Singapore Expats

Few months back I was approached by an Insurance Agent and I decided to purchase term insurance for coverage. While processing, the insurance agent highlighted that according to their database, work permit holder is not permitted to buy insurance. Apparently, the big insurance Co like Prudential, AIA and etc, do not extend coverage to work permit holders.

Any forumers here had experienced of such situation before? Would appreciate if you could share the background of such imposition (sadly, the insurance agent got no clue as well or he was being nice not trying to offend me). I believe it should be a mass market for the insurance co, unless it was a mandate from the government.

thanks.

Sorry, but welcome to Singapore. I doubt it is a government mandate, but the insurance companies (and any other BIG company) here basically can make their own rules and it seems that they've decided that its not worth their while to provide insurance to work permit holders (if that is indeed the case - did you contact them directly to ask?).

ps - At home I used to work for an insurance company that specialised in providing life insurance to the mass market and it is a very different ballgame to the other segments, but there the mass market was 20m lives so they considered it worth it.

After reading from your post, I totally disagree, I have applied before. I conclude the agent is not experienced enough.

To make life easy for you, this is the breakdown on what a work permit holder can be covered


General Insurance : Work Injury Compensation, Foreign Worker Medical, Travel Insurance
Group Life Insurance: Hospitalisation, Outpatient, Specialist, Dental, Accident, Term Life

Thanks FX man for clarifying.

Taking a step back, for whom's benefit did you purchase the term insurance?

Work Permit holders can acquire term insurance. it's not a govt mandate that work permit holders are excluded.

Work permit holders may not be able to purchase endowment or living policy here due to individual companies policies but certainly i believe they can purchase term plans.
Do check it out with some of the more established insurance companies for affordability and coverage

I guess more importantly, you should be looking at accident policy and hospitalisation policy..Which you can purchase even with a work permit..

This will answer in detail what is required regarding the mandatory insuring of Work Permit holders & FDW's:

http://www.mom.gov.sg/newsroom/Pages/Hi ... ?listid=11

http://www.mom.gov.sg/Documents/service ... 20FAQs.pdf

Hi there,
I don't see why your application will be rejected for term insurance. May I ask which country are you from?

analyst wrote:Few months back I was approached by an Insurance Agent and I decided to purchase term insurance for coverage. While processing, the insurance agent highlighted that according to their database, work permit holder is not permitted to buy insurance. Apparently, the big insurance Co like Prudential, AIA and etc, do not extend coverage to work permit holders.

Any forumers here had experienced of such situation before? Would appreciate if you could share the background of such imposition (sadly, the insurance agent got no clue as well or he was being nice not trying to offend me). I believe it should be a mass market for the insurance co, unless it was a mandate from the government.

thanks.