 visas check health insurance twice — consulate, then AIMA — and how one policy structured for residence can cover both stages.
What your insurance certificate must state for a French visa
A French long-stay visa insurance certificate must show private cover valid in France, full period, with inpatient and outpatient care and no deductible.
Why insurance gets rejected for an Italian visa, and how to avoid it
Why an Italian elective residence visa insurance certificate is refused: travel cover, under €30,000, a year-one deductible, or missing repatriation wording.
Will SafetyWing or travel insurance be accepted for a long-stay visa?
Nomad and travel policies like SafetyWing are built for trips, not residence, and are commonly refused for France and Italy long-stay visas.
Health insurance for UN, UNDP, and UNOPS consultants
UN, UNDP, and UNOPS contractors arrange their own medical cover and lose it between contracts. What proof of insurance to expect, and how portable cover helps.
Private health insurance in France before PUMa kicks in
French long-stay visitor visas no longer get free public cover (PUMa) on arrival. How private health insurance bridges your first months.
Health insurance for renewing your Italian permesso di soggiorno
Renewing an Italian permesso di soggiorno means showing health cover — SSN registration or private insurance. How to avoid a gap at renewal.
Italy's SSN vs private health insurance: which do you need?
How Italy's public health service (SSN) and private insurance fit together for new residents: the visa needs private cover; the SSN comes after you register.
How to choose health insurance for moving to Europe
How to choose health insurance for a long-stay European visa: residence-grade cover valid in your destination, for the full period. What to check first.
The no-deductible rule for France and Italy visa insurance
France and Italy consulates commonly refuse policies with a deductible on the core cover. What it is, and how to spot one on your certificate.
How to compare international health insurers for a long-stay visa
Comparing Cigna, Allianz, and other insurers for a long-stay visa? The filter that matters is whether the certificate meets the published rule.
What expat health insurance actually costs in 2026
Real 2026 prices for expat health insurance in Europe, by age and plan level. Per person, billed annually, children at a flat rate. See your exact cost.
Medical evacuation insurance by UN duty station
UN duty stations are graded by hardship (A to E), and harder postings often require medical evacuation cover. What medevac is, and when it's required.
Can you get visa health insurance with a pre-existing condition?
Can you get visa health insurance with a pre-existing condition? Usually yes: the condition is excluded from claims, but the policy can still pass the visa.
Family health insurance for a long-stay visa application
Can one family policy cover everyone's visa? A family plan can cover spouse and children together, but each applicant's file must show the insurance.
How long must your visa health insurance cover for?
France and Italy long-stay visas need insurance for your full visa period, up to a year. Why the dates on the certificate matter, and how to get them right.
Your visa was refused over insurance? What to do next
If a France or Italy visa was refused over the insurance, it is usually the certificate wording. The common reasons, and how to fix it and reapply.
The Spain visa insurance trap: why international policies get refused
Spain's visas require an insurer authorized to operate in Spain — most international policies fail. The official rule, and the compliant arrangement we use.
Health insurance for Greece's financially independent person (FIP) visa
Greece's financially-independent-person visa needs €30,000 travel medical cover, Schengen-wide, for the full stay. The cited rule and the permit-stage catch.
Health insurance for Greece's digital nomad visa
What Greece's digital-nomad visa requires for health insurance: €30,000 minimum, Schengen-wide, full duration. The published rule and the permit-stage catch.
Health insurance for Malta's Nomad Residence Permit
Malta's Nomad Residence Permit accepts foreign health insurance covering the EU and UK, paid a year in advance. The official rule and how to meet it.
Flying home to the US: what your expat plan does and does not cover
Expat health insurance for Europe excludes US treatment. What that means for home visits, what to use for the trip instead, and how retirees handle it.
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