Funds vacationers love saving cash — myself included. However one of many bills that we shouldn’t be low-cost with is journey insurance coverage.
After over 17 years of touring the world, I nonetheless by no means depart dwelling with out it.
Why?
As a result of I’ve seen firsthand how helpful it may be — and the way a lot cash it may well save.
I’ve misplaced baggage, had my digicam damaged, and even wanted emergency medical assist over time.
Journey insurance coverage has been there for me every time. Not solely has it saved me cash nevertheless it’s supplied me with peace of thoughts as I discover.
I’ve written extensively over time about why you want insurance coverage, the best way to choose the appropriate firm, and listed my most well-liked suppliers.
At the moment, I need to speak about my favourite journey insurance coverage firm: SafetyWing.
Who’s SafetyWing?
SafetyWing is an insurance coverage firm that focuses on reasonably priced protection for funds vacationers and digital nomads (although you don’t need to be both to get protection). It’s run by nomads and expats who know precisely what such vacationers want.
SafetyWing presents fundamental insurance coverage (known as “Nomad Important”) for a fraction of what different corporations cost, though they’re additionally much less complete. To me, they’re the very best general journey insurance coverage firm on the market.
Their normal Nomad Insurance coverage protection prices simply $56.28 USD for 4 weeks (for vacationers aged 10-39). That’s one of many lowest costs on the market for dependable journey insurance coverage. They’re tremendous aggressive in the case of value.


Their protection extends all the best way to age 69, nonetheless, vacationers aged 60-69 ought to anticipate to pay upwards of $196 USD monthly for protection. Nonetheless very cheap, to be trustworthy.
However is the protection really good? What concerning the customer support?
At the moment I need to evaluation Security Wing and speak about when it’s — and isn’t — price utilizing so you possibly can higher put together in your subsequent journey and guarantee you’ve the protection you want.
What Does SafetyWing Cowl?
SafetyWing’s normal Nomad Insurance coverage plan is the Important plan. It’s simply $56.28 USD for 4 weeks of journey (exterior the US). That works out to only $1.87 USD per day!
For vacationers below age 64, that plan contains the next:
- $250,000 USD in emergency medical protection
- $1,000 USD for emergency dental care
- $100,000 USD for medical evacuation ($25,000 USD if the reason for medical evacuation is acute onset of pre-existing situation)
- $10,000 USD for an evacuation as a consequence of political upheaval
- $5,000 USD for a visit interruption
- As much as $100 a day after a 12-hour delay interval requiring an unplanned in a single day keep. Topic to a most of two days.
- $12,500–25,000 USD for dying or dismemberment
- $20,000 USD for repatriation of stays
Make sure to examine the outline of protection for any situations that apply.




Its $100,000 USD for medical evacuation is on the low finish, however except you’re heading out into the distant wilderness, that must be high-quality. (If you’d like increased protection, get MedJet.)
Its travel-delay payout is fairly low, however airways and most journey bank cards present journey delay help too so that you may not even want the protection supplied by SafetyWing. Moreover, it doesn’t actually cowl costly electronics, which sucks when you have an expensive digicam or video gear.
As with most traditional journey insurance coverage, this one doesn’t embrace pre-existing situations or sure journey sports activities, so it’s not a very good coverage if you happen to’re going to do a number of journey actions on the street.
They do supply a pair useful add-ons that I believe a number of vacationers will respect, together with protection for journey actions and electronics theft. That signifies that if you happen to want the protection, you possibly can pay further for it. Nonetheless, if you happen to don’t want it then you definitely don’t need to pay for it, preserving your prices low. I respect that, as somebody who all the time wants digital protection however who by no means wants journey exercise protection (I’m not an enormous adrenaline junkie).
What’s Not Coated?
The Important plan is primarily geared in the direction of protecting medical emergencies and fundamental journey mishaps (like delays and misplaced baggage). Listed here are some issues that aren’t lined:
- Alcohol- or drug-related incidents.
- Excessive sports activities & journey actions (except you buy the journey sports activities add-on, which is accessible for non-US residents)
- Pre-existing situations or basic check-ups
- Journey cancellation
- Misplaced or stolen money
Nomad Full: Protection for Digital Nomads and Lengthy-Time period Vacationers
In 2023, SafetyWing launched Nomad Well being (now known as their “Full” plan). It’s insurance coverage for digital nomads, distant staff, and long-term vacationers. This new plan presents a mixture of the usual emergency protection that we’ve been discussing above together with “common” well being care protection, akin to routine visits and preventive care.
The Full plan additionally presents protection in 175 international locations, contains wellness advantages, psychological well being care, and the power for people to decide on their very own physician whereas touring. They are going to be increasing protection too, together with an add-on for “electronics theft” (which, as somebody who has been robbed whereas touring, I believe is a superb concept).
It’s just like the form of medical health insurance you’d discover in your house nation, guaranteeing that you just’re taken care of it doesn’t matter what occurs when you’re overseas.
You may study extra and examine the plans right here.
In the event you’re simply heading out for a pair weeks or a pair months, SafetyWing’s Important plan is the choice for you. It’s excellent for emergencies, is tremendous reasonably priced, and is designed for funds vacationers. It’s the plan I exploit after I journey nowadays.
Nonetheless, if you happen to’re going to be working overseas or touring for months (or years), then their new Full plan is the higher choice. It presents rather more protection whereas nonetheless being reasonably priced. The truth is, it’s the plan I want I had after I began touring long-term!
You may study extra concerning the Full plan in my devoted evaluation.
Making a Declare
SafetyWing makes it straightforward to file a declare by way of their on-line portal. You simply add all of the required paperwork, screenshots, and pictures, and wait to listen to again. Whereas claims can take as much as 45 enterprise days, most are dealt with in lower than every week (as of writing, the common wait time is 4 days).
In the event you learn the evaluations on-line, most individuals who had a adverse expertise both didn’t know concerning the deductible (SafetyWing eliminated their deductible for non-US residents as of 2024) or hated the size of time it took to receives a commission. However that’s fairly regular for folks to complain about.
On the plus facet, SafetyWing’s common time to deal with a declare is down to only 4 days. That’s approach quicker than most corporations!
A Be aware About COVID
SafetyWing does embrace protection for COVID-19. So long as the virus was not contracted earlier than your plan begins, then it is going to be lined (so long as it’s medically essential).
SafetyWing additionally covers quarantine prices (exterior your property nation) for as much as $50 USD/day for 10 days (supplied that you just’ve had your plan for no less than 28 days).
Execs and Cons of SafetyWing
Right here’s a glance that the professionals and cons of SafetyWing at a look that will help you resolve if it’s the very best insurance coverage supplier for you and your journey:
Most reasonably priced journey insurance coverage on the market
Solely covers as much as age 69
Presents protection for COVID-19
Restricted protection for gear/electronics
You should buy plans on-line even if you happen to’re already
in your journey
Restricted protection for journey actions
Simple to submit claims on-line
No journey cancellation protection
After being overseas for 90 days, you retain your
medical protection for 30 days in your house
nation (15 days if you happen to’re from the U.S.)
As much as 2 youngsters below 10 per household
(1 per grownup) might be included at no cost
No have to set an finish date (subscription
renews each 4 weeks)
Two totally different plans imply you possibly can simply discover one which works for you/your funds
Who’s SafetyWing Good — and Not Good For?
SafetyWing is designed as primarily medical protection. Since SafetyWing is designed for the budget-conscious digital nomad, it doesn’t cowl some areas that could be extra of a precedence for a shorter-term traveler. Right here’s a fast chart that will help you resolve if SafetyWing is best for you:
Funds vacationers
Folks touring with a TON of electronics
Somebody in search of easy emergency protection
Anybody needing complete journey delay
or cancellation
Folks with out a lot of costly electronics
Folks doing extreme excessive sports activities/actions
Digital nomads who want medical protection
for long-term journey
Journey insurance coverage is one thing I by no means depart dwelling with out. I do know it’s a boring matter to examine and analysis, however it may well actually prevent a whole lot or 1000’s of {dollars} in payments! I by no means, ever depart dwelling with out it. You shouldn’t both.
So, the subsequent time you’re on the street, think about SafetyWing. To me, they’re the very best journey insurance coverage firm on the market for funds vacationers.
You should utilize the reserving widget beneath to get a quote (it’s free):
Ebook Your Journey: Logistical Ideas and Tips
Ebook Your Flight
Discover a low-cost flight through the use of Skyscanner. It’s my favourite search engine as a result of it searches web sites and airways across the globe so that you all the time know no stone is being left unturned.
Ebook Your Lodging
You may e book your hostel with Hostelworld. If you wish to keep someplace aside from a hostel, use Reserving.com because it persistently returns the most affordable charges for guesthouses and resorts.
Don’t Neglect Journey Insurance coverage
Journey insurance coverage will defend you in opposition to sickness, damage, theft, and cancellations. It’s complete safety in case something goes incorrect. I by no means go on a visit with out it as I’ve had to make use of it many instances previously. My favourite corporations that provide the very best service and worth are:
Wish to Journey for Free?
Journey bank cards help you earn factors that may be redeemed at no cost flights and lodging — all with none further spending. Try my information to choosing the right card and my present favorites to get began and see the most recent finest offers.
Want a Rental Automotive?
Uncover Automobiles is a budget-friendly worldwide automobile rental web site. Regardless of the place you’re headed, they’ll be capable of discover the very best — and most cost-effective — rental in your journey!
Want Assist Discovering Actions for Your Journey?
Get Your Information is a large on-line market the place yow will discover cool strolling excursions, enjoyable excursions, skip-the-line tickets, personal guides, and extra.
Able to Ebook Your Journey?
Try my useful resource web page for the very best corporations to make use of once you journey. I checklist all those I exploit after I journey. They’re the very best in school and you may’t go incorrect utilizing them in your journey.