Global economic shifts mean that it is increasingly common for employees of international companies to spend short stints of time abroad, rather than move there for extended periods as used to be the case.

Article written by The Overseas Guides Company

This shift in the market has been identified by health insurance provider BUPA, who now caters to these short-term expats with the launch of BUPA Flex, a policy designed to cater to the needs of temporary expats. The policy allows them to purchase international medical cover for any period from three to eleven months depending on their needs.

Before BUPA Flex was introduced, those moving abroad for short periods were forced to pay for a 12-month international policy regardless of how long they were going to be away for. True to its name, BUPA Flex allows customers to have access to all of the benefits of being a BUPA International member but they can choose the length of their policy.

The new plan allows BUPA customers to extend their cover at any time, by day if they so wish, wherever they are in the world. This eradicates the problems experienced by those who simply hold travel insurance – if they are receiving treatment when their insurance policy comes to an end, they are no longer covered and will incur costs for on-going treatment.

Another, often overlooked, consideration for anyone living abroad for a short period – or receiving sterling payments – abroad is how you transfer those funds into a foreign currency account. Using a currency exchange specialist, such as Smart Currency Exchange, to make currency transfers could save you considerable amounts of money thanks to their exchange rates typically being 2-4 per cent better than banks. You can find out more by downloading their free report here.