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Best Long-Term Travel Insurance

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Table of Contents

Factors we considered in long-term travel insurance

An overview of the best long-term travel insurance, top long-term travel insurance for u.s. citizens, long-term travel insurance coverage recapped.

If you take multiple trips a year, you may want to consider purchasing long-term travel insurance for emergencies. This is especially true if you go abroad for extended stays, as travel insurance typically covers you even when your U.S. medical insurance may not. 

Because the considerations and coverage for long-term plans differ from shorter, single-trip policies, NerdWallet has researched the best long-term travel insurance plans for U.S. citizens.

Here's our list of the best long-term travel insurance providers:

Allianz Global Assistance.

Travel Guard.

USI Affinity Travel Insurance Services.

» Learn more: The best travel insurance companies

We made the following considerations when selecting the best long-term travel insurance companies:

Coverage . We looked at the types of coverage offered and the amount of coverage you could purchase. 

Cost . Affordability is essential, as the best coverage worldwide won't matter if the policy is too expensive. 

Ease of purchase . Being able to quickly and easily find quotes and sign up for coverage is a crucial factor in choosing the right policy.

Customization . The more options you have to tailor a plan specifically for your needs, the better.

Note: We excluded companies that require you to list the length, locations or dates of your trips to purchase a policy. We recognize that most travelers likely don't know these details for all the trips they'll take a year in advance. 

» Learn more: What to know before buying travel insurance

To compare prices and coverage levels, we looked at quotes for a one-year policy for a 35-year-old traveler based in California. If a company offered more than one tier of travel insurance, we went with their entry-level option. 

On average, the price of a policy offered by the listed companies was about $171. 

» Learn more: Does travel insurance cover award flights?

Let's take a closer look at our five recommendations for long-term travel insurance.

Allianz Global Assistance

What makes Allianz Global Assistance great:

Easy-to-use website.

Affordable coverage.

Different options for different budgets.

For our test, Allianz Global Assistance's basic coverage cost $138, about 19% lower than average.

Travel Guard by AIG

What makes Travel Guard great:

Includes dental coverage.

Offers security and emergency evacuation coverage .

Missed connection coverage of up to $500.

For our test, Travel Guard's basic coverage cost $259, about 51% above average.

USI Affinity Travel Insurance Services

What makes USI Affinity Travel Insurance Services great:

Budget-friendly option.

Includes emergency medical evaluation. 

For our test, USI Affinity Travel Insurance Services' basic coverage cost $100, almost 42% below average.

What makes GeoBlue great:

Certain prescription drugs are covered.

Covers medically necessary COVID-19 testing and treatment .

Allowed to take unlimited trips outside of the U.S. for a maximum of 70 days abroad per trip.

For our test, GeoBlue's basic coverage cost $125, about 27% below average.

What makes Heymondo great:

Offers a one-month refund policy, provided the trip has not started and no claims were made.

Easy to add coverage for electronics, cruises or adventure sports.

It has an app to file claims and chat with a doctor 24/7.

For our test, Heymondo's basic coverage cost $232, about 36% above average.

» Learn more: Does my Chase credit card have health insurance?

Most travel insurance companies offer annual plans as a cost-effective way for you to insure multiple trips in one year. Annual plans typically cover medical emergencies and basic benefits. Depending on the provider, some benefits such as baggage delay and trip cancellation are not always covered in annual plans. There are, at times, maximum trip durations per policy.

You can purchase an annual plan that covers multiple trips in one year (with restrictions on trip duration) or a specific long-term travel insurance plan if your trip is longer than three months. Annual plans are on a 12-month rolling basis. Long-term policies can last up to two years, depending on the travel insurance company.

Yes. If you're considering backpacking or taking a gap year, travel insurance companies have options for long-stay travel insurance. Policies vary by providers, but they'll typically include emergency medial treatment, legal protection and travel document replacements.

Yes, several travel insurance providers offer annual plans. Annual plans are a cost-effective way to insure more than one trip during the year. Depending on the plan, long-term trips may be excluded from coverage.

Before purchasing long-term travel insurance, you should think about the type of coverage you want, your budget and if you have any pre-existing medical conditions you wish to be covered.

Having the right plan may provide you with peace of mind and save you serious cash in the event of an emergency.

How to maximize your rewards

You want a travel credit card that prioritizes what’s important to you. Here are our picks for the best travel credit cards of 2024 , including those best for:

Flexibility, point transfers and a large bonus: Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card

No annual fee: Bank of America® Travel Rewards credit card

Flat-rate travel rewards: Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card

Bonus travel rewards and high-end perks: Chase Sapphire Reserve®

Luxury perks: The Platinum Card® from American Express

Business travelers: Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card

on Chase's website

1x-10x Earn 5x total points on flights and 10x total points on hotels and car rentals when you purchase travel through Chase Travel℠ immediately after the first $300 is spent on travel purchases annually. Earn 3x points on other travel and dining & 1 point per $1 spent on all other purchases.

75,000 Earn 75,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That's $1,125 toward travel when you redeem through Chase Travel℠.

1x-5x 5x on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠, 3x on dining, select streaming services and online groceries, 2x on all other travel purchases, 1x on all other purchases.

75,000 Earn 75,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That's over $900 when you redeem through Chase Travel℠.

1x-2x Earn 2X points on Southwest® purchases. Earn 2X points on local transit and commuting, including rideshare. Earn 2X points on internet, cable, and phone services, and select streaming. Earn 1X points on all other purchases.

50,000 Earn 50,000 bonus points after spending $1,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.

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The Best Long-Term Travel Insurance of 2024

Alex Carver is a writer and researcher based in Charlotte, N.C. A contributor to major news websites such as Automoblog and USA Today, she’s written content in sectors such as insurance, warranties, shipping, real estate and more.

Tori Addison is an editor who has worked in the digital marketing industry for over five years. Her experience includes communications and marketing work in the nonprofit, governmental and academic sectors. A journalist by trade, she started her career covering politics and news in New York’s Hudson Valley. Her work included coverage of local and state budgets, federal financial regulations and health care legislation.

Key Takeaways:

• Based on research conducted by the MarketWatch Guides team, the best long-term travel insurance providers are Travelex, Allianz, Faye, IMG and World Nomads.
• According to our research, travel insurance companies define long-term trips as those lasting longer than 30 days, with many long-term policies providing coverage anywhere from 90 days to one year.
• Long-term policies can provide similar coverage to a traditional travel insurance plan, such as trip interruption, baggage and medical protection.

Our Rankings of the Best Long-Term Travel Insurance Providers

Our research team found the providers and plans below are the best long-term travel insurance options on the market. We considered coverage, cost, add-on protection and policy length when making our decisions. 

• Travelex: Travel Select
• Allianz : OneTrip Premier
• Faye : Travel Protection Plan
• International Medical Group (IMG) : GlobeHopper Senior
• World Nomads : Explorer Plan

How We Chose Long-term Travel Insurance Plans

When selecting the long-term travel insurance plans featured in this review, we considered various factors, including:

• Coverage : We examined the types of plans available for purchase and the coverage limits each travel insurance provider offered.
• Cost : While long-term travel insurance plans may cost more than a plan for a week-long trip, that doesn’t mean purchasing coverage needs to break the bank.
• Add-on protections : We took note of providers and policies that offered a variety of coverage add-ons, such as rental car collision, cancel for any reason (CFAR) and more.
• Maximum policy length : We looked for travel insurance with policies that could last a minimum of 180 days, favoring companies that offered coverage for up to a year.

Compare Long-Term Travel Insurance For U.S. Citizens

See the table below for a comparison of our recommended travel insurance providers and long-term coverage plans. 

Note: We calculated the below-average costs based on a 30-year-old couple taking a long-term trip to France with $8,000 in non-refundable expenses . Since IMG’s GlobeHopper Senior plan only applies to travelers aged 65 and older, we used a sample 65-year-old couple taking the same trip to France.

Best Long-Term Travel Insurance Plans

Based on our team’s extensive research into cost, coverage, policy lengths and add-on protections, we’ve chosen the following five plans as our picks for the best long-term travel insurance coverage.

Pros and Cons

Why we picked travelex.

Travelex’s Travel Select plan can cover trips for up to one year, making it ideal for long-term travelers looking for comprehensive coverage. This policy offers pricing that includes children and the choice of five different add-ons, including CFAR coverage, car rental collision coverage, an adventure sports exclusion waiver and more. In addition, early purchase benefits include financial default coverage and a pre-existing condition waiver.

Our research has shown that many long-term or annual, multi-trip plans don’t offer benefits such as CFAR coverage or trip cancellation benefits, making Travelex’s Travel Select stand out compared to other long-term plans. However, note that other providers in our review offer higher medical limits with their annual plans over the Travel Select plan.

Allianz Global Assistance

Why We Picked Allianz

Allianz’s OneTrip Premier plan provides a full year of consecutive travel coverage for both you and your children, a potential benefit for travelers with kids planning a long-term stay abroad. The company extends its benefits to each insured traveler, including trip cancellation, trip interruption , emergency medical coverage and more. In addition, pre-existing condition coverage is available if you purchase your travel insurance plan within 14 days of your first trip payment or deposit.

Allianz also offers what it calls SmartBenefits, which allows you to opt for a fixed “inconvenience” payment of $100 per insured person per day for a covered delay or baggage delay. You won’t need to provide receipts for this coverage, based on our research, just proof of a covered delay. While you may consider Allianz if you’re looking for comprehensive, long-term travel insurance, note that the average cost for the OneTrip Premier plan is higher than those of other providers we reviewed.

Why We Picked Faye

Based on our research, Faye offers a mix of travel and medical benefits that can make its Travel Protection Plan worth considering for a long-term trip. We like how Faye offers policyholders around-the-clock support, including an app to handle travel emergencies and claims. The company also offers telemedicine services at no extra cost. If your telehealth doctor prescribes medicine while you’re on a trip, Faye will reimburse you for the expense.

Faye covers pre-existing conditions with the Travel Protection Plan as long as you purchase a policy within 14 days of your trip. Available add-ons include an adventure and extreme sports waiver, vacation rental damage protection and vet expenses coverage if you take your pet with you on a long-term trip. However, Faye doesn’t offer the longest-lasting plan in our review, with just 180 days of coverage compared to other providers offering around a year.

Why We Picked IMG

Seniors looking for comprehensive travel medical coverage for long-term travel plans may consider International Medical Group (IMG) and its GlobeHopper Senior policy. This plan has no upper age restriction — which, according to our research, is unique in the travel insurance industry. Travelers ages 65 and up can purchase this policy, which can cover up to a year for a single trip. If you’re looking for a long-term, multi-trip senior travel insurance policy, this plan also offers the option of multiple trips per year, up to 45 days each.

We appreciate how IMG allows seniors to choose from various deductibles and maximum coverage limits, making this travel insurance policy more flexible than other companies we’ve researched. While there is no upper age limit, note that coverage limits decline for insured persons 80 years or older.

World Nomads

Why We Picked World Nomads

World Nomads offers the most extensive travel insurance coverage for adventure and extreme sports out of the providers in this review. Its Explorer plan covers medical expenses and evacuations for injuries related to over 200 activities that are often excluded by many policies, such as bungee jumping, scuba diving and more. We also like how you can purchase a policy even if your trip has already started, making it worth considering for last-minute coverage.

While World Nomads’ Explorer Plan could benefit long-term travelers who seek adventure, note that this provider doesn’t extend its coverage to children traveling with you. In addition, the only customization options include choosing between two plans and your length of coverage. If you’re looking for customizable long-term travel insurance or coverage that can protect your family, you may want to consider other options in this review.

How To Pick A Long-Term Travel Insurance Company

As you shop for a long-term travel insurance plan, consider the tips below to help simplify the process of finding the right policy.

Consider Your Coverage Needs

Understanding your travel needs can aid you in picking the best plan. For example, are travel benefits such as trip interruption and baggage coverage most important to you? Or, are emergency medical evacuation and medical care benefits your main concern? Once you’ve decided the types of coverage you want, you can start thinking about how much coverage you’ll need. If you plan on traveling long-term with children, you may also want to look for plans that offer free coverage for kids under a certain age.

Watch for Length Restrictions

Some travel insurance plans will provide more extended coverage than others. If you plan on traveling abroad for a few months, a plan that covers you for up to 180 days may work. If you anticipate staying abroad for up to a year, we suggest looking for plans that can cover you for that amount of time. In our experience, travel insurance providers will plainly state how long a covered trip can last, so it’s best practice to read through sample contracts before purchasing a plan.

Single Versus Multi-Destination Trips

Consider whether your long-term travel plans will include one or multiple destinations. Based on our research, some long-term plans will only cover a stay in one location. If you’re looking for coverage in numerous countries, a multi-destina t ion travel insurance plan may offer a better fit. However, according to our research, you may need to return to a home base between trips.

Understand Coverage Details and Exclusions

All travel insurance plans have a set list of exclusions for the coverage offered. Make sure you fully understand what is and isn’t covered by your chosen policy. For example, if your plan covers lost baggage, note any sub-limits or items excluded from your plan. It is also important to understand the maximum benefit amounts for each of the coverages you’ve purchased and whether any deductibles or copays are required before your policy kicks in.

What Is Long-Term Travel Insurance and How Does It Work?

Long-term travel insurance covers trips lasting longer than the time limits most travel providers set for a standard policy. For example, most insurers offer single-trip plans that cover trips lasting up to 30 days. However, a long-term policy often covers travels lasting more than 90 days, with some providing coverage for up to a year. If you choose an annual travel insurance plan for your long-term travel needs, note these policies don’t usually offer trip cancellation coverage as a standard inclusion.

A long-term policy can provide similar coverage to a traditional travel insurance plan. It can protect against trip interruptions , delays, baggage loss or damage, and more. In addition, it can cover emergency medical situations and evacuations while traveling. Long-term plans can help prevent travelers staying abroad for extended periods of time from having to purchase multiple policies to cover the duration of their trip. These plans can also cover multiple destinations , which may suit long-term travelers going from place to place.

According to our research, long-term travel insurance policies may best suit digital nomads, expats and international students. For those more concerned about their health in the event of an illness or accident over travel benefits, you may consider a long-term travel medical insurance plan for your trip. It’s best practice to consider your unique travel needs before settling on a plan, and taking the time to research long-term travel insurance can ensure you find a policy that suits your plans. 

Long-Term Travel Insurance Costs

Based on the quotes we gathered, a long-term travel insurance policy may cost $540 to $1,576 . To help you better understand the cost of a long-term travel insurance policy, we gathered quotes for a 30-year-old couple taking a long-term trip to France with $8,000 in non-refundable expenses. Since the GlobeHopper Senior covers senior travelers, our team gathered rates for a 65-year-old couple taking the same trip outlined above to France.

Comparatively, the average cost of a standard travel insurance policy for a short-term trip is around $221. We calculated this average based on quotes we gathered using seven unique traveler profiles across 20 different travel insurance companies. 

Travel insurance costs are influenced by several variables, such as plan details, trip costs, trip length, traveler age and more. Your exact costs for each of these policies will likely vary. The best way to learn how much one of the above plans could cost you is to get a quote from each company.

How Is Long-Term Travel Insurance Different From Regular Travel Insurance?

Long-term travel insurance differs from a standard travel insurance policy in that coverage is meant for trips lasting more than a few weeks. Typically, most standard single-trip plans can last up to 30 days. However, a long-term policy could cover anywhere from 90 days to a full year, depending on the provider.

While maximum trip lengths differ between policies for long-term and short-term travel, our research found the coverage offered remains largely the same. For example, both short- and long-term travel insurance policies usually offer trip benefits — such as trip interruption and baggage coverage — in addition to emergency medical assistance and evacuation coverage. However, some long-term or annual travel insurance plans may not offer certain add-ons, such as CFAR coverage or trip cancellation protection.

Frequently Asked Questions About Travel Insurance for Long-Term Trips

What is the longest you can get travel insurance for.

The length of a travel insurance policy depends on your chosen provider and plan. In this review, the longest-lasting policy can cover you for up to one year. However, other providers may offer plans that cover you for more extended periods.

Can you buy travel insurance for a whole year?

Yes. Various providers offer travel insurance plans that can last up to a year. However, our research found that some annual plans may only cover travel to one destination over this time. If you’re looking for coverage to multiple destinations, you may want to consider a multi-trip travel insurance plan.

Can you buy travel insurance for a six-month trip?

Travel insurance companies such as Faye and World Nomads offer policies lasting up to six months, according to our research. Most providers will note upfront how long each policy can last, so we recommend reading sample contracts and policy documents to ensure a plan will cover you for your entire trip.

How long does travel medical insurance coverage last?

The length of a travel medical insurance policy depends on your chosen provider and plan. Reading through coverage details on a provider’s website or sample contracts can help you better understand what a plan covers and related monetary and time limits.

How We Rated and Reviewed Long-Term Travel Insurance Companies

Our team surveyed dozens of travel insurance providers and created a scoring system to judge each company based on coverage, quality and service. We also collected sample quotes from each company, both over the phone and on the internet, to simulate an authentic customer experience. Here are the factors we take into consideration when rating providers:

• A 30-year-old couple taking a $5,000 vacation to Mexico.
• A family of four taking an $8,000 vacation to Mexico.
• A 65-year-old couple taking a $7,000 vacation to the United Kingdom.
• A 30-year-old couple taking a $7,000 trip to the United Kingdom.
• A 19-year-old taking a $2,000 trip to France.
• A 27-year-old couple taking a $1,200 trip to Greece.
• A 51-year-old couple taking a $2,000 trip to Spain.
• Plan availability (10%) : We look for insurers with a variety of travel insurance plans and the ability to customize a policy with coverage upgrades.
• Coverage details (29%) : We review the baseline coverage each company offers in its cheapest comprehensive plan. A provider with robust coverage earns full points, including baggage delay and loss, COVID-19 coverage, emergency evacuation and medical coverage, trip delay and cancellation coverage, and more. Companies also receive points for offering a variety of policy add-ons like accidental death and dismemberment, extreme sports, valuable items, cancel for any reason coverage and more.
• Coverage times and amounts (34%) : We compare each company’s waiting periods and maximum reimbursement amounts for baggage, travel and weather delays. Companies that offer customers reimbursement after fewer than 12 hours of delays earn full points in this category. We also reward travel insurance providers that cover more than 100% of trip costs in the event of cancellations or interruptions.
• Company service and reviews (17%) : We look for indicators that a company is well-prepared to respond to customer needs. Companies with an established global resource network, 24/7 emergency hotline, mobile app, multiple ways to file a claim and concierge services score higher in this category. We assess reputation by evaluating consumer reviews, third-party financial strength and customer experience ratings, specifically from AM Best and the Better Business Bureau (BBB).

Note: We based our ratings for each provider on each company as a whole, not just available long-term travel insurance offerings. Learn more about how we chose each long-term travel insurance plan in the sections above .

If you have questions about this page, please reach out to our editors at [email protected] .

4 Best Long-Term Travel Insurance in 2024 (w/ Prices)

Home | Travel | 4 Best Long-Term Travel Insurance in 2024 (w/ Prices)

When traveling abroad, get a policy from one of the  best travel insurance companies . Y ou can get a  5% discount   on Heymondo , the only insurance that pays medical bills upfront for you, HERE!

Planning on taking an extended trip soon? Long-term travel insurance is the perfect choice for travelers who are embarking on a long-term trip and need medical- and travel-related coverage.

Of course, insurance for long-term travel isn’t necessary for every traveler, particularly if you don’t take trips that are longer than three months. However, long-stay travel insurance is useful for anyone who is studying abroad, working abroad temporarily, taking a gap year, or simply traveling for a long period of time.

When I first moved to the US, I wasn’t sure if I would stay permanently, so I purchased a long-term travel insurance policy from Heymondo , knowing that it would save me money and give me coverage if I experienced any medical emergencies. It was exactly what I needed at the time.

5% OFF your travel insurance

As soon as I decided to live in the US permanently, I switched to insurance with more medical coverage beyond emergency situations since extended-trip travel insurance is not suitable for expats who want routine medical care.

If extended-stay travel insurance is what you need, keep reading, because we have compared the best long-term travel insurance plans (Heymondo, World Nomads, Travelex, and SafetyWing) and can help you choose which of these is best for your trip.

What is long-term travel insurance?

Long-stay travel insurance coverage comparison

• Long-stay travel insurance price comparison
• Best long-term travel insurance companies

Long-term travel insurance is insurance for anyone taking a long-term trip who needs medical expenses and trip-related coverage. Any trip that lasts a minimum of 90 days and a maximum of one or two years (depending on the long stay travel insurance company) is considered a long-term trip.

Like other travel insurance, insurance for long-term travel provides medical- and travel-related coverage for incidents like emergency medical care, trip delays, baggage loss, and repatriation. It is not suitable, however, for anyone who is permanently living abroad, especially because it only covers emergency medical expenses and not routine medical care.

Long-term travel insurance vs. annual, multi-trip travel insurance

So, is long-trip travel insurance the same thing as annual, multi-trip travel insurance ? They might sound similar, but actually, insurance for long-term travel and annual travel insurance is completely different.

Long-term travel insurance is insurance for long trips that last three months or more, while annual travel insurance covers multiple shorter trips that happen within one year. With annual travel insurance, trips are restricted to 30-90 days, so it’s not a useful option if your trip will last any longer than that. Annual travel insurance is also only helpful if you’ll be taking at least four or more trips a year.

If you are going on a single, long-term trip or are taking multiple trips within a year that will last longer than 90 days, long-stay travel insurance is the best choice for you.

Who is insurance for long-term travel for?

There are several reasons you might need insurance for long-term travel . You might be taking an extended trip, working abroad, embarking on a gap year, or more. Below are the most common and useful reasons for buying travel insurance for long-term travel :

Extended stay travel insurance for long trips

If you’re about to take a long trip that will last at least three months, you will definitely want to have travel insurance coverage, particularly for emergency medical expenses.

Long-term travel insurance will work out to be the most affordable option for your trip, especially if you don’t plan on returning to your home country before 90 days have elapsed. If you plan on going back home before 90 days have passed, then annual, multi-trip travel insurance might be more helpful for you.

Long stay travel insurance for working abroad

Are you about to be working from another country for an extended but temporary period? Having travel insurance for working overseas is a must, as it’s very possible that you’ll need emergency medical care at some point during your time abroad.

Remember to put your country of residence as your home country, not the country you will be working in temporarily. Otherwise, you will not be covered since long-term travel insurance usually does not provide coverage in your designated country of residence.

Travel insurance for expats

Although it may seem like a great idea to use long-term travel insurance as travel insurance when moving abroad , long-stay travel insurance is not intended for expats. Long-stay travel insurance only covers emergency medical expenses, so it’s not suitable for someone who lives abroad permanently and will need routine medical care and check-ups.

On top of that, whatever country you move to will now be your country of residence. Insurance for long-term travel does not generally provide coverage in your designated country of residence, so you may not be eligible for coverage anyway.

Long-stay travel insurance for students

It’s incredibly exciting to study abroad, but accidents and mishaps can and do happen, so avoid paying for emergency medical expenses and replacing stolen valuables with your own money by getting extended-stay travel insurance .

Having long-term travel insurance coverage will be especially useful if you plan on taking weekend trips to other countries that are close to the country where you are studying abroad; you can still receive the same coverage for those smaller trips (just make sure to select worldwide coverage or, if you’ll just be traveling in Europe, Europe/EU coverage).

Round-the-world trip insurance

Taking a long-term trip around the world is many people’s dream. If you are lucky enough to get to live out that dream, it’s easy to make sure your extended-stay travel insurance worldwide will cover you everywhere you want to visit.

Just make sure you select “worldwide” or “around the world” coverage when you purchase your extended-trip travel insurance . That way, you won’t have to buy individual long-term travel insurance policies for each country you visit. Best of all, you’ll be covered for any spontaneous stops you make while traveling the world.

One-way travel insurance, the best gap year travel insurance

If you’re planning on spending a full year traveling the world, travel insurance for long trips abroad is exactly what you need. You’ll benefit from worldwide emergency medical coverage, so you can receive treatment if you get injured or fall ill, as well as travel-related coverage for baggage loss and trip delays.

I recommend purchasing a one-way travel insurance plan from Heymondo or SafetyWing since both companies allow you to renew your plan from month to month. That way, if you end up coming home unexpectedly early, you won’t lose out on any money.

Insurance for digital nomads

ith so many jobs transitioning to working from home right now, it’s easier than ever to work remotely from anywhere in the world. If you have the opportunity to travel the world while working, take it, but make sure you purchase digital nomad travel insurance before you leave.

You’ll want your insurance coverage to include electronics (laptop, tablet, etc.) so that you can easily replace these crucial pieces of technology for working remotely if they get lost or stolen. Additionally, if you’ll be trying to check a lot of places off your travel bucket list, choose worldwide coverage so that you’ll have the freedom and insurance coverage to go wherever you want.

There can be many considerations to keep in mind when purchasing long-term travel insurance , but coverage is certainly the most important aspect to consider when selecting the long-stay travel insurance you want to buy.

Below, you’ll find a long-stay travel insurance comparison that shows you the differences in coverage among the Heymondo, World Nomads, Travelex, and SafetyWing plans.

Long-term travel insurance price comparison

If you want a better idea of how much long-term travel insurance costs based on the length of your trip and/or the specific coverage you choose, below is a chart comparing the prices of 1-month, 3-month, 6-month, 8-month, and 1-year long-term travel insurance as well as the prices of long-stay travel insurance, annual multi-trip travel insurance, and cancellation insurance.

The price of long-term travel insurance will be impacted by several different factors, including your age, nationality, and state of residence (if you live in the US).

To give you an idea of how much insurance for long-term travel costs, I’ve used the example of a 30-year-old American citizen who lives in Pennsylvania and needs worldwide coverage to generate quotes for this long-stay travel insurance price comparison .

Best long-term travel insurance

As you can see from the charts above, each of the four long-term travel insurance plans I compared has its merits.

Heymondo offers the highest emergency medical expense coverage, plus it’s the only insurance for long-term travel that pays your medical expenses upfront, so you don’t need to file a claim after your trip to get reimbursed. I will say, however, that it’s not the cheapest long-haul travel insurance and it does have a deductible of $100 for emergency medical expenses. Still, I do think it is the best long-term travel medical insurance if you want ease and convenience.

SafetyWing ’s Nomad Insurance also provides very good coverage, but their deductible for emergency medical expenses is $250. In spite of this slight drawback, SafetyWing stands out as the best insurance for digital nomads since you can sign up for a plan and it will automatically be renewed every four weeks.

Travelex , on the other hand, has the cheapest travel insurance for long-term travel (for trips of six months or more). For shorter trips, there are other, cheaper options. Travelex’s plan has no deductible, but its emergency medical coverage is also very limited, so I would think twice before going on a long-term trip with such a small amount of coverage.

Last but not least, World Nomads offers the best gap year travel insurance. The emergency medical expense coverage is perhaps a little low, but it is at least higher than Travelex’s medical coverage. There is no deductible for medical expenses, but you will need to pay out of pocket and then file a claim to get reimbursed if you receive emergency medical treatment.

As you can see, the best long-stay travel insurance for you will depend on your needs and type of trip, so keep reading to learn more about each plan.

1. Heymondo , the best long-term travel medical insurance

Personally, I consider Heymondo the best long-term travel medical insurance since its Top plan provides the highest amount of emergency medical expenses and evacuation and repatriation coverage. It’s also one of the only types of travel insurance with COVID coverage that covers COVID testing required by a doctor. Moreover, you can easily extend your plan by anything from two weeks to eight months whenever you want to.

Best of all, you won’t have to worry about waiting to get reimbursed for medical expenses since Heymondo pays your medical expenses directly and upfront for you, removing the hassle of the claim-filing process. Heymondo also makes it easy to tailor your insurance for long-term travel to fit your needs since you can add optional electronic and/or adventure sports coverage to your plan.

Heymondo’s Top plan does have its limitations, though. There is a $100 deductible for medical expenses, which means you’ll have to pay $100 towards any medical bills before Heymondo pays the rest for you. This long-stay travel insurance also lacks trip cancellation coverage; you will need to buy that coverage independently here.

If you want cheap long-term travel insurance , Heymondo is ideal; its plans already provide very good value for the money, plus you can save an extra 5% on their insurance with the discount link below.

Heymondo is also the best travel insurance company for single trips. We currently have their travel insurance and have used their assistance app more than once. Heymondo has always been there to help us when things go wrong during our trips.

2. World Nomads , the best gap year travel insurance

If you’re taking a gap year, you’re probably interested in breaking out of your comfort zone and having a real adventure. In that case, World Nomads is the perfect travel insurance for living abroad for a year and trying new things.

Its Standard plan includes adventure sports and activities coverage, so you can try everything from trekking and ice fishing to hockey and horseback riding and still be covered for accidents and injuries. Moreover, you’ll benefit from solid overall coverage for emergency medical expenses, evacuation and repatriation, trip cancellation, trip delay, and baggage loss.

Even better, there’s a $0 deductible for medical expenses, so you won’t have to pay a cent out of pocket toward your medical bills. However, World Nomads’ long-term travel insurance is the most expensive out of all the ones I compared, so if you want to save a lot of money and get similar or better coverage, Heymondo may work better for you.

3. Travelex , the best travel insurance for long-term travel

Travelex ’s Travel Select long-trip travel insurance has a lower amount of emergency medical coverage than the other insurance plans I have compared, and I personally wouldn’t feel protected traveling with such a low amount of medical coverage on a long-stay trip. However, Travelex is a viable option if you’re traveling on a budget for more than six months because it’s really cheap (and has a $0 deductible for medical expenses)!

Travel-related coverage is another story since Travelex has the highest amount of trip cancellation and trip delay coverage of all the plans I compared. It’s the best plan to choose if you anticipate experiencing any travel mishaps. You’ll also enjoy great baggage loss and evacuation and repatriation coverage.

If you would rather benefit from more medical coverage for a similar price, Heymondo is the best choice for you.

4. SafetyWing , the best insurance for digital nomads

SafetyWing ’s Nomad Insurance lives up to its name by being the best insurance for digital nomads . Not only is Nomad Insurance a cheap long-stay travel insurance , but it also provides a high amount of medical-related and baggage loss coverage.

On top of that, you can choose to have your insurance renew itself automatically every 28 days. Automatic renewal will save you time and money; ensure you don’t forget to renew so you’re always covered; and provide you with more flexibility if you haven’t decided when to end your trip yet. Just select a start date (but not an end date) when you buy Nomad Insurance and keep renewing until you want to go home, at which time you can select an end date.

Nothing’s perfect, however, and unfortunately, SafetyWing’s Nomad Insurance is no exception. There’s a $250 deductible for medical expenses, which means you’ll have to pay $250 out of pocket for medical treatment before SafetyWing will cover medical expenses for you.

SafetyWing also lacks trip cancellation coverage, which can be very useful if you have to cancel a trip due to weather, illness, injury, or many other reasons. If you want a lower deductible, go with Heymondo instead, and if trip cancellation coverage is important to you, choose World Nomads or Travelex .

What does long-term travel insurance cover?

The best travel insurance for long-term travel will usually include the following types of coverage:

• Emergency medical expenses : This is probably the most important type of coverage as well as the coverage you are most likely to need while traveling. Accidents, injuries, and illnesses can happen at any time, so having emergency medical expense coverage will ensure that you don’t have to pay out of pocket for hospitalization or medical transportation.
• Evacuation and repatriation : Hopefully, you’ll never have to use evacuation and repatriation coverage, but it is useful to have. Insurance for long-term travel with evacuation and repatriation coverage will pay for the transportation costs of taking you from a remote area to the nearest hospital or sending you back to your home country if you fall seriously ill or have an accident.
• Trip delay : Unfortunately, travel does not always go smoothly; your flight could be delayed due to inclement weather or an airline issue. If that does happen, long-stay travel insurance ’s trip delay coverage will cover expenses, such as meals and accommodation, that are incurred because of a several-hour delay.
• Baggage loss : Even when you take precautions to keep your belongings safe, there’s still a chance an airline could lose or damage your bags, or a pickpocket could take your purse. In any case, long-term travel insurance with baggage loss coverage will reimburse you for any valuables that are lost or damaged, so you won’t have to replace them with your own money.

Is long-term travel insurance worth it?

Ultimately, yes, long-term travel insurance is worth it for extended trips, working abroad temporarily, and taking a gap year. It’s also a great alternative for international student insurance . In all of these situations, insurance for long-term travel will ensure that you get the medical- and travel-related coverage you need without having to break the bank.

As you’ve seen in the long-term travel insurance comparison chart above, Heymondo is the best long-stay travel insurance in terms of medical coverage. It offers the highest amount of emergency medical expense and evacuation and repatriation coverage.

Heymondo’s extended-stay travel insurance also provides the convenient flexibility of being able to renew your policy for periods from two weeks to eight months, which is perfect if you haven’t yet decided when you’ll end your trip. To top it all off, you can even get 5% off their insurance just for being a Capture the Atlas reader.

If you’ll be traveling for more than six months and you’re looking for the cheapest long-stay travel insurance, then Travelex may be better for you. Just be aware of their plan’s lower amount of medical coverage.

If you have any questions about long-term travel insurance, feel free to comment below and I will happily help you out!

Don't miss a 5% discount on your HeyMondo travel insurance  

and the only one that pays all your medical bills upfront for you!

Ascen Aynat

22 replies on “ 4 Best Long-Term Travel Insurance in 2024 (w/ Prices) ”

Hi Ascen, we are US citizens and plan to spend about 6 months of the year in California and 6 months abroad. We have lived in California and in the past had insurance with our jobs which will now be no more. So the question is when we are are in California what is our insurance option so we can visit doctors, dentists etc. Thank you

Hi Sonu, you need standard health insurance for California and travel insurance for traveling out of the States. Travel insurance won’t cover routinary medical appointments.

Let me know if you have any questions, Ascen

Good day. Could I get overlapping coverages to address different issues? Does any of these cover rental car collision insurance during any portion of the stay? If not, what do you recommend for that?

Yes, you can hire different travel insurance to get different coverages. That is no problem.

Hi my husband was diagnosed with mestatic melonma in 2021, Weve been traveling back and forth to Moffitt overvs year now. Weve paid out over $7000 just in lodging. Do you have a plan for this??

I’m sorry about that but there is no insurance that can cover that. That is not an unforeseen issue that occurred during a trip that is mostly what travel insurance cover.

Hi There is an age limit on Heymondo 49+ not included. I am 60. Can you recommend any long stay travel insurance for this age group? Thanks Karan

Hi Karan, I recommend checking our article on senior travel insurance for the best options for you.

Hi! Do you know if you need basic medical coverage from your home country before purchasing any of these insurance plans presented above? My situation is a bit complex. I am a Canadian citizen currently living abroad (non-resident of Canada), therefore I have no basic Canadian health coverage. I am currently covered by the country I reside in (Qatar), however, once I leave, I will no longer have a residency permit and therefore no coverage here either. So when I leave, I won’t have coverage anywhere. I am planning on leaving to travel for a year, so I need long-term travel and medical coverage.

Hi Marisas, please take into account that these long-term travel insurance are travel insurance. That means that they don’t cover routine health checks or chronic diseases. They only cover you under unforeseen problems. For example, if you hire one of these long-term travel insurance and have a car accident during a trip and need surgery, the travel insurance will cover but it won’t cover cancer treatment, for example.

Hi can you recommend a travel insurance for a 7 month European trip for wife and self age 59 CA residents- many thanks

Please check the coverage for the insurance recommended in this article and choose the one that is best for you.

Hi Were planning to travel continuously for one year to Europe, Asia & med cruise. Is there a travel insurance that can cover this? Most insurances will require you to go back to your home country (US) after 60 to 90 days. Thanks

Hi Nate, I don’t believe you need to get back to the US with the Heymondo Long-Term Travel Insurance. Have you checked it out?

Hi Ascen We are a male 57years and female 58 years and we are travelling to south Africa to include Botswana Namibia Mozambique,Angola Zambia and Lesotho, we are shipping our car from Australia into south africa and will be travelling for two years we both hold Australian and UK passports Could you please recommend a medical insurance for this trip , we are not to bothered about trip cancellation baggage etc any help would be appreciated We have used world nomads previously but would consider others as well Thank you ag and rg

Hi Antony, that trip sounds amazing! If you’re doing a long-term trip like that one, I recommend Heymondo since they pay all medical expenses in advance. Just be aware of the 100$ deductible per claim.

Said that their price is very competitive and they have very high coverage.

Looking for long term insurance for cancel for any reason plus Covid coverage.

I recommend purchasing separately a long term travel insurance with Covid Coverage (I recommend this one ), and a cancel for any reason policy.

Interesting that this features Travelex and then notes: “Can get similar or better coverage for a more affordable price” From whom?

As you can see in the different comparison charts (coverage comparison chart and price comparison chart), Travelex is the one with the lower coverage, by far, and it’s only worth checking for 6-month insurance or more.

Let me know if you have any questions,

Hi! Do you know if you need basic medical coverage from your home country before purchasing any of these insurance plans presented above? My situation is a bit complex. I am a Canadian citizen currently living abroad (non-resident of Canada), therefore I have no basic Canadian health coverage. I am currently covered by the country I reside in (Qatar), however, once I leave, I will no longer have a residency permit and therefore no coverage here either. So when I leave, I won’t have coverage anywhere. I am planning on leaving to travel for a year, so I need long-term travel and medical coverage. Thanks!

Hi Melanie, no you don’t need it. You will need just long-term travel insurance and you will be covered wherever you go. Also in your home country as long that you’re traveling there and use the insurance just for emergencies (not regular checks, ongoing problems, chronic diseases, and things like that). In your situation, I think the long-term travel insurance of MONDO is your best bet.

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CHOOSING THE BEST LONG TERM TRAVEL INSURANCE POLICY IN 2021

If you’re planning to travel long term, the common travel insurance companies won’t be any good because most of them only cover trips that are no longer than 6 months. In order to cover yourself for an entire year (or more), what you need is a reliable company that offers flexible plans and covers trips that are longer than 6 months .

In this article, we will compare 3 of the best long term travel insurance companies that cover any length of trip .

Whatever the length of a trip, it is always essential to have a good travel insurance plan.

You have to keep in mind that as you travel longer, the chances of lost luggage, delayed flights or something getting stolen inevitably increase.

And in the worst case [ this is very important ], you may need medical attention or end up in a hospital where bills are often in the 4 or even 5 digits.

In order to manage your financial risks, a long term travel insurance plan is inevitable.

You may wonder how much does long term travel health insurance costs? The truth is, an annual travel insurance coverage doesn’t cost a ton of money.

Some of the most reliable travel health insurance policies won’t even set you back the price of a coffee a day.

In this article, there is everything you need to know before purchasing your long term travel insurance. And we’ll compare 3 of the best travel insurance to help you make an informative decision. Also, we have made sure to include tips to help you speed up the claims process for when you need to make a claim. 

This post contains links to products and services that we may be compensated for, at no extra cost to you .

TRAVEL INSURANCE FOR LONG TERM TRAVEL

Let me tell you, we never travel without good travel health insurance coverage. 

And it’s not because we learned the lesson the hard way. In fact, we are fortunate enough to have only ever needed to use our travel health insurance plan for small claims.

We believe that if we cannot afford to buy travel insurance, then it is better not to travel at all. Having peace of mind and knowing that we are covered in case of injury or illness when abroad is very important to us. Therefore, we never skimp on travel health insurance even though we are budget travellers.

So, one of the first things we did when we were planning our one-year trip was research a long term travel insurance policy.

We first searched for long term travel insurance plans locally. And although we found a few options, all required that a single trip couldn’t be any longer than 6 months.

Since we were traveling for a whole year, they weren’t good for us.

So we checked online and in this article we include the best options we have found. 

Sifting through all the available options is not an easy task so we will include what we have learned in the process in order to make it easier for you to choose an insurance policy right for you.

This article is not a substitute for reading the policy terms. You should make sure you know what is covered by going through the policy wording. And like us, contact your insurance service provider in case you have any questions or concerns.

COMPARING LONG TERM TRAVEL INSURANCE PLANS

1. safetywing travel medical insurance.

BEST BUDGET TRAVEL INSURANCE OPTION THAT COVERS COVID-19

SafetyWing is a popular option with long term travelers since it’s very affordable and flexible.

You can buy travel insurance for a minimum of 5 days and a maximum of one year. The best part of SafetyWing’s travel medical insurance is that it works like a monthly subscription plan. Instead of paying the full premium upfront, you only pay every 4 weeks in advance. If your travel plans change, you can stop your travel insurance coverage and avoid paying for coverage that you will not use. 

If you need travel insurance coverage beyond one year, you can enter into a new travel insurance contract which is automatically renewed every month for the next 12 months (unless terminated by you).

SafetyWing medical expenses coverage is capped at $250,000 (for those under 65 of age) per certificate.

Know what’s covered under SafetyWing Travel Medical Insurance here .

Here’s what we like about SafetyWing.

• Price is fixed at $1.43 per day (for those in the 10 – 39 age bracket).

The premium is payable every 4 weeks and is $40 no matter the countries you will be visiting. The only exception is the US and if traveling to the US, the premium increases to $73.

• The deductible of $250 applies for certain claims only and is due once per insurance period .

The deductible is the amount paid by you before the insurance provider pays the rest of the bill. If for example, you keep on renewing the travel health insurance every 4 weeks for 1 year, the deductible will be paid only once per year. 

• Works on a pay as you go basis .

Most travel health insurance providers ask for a trip end date and require payment in full in advance. With SafetyWing’s travel medical insurance there’s no need to include an end date when buying travel insurance. And you only need to pay for the next 4 weeks in advance. 

• Treats Covid-19 related issues just like any other illness .

Safetywing’s travel medical insurance covers Covid-19 hospitalisations no matter the country you are in. Unlike other travel health insurance providers which either do not cover Covid-19 hospitalisation or only cover hospitalisation in countries for which there is no Covid-19 related travel ban. 

In addition, an allowance of $50 per day is payable for 10 days if you test positive for Covid-19 or are symptomatic and need to quarantine, subject to having a minimum of 28 days coverage.

• Emergency Medical Evacuation is included .

If you are in a remote area and need urgent medical treatment, SafetyWing’s travel medical insurance will cover the cost of evacuation to the nearest hospital.

• For every 90 days of coverage, trips to the home country are covered for a maximum of 30 days (15 days for the United States).

Travel medical insurance policies usually do not provide coverage when you’re in your home country. But SafetyWing’s travel medical insurance provides a 30-day (for US 15 days) coverage for every 90 days of coverage bought. That comes in handy if you intend to travel back home for a short period of time and then resume travel after.

TIP : For remote workers and nomads, who do not have primary health insurance in their home country or those that need a truly global health insurance policy, SafetyWing has developed a new product, the Remote Health . The Remote Health coverage is much more extensive compared to travel medical insurance and includes coverage in your home country.

Check price and get more information on Remote Health here . 

• SafetyWing travel insurance can be bought even if your trip has already started .
• SafetyWing’s Travel Medical Insurance is available to everyone except for very few exceptions .

SafetyWing’s Travel Medical Insurance is not available to residents of Cuba, Iran and North Korea. And if your address is in Canada, Australia, Washington, Maryland or New York, you can’t physically be located there while buying. But you can buy travel insurance with SafetyWing the moment you’ve crossed the border.

• Covers certain pre-existing conditions that are not chronic or congenital .

SafetyWing’s travel medical insurance covers certain pre-existing conditions which are non-chronic and non-congenital. These are the definitions obtained from the travel insurance company for chronic and congenital conditions. 

Chronic is a health condition or disease that is persistent or otherwise long-lasting in its effects or a disease that comes with time. May require ongoing medical attention. Some examples would be heart disease, cancer, diabetes and arthritis. One definition of Congenital disease is one that is present at birth. Although a person is born with such a disease, it may not appear until later in life. Examples are congenital heart disease, spina bifida.

Pre-existing conditions are conditions existing within 2 years (timeframe may change with different insurance policies) before the start of the travel insurance policy.

Here is a list of things that aren’t included. 

• Repatriation to home country is not included .

SafetyWing does not cover the cost of repatriation to your home country. The only exception is for foreigners travelling to the United States. In this case, non-US residents can be repatriated to their home country.

With SafetyWing, you can be returned to your home country under the trip interruption clause which is capped at $10,000. Trip interruption does not have medical transport.

• No coverage for lost or stolen valuables.  

This could be an issue if you’re carrying expensive equipment such as a laptop, camera or drone. Other travel insurance providers that cover the loss or theft of valuables include a limit per item and a total maximum benefit. Which makes the recoverable amount not representative of the true cost to replace the item.

If you have a home insurance policy, you should speak to your insurance provider to check whether your valuables such as laptop or camera are already covered or can be added to the policy.

Another option is to find an insurance provider that insures valuable items. But up to now, we weren’t so lucky. 

If you choose a travel insurance policy that does not cover valuables, be extra careful. Here are some tips to keep your valuables safe. Carry the items in your carry-on instead of the checked-in luggage, put them in the hotel safe before leaving the room or if there’s no safe, lock them in your bag and then secure the bag. If you’re out with your camera, sling bags or belt bags are a good way to keep it as close to you as possible.

For more travel safety tips , check out our guide including 27 tips to stay safe when travelling.

• Limitation on sports or activities covered , activities not covered include, white water rafting, quad biking, parasailing, cliff jumping, etc.

Make sure you know what activities are covered and plan your activities around this information. 

• No coverage for Pre-Trip Cancellation . 

SafetyWing travel insurance focuses more on the ‘medical’ aspect of travel insurance (which is the most important part) and less on the ‘travel’ part and excludes clauses such as pre-trip cancellation.

If you have paid for most of your trip expenses upfront and amounts paid are not refundable, you should consider a travel insurance plan with pre-trip cancellation. In this case, buy travel insurance at the same time as you start making payments against your trip.

But if you bought a changeable or refundable flight ticket and booked only the first couple of days’ accommodation, then trip-cancellation might be less important to you.  

2. WORLD NOMADS TRAVEL INSURANCE

BEST TRAVEL INSURANCE FOR ADVENTUROUS TRAVELLERS

World Nomads provides a high limit coverage for medical expenses (this might not be true for everyone as coverage changes with residency), covers more adventurous activities compared to other travel insurance providers and includes coverage for theft of personal items and pre-trip cancellation.

Know what’s covered under World Nomads travel insurance here .

What we like about World Nomads Travel Insurance:

• High medical expenses limit but it is highly unlikely this limit will be required.

At World Nomads, the travel insurance coverage changes according to where you are from so your medical expense limit might be different than mine.  

My medical expense limit was much higher when compared to SafteyWing. In fact, I don’t think that this limit will ever be required or used.

Don’t forget that with all travel health insurance policies only necessary and urgent medical treatments are covered. If you can wait until your return to your home country then that medical treatment is not necessary and will not be covered under your travel insurance policy.

• Include Medical Evacuation and Repatriation .

With World Nomads travel insurance you are covered if you need medical evacuation and transportation to the nearest hospital. Transportation can also include transfer to your home country by air ambulance. 

TIP : Always contact the travel insurance emergency team as soon as possible, especially if you need to be hospitalized or medically evacuated. It’s always better to have their pre-approval and they can also provide you with the necessary guidance when you need it. 

• Covers more sports and adventurous activities plus includes an option to add specific sport or activity if not covered, at an extra cost.

With World Nomad’s you have an option to choose between two plans, the Standard or Explorer. They both cover a huge list of adventure sports and activities. The Explorer plan, which is more expensive, provides more coverage and covers more activities. There is also the option to insure a specific activity if not covered, at an extra cost. 

• Covers loss, theft or damage to personal items plus provides an option to insure specific valuables, at an extra cost.

World Nomads travel insurance covers the loss, theft or accidental damage of your belongings during your trip. 

But coverage is subject to a limit per item and total maximum benefit which is not always representative of the true cost of the items.  

If you’ll be carrying an expensive item, you can insure that specific item at an extra cost which is usually not cheap. 

• Coverage for Pre-Trip Cancellation .

World Nomads travel insurance covers pre-trip cancellation subject to a maximum limit that changes according to the chosen plan (Standard or Explorer). Pre-trip cancellation does not capture all the situations that can result in wanting to cancel your trip. Covered situations include illness or injury, extreme weather conditions, natural disasters, etc.

What could be better with World Nomads Travel Insurance:

• More expensive compared to SafetyWing’s travel medical insurance .

World Nomads quoted price for the standard plan for 4 weeks was 3 times as much as that for SafetyWing’s travel insurance. Since World Nomads’ travel insurance coverage changes with residency, the price will also change with residency. Price is also affected by your destination & trip duration. 

• No Covid-19 coverage if travelling to a country with a Covid-19 travel ban .

Covid-19 hospitalisation and quarantine are not covered if you travel to a country with a travel ban . Covid-19 coverage also changes with residency. For Americans, Covid-19 is covered just like any other illness.

• Payment of the total travel insurance price is paid in advance .

Apart from paying the total travel insurance fee in advance, you also need to provide details of all the countries you intend to visit and the start and end date of your trip. Which can be anything from one week up to one year. 

There is also the possibility to buy a new travel insurance policy for another year. But whenever you buy a new travel insurance policy (even from the same insurance provider) anything which happened during your first year will be treated as pre-existing conditions for the second year and therefore these conditions will not be covered under the new travel insurance policy. 

• No coverage in your home country if you travel back home during the insured period.

Most travel health insurance policies rely on you having a primary health insurance plan in your home country. Therefore, travel health insurance coverage will cease once you’re back home. World Nomads limits the number of times you can return home during the covered period.

• The excess of €70 is payable more than once over the insured period .

The World Nomads’ travel insurance policy includes a €70 excess which is payable for some claims each time a claim is made. Payment of access changes with residency so this might be different for you. The €70 excess will add up if you need to make multiple claims.

World Nomads is temporarily not selling travel insurance to those with an EU residency as they’re making some changing to the travel insurance coverage .

3. INSURE MY TRIP  

MAKES PROCESS OF FINDING TRAVEL INSURANCE EASIER

InsureMyTrip works like a search engine. You provide some basic information such as your residency, any travel costs already paid for and it provides you with the best travel insurance options based on the information provided.

The website also includes a feature that compares the travel insurance options recommended to you.

InsureMyTrip will also help you with any claim you might have with the travel insurance service provider.

What we like about InsureMyTrip:

• The process of finding the best travel insurance is made easier
• More travel insurance options for over 65

What could be better with InsureMyTrip:

• The total travel insurance premium is payable in advance

Find the right coverage for you and compare plans with InsureMyTrip .

IS LONG TERM TRAVEL INSURANCE WORTH BUYING?

Yes, without a doubt!

We were very lucky that over the course of our travels we only filed a few small claims! 

But we do have some very unlucky travel experiences to share. Of when a close relative was brought back home with an air ambulance or when another had to cancel her dream (expensive) trip to New York because she broke her leg. 

So travel insurance, although rarely used, is something you can’t do without. You shouldn’t even consider travelling without it. Especially without good travel medical insurance including adequate medical expense coverage and emergency medical evacuation (this one is especially useful if travelling to a less developed country). 

Replacing a stolen laptop or buying another flight is painful but not a huge financial burden. 

Paying for the medical cost of treatment abroad or worse needing medical evacuation and medical treatment while abroad are a huge financial loss probably not worth the risk for a small amount of dollars per day.

Booking a long term trip and paying thousands on flights, accommodation and food but not getting yourself a good international travel medical insurance plan, is probably one of the worst things you could do.

Besides being a travel necessity, travel health insurance is also a requirement for entry into certain countries.

WHAT IS NOT COVERED IN TRAVEL INSURANCE POLICIES?

As a rule of thumb, you should always read the fine print and policy wording of your travel insurance policy.

Don’t rely on what someone else told you. After all, you should always know what you are paying for and what is or isn’t included in your travel policy.

Keep in mind that ANY insurance company will always opt out if possible. Therefore, it is good to read your insurance policy fine print and abide by the terms and conditions.

So if anything has to happen, you will have everything in order and this also helps in speeding up your claim.

Here is a list of things that are generally not covered by travel insurance policies:

• Pre-existing conditions – Are there an recurring medical condition that might affect your trip?
• Routine medical examinationa & annual checkups
• Dental treatment except for emergency dental treatment
• Non emergency medical treatments 
• Hospitalisation in case of injuries caused while drunk, driving without the right paperwork or drunk driving
• Activities without the right gear, example, driving a scooter without a helmet
• Travelling to a destination with a travel ban even if you weren’t aware of the travel ban when you booked the flight. Before buying a flight ticket or book accommodation, always do a quick search on your destination.
• ​​Risky activities like skydiving, free diving, etc.

THINGS TO LOOK FOR IN LONG TERM TRAVEL INSURANCE POLICY

Medical expenses coverage.

This is the maximum amount of medical costs covered under the travel health insurance policy for the necessary medical treatment of an illness or injury while abroad. 

Medical expenses include the cost of hospitalisation, visits to a doctor, prescribed drugs and medical supplies and ambulance transport.

Medical expenses coverage is one of the most important aspects of travel insurance. And you should check that the medical expenses maximum limit is adequate to cover any medical cost you might have to pay in the country you will travel to. 

When we were researching travel insurance for our long term travel plans, we liked the flexibility of the insurance policy suggested to us by InsureMyTrip.

With the recommended option, we could choose the medical expense maximum limit ourselves.

Increasing the limit will obviously increase the insurance policy price. 

DEDUCTIBLE OR EXCESS

The deductible or excess is a portion of covered costs that should be paid by you.

You should check whether the deductible of your travel insurance policy is payable only once over the insured period or each time a claim is made.

Having to pay multiple deductibles will add up, so it is usually better to choose a travel insurance cover where you only pay the deductible once over the insured period.

COVID-19 COVERAGE

More travel insurance policies now cover Covid-19 related issues and are treating Covid-19 like any other illness.

And some policies also pay an allowance per day during required quarantine.

But whereas some policies cover Covid-19 related issues irrespective of the country you are in when tested positive, others do not, and you are not covered if you travel to a country with a Covid-19 related travel ban.

SPORTS & ACTIVITIES COVERED

Always check the sports and activities covered under the insurance policy and never assume that a particular sport or activity is covered automatically.

Some insurance policies provide an option to add a particular sport or activity if not automatically covered, at an extra charge.

MEDICAL EVACUATION & HOME REPATRIATION

Medical evacuation is important to have in your travel insurance if visiting a developing country or remote area.

Some travel insurance plans do not include repatriation to the home country for further medical treatment.

TRAVEL INSURANCE PROVIDERS’ REVIEWS

Before buying travel insurance, read the reviews from customers that filed a claim with the provider. 

Was it easy to speak to an agent? Is communicating with the insurance provider made easy? How long did it take for a claim to be processed? 

In order to get a good feel of the claims process, we recommend reading some reviews, and not just the first 2 or 3.

TRAVEL INSURANCE FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Can you buy travel insurance when already abroad.

All travel insurance providers listed in this post are online and have the benefit of being more flexible than standard travel health insurance plans.

One of the best perks is that there is no need to be in your home country to purchase insurance coverage.

So if you left your home country without an insurance policy or forgot to get yourself covered, each of the sites listed offers the option of buying a policy when already abroad.

DO I ALWAYS NEED TO BUY TRAVEL INSURANCE?

If you have private health insurance or a credit card with travel insurance, you might not need to buy travel insurance.

Contact your health insurance provider and check whether the policy covers you when abroad. Read the credit card travel insurance policy and understand the extent of coverage.

DOES LONG TERM TRAVEL INSURANCE COVER MULTIPLE COUNTRIES?

If you are planning a trip where you will visit multiple countries, then the international long term travel medical insurance websites recommended in this post, all offer the advantage of combining multiple destinations into your insurance policy.

For World Nomads, you will need to list down the countries you intend to visit when getting a quote. And although most countries around the world are covered, those with a travel ban are not.   

For SafetyWing there is no need to list all the countries you intend to visit.

One thing common in all insurance policies is when you include the United States, policy price increase.

HOW LONG IS TRAVEL INSURANCE GOOD FOR?

Year-long travel insurance coverage can be easily purchased from standard insurance companies in your home country.

However, these traditional 12-month travel insurance policies usually have a requirement that a single trip can’t be longer than 6 months.

Therefore, if you are planning to travel long term, the best option is to purchase a travel insurance plan from one of the reliable online travel insurance sites.

The most frequently used and recommended long term travel insurance websites are SafetyWing, World Nomads and *InsureMyTrip.

Each site has its own advantages. But in the end, each serves the purpose of covering your trip for up to 12 months without the need of flying back home.

And usually, new travel insurance contracts can be made for another year without the need to return back home.

*Insure My Trip is slightly different from the other travel insurance websites. How InsureMyTrip works is that it gives you a number of different travel insurance options to choose from depending on the information you provide. 

CAN YOU GET LONG TERM TRAVEL INSURANCE FOR OVER 65?

Yes, there are options to get yourself covered if you are over 65. 

SafetyWing offers coverage up to 69 of age.

But the best options for coverage for over 65, are found with InsureMyTrip.

TRAVEL INSURANCE TIPS

• As soon as you buy travel insurance, save your policy number and emergency number on your mobile phone. Share this information with a family member in case you will need some help communicating with the insurance provider. And always carry with you the insurance card.
• Save photos of receipts for all items you’ll bring on your travels. Store them somewhere where you can easily find – google drive? 
• If you’re sick or you had an accident, contact the emergency team as soon as possible. They’ll help you locate a doctor or the nearest hospital and it’s good for your eventual claim to have them in the loop as early as possible. If you need urgent medical help, call for an ambulance and then call (or ask a friend) to call the provider’s emergency team. 
• If you’re visiting a doctor or you’re hospitalised, always get original copies of invoices / receipts / medical reports.
• Depending on the medical bill and diagnosis, you might have to pay the medical cost yourself and then get a reimbursement after (this can take anywhere from days to months). That’s why it’s very important to get in contact with your insurance provider at the earliest. The insurance provider might arrange a direct payment and pay for the medical bill directly.

CLOSING NOTE

If you are planning a trip, make your travel insurance plan a priority. Although it seems like an extra cost that is usually never used (and we hope that this always will be the case), it will serve its purpose in any unfortunate event. 

Think of your travel insurance as a way to manage your risks. After all, insurance policies don’t necessarily have to cost a ton of money.

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——— ABOUT US ———

We're Jackie and James, now in our late 30's, we've been traveling on and off for 5 years now. After living our entire lives on a tiny island named Malta, we set off to explore Asia on a budget while writing detailed guides about awesome destinations. We hope our travels help you realize that traveling doesn't have to cost a fortune.

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The best travel insurance policies and providers

It's easy to dismiss the value of travel insurance until you need it.

Many travelers have strong opinions about whether you should buy travel insurance . However, the purpose of this post isn't to determine whether it's worth investing in. Instead, it compares some of the top travel insurance providers and policies so you can determine which travel insurance option is best for you.

Of course, as the coronavirus remains an ongoing concern, it's important to understand whether travel insurance covers pandemics. Some policies will cover you if you're diagnosed with COVID-19 and have proof of illness from a doctor. Others will take coverage a step further, covering additional types of pandemic-related expenses and cancellations.

Know, though, that every policy will have exclusions and restrictions that may limit coverage. For example, fear of travel is generally not a covered reason for invoking trip cancellation or interruption coverage, while specific stipulations may apply to elevated travel warnings from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Interested in travel insurance? Visit InsureMyTrip.com to shop for plans that may fit your travel needs.

So, before buying a specific policy, you must understand the full terms and any special notices the insurer has about COVID-19. You may even want to buy the optional cancel for any reason add-on that's available for some comprehensive policies. While you'll pay more for that protection, it allows you to cancel your trip for any reason and still get some of your costs back. Note that this benefit is time-sensitive and has other eligibility requirements, so not all travelers will qualify.

In this guide, we'll review several policies from top travel insurance providers so you have a better understanding of your options before picking the policy and provider that best address your wants and needs.

The best travel insurance providers

To put together this list of the best travel insurance providers, a number of details were considered: favorable ratings from TPG Lounge members, the availability of details about policies and the claims process online, positive online ratings and the ability to purchase policies in most U.S. states. You can also search for options from these (and other) providers through an insurance comparison site like InsureMyTrip .

When comparing insurance providers, I priced out a single-trip policy for each provider for a $2,000, one-week vacation to Istanbul . I used my actual age and state of residence when obtaining quotes. As a result, you may see a different price — or even additional policies due to regulations for travel insurance varying from state to state — when getting a quote.

AIG Travel Guard

AIG Travel Guard receives many positive reviews from readers in the TPG Lounge who have filed claims with the company. AIG offers three plans online, which you can compare side by side, and the ability to examine sample policies. Here are three plans for my sample trip to Turkey.

AIG Travel Guard also offers an annual travel plan. This plan is priced at $259 per year for one Florida resident.

Additionally, AIG Travel Guard offers several other policies, including a single-trip policy without trip cancellation protection . See AIG Travel Guard's COVID-19 notification and COVID-19 advisory for current details regarding COVID-19 coverage.

Preexisting conditions

Typically, AIG Travel Guard wouldn't cover you for any loss or expense due to a preexisting medical condition that existed within 180 days of the coverage effective date. However, AIG Travel Guard may waive the preexisting medical condition exclusion on some plans if you meet the following conditions:

• You purchase the plan within 15 days of your initial trip payment.
• The amount of coverage you purchase equals all trip costs at the time of purchase. You must update your coverage to insure the costs of any subsequent arrangements that you add to your trip within 15 days of paying the travel supplier for these additional arrangements.
• You must be medically able to travel when you purchase your plan.

Standout features

• The Deluxe and Preferred plans allow you to purchase an upgrade that lets you cancel your trip for any reason. However, reimbursement under this coverage will not exceed 50% or 75% of your covered trip cost.
• You can include one child (age 17 and younger) with each paying adult for no additional cost on most single-trip plans.
• Other optional upgrades, including an adventure sports bundle, a baggage bundle, an inconvenience bundle, a pet bundle, a security bundle and a wedding bundle, are available on some policies. So, an AIG Travel Guard plan may be a good choice if you know you want extra coverage in specific areas.

Purchase your policy here: AIG Travel Guard .

Allianz Travel Insurance

Allianz is one of the most highly regarded providers in the TPG Lounge, and many readers found the claim process reasonable. Allianz offers many plans, including the following single-trip plans for my sample trip to Turkey.

If you travel frequently, it may make sense to purchase an annual multi-trip policy. For this plan, all of the maximum coverage amounts in the table below are per trip (except for the trip cancellation and trip interruption amounts, which are an aggregate limit per policy). Trips typically must last no more than 45 days, although some plans may cover trips of up to 90 days.

See Allianz's coverage alert for current information on COVID-19 coverage.

Most Allianz travel insurance plans may cover preexisting medical conditions if you meet particular requirements. For the OneTrip Premier, Prime and Basic plans, the requirements are as follows:

• You purchased the policy within 14 days of the date of the first trip payment or deposit.
• You were a U.S. resident when you purchased the policy.
• You were medically able to travel when you purchased the policy.
• On the policy purchase date, you insured the total, nonrefundable cost of your trip (including arrangements that will become nonrefundable or subject to cancellation penalties before your departure date). If you incur additional nonrefundable trip expenses after purchasing this policy, you must insure them within 14 days of their purchase.
• Allianz offers reasonably priced annual policies for independent travelers and families who take multiple trips lasting up to 45 days (or 90 days for select plans) per year.
• Some Allianz plans provide the option of receiving a flat reimbursement amount without receipts for trip delay and baggage delay claims. Of course, you can also submit receipts to get up to the maximum refund.
• For emergency transportation coverage, you or someone on your behalf must contact Allianz, and Allianz must then make all transportation arrangements in advance. However, most Allianz policies provide an option if you cannot contact the company: Allianz will pay up to what it would have paid if it had made the arrangements.

Purchase your policy here: Allianz Travel Insurance .

American Express Travel Insurance

American Express Travel Insurance offers four different package plans and a build-your-own coverage option. You don't have to be an American Express cardholder to purchase this insurance. Here are the four package options for my sample weeklong trip to Turkey. Unlike some other providers, Amex won't ask for your travel destination on the initial quote (but will when you purchase the plan).

Amex's build-your-own coverage plan is unique because you can purchase just the coverage you need. For most types of protection, you can even select the coverage amount that works best for you.

The prices for the packages and the build-your-own plan don't increase for longer trips — as long as the trip cost remains constant. However, the emergency medical and dental benefit is only available for your first 60 days of travel.

Typically, Amex won't cover any loss you incur because of a preexisting medical condition that existed within 90 days of the coverage effective date. However, Amex may waive its preexisting-condition exclusion if you meet both of the following requirements:

• You must be medically able to travel at the time you pay the policy premium.
• You pay the policy premium within 14 days of making the first covered trip deposit.
• Amex's build-your-own coverage option allows you to only purchase — and pay for — the coverage you need.
• Coverage on long trips doesn't cost more than coverage for short trips, making this policy ideal for extended getaways. However, the emergency medical and dental benefit only covers your first 60 days of travel.
• American Express Travel Insurance can protect travel expenses you purchase with Amex Membership Rewards points in the Pay with Points program (as well as travel expenses bought with cash, debit or credit). However, travel expenses bought with other types of points and miles aren't covered.

Purchase your policy here: American Express Travel Insurance .

GeoBlue is different from most other providers described in this piece because it only provides medical coverage while you're traveling internationally and does not offer benefits to protect the cost of your trip. There are many different policies. Some require you to have primary health insurance in the U.S. (although it doesn't need to be provided by Blue Cross Blue Shield), but all of them only offer coverage while traveling outside the U.S.

Two single-trip plans are available if you're traveling for six months or less. The Voyager Choice policy provides coverage (including medical services and medical evacuation for a sudden recurrence of a preexisting condition) for trips outside the U.S. to travelers who are 95 or younger and already have a U.S. health insurance policy.

The Voyager Essential policy provides coverage (including medical evacuation for a sudden recurrence of a preexisting condition) for trips outside the U.S. to travelers who are 95 or younger, regardless of whether they have primary health insurance.

In addition to these options, two multi-trip plans cover trips of up to 70 days each for one year. Both policies provide coverage (including medical services and medical evacuation for preexisting conditions) to travelers with primary health insurance.

Be sure to check out GeoBlue's COVID-19 notices before buying a plan.

Most GeoBlue policies explicitly cover sudden recurrences of preexisting conditions for medical services and medical evacuation.

• GeoBlue can be an excellent option if you're mainly concerned about the medical side of travel insurance.
• GeoBlue provides single-trip, multi-trip and long-term medical travel insurance policies for many different types of travel.

Purchase your policy here: GeoBlue .

IMG offers various travel medical insurance policies for travelers, as well as comprehensive travel insurance policies. For a single trip of 90 days or less, there are five policy types available for vacation or holiday travelers. Although you must enter your gender, males and females received the same quote for my one-week search.

You can purchase an annual multi-trip travel medical insurance plan. Some only cover trips lasting up to 30 or 45 days, but others provide coverage for longer trips.

See IMG's page on COVID-19 for additional policy information as it relates to coronavirus-related claims.

Most plans may cover preexisting conditions under set parameters or up to specific amounts. For example, the iTravelInsured Travel LX travel insurance plan shown above may cover preexisting conditions if you purchase the insurance within 24 hours of making the final payment for your trip.

For the travel medical insurance plans shown above, preexisting conditions are covered for travelers younger than 70. However, coverage is capped based on your age and whether you have a primary health insurance policy.

• Some annual multi-trip plans are modestly priced.
• iTravelInsured Travel LX may offer optional cancel for any reason and interruption for any reason coverage, if eligible.

Purchase your policy here: IMG .

Travelex Insurance

Travelex offers three single-trip plans: Travel Basic, Travel Select and Travel America. However, only the Travel Basic and Travel Select plans would be applicable for my trip to Turkey.

See Travelex's COVID-19 coverage statement for coronavirus-specific information.

Typically, Travelex won't cover losses incurred because of a preexisting medical condition that existed within 60 days of the coverage effective date. However, the Travel Select plan may offer a preexisting condition exclusion waiver. To be eligible for this waiver, the insured traveler must meet all the following conditions:

• You purchase the plan within 15 days of the initial trip payment.
• The amount of coverage purchased equals all prepaid, nonrefundable payments or deposits applicable to the trip at the time of purchase. Additionally, you must insure the costs of any subsequent arrangements added to the same trip within 15 days of payment or deposit.
• All insured individuals are medically able to travel when they pay the plan cost.
• The trip cost does not exceed the maximum trip cost limit under trip cancellation as shown in the schedule per person (only applicable to trip cancellation, interruption and delay).
• Travelex's Travel Select policy can cover trips lasting up to 364 days, which is longer than many single-trip policies.
• Neither Travelex policy requires receipts for trip and baggage delay expenses less than $25.
• For emergency evacuation coverage, you or someone on your behalf must contact Travelex and have Travelex make all transportation arrangements in advance. However, both Travelex policies provide an option if you cannot contact Travelex: Travelex will pay up to what it would have paid if it had made the arrangements.

Purchase your policy here: Travelex Insurance .

Seven Corners

Seven Corners offers a wide variety of policies. Here are the policies that are most applicable to travelers on a single international trip.

Seven Corners also offers many other types of travel insurance, including an annual multi-trip plan. You can choose coverage for trips of up to 30, 45 or 60 days when purchasing an annual multi-trip plan.

See Seven Corner's page on COVID-19 for additional policy information as it relates to coronavirus-related claims.

Typically, Seven Corners won't cover losses incurred because of a preexisting medical condition. However, the RoundTrip Choice plan offers a preexisting condition exclusion waiver. To be eligible for this waiver, you must meet all of the following conditions:

• You buy this plan within 20 days of making your initial trip payment or deposit.
• You or your travel companion are medically able and not disabled from travel when you pay for this plan or upgrade your plan.
• You update the coverage to include the additional cost of subsequent travel arrangements within 15 days of paying your travel supplier for them.
• Seven Corners offers the ability to purchase optional sports and golf equipment coverage. If purchased, this extra insurance will reimburse you for the cost of renting sports or golf equipment if yours is lost, stolen, damaged or delayed by a common carrier for six or more hours. However, Seven Corners must authorize the expenses in advance.
• You can add cancel for any reason coverage or trip interruption for any reason coverage to RoundTrip plans. Although some other providers offer cancel for any reason coverage, trip interruption for any reason coverage is less common.
• Seven Corners' RoundTrip Choice policy offers a political or security evacuation benefit that will transport you to the nearest safe place or your residence under specific conditions. You can also add optional event ticket registration fee protection to the RoundTrip Choice policy.

Purchase your policy here: Seven Corners .

World Nomads

World Nomads is popular with younger, active travelers because of its flexibility and adventure-activities coverage on the Explorer plan. Unlike many policies offered by other providers, you don't need to estimate prepaid costs when purchasing the insurance to have access to trip interruption and cancellation insurance.

World Nomads offers two single-trip plans.

World Nomads has a page dedicated to coronavirus coverage , so be sure to view it before buying a policy.

World Nomads won't cover losses incurred because of a preexisting medical condition (except emergency evacuation and repatriation of remains) that existed within 90 days of the coverage effective date. Unlike many other providers, World Nomads doesn't offer a waiver.

• World Nomads' policies cover more adventure sports than most providers, so activities such as bungee jumping are included. The Explorer policy covers almost any adventure sport, including skydiving, stunt flying and caving. So, if you partake in adventure sports while traveling, the Explorer policy may be a good fit.
• World Nomads' policies provide nonmedical evacuation coverage for transportation expenses if there is civil or political unrest in the country you are visiting. The coverage may also transport you home if there is an eligible natural disaster or a government expels you.

Purchase your policy here: World Nomads .

Other options for buying travel insurance

This guide details the policies of eight providers with the information available at the time of publication. There are many options when it comes to travel insurance, though. To compare different policies quickly, you can use a travel insurance aggregator like InsureMyTrip to search. Just note that these search engines won't show every policy and every provider, and you should still research the provided policies to ensure the coverage fits your trip and needs.

You can also purchase a plan through various membership associations, such as USAA, AAA or Costco. Typically, these organizations partner with a specific provider, so if you are a member of any of these associations, you may want to compare the policies offered through the organization with other policies to get the best coverage for your trip.

Related: Should you get travel insurance if you have credit card protection?

Is travel insurance worth getting?

Whether you should purchase travel insurance is a personal decision. Suppose you use a credit card that provides travel insurance for most of your expenses and have medical insurance that provides adequate coverage abroad. In that case, you may be covered enough on most trips to forgo purchasing travel insurance.

However, suppose your medical insurance won't cover you at your destination and you can't comfortably cover a sizable medical evacuation bill or last-minute flight home . In that case, you should consider purchasing travel insurance. If you travel frequently, buying an annual multi-trip policy may be worth it.

What is the best COVID-19 travel insurance?

There are various aspects to keep in mind in the age of COVID-19. Consider booking travel plans that are fully refundable or have modest change or cancellation fees so you don't need to worry about whether your policy will cover trip cancellation. This is important since many standard comprehensive insurance policies won't reimburse your insured expenses in the event of cancellation if it's related to the fear of traveling due to COVID-19.

However, if you book a nonrefundable trip and want to maintain the ability to get reimbursed (up to 75% of your insured costs) if you choose to cancel, you should consider buying a comprehensive travel insurance policy and then adding optional cancel for any reason protection. Just note that this benefit is time-sensitive and has eligibility requirements, so not all travelers will qualify.

Providers will often require CFAR purchasers insure the entire dollar amount of their travels to receive the coverage. Also, many CFAR policies mandate that you must cancel your plans and notify all travel suppliers at least 48 hours before your scheduled departure.

Likewise, if your primary health insurance won't cover you while on your trip, it's essential to consider whether medical expenses related to COVID-19 treatment are covered. You may also want to consider a MedJet medical transport membership if your trip is to a covered destination for coronavirus-related evacuation.

Ultimately, the best pandemic travel insurance policy will depend on your trip details, travel concerns and your willingness to self-insure. Just be sure to thoroughly read and understand any terms or exclusions before purchasing.

What are the different types of travel insurance?

Whether you purchase a comprehensive travel insurance policy or rely on the protections offered by select credit cards, you may have access to the following types of coverage:

• Baggage delay protection may reimburse for essential items and clothing when a common carrier (such as an airline) fails to deliver your checked bag within a set time of your arrival at a destination. Typically, you may be reimbursed up to a particular amount per incident or per day.
• Lost/damaged baggage protection may provide reimbursement to replace lost or damaged luggage and items inside that luggage. However, valuables and electronics usually have a relatively low maximum benefit.
• Trip delay reimbursement may provide reimbursement for necessary items, food, lodging and sometimes transportation when you're delayed for a substantial time while traveling on a common carrier such as an airline. This insurance may be beneficial if weather issues (or other covered reasons for which the airline usually won't provide compensation) delay you.
• Trip cancellation and interruption protection may provide reimbursement if you need to cancel or interrupt your trip for a covered reason, such as a death in your family or jury duty.
• Medical evacuation insurance can arrange and pay for medical evacuation if deemed necessary by the insurance provider and a medical professional. This coverage can be particularly valuable if you're traveling to a region with subpar medical facilities.
• Travel accident insurance may provide a payment to you or your beneficiary in the case of your death or dismemberment.
• Emergency medical insurance may provide payment or reimburse you if you must seek medical care while traveling. Some plans only cover emergency medical care, but some also cover other types of medical care. You may need to pay a deductible or copay.
• Rental car coverage may provide a collision damage waiver when renting a car. This waiver may reimburse for collision damage or theft up to a set amount. Some policies also cover loss-of-use charges assessed by the rental company and towing charges to take the vehicle to the nearest qualified repair facility. You generally need to decline the rental company's collision damage waiver or similar provision to be covered.

Should I buy travel health insurance?

If you purchase travel with credit cards that provide various trip protections, you may not see much need for additional travel insurance. However, you may still wonder whether you should buy travel medical insurance.

If your primary health insurance covers you on your trip, you may not need travel health insurance. Your domestic policy may not cover you outside the U.S., though, so it's worth calling the number on your health insurance card if you have coverage questions. If your primary health insurance wouldn't cover you, it's likely worth purchasing travel medical insurance. After all, as you can see above, travel medical insurance is often very modestly priced.

How much does travel insurance cost?

Travel insurance costs depend on various factors, including the provider, the type of coverage, your trip cost, your destination, your age, your residency and how many travelers you want to insure. That said, a standard travel insurance plan will generally set you back somewhere between 4% and 10% of your total trip cost. However, this can get lower for more basic protections or become even higher if you include add-ons like cancel for any reason protection.

The best way to determine how much travel insurance will cost is to price out your trip with a few providers discussed in the guide. Or, visit an insurance aggregator like InsureMyTrip to quickly compare options across multiple providers.

When and how to get travel insurance

For the most robust selection of available travel insurance benefits — including time-sensitive add-ons like CFAR protection and waivers of preexisting conditions for eligible travelers — you should ideally purchase travel insurance on the same day you make your first payment toward your trip.

However, many plans may still offer a preexisting conditions waiver for those who qualify if you buy your travel insurance within 14 to 21 days of your first trip expense or deposit (this time frame may vary by provider). If you don't need a preexisting conditions waiver or aren't interested in CFAR coverage, you can purchase travel insurance once your departure date nears.

You must purchase coverage before it's needed. Some travel medical plans are available for purchase after you have departed, but comprehensive plans that include medical coverage must be purchased before departing.

Additionally, you can't buy any medical coverage once you require medical attention. The same applies to all travel insurance coverage. Once you recognize the need, it's too late to protect your trip.

Once you've shopped around and decided upon the best travel insurance plan for your trip, you should be able to complete your purchase online. You'll usually be able to download your insurance card and the complete policy shortly after the transaction is complete.

Related: 7 times your credit card's travel insurance might not cover you

Bottom line

Not all travel insurance policies and providers are equal. Before buying a plan, read and understand the policy documents. By doing so, you can choose a plan that's appropriate for you and your trip — including the features that matter most to you.

For example, if you plan to go skiing or rock climbing, make sure the policy you buy doesn't contain exclusions for these activities. Likewise, if you're making two back-to-back trips during which you'll be returning home for a short time in between, be sure the plan doesn't terminate coverage at the end of your first trip.

If you're looking to cover a sudden recurrence of a preexisting condition, select a policy with a preexisting condition waiver and fulfill the requirements for the waiver. After all, buying insurance won't help if your policy doesn't cover your losses.

Disclaimer : This information is provided by IMT Services, LLC ( InsureMyTrip.com ), a licensed insurance producer (NPN: 5119217) and a member of the Tokio Marine HCC group of companies. IMT's services are only available in states where it is licensed to do business and the products provided through InsureMyTrip.com may not be available in all states. All insurance products are governed by the terms in the applicable insurance policy, and all related decisions (such as approval for coverage, premiums, commissions and fees) and policy obligations are the sole responsibility of the underwriting insurer. The information on this site does not create or modify any insurance policy terms in any way. For more information, please visit www.insuremytrip.com .

The World's Best Travel Insurance for Long-Term Travelers

Updated: May 25, 2024 • by Thomas K. Running

While there are many types of insurance you might buy as a digital nomad or long-term traveler, the most essential is usually travel insurance—specifically a comprehensive “travel health insurance” policy.

Some of us may also need global primary health insurance (often called expat health insurance).

To help you determine the right type of insurance for your situation, I’ve created a short, interactive quiz. No personal data or contact details required!

In short, as long as you’re covered for long-term health care in your “home country” or somewhere else where you have the legal right to live indefinitely, a travel health insurance plan that covers medical costs in case of accidents and serious illness abroad is what you’ll need. And that’s what I’ll cover in this article.

Insurance coverage for COVID-19 🦠 Although the COVID-19 now has significantly less impact on travel than it once did, it’s still useful to know which insurance providers offer coverage. It’s very common for insurance policies to contain general exclusions regarding epidemics and pandemics, meaning it’s not a given that expenses related to the coronavirus outbreak will be covered by your policy. Check with your insurance provider to be certain what’s covered. SafetyWing fully covers COVID-19 related illness as of August 1, 2020. They even cover PCR tests if deemed medically necessary by a doctor. Read more here . World Nomads also cover emergency medical assistance if you get COVID-19 overseas including medical assistance, repatriation and hospitalization benefits. This is for both their Standard and Explorer plans. Helpful resources: Worldwide travel restrictions (IATA) Information on country-specific measures (US State Department) WHO’s COVID-19 pages CDC’s coronavirus pages

Table of Contents ↺ Coronavirus update Should you insure your stuff? The alternative: Self-insure for the little things Getting the right insurance Travel Health Insurance Emergency Evacuation Travel Insurance Things to note when picking your policy The Showdown SafetyWing World Nomads True Traveller IMG Travel Health Insurance Other insurance providers worth looking into Common questions (FAQ) {:class=”toc toc1 on-right thin” id=”toc”}.

Should you insure your stuff? 🎒

While some insurance is important, I’d recommend against getting too much insurance. Keep in mind that, on average, getting insurance doesn’t pay off financially. The insurance companies need to collect enough in premiums to cover not only claims (legit and fraudulent) but also their own staff, marketing, and profit margins.

My personal policy is to insure against the unlikely events that would ruin me financially.

Yes, it sucks having to pony up $2000 for a new MacBook Pro if it were to get stolen or destroyed. But is it worth paying $500 dollars for certain every year, just in case? Only if you cannot possibly manage to save up a few thousand dollars as a buffer or make do with a less expensive laptop for a while in case it breaks and can’t be fixed at a reasonable price.

If someone stole all the belongings that I travel with—including the clothes I was wearing and the phone in my pocket—it would cost me about $6,000 to replace it all with brand new items.

While painful, that definitely wouldn’t put me in debt. And the likelihood of it happening in the first place is quite slim. Hence, I won’t waste any money insuring my possessions.

The alternative: Self-insure for the little things 💰

Most people are paying way too much in insurance premiums. I can appreciate that you might value the extra peace of mind that comes with knowing that you’re covered no matter what happens.

But if you start doing even rudimentary back-of-the-envelope calculations, it becomes clear that you’re throwing money out the window.

Instead, consider this approach.

Get quotes for insuring everything you instinctively want to insure. Missed flight connections. That camera you bring along but almost never use. Your smartphone. Your laptop. Baggage delays. Petty theft. And, of course, emergency travel health insurance.

Get quotes for everything with zero deductibles if possible.

Let’s say your total yearly premium comes to $3,000.

Then look at what you would be paying if you only get insurance for the stuff that would ruin you financially. In other words, probably only emergency health insurance.

Pick the highest deductible you’re comfortable with. At the very least a couple of hundred dollars per year. Remember, your goal is to never actually have to use the insurance, so it’s better to pay less every year and potentially a bit more in the year where you actually need to rely on your policy.

Say you end up with a premium of about $500 per year. As you’ll see later, that’s a very easily attainable number.

Now, buy the cheap insurance with the high deductible. Every year, put the money you saved ($2,500 in this example) in a high interest savings account (or even better, a low-cost index fund or ETF ) earmarked for situations where you would have relied on the expensive, all inclusive insurance.

Now sit back and watch your own personal insurance fund grow ever larger year by year. Whenever you need to pay for something that would have been covered by the more expensive insurance (including deductibles), just withdraw the money to cover it from your own insurance fund.

As an added bonus, you don’t even have to fill out lengthy claims forms, go hunting for old receipts for your valuables, and fight with claims agents that are trying their very best to find loopholes to avoid paying you what you’re rightfully owed.

Getting the right insurance

Let’s take a look at the different types of insurance you should consider getting for your trip.

Travel Health Insurance 🏥

Even if you’re covered for health expenses in your home country, it’s important to be covered for emergencies abroad.

What would happen if you’re in the US, or Japan, or Australia (or even countries where health care is cheaper), and you get a debilitating disease or end up in an accident that has to be treated locally?

You’ll very quickly end up with medical bills in the tens if not hundreds of thousands. Unless you have insurance, that is.

A good emergency medical travel insurance will take care of any costs of any life-threatening treatment you get locally.

It’s important to note that most travel health insurance policies are not “primary” health insurance policies . They rely on you being entitled to treatment somewhere and will ship you there if needed for long-term care.

So even if you get travel health insurance, it’s important that you make sure you’re covered for long-term treatment at “home”.

If that’s not the case, you should check out our article on worldwide primary health insurance .

Emergency Evacuation 🚁

Many travel health insurance policies come with built in emergency medical transportation or emergency medical evacuation as it’s often called. There are also standalone evacuation memberships, which tend to be quite a bit more expensive for similar coverage.

What exactly is covered by such policies, what limit is sufficient for your needs, and do you actually need it?

Usually, an emergency evacuation policy will kick in when the initial hospital or medical facility is not suited to provide the appropriate care for your medical emergency.

The decision to move you elsewhere will usually be made by the local doctor and your insurance company’s medical advisor.

While the policy will cover transportation to a suitable hospital, the medical costs on arrival are not covered—unless part of a travel health insurance policy . In other words, the standalone evacuation memberships usually only cover you until you’ve reached the hospital.

Due to their nature, emergency evacuation policies are most essential if you’re often hiking in remote areas, traveling or staying long-term in less developed countries, etc. If you’re spending most of your time in large cities in developed countries, it’s less important. In that case you should just make sure you’re covered for individual trips you make where it can come in handy.

The policy limits usually range from $25,000 up to millions or even unlimited . Since evacuation costs can get really high in extreme cases, I’d recommend a policy with at least a $100,000 limit. Perhaps even more if you’re traveling in very remote and underdeveloped areas.

Travel Insurance 🛫

Although all the different types of policies we have covered so far could fit under the umbrella term travel insurance , in this section I am referring to things like delayed or lost baggage, missed flight connections, car rental insurance, and so on.

If you have it included in a credit card or similar for free, then of course it’s worth having. Rental Car insurance can save you some money as well, but make sure to read the fine print.

Many travel health insurance policies include some coverage for these things as well, so if you’re anyway getting that kind of insurance (which you should) and the price differential is small, it can be worth to get it bundled. As you’ll see below, my recommended all-in-one insurance (SafetyWing) is actually cheaper than the already affordable health-only insurance from IMG.

If on the other hand you’re not covered through your credit cards or other insurance you already have, spending money on a dedicated travel insurance is usually a terrible deal bordering on pointless. There are a few reasons why this is the case:

• It’s very unlikely that anything will happen, and if it does the insurance policy probably has an exclusion
• If something happens, it will be relatively cheap to deal with on your own
• In many cases you can get compensation from airlines or others, even without insurance

Let’s take one example; missed flight connection insurance . Most policies require from two to four (!) hours in between flights to be valid.

Ask yourself, how often are you traveling with connecting flights on separate tickets? Perhaps occasionally, but likely not that often.

And how many flights are more than two to four hours delayed? Only about 0.1% to 1.5% of flights, depending on airlines (US airlines generally coming out behind).

Assuming you mostly fly on through tickets and only have a handful of risky connections on separate airlines per year, that’s a very slim chance (perhaps 1-2%) that you will miss a flight connection on separate tickets in a given year. And even if you did, the expected cost of an average replacement ticket is only a few hundred dollars.

That means, even with as much travel as most nomads do, the expected financial loss of missed connections is only a few dollars per year. So skip the insurance, and put the money saved into your own self-insurance fund .

Things to note when picking your policy

• Usually whenever you extend your policy (technically, when you enter a new period of coverage ) any things that happened before the extension will now be treated as pre-existing conditions , and will often no longer be covered.
• You’re a legal (tax) resident of that country. If you’re traveling long term you might not be.
• For trips of a certain length (often 30 or 60 days, but I’ve also seen 90 days) before you have to return to your home country. Many even require you to have purchased round trip flight tickets before embarking on your trip for your coverage to kick in.
• If it’s a credit card policy, if at least 50% or even 100% of the trip costs have been pre-paid with the card in question.
• Many insurance policies (even some of the ones included in this article) limits the number of visits you might make to your home country during the lifetime of the policy. Say you purchase a typical one-year policy, and you happen to visit your home country for any reason more than once in that period, the rest of your policy will be canceled with no refund given.
• When it comes to deductibles, look out for whether the deductible is per incident or per policy period (which can typically extend to a year). The latter is clearly better, since if you already had to pay the deductible once, you don’t have to pay it for the rest of the period/year.

The Showdown 🥊

In the rest of this article I will compare some of the most popular and well-suited insurance policies for digital nomads and long-term travelers who already have some sort of primary health insurance cover at home.

I’ve included policies that meet these basic requirements:

• It should be possible to buy and renew the insurance while already traveling.
• The policy should be available to the residents of many, if not most or all, countries.
• There should not be any upper limit for how long you can travel before returning home.

Note that all prices are rounded to the nearest dollar.

SafetyWing is my personal recommendation for digital nomads seeking affordable insurance with decent coverage. It’s what I was using myself when I was a bit more nomadic.

One thing that resonates when it comes to SafetyWing is that their long term goal is to offer a complete suite of products to build a country-independent social safety net for freelancers and digital nomads . I think that’s really cool!

In addition to the travel health insurance described here, they also offer Nomad Health , which is a full-blown worldwide primary health insurance plan . If you don’t have health coverage in your home country, check that out!

On the other hand, the product which I describe in this article is marketed as a digital nomad travel insurance —perfect for when you have primary health coverage coverage at home, but need coverage for your travels.

And compared to the alternatives, it is both a really good value and offering some genuinely useful features that I know many of you will appreciate.

In many ways it’s even more comprehensive than the competitors, but still only a fraction of the price.

Some highlights:

• Recurring billing . Pay monthly just like you would for Spotify or Netflix without having to decide upfront for how long you need the policy. Why other companies don’t offer this is to me a complete mystery.
• The lowest cost of any company in this comparison. For a worldwide excluding the US policy you’ll pay about $57 per month, while most comparable companies charge over $100 for a less convenient product.
• A yearly deductible . While most companies charge a deductible for each claim, SafetyWing will cap your deductible at $250 per policy period (which—as long as you keep your subscription running—equals 364 days).
• No deductible at all for many types of claims , including emergency dental, emergency medical evacuation, repatriation of remains, crisis response, emergency reunion, bedside visit, trip interruption, accidental death and dismemberment, lost checked luggage, travel delays, personal liability and a bunch more.
• Home country coverage . While most of the competitors might void the rest of your policy if you visit your home country, SafetyWing’s policy will even cover you in your home country for up to 30 days per 90 days of insurance.
• Covers private health care . No need to go to a public hospital or doctor in a third world country when there’s a much better private one available.
• They support direct billing to most hospitals and clinics in their extensive, worldwide network (searchable via your online account page). You can still opt for a different medical provider, but you’d generally have to pay out of pocket and be reimbursed later.

Some things to note:

• At $105 per month , it is quite a high price if you order their US inclusive policy for a long time. If you are planning on visiting the US, you’re better off getting the US cover only while you’re in the country and switch back to the non-US cover as soon as you leave.
• After 364 days of coverage, the insurance will lapse if you don’t actively renew it. Luckily that’s as simple as clicking a link in an email that will be sent to you before your current policy expires.

Pricing for a 35 year old nomad who’s already traveling:

For recurring policies longer than 28 days, payment is only due every 4 weeks , so you don’t have to pay for a long policy in advance , unlike virtually any other insurance company.

Full policy wording

World Nomads

They might have been innovative a decade ago, but today I sincerely believe most bloggers are only recommending them due to financial incentives (they pay bloggers—including me—for referrals) or plain ignorance. Or perhaps a combination of both?

What they offer might have been revolutionary 10 years ago (travel insurance that could be purchased and renewed while already traveling), but today there are better alternatives available.

I’m really not sure what World Nomads offer that can justify the more than triple price, but my hunch is that it’s mostly due to brand recognition rather than any tangible benefits to you as a customer.

If you get their most expensive package, you do get pretty good extreme sports cover, although they have recently become much more restrictive here than before—without that being reflected in the price.

Highlights:

• They support direct billing , at least in some circumstances. In my only experience being hospitalized while covered by their Explore plan, I still had to pay the hospital myself and got the settlement about 6 weeks later. But they do claim that they can arrange direct billing, so I assume they would help out if the claim was a bit bigger (mine was only about $1300).
• Decent extreme sports cover in their most expensive package (although not as good as it used to be).

Things to note:

• Since World Nomads use different insurance providers depending on your country of residence the insurance price, terms, limits and benefits vary from one country to another . Be extra careful to read the full policy wording for your country of residence.
• Extensions are expensive . Say you take out and pre-pay for a long-term policy, you would pay about $75 to extend your policy with a mere week (assuming you’re from the US and on the Explorer plan).
• You’re only allowed return home once during the entire duration of your policy. If you’re a nomad with a home base, or you tend to return home to visit friends or family on occasion, you’re effectively not able to buy a long term policy to save money. Instead you’ll have to buy a series of short and expensive policies. They do however have an exception with their Explorer plan . If you have to return home due to injury or serious illness, or the injury, serious illness, or death of a close relative, they allow you to resume your trip with the same coverage as before.

I’ve used World Nomads a bit in the past (with BUPA Global as the insurance provider) and while the claims involved lots of paperwork they usually were handled fairly. Payouts weren’t super quick, and I had to send them a few reminders before the claims were settled.

The only time I had an issue (which was at least partly my fault) was when I waited until only a few days before the expiry of my current insurance policy before extending it. In that brief time window a close relative first got very ill and later passed away. Since the relative became ill before I had ordered the extension (even though I was unaware of it until a few days after and she only passed away into my new policy period, since it was no longer “unexpected”), they refused to cover my round trip tickets back to Europe so I could attend the funeral.

According to the policy wording they were of course in the right, although someone more understanding could have used their discretion to decide otherwise. Anyway, with the auto-renewal feature that SafetyWing offers this would have been a non-issue.

Note that pricing for World Nomads depend on your country of residence. To get the long term discounts you have to order and pay for the whole period in advance . Extensions are charged at non-discounted prices and will start a new policy period. If you’re at all unsure about how long you need your policy, you’re much better off using SafetyWing’s subscription feature or another insurance provider with cheap extensions (also like SafetyWing, and IMG below).

Base price of a Standard/Explorer plan for a 35 year old traveler from the UK (prices converted from GBP at the time of writing):

Base price of a Standard/Explorer plan for a 35 year old traveler from the US :

The policy wording varies depending on your country of residence . To see the full policy wording, you have to request a quote where you enter your country of residence. On the next page look for the section “View full description of coverage,” and click the View button under the heading of the plan you are interested in.

True Traveller

This is a popular provider, particularly in the UK. Their insurance is only available to residents of the UK and other countries in the EEA.

Their cheaper plans are quite affordable—especially if you pre-pay for a year or more—but they are also quite limited and restrictive in what they cover. Adding various extras will quickly increase your premium.

• No limit on home visits , however you are not covered while in your home country .
• They have lots of good reviews on Trustpilot , for what that’s worth.
• They will strive to arrange direct billing for covered medical treatment surpassing £500. Below this you’ll generally pay out of pocket and be reimbursed once your claim is processed.
• Extensions cost a lot . E.g. if you had a 52-week policy (costing $462 with no extras) you would pay a whopping $50 to extend your policy by a mere week.
• Only available to current EEA residents . If you are a full-time nomad or have a base outside of the EEA, you likely won’t qualify even if you’re from the EEA.
• Does not cover private medical treatment unless no public treatment is available. Personally, I was really happy that my insurance covered private hospital stays when I got hospitalized in India a few years ago. Just saying. Update: True Traveller responded below , clarifying what this policy means in practice.

Base price* for a 35 year old nomad who is already traveling (prices converted from GBP at the time of writing):

* Their pricing changes massively depending on which extras you include. A 7 day policy ranges from £51 to over £300 depending on your selections. A 52 week plan can get as pricy as £1,511 with all extras selected. In this table I’ve included their mid-range package (“Traveller”), with zero extras and a £75 deductible per claim.

Policy wording

IMG Travel Health Insurance

This is an affordable travel health insurance, which does not include any non-health related benefits (unlike the previous options).

IMG is a financially solid company, with some of the best prices out there. For a reasonable health-only policy it’s a popular budget option, but be aware that they have a reputation for slow claims handling and sticking to the letter of the policy wording beyond what some people would find reasonable.

• Flexible deductibles , so you can select a high one and reduce your premiums.
• The deductible is only payable once per 12 months of continuous coverage (like SafetyWing ).
• Extending and renewing your policy is a lot cheaper than e.g. World Nomads and True Traveller, so if you find yourself needing your policy a bit longer than expected, it won’t break the bank. Extending this way will start a new policy period, however, (unlike SafetyWing’s subscription) which means issues that already arose while traveling will be treated as pre-existing and no longer covered.
• This is a travel health only policy , and will not cover things like trip interruption, travel delays, lost luggage, etc. It is still more expensive than the SafetyWing insurance , which includes those things. Also note that it’s still not primary health insurance , so you still need to be covered in your home country.
• Your insurance will be terminated if you return to your home country for more than 14 days, or at all if your home country is the United States or you returned home for medical reasons.
• They generally don’t support direct billing (i.e. the hospital or doctor billing them directly), which mean you might have to pay pretty hefty medical bills out of pocket and then wait for your claim to be processed before you will be reimbursed.
• The plan which includes travel in the US is not available to US residents .

Pricing for a 35 year old single traveler ( travel health only , $500,000 limit, $250 deductible):

Policy documents:

• Patriot International (excluding travel to the US)
• Patriot America (including travel to the US)

Other insurance providers worth looking into

Genki is a travel health insurance product, so it doesn’t come with any typical non-health-related insurance benefits, however we feel it deserves a mention as it is designed specifically for digital nomads.

While it still has few public reviews on websites like trustpilot.com, it is backed by both Dr-Walter and Allianz, so we see it as a trustworthy newcomer to the travel health insurance market.

They offer their product for travel to every country on the planet—upon questioning them on this, they said “even North Korea” 😆.

It is based on a monthly subscription, and you can choose to be covered with their “Worldwide” plan or “Worldwide excluding Canada and the US”.

It’s a little more expensive than some of the travel insurance products available starting at $69 per month or $134 per month if you want coverage in Canada and the US—however it has quite extensive coverage. COVID-19, travel costs for family members to visit your hospital in case of a medical emergency, mental illness, sports-related injuries (only sports that are not considered dangerous activities—hiking, surfing, skiing, snowboarding, biking, kayaking, etc are covered), pregnancy (except pre-existing), and emergency dental care are all included in their list of benefits.

Additionally, it is an insurance partner with Air Doctor , a platform that connects you with doctors worldwide, allowing you to schedule either in-person or online appointments. The benefit to being their insurance partner, is that if you book a doctors appointment through Air Doctor, all the insurance claims will be handled directly between Air Doctor and Genki, meaning you won’t have to pay anything up-front.

Finally, in most cases there is no overall limit in medical cost cover, and they offer 24/7 emergency assistance and direct billing. They will cover emergencies in your home country as well for up to 6 weeks per 180 days.

While not available everywhere, Allianz is an insurance company with a good reputation and (sadly also) premium prices. They tend to be a bit pricier than the options we’ve looked at so far.

Click here to see if they offer their travel insurance product in your home country.

Note that they often require you to purchase your insurance before departing on your trip, making it a poor choice for most nomads.

Similarly, like Genki , Allianz is an insurance partner of Air Doctor .

Common questions (FAQ)

• Q: Will airlines compensate me for lost or delayed luggage?

A: Yes, up to certain limits which depend on the route you fly. For lost luggage on international flights, usually it’s limited to about $1,600 (or 1,131 Special Drawing Rights , to be exact). The limit is $3,500 for domestic flights in the US. For delayed luggage , the practice varies a bit from airline to airline, but generally they either give you a one-off payment to cover essentials or reimburse you based on reasonable and necessary expenditures resulting from the baggage delay when seeing receipts. They will also reimburse you for damaged luggage on the same basis (on seeing receipts documenting expenses).

• Q: Why do I have to fill in my country of residence when purchasing travel insurance? I’m traveling full time, with no fixed address anywhere.

A: While each insurer’s definition of “country of residence” will differ, they generally want to know where to send you in case of serious injury or if you need long-term treatment. So you should choose a country where you have (1) a place to stay (perhaps with family or friends), (2) will be covered by either private or public health insurance to take care of your long term medical bills, and (3) somewhere you have unlimited and unrestricted access (i.e. you don’t need a visa to enter, so typically where you’re a citizen, permanent resident, or—for EU/EEA citizens—all of the EU/EEA). While most of the providers listed in this article won’t require you to be a legal resident you should still read your policy wording carefully, exceptions do occur for certain nationalities with certain providers. Note that many insurance providers offering insurances to citizens or residents of a specific country will require you to be a legal resident there, and also in some cases part of the national social security or health insurance scheme.

• Q: When should I buy the insurance? Can I wait until I depart or already traveling?

A: While the providers listed above all allow you to purchase your policy while traveling, it is better to get it ASAP —ideally as soon as you have your departure flights booked or at least know your departure date. The insurance won’t cover anything that happens until after you buy the policy. So if you for some reason (e.g. medical) you can’t depart when scheduled, and you haven’t purchased the insurance before the issue arises, you won’t be covered. Typically there are also quite a few exclusions to the insurance cover in the first few days after you buy the policy (to combat insurance fraud), so that’s another good reason not to wait.

• Q: How do I know if a plan is good enough for a visa application?
• A: Some countries require you to have travel health insurance before applying for certain visas or entering the country as a visitor. This includes Australia, Canada, the United States, Ecuador, and the entire Schengen area (most of Europe)—among others. Usually the requirements include emergency health cover with varying limits, emergency repatriation to your home country, and a few more things. The providers listed in this article should be good enough for most—if not all—visa applications around the world, but if you’re unsure you can always reach out to the insurance company to make sure. To learn about the visa and entry requirements for various countries, check out the free services listed in the visa section of my travel tools article —particularly Timatic and TravelDoc.

Tips that will make your life a lot easier in a pinch

• Get in the habit of scanning all receipts , medical docs, etc, with your smartphone, and add it all to Evernote, Google Keep or a similar application that can be accessed on both your phone and online. Also do this for any expenses you have as a result of delayed luggage or flights, plus receipts when purchasing anything you will travel with (e.g. clothes, electronics, travel gear, valuables) in case you have to submit a claim at for it at a later date.
• Keep digital (and optionally paper) copies of your essential travel and financial documents , such as passport, driver’s license, visas, entry stamps, etc. Store your debit and credit card information in an encrypted password manager (like LastPass).
• Always bring both a travel-friendly debit and credit card , plus ideally leave a backup credit card at home or with some trusted friends, which you can use to make online purchases in case the cards you bring with you are lost or stolen. Accommodation (which can include breakfast), flight tickets, etc can usually be booked and paid for online.
• Keep a paper copy of your insurance card in your wallet and/or passport. In case of an accident, it’s good to have the relevant contact and policy information on hand. You might not even be conscious yourself, so then the emergency response personnel can still find your information.
• Use the ICE (in case of emergency) feature on your smartphone . That way emergency response or medical personnel can contact your specified ICE contacts without unlocking your phone, and also see potential allergies, blood type, and any other information you have included. It’s a good idea to also include a paper copy of this information in your wallet or on the back of your insurance card.

I hope you enjoyed the article! Hopefully it can save you both money, hassle, and maybe even your life.

Feel free to add any questions and comments (particularly your own first-hand experiences with different providers) in the community thread or below.

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The ultimate guide to primary health insurance for digital nomads, the world’s best airlines for nomads and long-term travelers, the ultimate retirement savings guide for expats & nomads, the ultimate list of travel apps & tools for nomads, the world’s best bank accounts for international travelers and nomads, the best business bank accounts to open from anywhere.

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Introduction to VisitorsCoverage Travel Insurance

• Types of Policies Offered
• VisitorsCoverage Cost
• Customer Service and Support

How to File a Claim with VisitorsCoverage Travel Insurance

• Why You Should Trust Us

VisitorsCoverage Travel Insurance Review 2024

Affiliate links for the products on this page are from partners that compensate us (see our advertiser disclosure with our list of partners for more details). However, our opinions are our own. See how we rate insurance products to write unbiased product reviews.

The process of buying travel insurance can be tedious and stressful as you scour the internet for the best travel insurance companies . VisitorsCoverage exists to simplify the process by showing you all the options available for your particular travel details.

Since 2006, VisitorsCoverage has helped more than 1 million travelers check peace of mind off of their packing list, no matter the destination. It partners with popular travel insurance companies as a broker, so it can quote policies and manage payments on its website. 

• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Diverse travel insurance plans for solo and group travelers
• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Offers medical insurance for US visa holders for up to two years
• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Offers plans designed for missionaries and international volunteers
• con icon Two crossed lines that form an 'X'. VisitorsCoverage does not underwrite or service travel insurance plans
• con icon Two crossed lines that form an 'X'. Claims experiences may vary widely based on which carrier you buy your plan from

VisitorsCoverage is a travel insurance marketplace that allows you to sort through the best travel insurance policies for your travel details and compare policies against one another. The information it provides on each policy is thorough and straightforward, so you don't have to wade through dense legalese to understand your policy. You can purchase travel insurance directly on VisitorsCoverage's website as well as manage your policy and adjust your coverage.

You'll have to file claims directly with your insurer, but VisitorsCoverage has a Claims Assistance Hub that will contact your insurer on your behalf to expedite the process and provide updates. The Assistance Hub is a great asset given that claims offices are infamously inaccessible and uncommunicative.

While VisitorsCoverage excels as a platform for travel insurance, VisitorsCoverage doesn't field customer reviews of insurance products, which you can find with some of its competitors like Squaremouth and InsureMyTrip. This isn't a major exclusion, but it means you have to conduct additional research for that information, which isn't ideal for a service that exists primarily to simplify the buying process.

Types of Policies Offered by VisitorsCoverage

VisitorsCoverage partners with many travel insurance providers to offer comprehensive coverage options. If you're looking for cancellation protection, baggage protection, and other standard coverages, it can provide many options based on your residence, destination, and costs.

It also works with carriers specific to Europe and Schengen visas. Europe-bound travelers also enjoy medical evacuation and repatriation protections. The descriptions are straightforward, and the site offers options to search for doctors, manage your plan, and more on its website,

If traveling with family, friends, or coworkers, its website may prompt you to consider group travel insurance. Coverage protects up to five travelers with health coverage in the event of an accident or illness at a reduced rate of up to 20% compared to identical coverage for five individual travelers. If you're traveling for business, you may also want to consider its business coverage, which covers lost luggage, trip interruption, and terrorism, along with emergency medical care (including emergency medical evacuation).

One thing this travel website brings to the table is variety. As an online broker, customers can get multiple quotes at once. However, its partnerships allow it to expand the most common understanding of what travel insurance covers , catering to less common travel scenarios such as non-US residents (including Americans working full-time abroad) traveling to the U.S., missionaries, and visa applicants.

Additional Coverage Options (Riders)

VisitorsCoverage has filters that can tailor your insurance search based on your needs. You'll find specific search functions for the following types of travel insurance :

• AD&D insurance coverage: This provides a lump sum benefit to the insured's beneficiary in the event of accidental death. The insured can also collect a benefit after an accidental dismemberment (losing a limb).
• Pre-existing condition insurance: This plan is designed for travelers with diagnosed conditions (existing before applying for travel medical insurance) who want to see the world without fear of what to do should a medical emergency arise. Coverage includes emergency services like hospitalization, surgery, and even medical evacuation.
• Cruise insurance: This short-term trip insurance protects cruisers from losses related to delays, cancellations, illnesses, injuries, etc., while at sea.
• Immigrant/Green Card insurance: This type of plan offers short-term coverage (up to two years) for individuals needing medical insurance coverage while visiting the United States. It's ideal for visa applicants who ideally obtain long-term healthcare through their employer once their work visa is approved.
• Student visa insurance:  Students spending a semester away from their home country or attending university in a foreign country often require travel insurance that meets certain standards.

VisitorsCoverage Travel Insurance Cost

The average cost of travel insurance is around 4-8% of trip costs. Travel insurance premiums of $100-$200 per trip are standard, especially when traveling internationally. A cancel for any reason rider raises travel insurance premiums by about 50% with most travel insurance companies. However, many travelers enjoy the peace of mind of eliminating denials for excluded causes.

Individual policy premiums are based on benefits offered plus criteria unique to each traveler, including age, health status, and the length of the trip. Because VisitorsCoverage partners with many popular travel insurance providers, shoppers can compare the cheapest options with more substantial coverage and decide which plan works best for them.

VisitorsCoverage Customer Service and Support

VisitorsCoverage has very good online customer reviews, receiving an average of 4.8 out of five stars on its Trustpilot page and 4.6 stars from Google Maps reviews left on its company headquarters located in Santa Clara, California. Negative reviews often pertain to customer experiences with unresolved claims, which isn't necessarily a reflection on VisitorsCoverage, but the actual insurance provider.

It's worth noting that VisitorsCoverage's customer support team is extremely responsive to customer reviews, usually responding within one or two business days to Trustpilot and Google Maps reviews.

VisitorsCoverage is not your travel insurance company but a liaison between you and different travel insurance providers. As such, it's no surprise that it does not handle your claims. However, it can assist you in navigating your claims and will attempt to reach out to your insurance provider if the process is delayed.

If you input your policy number on its website, the company can identify which travel insurance company you purchased your plan from. Then it will direct you to the right website or offer the address and correct claims forms. If you don't have your policy number, its website lists the different insurers it partners with and basic claims information. If you need to file claims, the most its customer service agents can do is direct you to the right company and plan administrator.

Remember to file your claim as soon as possible, especially when seeking reimbursement for covered medical expenses. In addition to the claim form, be prepared to provide the plan administrator with copies of your passport plus any medical bills/receipts.

VisitorsCoverage Frequently Asked Questions

 You can contact VisitorsCoverage by calling 1-866-384-9104 or email us at [email protected]. Business hours are from 7: a.m. - 5:00 p.m. PT, Monday to Friday. You can also chat with an agent through VisitorsCoverage's website chat function.

Yes, VisitorsCoverage has a specific search function for international trips as well as international travelers visiting the U.S.

VisitorsCoverage allows you to filter your search to only include policies that cover pre-existing medical conditions. 

VisitorsCoverage doesn't have its own claims filing process, but has tools to make your filing process with your insurance provider more user-friendly. It will also contact unresponsive claims offices on your behalf.

You can filter your insurance search based on companies that offer adventure activities. You'll need to conduct your own independent research to see if your particular sport is covered under a particular policy.

Why You Should Trust Us: What Went into Our VisitorsCoverage Travel Insurance Review

When writing this review, we researched and compared popular travel insurance companies based on myriad factors, including policies offered, add-ons, cost, convenience, claims process, and customer satisfaction. Information on numerous travel insurance products is used in the process, and opinions expressed are based solely on facts gleaned.

Neither marketing tactics nor standalone online reviews were used in compiling these ratings. As most customer reviews come from individuals who have yet to file a claim, an emphasis is placed on plans offered instead of services rendered. VisitorsCoverage is unusual because it's not the travel insurance company, but we reviewed it based on the support provided, its partners' coverage, etc.

You can learn more about how Business Insider rates insurance products here.

Editorial Note: Any opinions, analyses, reviews, or recommendations expressed in this article are the author’s alone, and have not been reviewed, approved, or otherwise endorsed by any card issuer. Read our editorial standards .

Please note: While the offers mentioned above are accurate at the time of publication, they're subject to change at any time and may have changed, or may no longer be available.

**Enrollment required.

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Which is the best international health insurance for digital nomads?

Safetywing and genki both offer full health insurance for long-term travelers. but are their products the best.

There are two kinds of health insurance for travelers:

Travel Insurance , which is a temporary, term-limited policy that covers you outside your home country, and which pays only for emergencies and “medically necessary” treatments — and also, hopefully, for medical evacuation to the best medical facility and, if necessary, back to your home country. Such a policy is usually purchased in addition to more comprehensive coverage in that home country, which is where you would probably go if you have a really serious or chronic illness.

Full International Health Insurance — sometimes called “expatriate” or “long-term international” insurance — which is full coverage outside your home country, and which is not term-limited and continues as long as you pay the premiums. These policies typically replace any other coverage you may have, although some people may also have some kind of “national” coverage back in their home country.

For complicated reasons , there are essentially only three companies that sell travel insurance that’s of practical use to most long-term travelers: Safety Wing, World Nomads, and Genki.

I recently compared all the companies, and I found a clear favorite: Genki. And a clear loser: World Nomads .

Last year, both Genki and SafetyWing (but not World Nomads) also started offering full international health insurance. Genki calls this their “Genki Resident” plan (as opposed to “Genki Explorer,” which is their travel insurance), and SafetyWing calls it “Nomad Health” (as opposed to “Nomad Insurance,”   which is   their travel insurance).

Why not just rely on plain old travel insurance, which is cheaper, for your international health care needs? Why pay for full insurance?

It has to do with the limited duration I mentioned above. Travel insurance may pay for some or even all of your health care needs while traveling, and it will pay for the duration of your term. But what happens if you come down with a serious or chronic illness and your term expires? You would then have a major “pre-existing condition,” making it essentially impossible for your illness to be covered by any other company.

At that point, you would have to pay 100% of your care out-of-pocket. And, of course, the whole point of insurance is to cover extreme, extraordinary mishaps that you couldn’t otherwise pay on your own.

One way or another, I think every traveler needs to be covered for both emergencies and longer-term or   chronic illnesses.

Michael and I carry a Genki Explorer policy — travel insurance — but we’ve made sure it has good medical evacuation coverage back to the U.S., our home country. And back in the U.S., we also continue to carry a bronze ACA/Obamacare policy. Because the ACA policy is subsidized due to our lower income — we are writers, after all — we now have very good coverage all over the world for a very low price.

Likewise, if you have an employer or nationalized health care plan, or you’re an American and you qualify for Medicare, you could safely rely on that coverage and travel the world with only travel insurance.

The other option for long-term travelers is full international health insurance, like Genki’s new Resident plan or SafetyWing’s Nomad Health.

How exactly do these two new policies compare — to each other, and also to the other companies’ existing products? Unlike travel insurance, nomads and long-term travelers have lots of different options for this kind of insurance.

That’s what this article is about.

Before I get down to the nitty-gritty, here are a few general notes about full international health insurance:

Many international plans require you to declare one country of residence, but they generally provide “worldwide” coverage (except for a few countries, outlined below); always ask for exact details. SafetyWing and Genki both provide coverage virtually everywhere in the world and do not require you to declare your residence in advance.

Because health care is so insanely expensive in America, “worldwide” international coverage works differently in the U.S. (and sometimes in a few other expensive countries or cities, like Canada, Hong Kong, and Singapore). In these places, international policies might only offer emergency coverage (and only for a limited time). You usually have the option to pay for expanded “full” U.S. coverage, but you have to choose this in advance of any illness, and it’s very expensive, probably doubling your premiums. Also, even this “full” coverage might have limitations, unlike in the rest of the world. All this said, I mention a hack below that will allow Americans to get this full coverage in the U.S. and Canada for much less money.

No international policy is Obamacare-compliant; the strict regulations of America’s Affordable Health Care Act are not in effect here. That means you can be denied coverage as a result of a pre-existing condition (or they may charge you more to cover your condition). On the other hand, these policies are still regulated, often in the EU (which has strong legal protections for the consumer). Once you have coverage, and you continue paying your premiums, you usually can’t be dropped because you get sick. But always ask where exactly your insurance company is based and regulated.

Speaking of Obamacare, many American nomads think, “I’ll just carry travel insurance while I travel, and if I get sick, I’ll go home, and I can’t be denied insurance even with a pre-existing condition.” But outside of the annual November enrollment period, you can only get coverage if you have a “qualifying life event.” Moving home for the purpose of receiving medical treatment definitely does not qualify . (And if you’re just returning to your previous location — a place where you’ve continued to receive mail, for example — that’s not considered a “move” anyway.)

In my opinion, all international insurance — travel or full — should have very strong medical evacuation coverage. The added cost to your premium is usually minimal, but medical transport can be very expensive: hundreds of thousands of dollars, or even more if a helicopter is involved. Lacking this coverage can easily bankrupt a person.

Finally, full disclosure: I’m not a medical or insurance expert. I’m just a long-term traveler who has a vested interest in this topic. I’m also an American, although a lot of this information applies to any traveler.

Keeping all this in mind, here are my assessments of SafetyWing’s new Nomad Health and Genki’s new Resident plan — followed by some other international insurance options for comparison purposes:

SAFETYWING’S NOMAD HEALTH

This is a new plan, started in 2023, offering full health insurance worldwide (including the U.S., Singapore, and Hong Kong, if you choose this expensive add-on). It’s complete health care coverage and can include prescriptions, dental, mental health, pregnancy, and more, and it lets you choose any licensed doctor.

Nomad Health offers two tiers: Standard and Premium. Premium pays for preventative care — check-ups, teeth cleanings, and the like — and also pregnancy.

It requires a twelve-month contract, which is renewable, but unlike SafetyWing’s travel insurance, you must fill out a medical questionnaire for this plan, and you can be denied coverage.

What I Like:

SafetyWing’s Nomad Health is straightforward and relatively affordable. The monthly premiums below are in USD. The column on the right is the premium with the U.S., Singapore, and Hong Kong add-on.

Nomad Health has no deductibles, and they offer a 10% discount if you pay the year in advance.

Their America, Singapore, and Hong Kong add-on lets you be residents of Hong Kong and Singapore, living there up to twelve months out of the year. But the American coverage only lets you be in that country six months in one year, and you can’t be a U.S. citizen or resident to use this aspect of the add-on.

What’s the catch?

Pay-outs are capped at $1.5 million in any given year for in-patient (more serious treatments), and $5000 for out-patient (less serious treatments). Both of these are on the very low end of insurance coverages.

You cannot get this coverage past age 74 (but if you have the policy, it will continue as long as you continue paying the premiums, which may rise).

Without the add-on, the Standard and Premium plans both limit their coverage in the U.S., Hong Kong, and Singapore to only 30 days per year, and it is a limited, emergency-only coverage.

SafetyWing's medical evacuation coverage is terrible — it maxes out at $100,000, and it’s much more limited than other companies.

Pregnancy coverage is only included in the Premium plan, not the Standard one, and requires a 20% co-payment. On this coverage, there is also a ten-month waiting period.

HIV/AIDS coverage is limited to $50,000 USD.

Brent’s Take

I wasn’t a fan of SafetyWing’s travel insurance, but I like this product better. The primary advantage is that it’s cheap. The problem is that, while it’s fairly comprehensive coverage, the pay-out limits are low, especially that $5000 out-patient maximum.

And as with their travel insurance, I’m especially annoyed by their stingy, limited medical evacuation coverage. Keep in mind that if you’re visiting the U.S. — where your coverage may be limited — and suffer a major injury or illness, they may not even pay for medical transport back to your home country. This means you could be stuck without coverage in a country with ridiculously expensive health care.

As a result, if you opt for this policy, consider supplementing it with better evacuation insurance, like Emergency Assistance Plus or DAN diver insurance (which isn’t just for divers). Both of these annual plans are very inexpensive.

Unless you have specific preventative needs, I would also probably not pay for the more expensive Premium option; I would simply pay out-of-pocket for preventive care. As Michael and I have traveled, we have generally found that, outside of America, health care is almost always fairly or extremely inexpensive.

Finally, SafetyWing’s America, Singapore, and Hong Kong add-on doesn’t cover Americans living even part-time in America, so it should never be purchased for this purpose.

GENKI RESIDENT

This is also a new plan, started in 2023, offering full health insurance worldwide (including the U.S. and Canada, if you choose the expensive “Region 2” add-on). It too is complete health care coverage,and includes prescriptions, dental, mental health, pregnancy, and more. It also lets you choose any licensed doctor.

Like SafetyWing, it offers two tiers, here called Resident and Resident Premium. With Premium, you’re also getting coverage for preventative care — check-ups, teeth cleanings, and the like — but it also includes perks like single room occupancy in hospitals.

Genki Resident requires a twelve-month contract, which is renewable until death, but once again, you must fill out a medical questionnaire, and you can be denied coverage.

Unlike SafetyWing, Genki Resident has no treatment cap limits. Except for some specific treatments, most of the pay-outs are unlimited, even for out-patient treatments.

Genki Resident has a plan with no deductible, but it also includes options with deductibles (at lower prices). Genki is more expensive than SafetyWing, but in many ways, it’s a better value. I also have a special “hack” to lower the price, outlined below.

Unlike SafetyWing, Genki Resident has no maximum age. You keep this policy as long as you keep paying the premiums (although your premiums will go up dramatically).

The company offers a telemedicine option and 24/7 emergency assistance via the AirDoctor app (which I really like: in remote areas, it can be hard to find reliable health care. Also, you can get your “silly” questions answered).

They include various benefits that other companies don’t, like a $10,000 search-and-rescue pay-out.

Their medical evacuation coverage is very solid. If you’re in an accident, you’ll mostly get to decide where you want to go. That said, if you use this coverage to return to your home country, the expectation is that you will have coverage there, and this policy immediately becomes void.

This is great coverage, but fairly expensive.

Without the Region 2 add-on, coverage in the U.S. and Canada is limited to six weeks a year, and it’s only emergency coverage.

Coverage in your home country, where you’re a resident or citizen, is limited to six months out of every year. Furthermore, you’re not eligible for home country coverage until you leave that country at least once.

There is no discount for paying a year in advance (Genki says it’s because regulations in Europe, where they’re based, do not allow them to charge different people different prices for the same product).

Dentures, tooth and jaw adjustments, childbirth, and psychotherapy may be only partially covered, and aren’t covered at all during the first ten months of insurance; eyesight correction surgeries ($2174 max pay-out per eye) aren’t covered during the first two years of insurance. Except for pregnancy, SafetyWing tells me they don’t have these time limitations — but they have pay-out limits too, and they don’t cover certain procedures, like eyesight correction, at all.

This plan is much more comprehensive than SafetyWing's Nomad Health with better pay-outs — and it also has superior medical evacuation coverage. But it’s also more expensive.

That said, the price can be greatly reduced with one of my secret “travel hacks,” at least if you’re a U.S. resident looking for full U.S. coverage.

Genki Resident offers six months of coverage in your “home country.” But what happens if your home country is the U.S.? Do you still need the U.S. add-on for full coverage there?

No! With Genki Resident or Resident Premium, you’ll have six months of full U.S. coverage every year even without the U.S. add-on (assuming you leave the country at least once after starting your policy). This is full U.S. coverage for up to six months for less than half the usual price.

And, yes, this is perfectly legal, and I’ve verified it multiple times (but please: do your due diligence, and, of course,   always get everything in writing).

All this said, keep in mind that you can’t use Genki's medical evacuation coverage to return to the U.S. from another country for medical treatment; if you did, Genki’s coverage would end immediately upon arrival. You also probably couldn’t use this coverage for transport from America to get treatment to some cheaper country. For Americans, this is a serious limitation.

But bottom line? If you’re an American and you need some full American coverage, this is an incredible value. In this respect, it’s far superior to SafetyWing, whose full coverage here is literally worthless, at least for Americans.

Finally, as with SafetyWing's Nomad Health, I would probably not pay for Resident Premium — unless you’re taking advantage of the above-mentioned insurance hack.

Comparisons to Other International Plans

When I analyzed “travel insurance” for nomads , my conclusion was clear: Genki seemed like far and away the best value over SafetyWing and (especially) World Nomads.

With full international insurance, the picture is a bit more muddled. SafetyWing's Nomad Health plan has serious limitations, but it’s also fairly cheap. Meanwhile, Genki Resident is more robust but expensive — especially for more-than-emergency U.S. coverage.

For greater context, I decided it might be helpful to explore the plans of other existing companies.

Unfortunately, every company does things a little — or a lot — differently, so it’s impossible to make direct comparisons. Unlike SafetyWing’s Nomad Health and Genki Resident, most international plans allow much more customization, raising or lowering deductibles, and adding or eliminating lots of different features. This affects the price — often dramatically.

Of course, price isn’t everything. Value lies in exactly what you’re paying for , not how cheap something is.

First, I looked at Cigna International , a popular choice. These are the premiums for their mid-range Silver Plan, always with medical evacuation coverage (which I think is essential ); with and without “out-patient” coverage; and with and without full U.S. coverage in the U.S. (although the non-USA plans include brief emergency coverage).

These numbers are with a $1500 deductible, which can be raised or lowered, changing the premiums.

I looked at Allianz (which is also one of the companies associated with Genki). This is their most basic plan, with a $1015 deductible and includes medical evacuation. I looked at options with and without full U.S. coverage.

And I looked at IMG Global Medical Insurance (GMI) . These are two different plans, a basic Silver plan, and a more premium plan, Xplorer Premier. These numbers are with a $1000 deductible, and both include medical evacuation. Again, I looked at options with and without full U.S. coverage.

These numbers tell me several things:

The prices for both SafetyWing Nomad Health and Genki Resident are both within the ballpark for what other companies are offering and charging (though Nomad Health does seem especially stingy on benefits and pay-outs; I think SafetyWing is relying on their name recognition among nomads to sell a somewhat mediocre product).

Full coverage in the U.S. is really expensive, and for Americans, my above Genki hack is a really good deal.

Prices can vary dramatically based on one’s age, region of coverage, deductible, and specific benefits — and a lot of these exact details are still confusing even to me.

Bottom line? There’s still more to figure out about this topic. Which means that, whether I like it or not, I probably have to research and write at least one more of these damn articles.

We're a longtime couple who decided in 2017 to sell our house in Seattle and travel the world as “digital nomads.” Subscribe to our newsletter to come along to the places we’re going next!

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Cover your travels: What every US tourist needs to know about insurance

By getting the right coverage, visitors can protect themselves from financial losses and enjoy their travels with less worry.

Traveling is an exciting adventure that offers unique experiences and memories to last a lifetime. However, unexpected events such as illness, accidents, or logistical complications can quickly turn a dream vacation into a stressful ordeal. To mitigate these risks, it is crucial for US tourists to understand the importance of travel insurance. This article provides a comprehensive guide on what every US tourist should know about travel insurance, ensuring a safe and smooth journey.

Understanding travel insurance

Travel insurance is designed to cover the financial risks and losses that might occur while traveling, such as trip interruptions, lost baggage, medical emergencies, and other unexpected circumstances. There are several types of coverage available and choosing the right one can depend on the nature of your trip, destination, and health conditions.

Reasons to consider travel insurance coverage

Trip interruption: This coverage reimburses the cost of a one-way economy air and/or ground transportation ticket if the insured person’s trip is interrupted due to the covered reasons as mentioned in the policy.

Medical emergencies: While many health insurance plans offer limited coverage overseas, travel medical insurance provides comprehensive coverage for illnesses or injuries that occur outside of your home country. This is particularly important for destinations with high medical costs, such as the United States, where tourists can face hefty bills in the absence of adequate coverage.

Emergency medical evacuation: This covers the cost of transporting you to the nearest equipped medical facility in case of a medical emergency in a remote location where immediate medical care may not be available. It is crucial for those adventure seekers traveling or hiking to remote or unstable areas.

Baggage and personal items loss: This insurance helps to replace the cost of your belongings up to a specified amount mentioned in the policy if they are lost, stolen, or damaged beyond use in a common carrier during the trip.

A ccidental death and dismemberment: Although morbid to consider, this coverage provides a lump sum to the beneficiaries in the event of the policyholder’s death or offer an amount to the policyholder in case of a severe injury resulting in loss of limb or eyesight while traveling.

Choosing the right insurance provider

Selecting a reputable insurance provider is as critical as choosing the insurance type. Look for companies that offer 24/7 customer support, comprehensive coverage options, and positive reviews from other travelers. Ensure that the provider is licensed and has a good standing in the industry.

How to purchase travel insurance

Travel insurance can be purchased directly from an insurance provider, through a travel agent, or via a travel booking site. It is advisable to purchase insurance right after booking your travel arrangements to maximize your coverage period, especially for trip-related benefits.

Tips for US tourists

Understand the exclusions: All insurance policies have exclusions. Common exclusions include pre-existing medical conditions , injuries caused by high-risk activities, and events related to alcohol or drug use. Make sure to read the fine print and understand what is not covered.

Keep documentation: In the event of a claim, having proper documentation is essential. Keep receipts, detailed reports from medical professionals, and any related paperwork to streamline the claims process.

Consider the duration and drequency of travel: Frequent travelers might find that annual or multi-trip insurance policies are more cost-effective than single-trip policies. Assess your travel habits to choose the most suitable option.

Check for travel advisories: Before traveling, check if there are any travel advisories for your destination. Some insurance policies may not cover travel to countries with travel warnings.

Travel insurance is an essential part of planning for international travel, providing peace of mind and security during unpredictable situations. By understanding the types of coverage and choosing a suitable provider, US tourists can protect themselves from significant financial losses and enjoy their travels with less worry. Remember, the best travel insurance policy is one that fits your specific travel needs and gives you the confidence to explore the world safely.

(Chiranth Nataraj, a contributing writer to the American Bazaar, is the founder of  Visitor Guard .)

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Chiranth Nataraj, a contributing writer to the American Bazaar, is the founder of Visitor Guard. He has more than two decades worth of experience in developing insurance and technology solutions.

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Travel insurance market set to reach $106.8b by 2032

The region showed the fastest-growing CAGR.

The travel insurance market is projected to surge with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 20.1% from $16.8b in 2023 to an anticipated $106.8b by 2032, according to Allied Market Research’s latest report.

Europe leads in revenue, buoyed by robust tourism and awareness of travel risks. Meanwhile, Asia-Pacific exhibits the fastest CAGR, driven by rising awareness and disposable incomes, particularly in countries like China and India.

The rapid growth in tourism, facilitated by online comparison sites and evolving travel regulations, propels market expansion. However, a lack of awareness about travel insurance policies poses a challenge. Nonetheless, product expansion and technological advancements offer growth opportunities.

In terms of insurance coverage, single-trip travel insurance dominates, offering comprehensive coverage.

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Yet, long-stay travel insurance is expected to grow rapidly due to increased demand from long-term travellers.

The insurance aggregators segment is poised for sustained growth, offering diverse policy options. Among distribution channels, insurance intermediaries lead with personalised services, while insurance aggregators show the highest growth due to their wide policy range.

Family travellers dominate the end-user segment, driven by the need for protection against unforeseen events. Conversely, business travellers exhibit the highest growth due to globalisation and increased corporate travel.

In terms of age group, 31-49-year-olds hold the largest market share, driven by active participation in travel and higher disposable income. However, the 18-30-year-old segment shows the highest growth, reflecting increased demand for adventurous travel experiences.