Being a digital nomad means traveling all over the world. While venturing to a new place can be exciting and full of adventure, it can get expensive, especially if you fall sick or lose your baggage. Without adequate protection, you may find yourself dealing with huge medical bills, lost belongings, or even evacuation expenses.
You do not want to be stuck in a foreign location dealing with such unforeseen situations all by yourself. That’s where digital nomad insurance comes in. Today, insurance companies cater to the rise of remote workers, thus offering insurance for digital nomads.
If you are a digital nomad looking for the best insurance coverage, look no further! Keep reading to know what digital nomad insurance is, what it must include, and recommendations for the best ones to invest in!
What Is Digital Nomad Insurance?
Digital nomad insurance isn’t your typical insurance. It offers global coverage, so you can receive help with multiple issues wherever you are. It covers hospital fees or accidents if any and other travel-related issues such as lost baggage, missed flights, lost passports, and the like.
What to look for in good digital nomad insurance?
Numerous insurance providers offer different types of coverage depending on your needs. As you research different plans, look for ones that cover emergency medical care, loss of possessions, cancellation fees, flight delays, legal issues, and more. Be sure to read through the policy’s fine print carefully and make sure that the coverage offered is in line with what you need for your travels. Additionally, look for reputable insurance companies that have customer service that can answer all of your questions.
While everything given above might sound like a lot of work, you don’t have to worry much because I have made it easier for you by reviewing the most recommended digital nomad insurance on Reddit below so you have everything you need to know in one place.
Best Digital Nomad Insurance
1. SafetyWing
SafetyWing emerged back in 2018 and has rapidly grown since. It is a Norwegian start-up based in California that focuses on coverage for long-term travelers and digital nomads. It is run by nomads and expats who know what travelers need. They believe in removing geographical borders as a barrier to equal opportunities and achieving freedom for everyone. What makes SafetyWing a favorite among digital nomads on Reddit is its affordability and global coverage.
What Redditors had to say about it
u/social__sole “I have Safety wings, you can activate and deactivate it when you want and it is cheap compared to others. My bf had to go to the doctor several times in Thailand and they paid for everything in a month, with customer service 24/7.”
u/Choclatluver21 “I’ve used safety wing as medical insurance for two years and have zero complaints. They’ve always approved my claims within a month and when covid struck they were offering repatriation flights. It’s the most affordable option I’ve found. I used to think I didn’t need insurance because healthcare is “so affordable” in developing countries—until my appendix decided to try life as TNT. Never again going without.”
While SafetyWing offers both insurance for nomads and remote teams, I will focus more on insurance for nomads. The Nomad Insurance offered by SafetyWing is a global travel medical insurance that offers coverage in any part of the world including COVID-19 coverage.
You can buy it even if you are already abroad or sign up for it before you depart from your home country. You can also subscribe to continuous coverage and travel to multiple countries with one policy. You are covered for visits back home for up to 30 days or 15 days after you have spent 90 days abroad.
If you have kids, you don’t need to worry about purchasing separate insurance for them as SafetyWings covers up to two children under 10 per family (1 per adult) free of charge.
The medical component provides coverage for any accidents, if you fall sick, and need medical assistance while outside your home country. It is subject to a minimum deductible amount. The insurance covers hospital room charges, nursing services, intensive care up to an overall maximum limit, ambulance charges, urgent emergency charges, physical therapy, chiropractic care, emergency dental charges, and other eligible medical expenses.
This travel insurance provides coverage for multiple issues which is not subject to the deductible or overall maximum limit. It covers trip interruptions, lost checked baggage, travel delays that result in an unplanned overnight stay, natural disasters that result in a new place to stay, political evacuation, emergency medical evacuation, and personal liabilities like third-person injury, third-person property, accidental death, and dismemberment.
- One good thing about SafetyWing is that you don’t need to declare which countries you are traveling to in advance.
- You can buy this insurance at any point in your journey, that is, even if you are abroad. This is something that the majority of insurance providers don’t allow.
- It has a subscription model where you don’t have to pay for a whole year upfront but once every 4 weeks. This will make it super easy to cancel without any penalty.
- There is no limit on the travel duration so you can travel spontaneously without worrying about what your travel schedule will look like.
- SafetyWing provides coverage for any accidents due to motorbikes or scooters (only if it doesn’t fall under intoxication or other exclusions).
- Claims take up to 45 days to be processed, and you can check the live status of your claim on the website.
- It offers 24/7 customer support.
- SafetyWing doesn’t cover the costs of COVID-19 tests.
- It is worth noting that it is not primary health insurance so it doesn’t cover cancer treatment, routine check-ups, and pre-existing conditions (except for the specific coverage described in the policy).
- This insurance does not cover individuals over the age of 70 and gets more expensive the older you get or if you want to travel to the United States.
- If you are into extreme sports then this is not the insurance for you as it doesn’t cover adventure activities like boxing, ruby, parachuting, parasailing, whitewater rafting, bungee jumping, and more.
- It doesn’t cover trip cancellation and lost or stolen cash.
2. World Nomads
World Nomads is a global insurance company that offers simple and flexible travel insurance and safety advice to help you with your international or domestic travel. It offers plans for independent travelers and their families as well. This is the perfect insurance for you if you are a true adventurer at heart as it covers activities such as scuba diving, rock climbing, and skydiving.
What Redditors had to say about it
u/jiggjuggj0gg “I’ve used World Nomads in the past. They are targeted towards people like you who are doing long-term traveling. You can extend and take out policies while you’re traveling which is good for someone like me who makes plans on the hoof. I had to claim with them and they did require a lot of very specific information before they accepted my claim, but they did payout”
u/sallyskneesocks “World nomads have my business for life – my mom had a stroke while traveling abroad and they covered every cent of her hospital stay, my flight to go help her, both of our (first class) flights home, and the parts of her trip she had to cancel as a result. Pretty easy process to submit the paperwork and we were reimbursed fairly quickly. For what we needed, they were there and I’m forever grateful.”
World Nomads offers two plans: Standard Plan and Explorer Plan. The standard plan is a more budget-friendly option when compared to the explorer plan. It covers the essentials like trip cancellation, trip delay, trip interruption, emergency evacuation, emergency medical insurance, baggage, personal effects coverage, emergency medical assistance, and high-risk activities such as parasailing, mountain biking, or bungee jumping.
The Explorer Plan is a more comprehensive plan that includes all coverages in the standard plan along with a few extra benefits such as rental car damage coverage and more extreme activities.
Overall this is the perfect insurance for those who like adventure activities while traveling.
- They provide coverage for extreme activities like skydiving. This is hard to find in other insurance companies.
- If you plan to extend the duration of your travel, World Nomads lets you buy more cover for the extended duration.
- They have a multilingual assistance team to help you out during emergencies.
- World Nomads provides cover for 200+ activities, the longest list of covered activities in the world.
- The company also has a global community of travelers to help you out with planning your trips and travel safety advice.
- People faced a lot of issues with claims during the pandemic but the company has better policies in place now for situations such as covid and pandemics.
- Customer support doesn’t have the best reviews, so you may want to be wary of that.
- The cost quoted for some of the policies is quite high. You will have to try different combinations before you arrive at an acceptable cost/plan.
- It does not offer “cancel for any reason insurance”.
3. PassportCard
This comprehensive travel and medical insurance company offers different travel insurance options for digital nomads all over the world. Some Redditors have gone as far as calling it a digital nomad insurance disruptor and rightly so. They have designed an innovative app and prepaid debit card so you can pay your medical bills upfront and not worry about claims. It is the only travel insurance that settles claims in real-time.
What Redditors had to say about it
u/OnlineDopamine “I use PassportCard, which gives you a credit card to use for payments. Covers absolutely everything, and never had any issues. 250 EUR per month.”
u/MudOk8197 “I use PassportCard for my health insurance. 230 EUR per month, you get a card that you can use to pay. Never had an issue with them, they cover everything (have a few friends who use them as well)”
PassportCard offers two plans: Remote and Comfort. The remote plan is recommended for long-term travelers who aren’t going home anytime soon while the comfort plan is recommended for nomads traveling to the US or needing a customized high-benefit plan. It includes emergency medical care, elective care, and a wellness benefits plan.
The insurance offers coverage for emergency medical expenses, emergency surgery and inpatient care, emergency dental coverage, non-urgent elective medical treatment, surgery and derivative hospitalization, inpatient physiotherapy, outpatient care, maternity and childbirth, routine checkups, hospitalization, and inpatient care for continuous medical conditions, chronic and routine medical care, cancer treatment, and inpatient mental health care.
Such comprehensive medical coverage for a wide range of medical situations is something that almost no other insurance company offers.
- Unlike other insurance policies where you get reimbursed for your medical expenses, PassportCard gives you a red card to pay for the medical bills. All you have to do is swipe it at the doctor’s office and get rid of the hassle of claims.
- Their plans are very flexible as you can extend, cancel or buy the plan at any time even when you are abroad.
- It’s literally digital insurance as you can do everything through the app, even getting your card loaded for payment at the hospital.
- The company’s customer support promises to respond to your queries 24/7 through call or chat within 90 seconds.
- You can customize their plans to fit your needs. For example, if you are a surfer or like cycling or photography, then you can customize the plan to protect what’s important to you.
- Since PassportCard Nomads insurance plans are focused on medical coverage, they don’t cover trip interruption, lost or damaged personal items, baggage and luggage loss, and third-party damages. If you are looking for these then you might want to look at the other options on this list.
- Each plan has a 7-day wait period
- It does not cover extreme sports and high-risk activities
4. GeoBlue
GeoBlue is another popular digital nomad insurance among Redditors. It goes beyond traditional international health insurance as its health plans are offered in cooperation with local Blue Cross and Blue Shield companies. What makes GeoBlue different from other insurance companies is that it offers a variety of plans to suit your needs. While most insurance companies offer just one or two plans to choose from, GeoBlue has plans designed exclusively for digital nomads for short-term, long-term, or other requirements.
What Redditors had to say about it
u/Lurkolantern “GeoBlue has been very good to me. It’s funny, in theory, I should still be working towards my deductible each time I file a claim. But sometimes when I file a claim to count a payment…they reimburse me. I’m not gonna complaint”
u/Alternative-Chef-792 “GeoBlue has a multi-trip policy good for a year that covers trips up to 70 or 80 days at a time.
u/awardsurfer “They have two plans: World, excluding USA, and World, including USA. The first one can be very cheap. Also of course age & health matter. The amazing thing is, outside the USA they cover 100% of everything. No deductibles or copays or anything. And they have the best doctors & hospitals screened for you. Shit, it’s worth being a DN just for coverage.”
GeoBlue lets you have access to experts and resources in almost any country. It has an elite network of doctors and specialists who are ready to see you on short notice.
It offers member-exclusive apps that have translation tools to serve as your virtual healthcare interpreter so you can translate your symptoms, medical history, and medications.
It also has a full array of travel and international medical plans from a two-week leisure trip to a two-year work assignment, which you can choose from. Some of the many continents and countries where it provides coverage are Africa, Asia, Central America, the Caribbean, Easter Europe, the Middle East, North America, Oceania, South America, Western Europe, and more.
- Its global telemedicine option allows you to consult a doctor remotely for free for non-emergency care.
- You get access to in-depth profiles of carefully selected doctors, dentists, hospitals, and clinics around the world.
- It is very easy to manage your claim once you submit it online as there is an option to track the status of an existing claim online.
- It has 24/7 toll-free or collect call assistance around the world.
- They have plans that cover accidents due to extreme sports
- Coverage is not subject to deductible fees for standard services or cancellations and has unlimited medical service.
- While they may offer various plans to choose from, the standard travel insurance benefits are limited and it does not cover trip delay and trip cancellation benefits. If you want these then you should look elsewhere.
5. Genki
Genki is another favorite among Redditors. It offers travel insurance plans designed specifically for digital nomads and backpackers. Not only can you customize your plan to fit your budget, but you can also cancel the plan anytime.
What Redditors had to say about it
u/DumbButtFace “Genki is custom-built for DNS. I’ve never claimed anything but it seemed to be as competitively priced as the others like safety wing”
u/Rduke__ “I use Genki. It’s a fairly new insurance company. Cheap and easy. I’ve never claimed it but they are German which I trust.”
Genki’s World Explorer Travel Health Insurance is the one you can choose if you are a digital nomad. It has subscriptions ranging from one month up to two years. It covers any citizen, any residence, and any age up to 49 years.
It covers treatment at any locally recognized healthcare provider around the world which includes visits with overnight stays. However, it has limited dental and mental treatment coverage. It also covers sports injuries such as surfing, kitesurfing, skiing, snowboarding, kayaking, cycling, mountain biking, and hiking but doesn’t cover the ones listed under Dangerous activities. It also covers check-ups during pregnancy and other related treatments. You are also covered for the treatment of COVID-19 without a cost limit.
You get coverage in every country though you can restrict coverage in Canada and the USA for a lower monthly price. However, coverage in your home country is restricted. The issue with most insurance companies is that you never know if they will pay your claim. But with Genki, you do not have to worry about that as it is a reputable German company that is regulated under German, French, and European Law, so you know they aren’t going anywhere.
- Genki covers hospital visits, unlike any other travel insurance. In case you have to stay in a hospital for more than five days, a close friend or family member can visit you and all expenses related to their travel will be covered by Genki.
- There is no overall cost limit but only a few specific limits are mentioned where needed.
- They have a 24/7 hotline for emergencies and hospital stays. They follow up on your treatment and organize payments directly to your hospital.
- In case of death, mortal remains will be brought to the home country or a burial abroad is covered up to the amount of the repatriation costs.
- Cover in your home country is restricted and includes accidents and life-threatening emergencies only.
- There is a waiting period where the first 14 days of coverage are restricted to accidents and life-threatening emergencies only unless you have healthcare coverage elsewhere.
- Any cover for pregnancy is only if it has arisen after the start of the insurance the cover.
6. IMG Global Travel Insurance
IMG is one of the only companies in the market to offer travel medical, international health, and travel insurance plans. It is known for its outstanding customer service and they have a pretty good reputation for claiming insurance. The reviews on Reddit seem positive too. This insurance is worth checking out for its competitive prices.
What Redditors had to say about it
u/thewhiskeyrepublic “I’m on their global health insurance silver plan, and on paper at least it seems decent. No claims yet, but I’ve got two people on the plan and a $2500 deductible is about $100 a month for us, with fairly decent coverage (excluding the US, Canada, China, and some other countries).”
u/Martin1905 ” I have had good experiences with IMG. It was only one claim to be fair but they paid out without much delay and didn’t ask any questions either despite the documentation being pretty unclear and no real diagnosis.”
IMG certainly has the most flexible plans for all kinds of travelers. It has group plans for student field trips, missionary trips, employer-sponsored medical policies, and much more. They have partnered with multiple subsidiaries to give flexibility and variety to digital nomads when selecting the right plan.
IMG is pretty amazing as it is a one-stop solution for travel protection, trip cancellation protection, emergency medical services, and travel assistance. It is very comprehensive and best suited for those traveling or living outside the country.
You also get to choose from two categories: Travel Medical Insurance or Travel Insurance. While travel insurance covers just the travel part of your trip, travel medical insurance covers the travel and medical costs that you may incur. Travel medical insurance covers medical expenses, trip interruption, trip delay, lost checked luggage, lost or stolen passports & visas, natural disasters, political and emergency evacuation, personal liability, and much more. IMG provides so many other benefits that you will have to check them out for yourself.
- You get to customize your plan to meet your budget
- You get to cancel some of their plans for any reason without paying any extra fee
- If you are an adventurer you can also opt for additional coverage for extreme sports like skiing, scuba diving, etc.
- They have really good customer service to process all your requests.
- They do have a certain waiting period before you can file claims for lost baggage or trip cancellation.
- Some people have had trouble with their claims so be cautious.
7. AIG Travel Insurance
AIG is a solid insurance for digital nomads as it has been in the industry for many years and has a good reputation. It goes beyond regular travel insurance that offers just cancellation and medical expenses. It includes coverage for closed attractions, runway delays, missed connections, and more.
What Redditors had to say about it
u/whizzzki “I bought AIG and it’s pretty straightforward and has reasonable deductibles.”
AIG offers five plans: AIG Travel Guard Deluxe, AIG Travel Guard Preferred, AIG Travel Guard Essential, AIG Travel Guard Pack N’ Go plan and AIG Travel Guard Annual plan. You also have optional add-ons like a wedding package to cover trip cancellations if the wedding is canceled, extreme sporting and adventure activities coverage, and the pet bundle that provides a daily benefit for boarding costs and much more.
The only difference between the plans mentioned above is the number of claims. The trip cancellation insurance covers up to 100% of the trip cost making AIG Travel Guard insurance one of the best options for digital nomads.
- AIG Travel Guard has an option for “Cancel for any reason”. You can also upgrade to this option at a later stage.
- They provide coverage for missed connections after a three-hour delay.
- There provide medical evacuation coverage for up to 1 million dollars
- Another interesting and unusual service is concierge services to help with restaurant reservations, tee times, floral services.
- Their medical coverage is lower than other competitors.
- They have a 12-hour waiting period before you make any claims.
- The plan prices are above average
8. Allianz
Allianz is yet another popular insurance company that can be used to cover medical expenses, trip cancellations, delays, lost or stolen baggage, and personal liability. They have a policy not just for digital nomads but also for most types of travel like a family holiday, a last-minute business trip, or jetting off on a few city breaks. So you are in safe hands with Allianz as your insurer.
What Redditors had to say about it
u/explorer_c37 ” For my needs, I have switched to Allianz for all the countries besides US and Canada, for 1/3rd of what other competitors ask.
u/TravellerGirl72 ” Allianz is the biggest insurer in the world and has the most expertise and 24/7/365 support”
Allianz offers several plans with different levels of cover: Bronze, Silver, and Gold. This makes it easier for you to choose the cover with the claim limits that meet your needs.
Depending on which policy you choose, you’ll be covered for canceling or cutting short your trip, emergency medical and associated expenses, loss of passport, delayed personal possessions, lost, stolen, or damaged personal possessions, loss of money, personal accident, missed departures, delayed departures, and personal liability.
Their Backpacker insurance plan is the best suited for digital nomads as it lets you select an area of cover that suits your needs. This does take the stress out of traveling, so you can see the places you’ve always dreamed of.
- They provide coverage for Covid
- They offer emergency medical evacuation coverage of up to 1 million dollars
- They have multiple plans to suit any type of travel schedule
- Some plans have concierge service included
- Does not offer customized and flexible coverage
- Does not cover risky adventure sports and unexpected natural disasters
9. Integra Travel Insurance
Integra is more of a global health insurance rather than a travel insurance. If you are more focused on getting coverage for health-related issues then Integra’s Global health insurance is the way to go. This is a business built by expats who understand the extensive journey while abroad.
They offer two plans: Worldwide and Worldwide excluding the United States & Canada. However, you can also choose a foundational plan and then tailor it according to your needs.
Insurance coverage includes inpatient cover, 24/7 emergency assistance, emergency evacuation, repatriation, ambulance services, life cover, security, and natural disaster (SAND) services, and secure eHealth records.
The yourHealth app includes all your plan information, your medical records, your plan ID card, and much more.
- Issues such as culture shock and loneliness are treated through their Expatriate Assistance Program
- Specialist representatives are available 24/7 for international emergency response in events such as security crises, political unrest, and natural disasters.
- They provide direct billing arrangements for members in association with hospitals worldwide.
- Does not cover lost checked luggage assistance, trip interruption, travel delay, or cancellation coverage,
- If you are a permanent resident or remain in the US longer than 180 days in any 12 months you are not eligible for their health plans.
- Integra Global does not meet the USA Affordable Care Act (PPACA) requirements.
10. Cigna International Health Insurance
Cigna is again similar to Integra Global Health Insurance and offers a global support network of hospitals and medical professionals.
What Redditors had to say about it
u/strand_fleet “Cigna worked for me. I’ve only used it for a doctor’s visit in Mexico but the claim process was fast and easy. I’ve contacted support about general questions and they were fast to respond”
Cigna covers more than 200+ countries and locations with over a million health professionals. You can rest assured that you will get the best quality medical treatment no matter where you are.
They offer very affordable plans that you can personalize according to your requirements. They do have plans designed exclusively for digital nomads as well.
- They provide high-quality worldwide care, with two areas to choose from (Worldwide or Worldwide excluding the US)
- You can choose from three levels, four optional add-ons, and flexible payment options.
- They offer comprehensive cover for inpatient, day-patient, and emergency cover, mental health care, pandemic cover, and cancer care, something that other travel medical insurance doesn’t provide.
- They have above-average complaints filed with state regulators but they do have positive reviews as well, just be careful while reading their policies.
- Does not provide travel insurance.
A good digital nomad insurance plan will ensure that you have peace of mind wherever life takes you. This way, you can focus on exploring new places, trying different cuisines, and meeting people from around the world without worrying about what would happen if something went wrong. I hope this article has helped provide a better understanding of travel insurance policies, including what they should offer.
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