Travelling and working around the world as a digital nomad gives you unparalleled freedom and adventure, but it also comes with unique risks and challenges. Unfortunately, things can and do go wrong when travelling, so I like to be prepared and always get travel insurance for all of my adventures. In this article, I’m focusing on SafetyWing Nomad Insurance to show you what they offer for travel medical insurance and other coverage for digital nomads and long-term travellers.
This article is written in collaboration with SafetyWing
Before I go into more detail about SafetyWing and their digital nomad insurance, please note that this article is information based on my personal opinion and experience of using SafetyWing nomad insurance. It is not a specific recommendation to buy insurance, and before buying any insurance, read the policy and other documentation carefully to ensure it provides the cover you need.
Who or What Is SafetyWing?
In the simplest of terms, SafetyWing is a travel medical insurance provider for digital nomads. But in reality, they offer much more than that. SafetyWing is building a global social safety net for remote workers, digital nomads, and anyone who spends long periods away from home.
Their long-term mission is to build the first country on the internet offering global health insurance, pensions and disability, as a replacement for national welfare systems.
They currently have two main products:
Nomad Insurance – Global health and travel insurance for nomads and remote workers. SafetyWing offers two coverage levels based on your needs: Essential, which is travel medical insurance, and Complete, which is full health insurance with extra travel protections.
Remote Health – One group policy designed for remote companies and globally distributed teams that offers a complete health insurance solution in 175+ countries.
You can also join the waitlist for their upcoming Nomad Citizen membership, which includes access to a global community and safety net. I’m looking forward to hearing more about that when it is launched!
In this article, I’m going to focus on SafetyWing Nomad Insurance, as that is the product I’ve used myself and is best for digital nomads like me.
Why I Buy Travel Insurance
I never leave for a trip without travel insurance. I was very glad I had insurance when my laptop and passport were stolen in Ecuador, as without insurance, I wouldn’t have been able to claim back money for my stolen belongings.
In addition to coverage for my belongings in case they get stolen, when I buy insurance I also look for health cover in case I get sick or injured while I’m away. Hospital bills abroad can be very expensive, so if the worst does happen, I know that my insurance will take care of the costs.
I also like to have coverage for lost luggage and trip cancellations, and make sure I’m covered for adventurous activities like scuba diving or horse riding, which I often do when I’m travelling.
Having electronics coverage for my laptop and phone is also very useful, as these are expensive items that are essential for my work as a digital nomad and blogger.
I have used SafetyWing travel medical insurance for several of my trips abroad, and while (thankfully!) I’ve never had to make a claim, I love how they make it really easy for you to buy and claim when you need to.
SafetyWing’s new Nomad Insurance plans are designed specifically for nomads and long-term travellers. The Essential plan covers the basics with options for adventure sports and electronics theft, while the Complete plan offers comprehensive health coverage with routine healthcare, mental health support, and maternity.
You can sign up before your trip or while you are travelling, there is coverage across more than 180 countries (coverage in the US is extra), and SafetyWing provide 24/7 human support and a simple claims process so you can get your money back within a few days.
If you’re looking for digital nomad travel insurance or health coverage for your next adventure, SafetyWing could be a great option for you!
SafetyWing Nomad Insurance
Essential Plan
SafetyWing’s Essential Plan is ideal for short-term nomads or travellers who need emergency medical coverage while abroad. You can choose fixed dates for short trips, or pay on a 28-day cycle – so if you end your trip, you can end your coverage easily.
Coverage includes:
- Treatment for new, unexpected medical issues while travelling
- Emergency medical coverage, such as hospital stays, surgeries, and medications
- Trip protection for lost luggage, travel delays and interruptions
- Medical evacuation and repatriation
- Up to 30 days of medical coverage in your own country (for visits home)
- Add-ons for adventure sports, electronics theft and US coverage
At the time of writing (April 2025), you can get coverage starting from USD $56.28 for 4 weeks.
This plan is not meant to cover ongoing health conditions, and doesn’t cover any pre-existing conditions. Routine checkups, vision, dental, maternity care or extended home visits are not covered.
Complete Plan
SafetyWing’s Complete Plan is designed for long-term nomads looking for both comprehensive health and travel coverage, wherever they are in the world. There is a minimum contract of 12 months, which can be paid monthly or yearly, and is renewable indefinitely.
Coverage includes:
- All Essential Plan benefits, plus routine healthcare, mental health, and maternity
- Routine medical care anywhere in the world (some restrictions may apply)
- Outpatient services, maternity care, mental health support
- Cancer screening and treatment
- Additional coverage for burglary, cancelled accommodation, and delayed luggage
- No coverage restrictions at home, designed for travel or settling in one place
At the time of writing (April 2025), you can get coverage starting from USD $161.50 a month
Pre-existing conditions are not covered. Any new conditions that arise during your cover will continue to be covered as long as the plan is renewed.
Get a quote here:
You can check the details of the policy and coverage on the SafetyWing website here.
What I love about SafetyWing:
Designed for Nomads
SafetyWing Nomad Insurance is designed specifically for digital nomads, so it doesn’t have the same restrictions that standard travel insurance policies usually have, such as a limit on the number of trips you take or the length of your trips.
When comparing insurance for my travels, I found that many travel insurance providers in the UK have a maximum trip limit of 30 days (with a few occasionally stretching to 90 days) or have strict rules about how long you spend in the UK in order to qualify as a UK resident. If you don’t spend enough days in the UK, the insurance becomes invalid, which was no good for me as a nomad.
This might vary depending on which country you are from or if you have a home base, but the flexibility of a 100% nomadic policy can be very useful!
It’s Flexible
Oh yes I love flexibility! SafetyWing’s Nomad Insurance Essential Plan works like a subscription, so you buy it for 4 weeks and it automatically extends every 28 days until you pick an end-date. You can restart it at any time and there is no cap on the duration of travel.
It is available to buy in 180 countries and takes 5 minutes to purchase with no pre-approval need. You can do it the same day you fly out, or even if your trip has already begun, so if you forgot to get insurance before you left, you can buy it when you’re already travelling.
You can even purchase coverage on behalf of the whole group travelling with you, just remember to add them as a group member to your plan when you sign up.
The Complete Plan is for a minimum of 12 months, so it isn’t as flexible, but it is designed specifically for long-term nomads who want coverage for a long period of time.
Fast Claims Process (Updated)
SafetyWing’s claims process is now quicker and easier than ever. Now you can start a claim with their new simple form in as little as 5 minutes and get reimbursed on average in 2.8 days. Plus, their customer care team is there to help you anytime 24/7, wherever you are in the world.
Electronics Theft Add-On (New)
The addition of adventure sports and electronics add-ons is a big plus, especially the electronic theft, as no digital nomad could work without their laptop or phone!
This add-on covers the theft of electronics like laptops, smartphones, tablets, drones and cameras for up to $1000 per stolen item, with a yearly limit of $3000 per policy. For the test quotes I did, the electronics theft add-on cost an additional $10 USD per 4 weeks on the Essentials Plan, which seems like a great deal to me!
The Electronics Theft Add-On isn’t currently available on the Complete Plan, but it’s coming soon, so look out for that!
Bear in mind that in order to make a claim you must have proof of ownership, like a payment receipt, for any items you want cover for, and it is only available for policies that are at least 28 days long.
In addition, the policy doesn’t include cover for items that get damaged, and like most insurance policies, they determine the reimbursement value of your electronic items based on their current value (so what they are worth now, and not what they were worth as new, which is standard practise for insurance companies).
Adventure Sports Add-On (New)
While the standard Nomad Insurance policy includes coverage for various sports and activities like horse riding, canoeing, surfing, and many others, the Adventure Sports Add-On extends the list of covered sports to include activities like scuba diving, kite-surfing, parachuting, paragliding, skydiving, and more for up to $100,000. Read the full list here
You are still not covered for professional, organised or rewarded sports, or expeditions, and you are still required to ensure your safety, for example by wearing appropriate protection like a hard hat for horse riding.
It’s Affordable
Coverage starts from just a few dollars per day for nomads aged 10-39 (currently $56.28 USD for 4 weeks) and there is $0 deductible on either plan, meaning you’re covered for even the smallest claims.
Reliable Customer Service
Nomad Insurance also includes 24/7 online customer care with great response times (less than a minute!) when you can talk to a real person who is also a nomad through their live chat! Or you can send them an email and expect a reply in 1-2 hours.
More than 100,000 customers trust SafetyWing, and they get great review averages on TrustPilot (4/5 from 1737 reviews) and Facebook (and similar scores at other review sites).
Visits to Your Home Country are Covered
For every 90 days, you can use your Essential Plan medical coverage for up to 30 days in your home country if something happens while you’re visiting home. That’s reduced to 15 days if your home country is the US, and you can’t start your coverage in your home country. On the Complete Plan, there are no restrictions for cover at home.
Family Friendly
I don’t use this feature personally, but up to 2 children under 10 go free with an adult policy, making it great for digital nomad families on a budget who have young children. Any additional children needing insurance will have the regular pricing for ages 10–39, but can be added to your group policy easily.
Added Perks
Who doesn’t love an extra bonus to sweeten the deal? As a SafetyWing member, you’ll also get access to exclusive discounts for coworking and coliving spaces around the world (check out the current list here). If you take advantage of some of these discounts, you could even cover the cost of your insurance, which would be fabulous!
Any Downsides to SafetyWing?
Check the Policy Carefully
This isn’t a downside but more of a precaution – as with any kind of insurance policy, make sure you read the SafetyWing policy and inclusions and exclusions carefully to make sure you know what is covered and what isn’t.
They cover a lot of things, but, for example (at the time of writing), the Essential plan does not cover pre-existing conditions, high-risk or professional sport activity, cancer, or maternity, in addition to flights, accommodations or excursions that were cancelled before you left or certain lost/stolen belongings. You can add on additional electronics theft and/or adventure sports cover if you like.
At the time of writing, the Complete plan also does not cover pre-existing conditions, as well as aesthetic or cosmetic treatments, orthodontic treatment, obesity or weight control treatments, over-the-counter medications, birth control, professional sports or gym or fitness memberships.
Cost Increases for Older Age Brackets
The only downside to all of this is that the cost of the insurance increases quite dramatically when you move into a different age bracket, so it’s definitely a better option for younger digital nomads below the age of 40.
The current price for 10-39 year olds jumps up for 40-49 year olds from $56.28 USD for 4 weeks to $92.40 USD, and again for the next bracket for 50-59 year olds (currently $145.04 for 4 weeks), and 60-69 year olds ($196.84 for 4 weeks). They don’t offer insurance for anyone over the age of 70.
Naturally, the cost of travel medical insurance does increase with age, so once you are 40 years old or above then I would still get a quote from SafetyWing but also look around for other providers to see if you can find something that offers the same flexibility and level of coverage but for a lower price. If you do, please let me know!
I hope this information about SafetyWing Nomad Insurance has helped you decide if SafetyWing is right for you. Overall, I think Safetywing is a great option for digital nomad insurance, especially if you’re under 40. The new options for travel insurance and full health coverage clearly lay out what is included, so you can choose the best cover to match your lifestyle.
I chose SafetyWing for several trips abroad, but luckily never had to make a claim – if you’ve made a claim with SafetyWing, I’d love to hear how you got on so I can include it in this review! I’d also love to hear your thoughts on SafetyWing or any other nomad travel insurance so I can compare them all. Happy travels!