Insurance is one of those things in life that none of us want to think about until we actually need it.
When we’re planning our trips or organising the next location to work from, getting insurance sorted out isn’t exactly part of the rock ‘n’ roll lifestyle we try to convince ourselves and others we’re living!
In fact, it feels like yet more red tape to pile up alongside the bureaucracy of applying for visas, getting vaccines, organising your finances and paying the dreaded tax bill!
But that’s where SafetyWing comes in, with its simple and easy-to-use dashboard, open and straightforward policies, and many integrated features made with long-term travellers and digital nomads in mind.
For those wanting to avoid the stress both before your trip and if you unfortunately ever needed to use your insurance, then we highly recommend SafetyWing.
I know insurance isn’t the sexiest topic in the world, but listen here, kids, when the proverbial hits the fan, you’ll be glad you took the time to think about it!
With that in mind, let’s cut the bull and get straight to the point. I honestly believe that SafetyWing Insurance is the best out there, and I’m gonna break down just why.
Ok, let’s have a little bit of a closer look at the things we loved about SafetyWing and a little more about them.
Who Are SafetyWing?
SafetyWing is a travel medical insurance company specifically catering for digital nomads, remote workers, and long-term travellers.
Launched in 2018, SafetyWing represents a young, adventurous and growing company made up of people like you and me who have been out there and know what life is like on the road.
They are also uniquely their own carrier. This means they can assess and pay out any claims quickly and efficiently without having to deal with any annoying third parties.
Honestly, they are one of the best travel insurance companies out there, and I’m gonna go into more details on why.
Nomad 2.0 – The Best Travel Medical Insurance On The Market
SafetyWing’s “Nomad 2.0 Insurance” is groundbreaking in its field and offers key features you’re just not going to see anywhere else.
This includes things like emergency medical expenses and emergency evacuation, alongside the ability to add on things like adventure activity coverage and theft of electronics.
But we’ll get more into the specifics in a moment.
The best bit, however, is that it’s all laid out in simple, easy-to-understand terms and you get 24/7 support from, yes, actual humans!
Plus, you can sign up for a monthly rolling subscription, which is perfect for those of us who never quite know what our plans are!
Another stand-out feature is that your travel medical insurance can be purchased once you’re already abroad and not just before you set off.
So, just like staying in a hostel, getting insurance is a necessary evil, but it might just not be as bad as you first thought.
Alright, we’ve kinda skimmed over it a little bit, but I want to tell you a bit more about the details of the coverage SafetyWing’s Nomad 2.0 offers because we’ve been super impressed with it.
Medical Coverage:
Up to $250,000 USD in coverage for emergency medical treatment and expenses.
Emergency dental treatment.
Hospital Room and board.
Family member transportation from your home country if you have an extended stay.
Emergency medical evacuation Up to $100,000 lifetime maximum.
Coverage for COVID-19, including mandated quarantine.
COVID-19 Coverage
Medical expenses related to COVID-19, including hospitalisation and related treatments.
$50 per day for a maximum of 10 days if you are quarantined due to COVID-19.
Trip Interruption and Delay:
Meals, accommodation, and transportation costs coverage for unexpected expenses if your trip is delayed due to unforeseen circumstances.
If illness or an emergency results in trip Interruption, you are covered for the costs of returning home early or rearranging your travel plans.
Adventure Activities and Sports:
As standard, many different sports and adventure activities are covered, including: hiking, cycling, snorkelling, surfing, canyoning, bungee jumping and climbing (at low altitudes).
Electronics theft add-on covering devices up to $1,000 per item if your laptop, phone, camera or other electronic device is stolen.
Adventure sports add-ons include activities like motorbiking, skydiving, scuba diving, paragliding and whitewater rafting.
SafetyWing Travel Insurance
SafetyWing
Travel insurance is one of those annoying things that no one likes to think about, let alone pay for, when you’re planning your next trip. It can also be bloody annoying as a backpacker/long-term traveller to find affordable coverage that meets the itinerary-less lifestyle (*cough* World Nomads *cough*).
So instead of getting subpar travel insurance, now we just always go with SafetyWing. It takes like 5-10 minutes to purchase your policy and essentially functions as a monthly subscription plan with near-global coverage!
It’s not just the coverage we love about the SafetyWing Nomad 2.0 cover; there are other benefits that make it stand out against the rest to be one of the best travel insurance companies on the market.
Worldwide Coverage:
Protection in over 180+ countries worldwide (Excluding high-risk countries which are: Belarus, Cuba, Iran, North Korea, Russia, Syria and Ukraine)
SafetyWing Nomad 2.0 coverage starts from $62.72 for 4 weeks (for ages 18-39).
Much cheaper than their biggest rivals, World Nomads.
Flexibility:
SafetyWing offers a rolling monthly subscription, which can be activated and cancelled, even mid-trip.
Travellers don’t need to book return flights or know when they might be ending their trip.
Policies can be purchased when you’re already abroad, which is uncommon amongst other insurance companies.
Ease of Use:
The signup process is simple and easy without the use of confusing jargon or policy wording.
The dashboard has been developed to make it as easy as possible to communicate directly with advisors and manage add-ons as well as cancel or pause any policies.
Claim Process:
SafetyWing offers one of the quickest and most streamlined claim processes with an average reimbursement time of 2.7 days.
The dashboard allows for quick submissions and an easy tracking procedure.
24/7 communication with advisors
No deductions/excess.
My Experience Claiming
As you can see below, I had a claim in September, which was super simple to submit via the app and was settled and reimbursed (with a direct bank transfer) within 8 days. I didn’t have to submit anything extra or difficult to get hold of. Just the medical report, invoices, vaccine card, receipts and my passport.
UPDATE – Within two months, I had two claims! My time “relaxing” in Bali after surviving South America was clearly going well. This time, I had an issue with one document I sent, but the team contacted me, explained the issue, and once it was uploaded correctly, paid out quickly. Interestingly, with this second claim, I had to pay in cash, which I was a little worried about. Just make sure you get proper receipts with a letterhead, stamp, and clearly showing your method of payment.
We can’t all be perfect, I know I’m absolutely not! So there are a few things here that you should know. SafetyWing Nomad 2.0 doesn’t cover.
Despite these, we still think they offer the best travel insurance on the market right now!
Pre-Existing Conditions:
Like many other insurance companies, SafetyWing doesn’t cover preexisting conditions, including those that are ongoing and chronic illnesses.
However, the acute onset of pre-existing conditions might be covered in some circumstances.
For specific details of what is and what isn’t covered, get in touch with their friendly team or read through the policy wording here.
Age Limitations:
Unfortunately, there is no coverage for travellers over the age of 70, so it’s not the best travel insurance for seniors.
Exclusions:
Conditions such as cancer treatment and maternity care are not covered by this travel medical insurance. If you’re looking for this type of cover, you should check out SafetyWing’s Nomad Health Insurance instead.
Oh, look, it’s me looking like a corpse in Vietnam after a bad bout of food poisoning! Image: The Roaming Renegades
Advantages of SafetyWing Compared To Other Providers
As I’ve said, I truly believe that SafetyWing offers the best travel medical insurance out there, from personal experience.
But some of the reasons why are:
Unbeatable value for money and much better prices in particular for long-term travel.
Specifically created with digital nomads in mind.
The ability to purchase once you’ve started travelling.
Monthly subscription model with the ability to cancel at any time.
Add-ons for additional activities and electronics are simple to activate when needed.
An easy and simple dashboard with 24/7 human support.
Covid-19 coverage
Quick turnaround on claims
Our Favourite Backpacks
Osprey Farpoint/ Fairview
We’ve used the Osprey Farpoint/ Fairview for all our backpacking adventures over the past 5 years and highly recommend them!
The main area of the pack opens like a suitcase, which is great for using packing cubes to keep everything organised and they even come with a detachable day pack!
Ok, so the burning question for a lot of people when it comes to travel medical insurance is how it stacks up against World Nomads. I know for a lot of travellers they are a go-to trusted provider, but after using SafetyWing for a number of years now, I honestly wouldn’t switch back.
Why? Well, here are some of the main reasons:
Cost – SafetyWing is much more affordable than World Nomads. In fact, SafetyWing is less than half the monthly price!
Length of Travel Covered – World Nomads offers a maximum trip length of 365 days, whereas SafetyWing is essentially unlimited with its monthly contracts.
Home Country Coverage – Another massive bonus is that you’re covered for the same benefits for a limited period when you are back home, something World Nomads doesn’t offer.
Better customer service – SafetyWing is always on hand and has a super quick turnaround time on claims compared to World Nomads.
It’s simple, easy and quick to sign up for SafetyWing Nomad 2.0 travel medical insurance. Just use this handy widget below to get your instant quote.
Or, just head to SafetyWing.com and click on “Sign Me up!”
Then you can tick this one off the list and get on with the fun side of planning your trip, knowing you’ve signed yourself up with one of the best travel insurance companies.
Is SafetyWing Worth It? Our Verdict
It sure is!
We’ve always struggled to find the right sort of cover for our trips whilst on the road. We’ve ended up either paying way too much or getting insurance that didn’t actually cover what we needed it to.
The hardest bit for us was that we love to ride motorcycles whilst travelling, we carry with us important electronic devices, and we never know when our trip will end or when we’ll be back home.
There are plenty of times when we’ve been caught out when our previous policy had run out, and yet, being already overseas, we were stuck when it came to taking out new insurance.
SafetyWing travel medical insurance just felt like it covered all these bases for us and more.
For the first time, we actually felt that our insurance company was made for people like us, by people like us.
People who genuinely wanted to help keep us protected whilst exploring the world, and not just take our money and leave us in the lurch.
For us, it’s this that makes them the best travel insurance for long-term travellers and digital nomads like us.
Our Review: SafetyWing Travel Insurance
9/10
Overall we highly recommend SafetyWing travel medical insurance to those who are travelling long term or are digital nomads.
I’ve met enough people on the road with either no insurance or, more commonly, subpar insurance that doesn’t actually cover what they’re doing and is just a total waste of money!
And I’ll be honest, I’ve been there myself too, and I’ve been so LUCKY!
But as I get older, I realise more and more that luck isn’t good enough on its own, and that’s exactly where good quality insurance comes in. One of the most valuable lessons I learnt whilst travelling was that good travel medical insurance isn’t optional!
If you’ve ever:
Slipped on a wet floor on the streets of KL because you’ve worn through the rubber on your flip-flops.
Gone swimming in the Mekong River after cutting your leg, and it’s predictably gotten infected!
Gotten licked on an open wound by a street dog in Bali!
Burnt your other leg multiple times on your partner’s motorbike exhaust pipe despite being warned repeatedly whilst biking across Vietnam!
Or you’ve just decided to opt for the niche aubergine dish at a dodgy-looking hotel restaurant and spent the next 3 days leaking more than a wet paper bag!
Then you’ll know why you need insurance.
* These may or may not be from personal experience… ok, they all are! :-p
Ok, let’s face it, if you travel for a long time, something WILL happen, and it doesn’t matter whether you’re in one of the cheapest countries to visit or somewhere expensive, you’re gonna want to be looked after well, right?
SafetyWing Travel Insurance
SafetyWing
Travel insurance is one of those annoying things that no one likes to think about, let alone pay for, when you’re planning your next trip. It can also be bloody annoying as a backpacker/long-term traveller to find affordable coverage that meets the itinerary-less lifestyle (*cough* World Nomads *cough*).
So instead of getting subpar travel insurance, now we just always go with SafetyWing. It takes like 5-10 minutes to purchase your policy and essentially functions as a monthly subscription plan with near-global coverage!
Right folks, there you have it. I know talking about the best travel medical insurance isn’t the most exciting subject, but as travellers, we often have a certain amount of admin to take care of before we can jet off.
For me, after years of worrying if we were properly covered whilst on the road, taking out a policy with SafetyWing has taken that burden away and allowed me to enjoy our time away with a greater sense of freedom.
If you’re heading off on a long-term trip or you’re a digital nomad, then I believe that SafetyWing offers the best international travel insurance money can buy.
Hopefully, you won’t have to use it, but hey, life is all about taking risks and with SafetyWing, at least you know someone has your back.
A few people have asked us recently how they could help us out on our travels, so we thought we’d add our very own tip jar for those who can’t support us by clicking through our affiliate links.
We work hella hard on this site to bring you all the most epic and up-to-date travel info from around the planet. So if you’ve enjoyed what you’ve seen, then we’d appreciate anything, no matter how small, you can contribute as a thank you.
Above all, thank you for being here and reading our content, it means the world to us.
Yes! SafetyWing is one of the best travel insurance companies on the market and is one of the only providers out there that I feel are legitimately trustworthy, transparent, and built with travellers in mind.
We can personally vouch for them here at The Roaming Renegades.
Pretty much anywhere in the world apart from a few high-risk countries including Belarus, Cuba, Iran, North Korea, Russia, Syria and Ukraine.
You are only covered in your home country for up to 30 days in your home country (15 days if your home country is the US), and only for unforeseen eligible medical conditions. Be sure to check the policy wording here.
You can and this is one of the main benefits of SafetyWing travel medical Insurance as many other providers don’t allow this or are mega expensive if they do.
Yes! Whilst many of us might think the pandemic is over and thankfully those dark days seem to have passed, Covid could still affect your plans and you just never know if it might rear its ugly head once again!
With SafetyWing you are covered just like any other illness, plus quarantine costs of $50/day for up to 10 days.
With the easy-to-use WorldTrips online portal, all you need to do is fill out a claims form and upload it with photos and/or screenshots of receipts.
Be sure to keep a record of anything and everything you can including all receipts and paperwork related to treatment and other costs.
They do! However, you will need to make sure you are not intoxicated and you also have the correct license to ride the bike you are on as well as wearing a helmet.
For transparency’s sake:Many of the links we have on our site are affiliate links. This means that when you click one of these links and make a booking or purchase, for example: accommodation, gear, insurance or transport, we earn a small commission (at no extra cost to you).Also, know that as an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases. Most importantly, know that we still only recommend services, gear and products we believe in and our earned commission helps us keep travelling and bringing you high-quality posts and content.
Yo, I’m Nic (they/them), one-half of The Roaming Renegades.
I’m an adventure (and halloumi) obsessed traveller with a passion for hiking mountains, exploring cities, watching Arsenal win, moshing out to Rammstein in random European fields and getting hopelessly lost on a motorbike somewhere in Asia! I am also a proud member of the LGBT+ community.
I’ve explored 80 countries, lived in Australia and New Zealand, and spent months wandering Southeast Asia, South America and Eastern Europe, all while trying to avoid growing up!
Did it work? I dunno, but my back hurts, and I still collect Pokémon cards! Who wants in?!
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