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


Their protection extends all the way in which to age 69, nevertheless, vacationers aged 60-69 ought to count on to pay upwards of $196 USD per 30 days for protection. Nonetheless very cheap, to be trustworthy.
However is the protection really good? What in regards to the customer support?
Right now I wish to overview Security Wing and discuss when it’s — and isn’t — price utilizing so you possibly can higher put together on your subsequent journey and guarantee you’ve gotten the protection you want.
What Does SafetyWing Cowl?
SafetyWing’s commonplace Nomad Insurance coverage plan is the Important plan. It’s simply $56.28 USD for 4 weeks of journey (exterior the US). That works out to simply $1.87 USD per day!
For vacationers beneath age 64, that plan contains the next:
- $250,000 USD in emergency medical protection
- $1,000 USD for emergency dental care
- $100,000 USD for medical evacuation ($25,000 USD if the reason for medical evacuation is acute onset of pre-existing situation)
- $10,000 USD for an evacuation as a result of political upheaval
- $5,000 USD for a visit interruption
- As much as $100 a day after a 12-hour delay interval requiring an unplanned in a single day keep. Topic to a most of two days.
- $12,500–25,000 USD for loss of life or dismemberment
- $20,000 USD for repatriation of stays
Make sure you examine the outline of protection for any circumstances that apply.




Its $100,000 USD for medical evacuation is on the low finish, however except you’re heading out into the distant wilderness, that needs to be nice. (If you’d like greater protection, get MedJet.)
Its travel-delay payout is fairly low, however airways and most journey bank cards present journey delay help too so that you won’t even want the protection supplied by SafetyWing. Moreover, it doesn’t actually cowl costly electronics, which sucks in case you have an expensive digital camera or video gear.
As with most traditional journey insurance coverage, this one doesn’t embrace pre-existing circumstances or sure journey sports activities, so it’s not a very good coverage for those who’re going to do quite a lot of journey actions on the street.
They do provide a pair useful add-ons that I feel quite a lot of vacationers will recognize, together with protection for journey actions and electronics theft. That implies that for those who want the protection, you possibly can pay further for it. Nonetheless, for those who don’t want it then you definitely don’t need to pay for it, holding your prices low. I recognize that, as somebody who at all times wants digital protection however who by no means wants journey exercise protection (I’m not a giant adrenaline junkie).
What’s Not Coated?
The Important plan is primarily geared in the direction of overlaying medical emergencies and primary journey mishaps (like delays and misplaced baggage). Listed here are some issues that aren’t coated:
- Alcohol- or drug-related incidents.
- Excessive sports activities & journey actions (except you buy the journey sports activities add-on, which is obtainable for non-US residents)
- Pre-existing circumstances or normal check-ups
- Journey cancellation
- Misplaced or stolen money
Nomad Full: Protection for Digital Nomads and Lengthy-Time period Vacationers
In 2023, SafetyWing launched Nomad Well being (now known as their “Full” plan). It’s insurance coverage for digital nomads, distant employees, and long-term vacationers. This new plan presents a mixture of the usual emergency protection that we’ve been discussing above together with “common” well being care protection, comparable to routine visits and preventive care.
The Full plan additionally presents protection in 175 nations, contains wellness advantages, psychological well being care, and the power for people to decide on their very own physician whereas touring. They are going to be increasing protection too, together with an add-on for “electronics theft” (which, as somebody who has been robbed whereas touring, I feel is a superb thought).
It’s just like the type of medical health insurance you’d discover in your house nation, guaranteeing that you just’re taken care of it doesn’t matter what occurs when you’re overseas.
You may be taught extra and evaluate the plans right here.
In case you’re simply heading out for a pair weeks or a pair months, SafetyWing’s Important plan is the choice for you. It’s excellent for emergencies, is tremendous inexpensive, and is designed for finances vacationers. It’s the plan I exploit after I journey lately.
Nonetheless, for those who’re going to be working overseas or touring for months (or years), then their new Full plan is the higher choice. It presents far more protection whereas nonetheless being inexpensive. In truth, it’s the plan I want I had after I began touring long-term!
You may be taught extra in regards to the Full plan in my devoted overview.
Making a Declare
SafetyWing makes it simple to file a declare by their on-line portal. You simply add all of the required paperwork, screenshots, and photographs, and wait to listen to again. Whereas claims can take as much as 45 enterprise days, most are dealt with in lower than every week (as of writing, the typical wait time is 4 days).
In case you learn the evaluations on-line, most individuals who had a detrimental expertise both didn’t know in regards to the deductible (SafetyWing eliminated their deductible for non-US residents as of 2024) or hated the size of time it took to receives a commission. However that’s fairly regular for folks to complain about.
On the plus aspect, SafetyWing’s common time to deal with a declare is down to simply 4 days. That’s manner quicker than most firms!
A Word About COVID
SafetyWing does embrace protection for COVID-19. So long as the virus was not contracted earlier than your plan begins, then it is going to be coated (so long as it’s medically mandatory).
SafetyWing additionally covers quarantine prices (exterior your own home nation) for as much as $50 USD/day for 10 days (offered that you just’ve had your plan for no less than 28 days).
Professionals and Cons of SafetyWing
Right here’s a glance that the professionals and cons of SafetyWing at a look that can assist you resolve if it’s one of the best insurance coverage supplier for you and your journey:
Most inexpensive journey insurance coverage on the market
Solely covers as much as age 69
Affords protection for COVID-19
Restricted protection for gear/electronics
You should purchase plans on-line even for those who’re already
in your journey
Restricted protection for journey actions
Straightforward to submit claims on-line
No journey cancellation protection
After being overseas for 90 days, you retain your
medical protection for 30 days in your house
nation (15 days for those who’re from the U.S.)
As much as 2 youngsters beneath 10 per household
(1 per grownup) will be included at no cost
No must set an finish date (subscription
renews each 4 weeks)
Two completely different plans imply you possibly can simply discover one which works for you/your finances
Who’s SafetyWing Good — and Not Good For?
SafetyWing is designed as primarily medical protection. Since SafetyWing is designed for the budget-conscious digital nomad, it doesn’t cowl some areas that is perhaps extra of a precedence for a shorter-term traveler. Right here’s a fast chart that can assist you resolve if SafetyWing is best for you:
Funds vacationers
Folks touring with a TON of electronics
Somebody on the lookout for easy emergency protection
Anybody needing complete journey delay
or cancellation
Folks with out plenty of costly electronics
Folks doing extreme excessive sports activities/actions
Digital nomads who want medical protection
for long-term journey
Journey insurance coverage is one thing I by no means depart house with out. I do know it’s a boring subject to examine and analysis, however it may possibly actually prevent a whole lot or 1000’s of {dollars} in payments! I by no means, ever depart house with out it. You shouldn’t both.
So, the following time you’re on the street, contemplate SafetyWing. To me, they’re one of the best journey insurance coverage firm on the market for finances vacationers.
You should utilize the reserving widget beneath to get a quote (it’s free):
E-book Your Journey: Logistical Ideas and Methods
E-book Your Flight
Discover a low-cost flight by utilizing Skyscanner. It’s my favourite search engine as a result of it searches web sites and airways across the globe so that you at all times know no stone is being left unturned.
E-book Your Lodging
You may guide your hostel with Hostelworld. If you wish to keep someplace apart from a hostel, use Reserving.com because it persistently returns the most affordable charges for guesthouses and lodges.
Don’t Overlook Journey Insurance coverage
Journey insurance coverage will defend you in opposition to sickness, harm, theft, and cancellations. It’s complete safety in case something goes fallacious. I by no means go on a visit with out it as I’ve had to make use of it many instances previously. My favourite firms that provide one of the best service and worth are:
Need to Journey for Free?
Journey bank cards help you earn factors that may be redeemed at no cost flights and lodging — all with none further spending. Try my information to selecting the correct card and my present favorites to get began and see the newest greatest offers.
Want a Rental Automobile?
Uncover Automobiles is a budget-friendly worldwide automobile rental web site. Irrespective of the place you’re headed, they’ll have the ability to discover one of the best — and least expensive — rental on your journey!
Want Assist Discovering Actions for Your Journey?
Get Your Information is a large on-line market the place you’ll find cool strolling excursions, enjoyable excursions, skip-the-line tickets, non-public guides, and extra.
Able to E-book Your Journey?
Try my useful resource web page for one of the best firms to make use of once you journey. I listing all those I exploit after I journey. They’re one of the best at school and you may’t go fallacious utilizing them in your journey.