The international student’s guide to health insurance in Mauritania: 10 trusted providers, what to buy, and how to use it

Mauritania is a very interesting place to study. It’s also an environment where you’ll want to have a good health plan in place. Care is often simple outside of the capital and in severe cases evacuation may be necessary for overseas care. That’s not scare talk; it’s the travel-health reality for this region. The UK government reports that medical facilities are very limited and that hospitals do not accept foreign insurance or cards. They recommend that you have insurance coverage that includes medical treatment and medical evacuation or repatriation.

Public-health advice says the same. Because trauma centers are unusual and complicated care may require evacuation to another country, the U.S. CDC recommends travelers review their insurance and consider a policy which includes evacuation. The U.S. State Department adds that the health facilities are limited outside of Nouakchott and that evacuations are occasionally required. Travel: The U.S. Embassy in Nouakchott is even more direct: emergency evacuations are generally conducted to hospitals outside of Mauritania-often in Western Europe-by commercial flight or air ambulance.

So the brief is simple. Purchase international student health insurance that includes day-to-day care, hospital care and – most importantly – includes evacuation and repatriation. Then set yourself up to use it. The rest of this guide teaches you exactly how.

What to look for (and why it matters in Mauritania)

Keep it simple and make sure you examine each item before paying.

Emergency evacuation and repatriation (EVR) Treat this as non-negotiable. Evacuation is what moves you from a medical facility that is unable to treat you to a facility that can treat you-sometimes in another country. The CDC and State Department both emphasize this for Mauritania and for the region at large.
Inpatient and outpatient treatment You will need regular clinic visits (outpatient) and hospital coverage (inpatient). FCDO guidance notes that the limits of local facilities mean that inpatient benefits and provider choice are particularly important.
Direct billing, and “guarantee of payment.” With direct billing, doctors (or health insurance companies) pay hospitals directly. That saves you huge amounts of money up front. Many global providers offer this, for example: Cigna and Allianz, which have large international networks and direct-settlement arrangements.
24/7 support in English (and French/Arabic, where available). You’ll need a hotline that can call and coordinate care and, if necessary, an evacuation.
Tele-support and mental health. Study stress happens. Many of these student plans cover mental health consultations and some plans include telehealth, especially if you’re in the U.S. or certain countries.
sports and study-related travel If you’re going to play intramural sports, be sure to look for that explicitly. Some student plans have organized sports as part of the package.
Pre-existing conditions and waiting periods Student plans generally do include pre-existing conditions after a waiting period; be sure to know what the timeline is before you count on it. (See examples of IMG and ISI below.)
Visa or university compliance letters. Insurers such as Allianz, Cigna and IMG/ISI will provide visa or University letters on request or at sign-up. That can save days of back and forth with admissions.

The 10 trusted health insurance options for international students in Mauritania

All ten below are international providers or platforms with plans students commonly use across Africa and worldwide. I’ve summarized what each is best for and linked to primary sources so you can verify the details.

1) Indigo Expat Junior (18–30; expat-student oriented)

European expatriate plan: Many students choose this plan because it combines the cover you really need: hospital, outpatient, assistance and repatriation, and personal liability, all in one policy – with 24/7 support. It’s for ages 18-30 and can be renewed up to 3 years and as you age out you can switch to another plan. If you want a “first-euro” style policy, this is a clean, student-friendly bundle.

Why it works for Mauritania: the built-in aid/repatriation and liability are useful when local clinics sometimes demand payment in advance and when evacuation to a foreign country is feasible for cases deemed serious enough.

2) International Student Insurance (ISI) (plans like Student Secure; also offers SHA via IMG)

Speciality service provided by ISI: General, multiple levels of student coverage. Their Student Secure range has been designed to cover common student and visa requirements; higher levels include personal liability and wider cover. ISI also runs clear resources on access to telemedicine (particularly Teladoc for those in the U.S.) and publishes helpful explainers on evacuation and repatriation if you are incorporating plans in the mix.

Why it works for Mauritania: simple digital enrollment, used broadly by universities, and transparent support for evacuation-important in a country where complex treatment often translates to treatment outside the country.

3) IMG Global (International Medical Group)

IMG provides student plans which vary in the level of coverage and include Student Health Advantage (Standard and Platinum). SHA is designed for long-term students and includes mental health, maternity, organised sports and international emergency care; it is visa compliant. In addition to exchange students, IMG offers the following programs: Patriot Exchange.

Why Mauritania: a mature assistance system and plans that have considered evacuation and emergency assistance But coordination of a transfer becomes important when facilities are limited.

4) Pacific Prime (global broker that places students with top insurers)

Not a carrier, but a large regulated international broker with decades of experience. Invaluable if you want human assistance in comparing plans from different companies (e.g. Allianz, Cigna, William Russell, Now Health) and you need your plan to match University language. Their student resources explain the key benefits students should look for and can help you find the right visa letter.

Why it makes sense for Mauritania: When you’re weighing the pros and cons of adding features like evacuation, direct billing and cost, having your broker compare brands is a way to save time – and to avoid non-compliance

5) Allianz Care

One of the world’s largest providers of international health insurance, with direct-settlement provider networks and an exclusive international student plan. Allianz’s international health plans are well known by institutions and direct billing can eliminate or reduce large up-front payments to hospitals, which can be advantageous in countries where cash decisions are often made at the hospital level.

Why it works in Mauritania: direct billing + big network = less administrative shock when you’re unwell The larger the network, the easier it is to get away with not paying first and collecting later.

6) Cigna Global

Cigna provides flexible international plans, including student-oriented plans with modular benefits, direct billing capabilities, and a significant global network. They specifically mention that student insurance is sometimes a condition for study abroad, and cite the need for mental health resources-both of interest to students who are traveling to areas with few local resources.

Why this is a good match for Mauritania: Direct billing, network penetration, and modular construction make it easy to piece together outpatient, preventive care or mental-health programs as your school or budget needs.

7) William Russell

a long-established expat insurer with student suitability, including mental-health cover and access to global providers Their student page provides students with what to consider (from inpatient/outpatient to evacuation) and provides a simple path from quote to purchase.

Why it works for Mauritania: length and breadth of expat experience in Africa and simple plan design.

8) Now Health International

An international service provider with fast digital service, secure internet portal, and assistance for direct billing with network clinics. Now Health works for members in 200+ territories; their user guides explain pre-authorizations, and how they work to ensure that you don’t have to pay large amounts upfront.

Why it works for Mauritania: speed and admin competency when you need an emergency admission to hospital or an evacuation authorization.

9) Student Health Advantage (by IMG; distributed by ISI and others)

This is important enough to be its own line, since it’s a flagship long-term student plan with strong benefits, dependents, and renewable terms (useful if your program runs several years). This scheme covers mental health, maternity, and organised sports provision and is for visa compliance.

Why it is suitable for Mauritania: long-stay structure with evacuation and full support stack – perfect for students that settle in for several semesters

10) Morgan Price International

Another well-known international health insurer with multi-tier advantages – from Standard to Elite – with in-patient, out-patient, chronic condition cover and explicit evacuation and repatriation cover across the tiers. Their current IPIDs and tables of benefits are transparent and easy to compare.

Why it is suitable for Mauritania: The evacuation benefits are clearly quantified across tiers and the coverage levels are well documented

Picking the right plan for Mauritania: a step-by-step

Short version first, then we’ll dig deeper.

Check the wording of your university. Some schools require specific wording: minimum medical limit, evacuation home country, repatriation of remains or sometimes liability. Cigna and Allianz both offer student plan letters that pass standard university verifiers.
Make a decision if you must have direct billing. If you can’t afford to float a large hospital deposit, choose a provider with a robust direct-settlement network (for example, Allianz, Cigna, and Now Health).
Pick your evacuation scope. providing medical evacuation and repatriation of remains Government sources are frank about the need for this in Mauritania.
Check waiting periods. If you have a pre-existing condition, see how long it will take for it to be covered. Many student plans will cover pre-existing conditions after 6-12 months of being on the plan. (Example: ISI/IMG Student Health Advantage tiers)
Incorporate mental health and sports if you will be using them Only IMG’s SHA Platinum has both.
Deductibles and limits are your choice. Higher limits are reasonable where there is potential for evacuation and out-of-country surgery.
Give validation to claims process and language assistance. A 24-hour line able to provide guarantees of payment and able to speak English (and hopefully French/Arabic) helps. (FCDO points out that English may be limited locally.)
Get certificate/visa letter in advance Most student plans provide these to you immediately online.

Deeper guidance for Mauritania

Why evacuation matters here. Numerous authoritative sources stress evacuation for critical care There are few facilities outside the capital, and even in Nouakchott you may be limited. Evacuees are often flown to Western Europe, the U.S. Embassy says; the WHO has also established a regional coordination center in Dakar, highlighting West Africa’s history of “regional management.” Purchase a plan that will work quickly and with no red tape
Direct billing saves time and money. FCDO mentions the fact that foreign insurances are not accepted in every hospital and hospitals may ask for cash or card payment. If you have a network of direct-settlement insurers, they can give you guarantees of payment so that you don’t have to be a human credit line. Allianz, Cigna and Now Health all record direct billing.
Mental health is not an extra. Long distances, culture shocks and academic demands drain you. Counseling and psychiatric care are part of SHA and many of our student plans. That’s a very useful safety net, not a luxury.
Telemedicine has limits. Telehealth availability is dictated by the plan and where you live. ISI Teladoc is available only while you are in the U.S.; access to plans may vary elsewhere depending on local networks and partner apps. Unless the plan says global telehealth, don’t count on it.

How to set yourself up before you fly

Do these five things and future-you will thank you.

Offline savings for your insurance ID, assistance numbers and policy PDF. Save them on your cell phone and print out a card to carry in your wallet.
Put the insurer’s emergency line and email address onto your favorites. Many plans require you (or a doctor) to call ahead of admission or evacuation in order to ensure payment and initiate logistics. Now Health has made the pre-authorization and guarantee-of-payment flow clear and easy to understand.
Ask for a “visa/university letter.” If there is a phrase required by your registrar (for example: ‘repatriation of remains included’), your insurer will provide a letter. Allianz and Cigna have student plan instructions available for this.
Include contact information for local hospitals. Keep a list of campus clinic, private clinic, and embassy contacts in Nouakchott. The U.S. Embassy’s information on medical assistance has evacuation notes and air ambulance tips.
Have prescriptions and can scan medical records. Bring original scripts and a brief introduction of your conditions (English and French preferably). (Arabic is the official language; French is in common use in administration.)

Using your plan in Mauritania: a quick playbook

Short steps first. Then examples.

Routine care: It is best to go to a private clinic, if possible. Remember to call the insurer if you want a direct-billing provider.
Urgent care: be seen first; call the clinic assistance team so that they can issue a guarantee of payment if admission is required;
Emergency: call local emergency numbers and ask the hospital to call your insurer to pre-authorize and if necessary arrange for evacuation.
Evacuation triggers: serious trauma, complicated surgery, or conditions requiring specialist units The embassy confirms that many are processed outside Mauritania.

Example – hospital admission: You are admitted to the hospital in Nouakchott for acute appendicitis. The surgeon advises local surgery but warns of blood supply problems, and post-op monitoring limits. You or the hospital contact your insurer If the surgery is safe in the local area, the insurer gives the guarantee of payment. If the risk/complexity is beyond local capacity, then transfer is arranged (sometimes to a regional hub or Europe) once you are stabilized. Dakar, WHO’s regional emergency hub, is a component of the regional emergency response ecosystem; your medical team will select the destination based on capacity and availability.

Provider snapshots (quick compare)

Provider	Why students pick it	Stand-out features you can verify
Indigo Expat Junior	Young-expat/student bundle with assistance/repatriation + personal liability	Ages 18–30; hospital + outpatient; assistance & repatriation; personal liability included. Assurance jeune expatrié
International Student Insurance (ISI)	Student-centric tiers; easy compliance; strong help docs	Student Secure tiers; liability at higher tier; telemedicine in U.S.; evacuation explainers. International Student Insurance+2International Student Insurance+2
IMG (Student Health Advantage, etc.)	Long-term student design; visa-friendly	Mental health, maternity, organized sports, international emergency care. IMG Global
Pacific Prime (broker)	Human help comparing across brands; fast quotes	Global broker; student resources; access to multiple top insurers. Pacific Prime+1
Allianz Care	Big network, direct settlement, student plan page	Direct-billing networks; student plan; flexible levels. allianzcare.com+1
Cigna Global	Modular design; broad network; student messaging	Student options; direct billing; mental health; compliance notes. cignaglobal.com
William Russell	Simple plan structure; student focus; mental health	Student page and support for mental health. William Russell
Now Health International	Digital portal; fast pre-auth; direct billing	User guides, guarantee of payment, provider search. Now Health+1
Student Health Advantage (IMG/ISI)	Group or individual; multi-year	Visa-compliant; maternity/mental health/sports. IMG Global
Morgan Price International	Clear evacuation cover across tiers; transparent docs	Benefits tables/IPIDs show evacuation & repatriation at every level. morgan-price.com+1

Budget vs. protection: how much cover is “enough”?

Short answer. Purchase supplies sufficient to cover an evacuation and prolonged hospitalization outside Mauritania. The U.S. State Department estimates that a single evacuation of a medevac costs more than $100,000 – and that’s before surgery and rehab.

Useful ranges for students:

Medical maximum: choose a plan whose sum insured is measured in hundred-thousands (or more).
Evacuation: demand medical evacuation (not just “transport”) ensure burial of remains is repatriated
Deductible: pick one you can actually pay at short notice

Compliance and paperwork: no surprises at enrollment

visa certificates and letters. Allianz, Cigna, IMG/ISI and others provide written confirmation of medical and evacuation benefits. Get this on purchase and upload it to your university portal.
Direct-billing confirmation. If your university has a list of clinics, forward it to your insurer and ask them which clinics are in the network and whether they can put a guarantee of payment in place. Allianz and Now Health both have pages that explain the mechanics of direct billing.
Pre-authorization rules. Many plans require pre-certification for hospital admissions and pre-certification for some outpatient imaging. Now Health’s instructions go through the steps; other insurers will have similar protocols.

A realistic “first 48 hours” plan if something goes wrong

Keep this concise and ready to use.

Emergency? Get to care. Ask the clinic to call your insurer’s assistance line while you’re being triaged.
Admission recommended? Don’t hand over your card immediately. Ask the hospital to request a guarantee of payment from your insurer. (This is routine for international plans.)
Evacuation discussed? The treating doctor and the insurer’s medical team decide together. Your embassy page in Nouakchott confirms evacuations are often to Europe. Your insurer coordinates planes, ambulances, and receiving hospitals.
Document everything. Keep copies of physician notes, test results, and receipts. If you do pay anything, get itemized invoices for reimbursement.

Final checkpoints for Mauritania-bound students

Don’t rely on local public care as your back-up plan. Official guidance calls facilities “extremely limited” and warns of issues accepting foreign insurance. Plan for private clinics and external care when necessary.
Expect to pay first if you don’t have direct billing set up. Choose a plan that can pre-authorize and guarantee payment.
Make evacuation explicit. Your policy should name medical evacuation and repatriation. CDC/State Department guidance assumes that’s what you’ll have in countries like Mauritania.
Mental health counts. Pick a plan that recognizes it. IMG’s student plans do.

One last note on language and logistics

Arabic is the official language; French is widely used in administration and in the professional field. That’s important when making plans for care or reading local documents. Try to choose insurers with round-the-clock English-speaking contact and preferably staff who can liaise with French-speaking clinics as required.

Bottom line

Mauritania presents unique academic and field opportunities, but the logistics of healthcare can be difficult. the safest way is easy: choose a global student plan that includes hospital + outpatient cover, direct billing, medical evacuation and repatriation; The ten providers above all fulfil that brief in different ways – some with better student services, some with larger networks, others with more streamlined digital support. Review university language, have your certificate handy, save your support contacts, and fly.

If you like, let me know how long you want your program, the types of activities you want your students to do (e.g., sports), and how much you are willing to spend. I’ll show you two or three concrete plan configurations from the list above so you can order with confidence and get on with your studies.

Sources used (selection): Official government health/travel advisories for Mauritania and regional medevac guidance; insurer student plan pages and benefit tables; large international broker resources for plan comparisons. Key references include: FCDO (UK) on limited facilities and the need for evacuation/repatriation; CDC on evacuation readiness and scarcity of trauma centers; U.S. State Department and U.S. Embassy in Nouakchott on facility limits and evacuation patterns; Allianz, Cigna, Now Health, IMG/ISI, William Russell, Morgan Price, Indigo Expat on plan scope, networks, and claims/assistance processes. GOV.UK CDC Travelers’ Health Travel State mr.usembassy.gov allianzcare.com cignaglobal.com Now Health+1 IMG Global William Russell morgan-price.com+1 Assurance jeune expatrié