The Best Travel Insurance for Digital Nomads — My honest review of SafetyWing

SafetyWing is a perfect travel medical insurance for people like me who don’t know where they’ll be next month!

7 min readApr 16, 2024

I seek discomfort every day. I’m a risk-taker at heart, but one thing I would never risk is my health and safety, which is why I trust and recommend SafetyWing’s Nomad Insurance.

The most important thing to remember when planning your next vacation is to buy travel medical insurance.

I recommend SafetyWing’s Nomad Insurance.

SafetyWing offers coverage in over 180+ countries, and you can start and stop your policy at any time.

Today, I will tell you everything you need to know about SafetyWing, the best travel insurance for digital nomads.

What is SafetyWing?

SafetyWing is a brand-new travel medical insurance provider that launched in 2018.

Based in California, this Norwegian start-up is entirely remote and specialized in providing coverage for low-cost travelers and digital nomads, however you don’t have to be either to be covered.

Run by expats and nomads, they are well-aware of the needs of travelers of this nature.

SafetyWing offers budget-friendly basic insurance plans (called “Nomad Insurance”) for a fraction of what other companies charge for almost similar coverage. In my opinion, they are the best travel insurance company that is available on the market.

What Does SafetyWing Cover?

It costs just $56.28 for four weeks of travel (outside the US) with SafetyWing’s standard Nomad Insurance plan. That’s just $2.01 per day.

The following benefits are included in the plan for travelers under the age of 64:

$250,000 USD in emergency medical coverage
$1,000 USD for emergency dental care
$100,000 USD for medical evacuation ($25,000 USD if the cause of medical evacuation is acute onset of pre-existing condition)
$10,000 USD for an evacuation due to political chaos.
$5,000 USD for a trip interruption.
Up to $200 USD for a travel delay
$12,500–25,000 USD for death or dismemberment
$20,000 USD for repatriation of remains

Make sure you check the description of coverage for any conditions that apply.

The Electronic Theft add-on covers electronics such as laptops, tablets, and cameras for up to $1000 per stolen item and up to $3000 per policy. Only available for policies that are at least 28 days long.

You must have a proof of ownership, such as receipt, for the items you wish you cover with this add-on. See full terms & conditions here.

Adding the Adventure Sports add-on will provide you with coverage for activities such as kite surfing, parachuting, paragliding, skydiving, scuba diving, and more to the existing list of covered sports. Read full list here.

You are still not covered for professional, organized or rewarded sports, or for expeditions, and you are still required to ensure your safety

What’s Not Covered?

The main purposes of SafetyWing Nomad Insurance are to provide coverage for medical emergencies and common travel mishaps (such as delays and lost luggage). The following things are not covered by SafetyWing Nomad Insurance:

Pre-existing conditions or general check-ups
Alcohol- or drug-related incidents.
Extreme sports and adventure activities (unless you purchased the Adventure Sports add-on)
Limited coverage of stolen or lost personal items (unless you purchased the Electronic Theft add-on cover)
Cancer treatment
Trip cancellation
Lost or stolen cash

Briefly — The benefits of SafetyWing Nomad Insurance

Coverage in over 180+ countries — 180+ countries are covered, and you don’t need to let them know about your itinerary in advance.
Start and stop your policy at any time — If you want a cancellation or extension of your policy, you can do it whenever you want.
Adventure sports coverage add-on — Get coverage for over 30+ adventure sports, including cave diving, quad biking, and scuba diving, along with all the other activities that are already covered.
Electronics theft add-on — Get reimbursed up to US$1000 per item if your laptop, phone, camera, or other electronic device is stolen.
Visit any doctor — Visit any local medical provider and make a claim through your dashboard or mobile app.

SafetyWing Travel Insurance Pricing

For travelers aged 10–39, their standard Nomad Insurance plan costs just $56.28 USD. This is one of the most affordable rates for reliable travel insurance.

SafetyWing used to charge a $250 USD deductible when you made a claim, but that deductible is no longer charged. This makes the insurance even more affordable.

Although their coverage extends all the way to age 69, travelers aged 60–69 should expect to pay upwards of $196 USD per month for their travel insurance coverage.

In addition, the price of their basic plan jumps to $104.44 USD if you include travel to the US (again for travelers aged 10–39), but that’s still less expensive than a lot of their competitors.

Nomad Insurance Pricing Excluding the US :

Age 10–39: $56.28 per 4 weeks
Age 40–49: $92.40 per 4 weeks
Age 50–59: $145.04 per 4 weeks
Age 60–69: $196.84 per 4 weeks

Nomad Insurance Pricing Including the US:

Age 10–39: $104.44 per 4 weeks
Age 40–49: $171.92 per 4 weeks
Age 50–59: $282.80 per 4 weeks
Age 60–69: $386.12 per 4 weeks

How to File a Claim?

Using SafetyWing’s website, submitting a claim is simple.

All you have to do is upload the necessary documents, screenshots, and images, then wait for a response.

The majority of claims are processed in less than a week, while they can take up to 45 working days. As of 2024, SafetyWing’s average claim handling time is just four days.

That’s much faster than most companies!

You must file a claim within 60 days of your insurance expiration date. In some cases, you may need to let them know in advance so that they can make the necessary arrangements (such as for “Emergency transportation to a better equipped hospital”).

If you are hospitalized, you must notify them as soon as possible, at least before discharge. You may submit your claim as follows:

Pay yourself and submit a claim for reimbursement on the SafetyWing website, or email claims@safetywing.com.
Reach out to their 24/7 assistance so that they can arrange for the payment. This option is not available for all types of claims.

Pros and Cons of SafetyWing

To help you decide if SafetyWing is the best insurance provider for you and your trip, here are the pros and cons at a glance:

Pros:

Flexible subscription model allows for easy cancellation
Most affordable travel insurance out there
You can buy plans online even if you’re already on your trip
Easy to submit claims online
After being abroad for 90 days, you keep your medical coverage for 30 days in your home country (15 days if you’re from the U.S.)
Up to 2 children under 10 per family (1 per adult) can be included for free
24/7 assistance hotline
No need to set an end date (subscription renews every 4 weeks)
Coverage for a wide range of medical emergencies
COVID-19 coverage

Cons:

Only covers up to age 69
No trip cancellation coverage
No coverage for pre-existing conditions
No coverage for routine check-ups and preventive care
Limited coverage for certain adventure sports
Limited coverage for stolen or lost personal items (if electronics theft add-on purchased)
The claim process can be time-consuming

Is SafetyWing Nomad Insurance a good fit for you?

SafetyWing focuses primarily on providing medical coverage. It is designed for the budget-conscious digital nomad, so SafetyWing doesn’t cover several areas important to short-term travelers.

Check out this short list to see if SafetyWing is right for you:

Good for:

Super frugal, long-term budget travelers
Someone looking to only cover big expenses
People without lots of expensive electronics
Digital nomads who need medical coverage for long-term travel

Not good for:

People traveling with a lot of electronics
Anyone needing comprehensive trip delay or cancellation

It is always a good idea to have travel insurance before you leave the house.

Despite the fact that it may seem boring to read about and research, it can end up saving you hundreds or even thousands of dollars!

SafetyWing is a perfect travel medical insurance for people like me who don’t know where they’ll be next month!

So, the next time you travel, remember to fly with SafetyWing. Personally, I believe that SafetyWing is the best travel insurance company available for digital nomads and budget travelers.

Purchase SafetyWing’s Nomad Insurance now for a chance to win a month-long workation in a beautiful, digital nomad hub.

Thanks for reading this article. 💚

If you loved what you read, would you be able to buy me a cup of coffee? It’s okay if you can’t right now.

If you have any questions or if you wanna work with me, feel free to contact me. I’m always available to help young hustlers like you @InuEtc on Instagram.

Keep hustling!

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