Please see our web page we keep current "kidnap hotspots" and the most dangerous countries today for expatriates up to date. If you spend more than a few months a year in one of these high risk countries you should seriously consider kidnap and ransom insurance. We are going to take an opposite approach here than what you may be expecting. What could be more important in life than the safety and security of yourself and loved ones? Without these things NOTHING ELSE MATTERS. It may be better to determine who does NOT need K&R insurance in the high risk countries. If you don’t meet the criteria below of "who does not need kidnap and ransom insurance" then, at least in our kidnap hotspot countries, you absolutely need it.
Then...Who Needs Kidnap Ransom and Extortion Insurance
- Those that cannot afford the coverage. Policies are annual and paid in advance. Policies for families and individual travelers begin at $1,400 US per year. Expensive..no; Not for what is included in our program and for what’s at stake. Our polices come with large ransom benefits and more importantly, unlimited and paid-in-advance consulting costs. This latter piece is essential and why it’s so important is something we will explain to you over the phone in confidence.
- Those that work for very large global organizations and are ASSURED they have all the essential coverage we are offering through other corporate programs. Just because people work for an "all powerful" multinational with a single letter ticker symbol on the NYSE, they think all is in perfect order. This is NOT the case in many instances. We can describe the large employer’s approach to expatriate security and ransom insurance no better than... "all over the place." Some companies really have their act together. Others have an old policy and procedure collecting dust somewhere. If your company has not done ALL of the following for you, you should consider a personal kidnap and ransom insurance policy for yourself and your family. Will the purchase of a policy be a reimbursable business expense, probably not but is this the area to cut corners? Here is the list of what the employer should be doing for you.
- Although the company cannot provide particular and detailed information about the policy itself (we will explain why they cannot) they should be able to assure you they have a program that will protect you in the host country from a variety of security incidents including kidnap, extortion insurance, detention, etc. They should be able to tell you who is behind the program.
- Does the employer tell you if threats and abductions against your spouse or children are covered? Please remember, other then medical and dental insurance MOST employer policies are meant to cover the employee ONLY. They are not for dependents. Foreign workers compensation is a good example of one of many policies that just cover the employee.
- Has your employer given you an emergency phone number to call in the event of a security threat? Is the number answered "live" 24/7/365 and do they take collect calls? An 800 number may not work very well for you overseas! Have you tried and tested the number BEFORE your trip? Who answers? What is their level of expertise?
- Has your employer provided you with a detailed security emergency plan for your host country? Again, we are only talking about the dangerous country list and there is no need for emergency planning in Germany or Japan for example, at least for security and safety threats. (Employers should have an emergency plan for every country in the event of natural disaster, as we learned in Japan, Turkey, and many other countries recently.)
- In the event of a security emergency or terrorist attack, employees need an exact plan for all of the following: how to get out of the country in an emergency, where to meet, who to call locally, and when they are free to act on their own.
If your employer has not done all of the above, you should seriously consider a kidnapping insurance policy for families. In other words, if you get nebulous answers from your employer on the above, you can "hope for the best" and do nothing, or make the essential preparations for your family. What could be more important?