Insurance is the part of an NRI's Indian finances most often bought on a visit home and then forgotten. Each page below takes one kind of cover: what it pays for, what it leaves out, what the insurer will ask of you from abroad, and how a claim works when you aren't there. These pages explain how insurance works for NRIs. They are information only.
Insurance, explained
Health cover for parentsPay from NRE or NRO · Premium set by age and cover
Hospital cover for your parents living in India. You propose and pay; they are the insured.
Suits: Parents aged roughly 55 to 80 in India, with or without an old policy.
Term insurancePay from NRE or NRO · Premium set by age, cover and term
Pure life cover: a sum assured in rupees to your nominee if you die during the term. Nothing back otherwise.
Suits: Anyone with dependants or a loan, in India or abroad.
Life insurance with savingsPay from NRE or NRO · Premium set by plan
Endowment, money-back and unit-linked plans that combine cover with a long-term savings element.
Suits: People who want a disciplined rupee product with cover attached, usually after term cover.
Motor and generalPay from NRE or NRO · Premium set by vehicle or property
Motor (third-party cover is mandatory in India), home, personal accident and travel for visits.
Suits: Anyone who owns a vehicle or property in India, or whose family drives their car.