Pravasi Bharatiya Bima Yojana
Pravasi Bharatiya Bima Yojana is a mandatory insurance scheme for Indian workers in the ECR (Emigration Check Required) category going abroad for employment, providing comprehensive accident, medical, and repatriation coverage. It covers accidental death or permanent disability up to ₹10 lakh, hospitalisation up to ₹1 lakh, and family hospitalisation in India up to ₹50,000. Purchase the policy online through IFFCO-TOKIO or Oriental Insurance before travelling.
About This Scheme
Pravasi Bharatiya Bima Yojana is a mandatory insurance scheme for Indian workers in the ECR (Emigration Check Required) category going abroad for employment, providing comprehensive accident, medical, and repatriation coverage. It covers accidental death or permanent disability up to ₹10 lakh, hospitalisation up to ₹1 lakh, and family hospitalisation in India up to ₹50,000. Purchase the policy online through IFFCO-TOKIO or Oriental Insurance before travelling.
Full official description
A mandatory insurance scheme by Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) for safeguarding the interests of Indian emigrant workers falling under Emigration Check Required (ECR) category going for overseas employment to ECR countries. PBBY also includes global insurance coverage irrespective of employer and location, has facility for online renewal and a simplified process for certification of accidental death / permanent disability. The scheme is now more beneficial for emigrant workers and is aimed at ensuring an expeditious settlement of claims.
Benefits
- ₹10,00,000 cover for accidental death or permanent disability leading to job loss abroad
- Medical insurance up to ₹1,00,000 for injuries, sickness, or disease (up to ₹50,000 per hospitalization)
- Repatriation to India covered if medically unfit or employment is prematurely terminated (economy class airfare)
- Family hospitalization in India: up to ₹50,000 for spouse and first two children (up to age 21)
- Maternity expenses for women emigrants up to ₹50,000
- Legal expense reimbursement for overseas employment disputes up to ₹45,000
- Return economy class airfare for one attendant in case of emigrant's accidental death or permanent disability
Who Can Apply (Eligibility)
- Must be an Indian citizen cleared for emigration (ECR category worker)
- Must be aged between 18 and 65 years (subject to emigration clearance)
- Coverage applies globally regardless of employer or work location abroad
Exclusions
NA
How to Apply
(The purchase of PBBY can be done online. Entities such as IFFCO-TOKIO General Insurance and Oriental Insurance offer multiple online channels from where you can buy the PBBY policy.) Before starting with your application, you must keep all your travel-related documents such as Passport, Visa, Work Permit No. etc. ready with you.
Step 1: If you are a new customer, then you first need to fill in all the relevant details in the online form, and then you shall be automatically taken to the payment page.
Step 2: When prompted on the screen fill in all the mandatory details correctly.
Step 3: You will be directed to the premium payment page, where you can select from any of the acceptable modes of payment and make the payment as per your policy premium. You can select the most suitable payment option for you and make the payment accordingly. Accepted Modes of Payment: UPI, Internet Banking, Debit Card, Online Wallets, Credit Card (Master card, Visa and American Express).
Step 4: After the payment has been successfully processed, you will be directed to the confirmation page. You must download the receipt for future reference.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is hospitalization benefit also available for children?
Yes, the family hospitalization (in India) is available for the first two children up to 21 years of age.
Do I need to visit the Indian Mission in order to renew the insurance policy?
No, the scheme has provision for online renewal of the PBBY policy.
Are there any facilities for pregnant woman emigrant?
Yes, maternity expenses benefit up to [?]50,000/- is available for women emigrants.
What benefits can a PwD emigrant avail under PBBY?
A PwD emigrant can avail the following benefits under PBBY:
Reimbursement of return economy class air fare to the nearest international airport to one attendant in case of emigrant's permanent disability.
The Insured person shall be covered for a sum of [?]10 Lakh in the event of permanent disability leading to loss of employment while in employment abroad, irrespective of change of employer/location of insured person.
Ready to apply?
Visit the official government portal to apply for this scheme.
Apply on myScheme.gov.inDocuments Required
- In case of death due to accident:
- Police Report confirming accidental death.
- Post Mortem Report.
- Certificate / Report from concerned Indian Embassy.
- Duly attested copy of passport (all pages).
- Permanent Total Disability:
- Medical records pertaining to treatment following the accident.
- Disability certificate issued by the competent medical authority.
- In case of permanent total disability, documents depending on the nature of claim as may be sought by the Company, inter alia –
- Original insurance certificate / policy.
- Application form for compensation duly filled in all respects and signed by the claimant.
- Copy of passport (all pages) duly attested, if death occurs outside India.