Business solutions · HR directors and business leaders
Protect your expatriate employees and meet your obligations as an employer
As soon as your employees cross borders, social security is no longer enough. As a broker specialising in international mobility, careXpat assesses, selects and implements tailored group cover to support your regulatory compliance.
They entrust us with their employees' health abroad
What the law says
More than an employee benefit: an obligation
As soon as an employee travels abroad, the legal framework applies to the company. Three obligations define your responsibility as an employer and bind your company from the first day of the assignment.
Article L4121-1
The duty of care
Employers must take the necessary measures to ensure their workers' safety and protect their health, both in France and abroad. Failure to do so may give rise to civil and criminal liability for inexcusable fault.
Assistance and repatriation
The obligation to repatriate
In the event of a serious accident or critical medical emergency, employers are required to arrange and fund medically assisted repatriation for their staff. Without a robust assistance policy, these costs can severely affect a business.
Local compliance
Obtaining visas
Many host countries require a private health insurance certificate meeting local criteria before granting work visas. This is essential to maintain your teams' legal residence status.
They trust us
They entrust us with their teams' health
Axel Baroux
Director for the Near & Middle East
My family and I are covered by careXpat through my employer, and I am very happy with their remarkably efficient, fast and straightforward solutions and processes.
careXpat has provided exactly the support we needed for our healthcare costs abroad, which can sometimes be a real challenge.
Iwan Streichenberger
Chair of the North America Committee
It is a pleasure to work with experts who understand the complexities of American health insurance and work for their members to find the best protection at the best price.
My only regret is not having worked with careXpat sooner. A wonderful team and excellent service.
Loïc Bonnardel
CEO
A very positive enrolment experience: quick, smooth and transparent. I was pleasantly surprised by how easy everything was.
Thank you for your professionalism!
The right legal framework
Posted, expatriate or remote worker: the essential distinction
The posted employee
The employee remains bound by their French employment contract and affiliated with the general French social security scheme. This is a temporary, regulated arrangement subject to bilateral agreements between France and the host country.
Continued French cover, limited to 24 months within the EU
International insurance provides essential top-up cover
It covers actual costs above French reimbursement rates
A solution for every workforce size
Microbusinesses, SMEs, mid-sized companies: a tailored approach
Two employees based in Dubai or three hundred across four continents: the policy, governance and level of support require different approaches.
1 to 20 employees
Microbusinesses and SMEs
Responsiveness and cost control. Packaged plans with no minimum group size.
Relying solely on the host country's healthcare system puts your employees at risk and exposes you to liability as an employer. Here is what changes in practice.
Local healthcare scheme
careXpat international health insuranceRecommended
Access to care
Local scheme Excessive waiting times and often overstretched public networks.
careXpat Unrestricted access to private healthcare and leading facilities.
Out-of-pocket costs
Local scheme Potentially substantial out-of-pocket costs for the employee.
careXpat Direct payment of hospital costs, with no upfront payment.
Geographical scope
Local scheme Protection limited to the country of assignment, with no cover elsewhere.
careXpat Worldwide cover, including visits back to France.
Day-to-day administration
Local scheme Language barriers and fragmented care pathways.
careXpat Medical platforms in French and English, with centralised follow-up.
Unsure which option is right for your destinations?
Ready to protect your employees' international mobility?
Our specialist business insurance advisers carry out a thorough comparative assessment of your risks and offer a free review of your existing policies, aligning your cover with your legal obligations.
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What obligations does an employer have towards an expatriate employee?
Employers have an enhanced safety obligation (duty of care). They are legally required to ensure that employees do not suffer harm related to their working environment abroad. This involves arranging adequate medical cover, medical repatriation cover in cases of force majeure, and maintaining their entitlement to equivalent social protection.
What is the difference between a posted employee and an expatriate employee for health insurance?
A posted employee remains affiliated with the French social security system for a limited period, with international insurance providing top-up cover. An expatriate employee formally leaves the French general scheme and must be covered by a first-euro international insurance policy or through the employer's voluntary membership of the CFE.
Which insurance should I choose for an employee working remotely from abroad?
An amendment to the employment contract should be formalised and dedicated international remote working insurance taken out. The policy must cover routine healthcare costs, emergency hospitalisation in the employee's temporary place of residence, and workplace accidents occurring during remote working hours.
How can I effectively cover employees on occasional assignments abroad?
For short trips (under 90 days), companies arrange group business travel insurance and assistance policies. These flexible policies can cover all employees through a single annual package, with instant emergency assistance certificates.
What is the employer's role regarding the CFE for expatriate employees?
Employers can choose to enrol their expatriate employees collectively in the Caisse des Français de l'Étranger (CFE). The company generally pays all or part of the employer contributions. This allows employees to maintain a continuous link with the French pension and healthcare systems and must be supplemented with private international health insurance.
How much does international health insurance cost for a microbusiness or SME?
The cost of group insurance depends on employees' average age, their geographical deployment areas (the USA and Singapore being the most expensive), and the chosen levels of cover. For SMEs, packaged solutions offer highly competitive pooled rates, starting from a few dozen euros per month per employee for essential plans.
Death and disability cover: what are the employer's obligations?
A company's collective agreement or sector agreements often require substantial protection benefits to be maintained for employees sent abroad. Employers must ensure that the policy includes lump-sum payments in the event of death or total disability, as well as spouse's or children's education benefits that comply with French collective agreement requirements.
Why choose group insurance over individual policies?
A group policy offers considerably more favourable enrolment conditions for both the company and employees. It can include a waiver of medical formalities (no health questionnaire on joining), provides stable rates negotiated for the whole group, and centralises billing and statistical reporting for HR.