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 go away residence with out it.
Why?
As a result of I’ve seen firsthand how helpful it may be — and the way a lot cash it could actually save.
I’ve misplaced baggage, had my digicam 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 nevertheless it’s supplied me with peace of thoughts as I discover.
I’ve written extensively through the years about why you want insurance coverage, the right way to decide the fitting firm, and listed my most well-liked suppliers.
At present, I need to discuss my favourite journey insurance coverage firm: SafetyWing.
Who’s SafetyWing?
SafetyWing is an insurance coverage firm that focuses on inexpensive protection for price range 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 affords fundamental insurance coverage (referred to as “Nomad Important”) for a fraction of what different firms cost, though they’re additionally much less complete. To me, they’re the perfect total journey insurance coverage firm on the market.
Their commonplace 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 terms of value.


Their protection extends all the way in which to age 69, nevertheless, vacationers aged 60-69 ought to count on to pay upwards of $196 USD monthly for protection. Nonetheless very cheap, to be trustworthy.
However is the protection really good? What in regards to the customer support?
At present I need to overview Security Wing and discuss when it’s — and isn’t — value utilizing so you may higher put together to your subsequent journey and guarantee you have got the protection you want.
What Does SafetyWing Cowl?
SafetyWing’s commonplace 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 simply $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 because 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 verify 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 ought to be fantastic. (If you need greater 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 supplied by SafetyWing. Moreover, it doesn’t actually cowl costly electronics, which sucks if in case you have a dear digicam 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 great coverage when you’re going to do a whole lot of journey actions on the street.
They do supply a pair useful add-ons that I believe a whole lot of vacationers will recognize, together with protection for journey actions and electronics theft. That signifies that when you want the protection, you may pay additional for it. Nonetheless, when you don’t want it then you definately don’t need to pay for it, retaining your prices low. I recognize that, as somebody who all the time wants digital protection however who by no means wants journey exercise protection (I’m not a giant adrenaline junkie).
What’s Not Lined?
The Important plan is primarily geared in direction of masking medical emergencies and fundamental journey mishaps (like delays and misplaced baggage). Listed here are some issues that aren’t coated:
- 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 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 staff, 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, 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 thought).
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 whilst you’re overseas.
You may be taught extra and examine the plans right here.
For those who’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 price range vacationers. It’s the plan I exploit after I journey lately.
Nonetheless, when you’re going to be working overseas or touring for months (or years), then their new Full plan is the higher possibility. It affords way more protection whereas nonetheless being inexpensive. In reality, it’s the plan I want I had after I began touring long-term!
You may be taught extra in regards to the Full plan in my devoted overview.
Making a Declare
SafetyWing makes it straightforward to file a declare by 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).
For those who learn the evaluations on-line, most individuals who had a adverse expertise both didn’t know in regards to 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 means sooner than most firms!
A Word About COVID
SafetyWing does embody protection for COVID-19. So long as the virus was not contracted earlier than your plan begins, then it will likely be coated (so long as it’s medically mandatory).
SafetyWing additionally covers quarantine prices (exterior your own home 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 can assist 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
Presents protection for COVID-19
Restricted protection for gear/electronics
You should buy plans on-line even when 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 when you’re from the U.S.)
As much as 2 youngsters 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 may simply discover one which works for you/your price range
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 may be extra of a precedence for a shorter-term traveler. Right here’s a fast chart that can assist you resolve if SafetyWing is best for you:
Funds vacationers
Folks touring with a TON of electronics
Somebody on the lookout for easy emergency protection
Anybody needing complete journey delay
or cancellation
Folks with out numerous 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 go away residence with out. I do know it’s a boring subject to examine and analysis, however it could actually actually prevent a whole lot or hundreds of {dollars} in payments! I by no means, ever go away residence with out it. You shouldn’t both.
So, the subsequent time you’re on the street, contemplate SafetyWing. To me, they’re the perfect journey insurance coverage firm on the market for price range vacationers.
You need to use the reserving widget under to get a quote (it’s free):
Guide Your Journey: Logistical Suggestions and Methods
Guide 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.
Guide 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 constantly returns the most affordable charges for guesthouses and lodges.
Don’t Neglect Journey Insurance coverage
Journey insurance coverage will defend you towards sickness, harm, theft, and cancellations. It’s complete safety in case something goes unsuitable. 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 firms that provide the perfect service and worth are:
Need to Journey for Free?
Journey bank cards mean you can earn factors that may be redeemed totally free flights and lodging — all with none additional spending. Take a look at my information to choosing the right card and my present favorites to get began and see the most recent finest offers.
Want a Rental Automobile?
Uncover Vehicles is a budget-friendly worldwide automobile rental web site. Irrespective of the place you’re headed, they’ll be capable to discover the perfect — and least expensive — rental to your journey!
Want Assist Discovering Actions for Your Journey?
Get Your Information is a big on-line market the place you will discover cool strolling excursions, enjoyable excursions, skip-the-line tickets, non-public guides, and extra.
Able to Guide Your Journey?
Take a look at my useful resource web page for the perfect firms to make use of whenever you journey. I checklist all those I exploit after I journey. They’re the perfect at school and you’ll’t go unsuitable utilizing them in your journey.