Finances 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 house 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 digital camera damaged, and even wanted emergency medical assist through the years.
Journey insurance coverage has been there for me every time. Not solely has it saved me cash but it surely’s offered me with peace of thoughts as I discover.
I’ve written extensively through the years about why you want insurance coverage, the best way to decide the fitting firm, and listed my most popular suppliers.
As we speak, I wish to speak about my favourite journey insurance coverage firm: SafetyWing.
Who’s SafetyWing?
SafetyWing is an insurance coverage firm that focuses on inexpensive protection for finances vacationers and digital nomads (although you don’t should be both to get protection). It’s run by nomads and expats who know precisely what such vacationers want.
SafetyWing affords primary insurance coverage (referred to as “Nomad Important”) for a fraction of what different corporations cost, though they’re additionally much less complete. To me, they’re the perfect general journey insurance coverage firm on the market.
Their customary 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 worth.


Their protection extends all the best way to age 69, nevertheless, vacationers aged 60-69 ought to anticipate to pay upwards of $196 USD monthly for protection. Nonetheless very affordable, to be trustworthy.
However is the protection really good? What concerning the customer support?
As we speak I wish to assessment Security Wing and speak about when it’s — and isn’t — price utilizing so you’ll be able to higher put together in your subsequent journey and guarantee you’ve the protection you want.
What Does SafetyWing Cowl?
SafetyWing’s customary Nomad Insurance coverage plan is the Important plan. It’s simply $56.28 USD for 4 weeks of journey (outdoors the US). That works out to simply $1.87 USD per day!
For vacationers below age 64, that plan consists of 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 attributable to 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
You should definitely examine the outline of protection for any situations that apply.




Its $100,000 USD for medical evacuation is on the low finish, however until you’re heading out into the distant wilderness, that must be high-quality. (If you would 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 won’t even want the protection provided by SafetyWing. Moreover, it doesn’t actually cowl costly electronics, which sucks when you have a dear digital camera or video gear.
As with most traditional journey insurance coverage, this one doesn’t embody pre-existing situations or sure journey sports activities, so it’s not a superb coverage in the event you’re going to do a variety of journey actions on the highway.
They do supply a pair useful add-ons that I feel a variety of vacationers will respect, together with protection for journey actions and electronics theft. That signifies that in the event you want the protection, you’ll be able to pay additional for it. Nevertheless, in the event you don’t want it then you definately don’t should pay for it, protecting your prices low. I respect that, as somebody who at all times wants digital protection however who by no means wants journey exercise protection (I’m not a giant adrenaline junkie).
What’s Not Coated?
The Important plan is primarily geared in direction of masking medical emergencies and primary journey mishaps (like delays and misplaced baggage). Listed below are some issues that aren’t lined:
- Alcohol- or drug-related incidents.
- Excessive sports activities & journey actions (until you buy the journey sports activities add-on, which is offered for non-US residents)
- Pre-existing situations or normal 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 referred to as their “Full” plan). It’s insurance coverage for digital nomads, distant employees, and long-term vacationers. This new plan affords a mixture of the usual emergency protection that we’ve been discussing above together with “common” well being care protection, corresponding to routine visits and preventive care.
The Full plan additionally affords protection in 175 nations, consists of 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 feel is a good concept).
It’s just like the type of medical health insurance you’d discover in your house nation, making certain that you simply’re sorted it doesn’t matter what occurs when you’re overseas.
You possibly can study extra and examine the plans right here.
In case 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 inexpensive, and is designed for finances vacationers. It’s the plan I take advantage of after I journey nowadays.
Nevertheless, in the event you’re going to be working overseas or touring for months (or years), then their new Full plan is the higher possibility. It affords rather more protection whereas nonetheless being inexpensive. In reality, it’s the plan I want I had after I began touring long-term!
You possibly can study extra concerning the Full plan in my devoted assessment.
Making a Declare
SafetyWing makes it straightforward to file a declare via their on-line portal. You simply add all of the required paperwork, screenshots, and photographs, and wait to listen to again. Whereas claims can take as much as 45 enterprise days, most are dealt with in lower than per week (as of writing, the common wait time is 4 days).
In case you learn the evaluations on-line, most individuals who had a detrimental 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 individuals to complain about.
On the plus aspect, SafetyWing’s common time to deal with a declare is down to simply 4 days. That’s method sooner than most corporations!
A Observe About COVID
SafetyWing does embody 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 obligatory).
SafetyWing additionally covers quarantine prices (outdoors your private home nation) for as much as $50 USD/day for 10 days (offered that you simply’ve had your plan for at the very least 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 perfect insurance coverage supplier for you and your journey:
Most inexpensive journey insurance coverage on the market
Solely covers as much as age 69
Gives protection for COVID-19
Restricted protection for gear/electronics
You should buy plans on-line even in the event you’re already
in your journey
Restricted protection for journey actions
Straightforward 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 in the event you’re from the U.S.)
As much as 2 kids below 10 per household
(1 per grownup) could be included totally free
No have to set an finish date (subscription
renews each 4 weeks)
Two totally different plans imply you’ll be able to simply discover one which works for you/your finances
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 is likely to 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:
Finances vacationers
Individuals touring with a TON of electronics
Somebody on the lookout for easy emergency protection
Anybody needing complete journey delay
or cancellation
Individuals with out a number of costly electronics
Individuals 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 house with out. I do know it’s a boring matter to examine and analysis, however it may well actually prevent a whole lot or hundreds of {dollars} in payments! I by no means, ever depart house with out it. You shouldn’t both.
So, the following time you’re on the highway, contemplate SafetyWing. To me, they’re the perfect journey insurance coverage firm on the market for finances vacationers.
You should use the reserving widget under to get a quote (it’s free):
E-book Your Journey: Logistical Suggestions and Tips
E-book 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 at all times know no stone is being left unturned.
E-book Your Lodging
You possibly can guide your hostel with Hostelworld. If you wish to keep someplace apart from a hostel, use Reserving.com because it persistently returns the most affordable charges for guesthouses and lodges.
Don’t Overlook Journey Insurance coverage
Journey insurance coverage will shield you towards sickness, harm, theft, and cancellations. It’s complete safety in case something goes flawed. I by no means go on a visit with out it as I’ve had to make use of it many occasions up to now. My favourite corporations that supply the perfect service and worth are:
Wish to Journey for Free?
Journey bank cards let you earn factors that may be redeemed totally free flights and lodging — all with none additional spending. Try my information to choosing the right card and my present favorites to get began and see the newest finest offers.
Want a Rental Automobile?
Uncover Automobiles is a budget-friendly worldwide automotive rental web site. Regardless of the place you’re headed, they’ll be capable of discover the perfect — 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 you’ll find cool strolling excursions, enjoyable excursions, skip-the-line tickets, non-public guides, and extra.
Able to E-book Your Journey?
Try my useful resource web page for the perfect corporations to make use of whenever you journey. I record all those I take advantage of after I journey. They’re the perfect at school and you’ll’t go flawed utilizing them in your journey.