Pravasi Bharatiya Bima Yojana (PBBY)

What is Pravasi Bharatiya Bima Yojana?

Pravasi Bharatiya Bima Yojana (PBBY) is a mandatory insurance scheme of the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) that protects Indian workers who emigrate for overseas employment. It applies specifically to emigrants in the Emigration Check Required (ECR) category. The workers most exposed to exploitation and unsafe conditions abroad. The scheme makes sure that if something goes wrong overseas, the worker or the family back home is not left without support.

According to the scheme details published on National Government portals, PBBY provides a sum assured of Rs 10 lakh for accidental death or permanent disability, and bundles in medical cover, maternity benefit, family hospitalisation cover in India, repatriation help and legal-expense support. The policy must be taken before emigration and is linked to the emigration clearance process, so it is effectively a condition of departure for ECR passport holders going out for work.

Main benefits under PBBY

• Accidental death / permanent disability: Rs 10 lakh sum assured
• Medical insurance for the emigrant: up to Rs 1,00,000 (up to Rs 50,000 per hospitalisation)
• Family hospitalisation in India: up to Rs 50,000 for spouse and first two children
• Maternity benefit: up to Rs 50,000 for women emigrants
• Repatriation: economy-class airfare where the worker is medically unfit or the job is terminated through no fault of the worker
• Legal expenses: up to Rs 45,000 for litigation connected to the overseas employment

Who is eligible for Pravasi Bharatiya Bima Yojana?

You must take PBBY if:

• You are an Indian emigrating for overseas employment on an ECR passport.
• You are between 18 and 65 years of age.
• You are going through the emigration clearance process before departure.

You cannot claim PBBY as a personal savings or investment product if:

• You are not emigrating for work — PBBY is tied to overseas employment, not general travel or tourism.
• You are travelling on a non-ECR passport for a purpose that does not require emigration clearance, in which case PBBY is not the applicable instrument.

The scheme is designed around the emigrant worker. Certain benefits, such as family hospitalisation cover, extend to the worker's spouse and first two children in India, but the primary insured person is always the emigrant.

What documents are required for PBBY?

How to apply for Pravasi Bharatiya Bima Yojana

1. Choose an authorised insurer empanelled for PBBY, such as Oriental Insurance or IFFCO-Tokio, and open its PBBY page.
2. Enter your passport and overseas employment details, and select a policy term matching your employment contract.
3. Add your nominee, the person who will receive the sum assured in case of accidental death.
4. Pay the premium online using UPI, net banking, debit/credit card or a digital wallet.
5. Download the policy and keep it with your emigration papers; the policy is linked to your emigration clearance before departure.
6. Renew online before expiry if your overseas job continues, without needing to visit an Indian mission abroad.

Because PBBY is mandatory for ECR emigrants, recruiting agents and the emigration system will normally require proof of a valid policy at the clearance stage. Workers should still confirm that the policy is in their own name with the correct nominee.

How does PBBY protect a worker abroad?

PBBY is built for the real risks a migrant worker faces. If the worker dies in an accident or is permanently disabled, the Rs 10 lakh sum assured goes to the nominee. If the worker falls ill, medical cover applies up to the policy limits. If the job ends unfairly or the worker is declared medically unfit, the scheme supports repatriation with economy airfare. If a dispute with the employer reaches court, legal expenses are covered up to Rs 45,000. Women emigrants additionally get a maternity benefit. This spread of cover is what makes PBBY different from an ordinary personal accident policy.

Help and grievance redressal

• MEA 24x7 overseas Indian helpline: 1800113090
• Ministry of External Affairs, through its emigration services and the eMigrate system, oversees PBBY
• The insurer's own customer service, for claims, policy copies and renewals

For a claim, the emigrant or the nominee approaches the insurer with the policy number and supporting documents. For emigration or exploitation-related distress abroad, the MEA overseas helpline and the nearest Indian mission are the right contacts.