Young workers 'should consider taking out a medical plan if they move abroad'

Young workers from Britain are considering moving abroad for the short to medium term to escape the financial climate, research by an insurance company has revealed.

Nearly six in ten (56 per cent) workers aged between 18 and 30 believe better prospects could be discovered overseas, and over half (54 per cent) are considering becoming short-term expatriates by relocating in another country, a survey by Aviva UK Health found.

Two-fifths (43 per cent) of younger workers say a year abroad would be long enough, while 20 per cent would consider a three-year break in a different country.

Travel expert Amanda Lamb said of the findings: "A boomerang break might seem for young workers like a less radical move than emigrating from the UK but it's crucial that 'semi-graters' consider the everyday practicalities of living in another country."

Expatriate healthcare is one of those practicalities, she noted, saying that young expats should not assume that the medical system of their adopted country will be the same as the one they have experienced in the UK.