👉 Jump to: Best Digital Nomad Insurance | Travel vs Health Insurance | COVID-19 | Why I Don’t Use SafetyWing | FAQ
Are you looking for digital nomad insurance? Well, technically, there is no such thing. What you are probably after is actually digital nomad health insurance or digital nomad travel insurance (or maybe both). In this guide, I’ll explain the difference and where to find either option.
I’ll also explain why I no longer recommend the most famous name in the digital nomad space, as well as where I personally get my own health insurance these days instead.
Who am I? Hi, I’m Nate. I’m a travel writer and digital nomad who has been traveling the world full time for a half decade since I left my job as a corporate lawyer.
To help out fellow digital nomads confused by all the travel and health insurance offerings out there, I put this quick guide to finding digital nomad insurance.
Disclaimers: We are not insurance brokers. This post is for informational purposes. It is not insurance advice. Links are affiliate links. Using them supports this independent blog. See our Advertising Policy.
Best Digital Nomad Insurance Sites
#1 Health Insurance
Genki provides affordable health insurance for digital nomads as a recurring subscriptions. Genki is what I currently use for my own digital nomad health insurance.
- Health insurance made for digital nomads
- Choose your doctor
- Monthly subscription you can cancel anytime
- Not travel insurance
- Not available if age is 50+
4.5
Health & Travel
Insured Nomads sells both health and travel insurance specifically for digital nomads. You can customize plans based on how often you return home.
- Sells both travel & health insurance (separately)
- Easy to customize based on your needs
- "World Explorer Guardian" is combined plan for US residents
- Health plans require annual commitment
- Travel insurance quotes seem expensive
4.2
Travel Cover Only
VisitorsCoverage is a more traditional travel insurance company. They don't offer "nomad" specific plans, but their travel medical insurance policies may work for nomads on shorter trips.
- Easy & affordable quotes for short trips
- Can choose trip or medical coverage
- Will pull quotes for most ages & pre-existing conditions
- Only emergency medical care
- Not true "nomad insurance"
4.0
#1 - Genki Health Insurance for Nomads
#1 for Nomads (What I Use)
Genki
4.5
Genki provides affordable health insurance for digital nomads as a recurring subscriptions. Genki is what I currently use for my own digital nomad health insurance.
Pros:
- Health insurance made for digital nomads
- Choose your doctor
- Monthly subscription you can cancel anytime
Cons:
- Not travel insurance
- Not available if age is 50+
For my own health insurance as a digital nomad, I currently use Genki. Genki is a relatively new provider specifically marketed to the digital nomad community. It works as a monthly subscription, with pricing based on age and starting under $40 USD per month.
I really like that Genki allows me to choose any authorized healthcare provider and that there my deductible is just 50 euros. They also say there is no cost limit for most types of medical care, and reasonable limits for emergency dental car, mental illness treatment, and pregnancy care.
It's also great that Genki lets you choose whether coverage applies in the US & Canada. The US healthcare system is expensive, so you can pay more if you need that, but since I don't it's nice to get the cheaper pricing.
I also like that Genki says they'll cover me for sports injuries and COVID-19 treatment, which are both very important to me.
There are two big downsides I see with Genki. First, Genki does not provide quotes if you are over age 49. Second, Genki is only health insurance - not travel insurance (more on the difference below). For this reason, I often supplement my Genki health insurance policy with separate travel insurance policies, especially when I'm traveling somewhere risky.
#2 - Insured Nomads (Health OR Travel Insurance)
Health OR Travel Insurance
Insured Nomads
4.3
Insured Nomads sells both health and travel insurance specifically for digital nomads. You can customize plans based on how often you return home.
Pros:
- Sells both travel & health insurance (separately)
- Easy to customize based on your needs
- "World Explorer Guardian" is combined plan for US residents
Cons:
- Health plans require annual commitment
- Travel insurance quotes seem expensive
Insured Nomads is another insurance company specifically tailored for digital nomads. I actually met the founder of Insured Nomads while I was on the Nomad Cruise, and I was impressed with his overall professionalism.
What's unique about Insured Nomads as compared to Genki is that Insured Nomads sells both travel and health insurance. Compared to Genki, Insured Nomads gives you a lot of options to customize your coverage, which is really nice (although also potentially overwhelming for some).
Want a combined policy? For US residents they offer a World Explorer Guardian plan which offers trip cancellation and medical insurance rolled into one plan. This flexibility of coverage options is a major pro of Insured Nomads.
The big con of Insured Nomads, and the reason I personally haven't become a customer yet, is that they require a hefty one year commitment for their health insurance plans. I personally prefer that Genki lets me cancel anytime.
#3 - VisitorsCoverage (Traditional Travel Insurance)
Best for Shorter Trips
VisitorsCoverage Travel Medical Insurance
4.0
VisitorsCoverage is a more traditional travel insurance company. They don't offer "nomad" specific plans, but their travel medical insurance policies may work for nomads on shorter trips.
Pros:
- Easy & affordable quotes for short trips
- Can choose trip or medical coverage
- Will pull quotes for most ages & pre-existing conditions
Cons:
- Only emergency medical care
- Not true "nomad insurance"
The final option on our list is VisitorsCoverage. I have personally used VisitorsCoverage in the past to get travel insurance in Mexico. It's a comparison site where you can instantly get quotes from dozens of travel insurance companies.
Unlike Genki or Insured Nomads, VisitorsCoverage is a more traditional travel insurance company -- it is not marketed at the digital nomad community specifically. They do not sell full health insurance policies, but only "travel medical insurance" (for emergency medical care) or "trip insurance" (for flight cancellations, etc).
So the main drawback of VisitorsCoverage is that it is not a long-term insurance solution for digital nomads. But it may be enough for digital nomads and remote workers on shorter trips, if emergency medical situations are more a concern than routine ongoing medical care.
Travel vs Health Insurance for Digital Nomads
When people say "digital nomad insurance," there are actually two different types of insurance they might be referencing: travel insurance or health insurance. What's the difference?
Digital nomad health insurance is a type of policy that is similar to traditional health insurance, and typically includes cover for routine care and check ups. Digital nomad travel insurance, by contrast, typically only covers emergency health care but also often includes additional trip insurance benefits like trip cancellation or theft coverage.
Let's do a deeper dive, starting with digital nomad health insurance:
What is Digital Nomad Health Insurance?
Digital nomad health insurance is a name given to a type of coverage that is intended to function the same way as a normal health insurance policy: by covering both routine care and emergency medical expenses.
The general idea of health insurance is that it pays your medical expenses when you go to the hospital, but also pays for things like routine check ups and sometimes (depending on the plan) eye and vision care.
Depending on your plan, digital nomad health insurance might cover things like:
- Prescribed medication
- Vaccinations & tests
- Medical checkups
- Cancer screenings & treatment
- Psychiatric care
- Dental treatment & optical care
- Emergency medical treatment & ambulances
Of course, no insurance coverages 100% of all medical expenses all the time.
I personally consider how each of the following comes into play when assessing any nomad healthcare plan:
- 💸 Deductibles - this is an amount you'll need to pay out-of-pocket before any benefits kick in (example: a $500 deductible requires you pay your first $500 in total costs per year out-of-pocket)
- 💵 Co-Pays (or Excess) - these vary depending on the type of care, and are another out-of-pocket cost you need to pay first (e.g., a $50 co-pay for medication means you pay the first $50 for each claim, the insurer picks up the balance)
- ⚠️ Coverage Limits - these cap the insurer's liability for costs at a certain level. Most policies have overall coverage limits and also specific limits for types of care.
- ℹ️ Pre-Existing Condition Exclusions - if you have a pre-existing condition, you'll need to closely examine these to see what related care is and isn't covered.
- ✨ Other Exclusions - depending on the policy, various things might also be excluded (e.g., many health policies exclude costs for cosmetic surgery)
Compared to travel insurance, health insurance is typically both broader and narrower. It's broader because it typically includes much more health coverage for things like routine care (which can also make it more expensive). But it's narrower in that this type of coverage does not apply to things like trip delays or cancellations.
That's where digital nomad travel insurance comes in. Let's check that out next:
What is Digital Nomad Travel Insurance?
Travel insurance is a very different product than health insurance. Travel insurance is generally marketed to your more traditional tourist, who typically needs something like insurance for a Greece vacation of a week or two.
Typically, the risks of concern there are what happens if a hurricane hits, they get into a car accident, or they get robbed, or they suddenly need emergency medical care.
Unlike health insurance, travel insurance typically is not meant to cover routine medical care, check-ups, or dental or vision care.
Depending on the policy (always read the terms carefully!), nomad travel insurance may cover things like:
- 🆘 Emergency Medical Coverage - This is usually for emergencies expenses like if you twist your ankle hiking in Georgia, catch the flu while in Nigeria, or come down with a case of dengue in Thailand. Notice the difference between emergency and routine care.
- 🚑 Emergency Medical Evacuation Coverage - If you have an accident in a remote place like a mountain or island, evacuation coverage can become important if it applies.
- 💸 Third Party Liability Coverage - If you get into an accident, you might have to pay someone else's bills in addition to your own.
- ✈️ Trip Cancellation & Interruption Coverage - Trip cancellation and trip interruption coverage are meant to reimburse non-refundable expenses when a covered event interrupts or cancels the trip.
- 🚗 Rental Vehicle Coverage - Depending on the policy, some travel insurance policies coverage car, motorbike, or vehicle rentals. Check the terms carefully.
- ℹ️ Lost and Stolen Items Protection - Travel insurance may provide reimbursem*nt if you have items lost or stolen, though there are almost always limits and exclusions for high-priced items like laptops and cameras.
The problem with travel insurance for nomads is that travel insurance as a product was really designed more for short trips (the vast majority of vacationers travel for two weeks or less). Nomads need doctor visits and routine care, and travel insurance usually won't apply there.
The other issue is cost. For a week or two, many tourists find that the costs of travel insurance are worth the peace of mind it provides.
But since many digital nomads travel full time, the cost for year-round coverage of this type can start to become price-prohibitive for many nomads. During my first year of travel, I paid over $1,000 for my year-long travel insurance policy through World Nomads!
Digital Nomad Insurance & Covid-19
The bottom line with COVID-19 and digital nomad health insurance is that you need to carefully read the policy terms before buying anything. You should also understand COVID-19 presents a variety of risks, both travel and health insurance related, and that no one policy will cover everything.
Personally, I am most concerned about medical care in case the worst happens while I am traveling abroad.
One of the major reasons I am currently using Genki for my own nomad health insurance is that they are very clear in asserting that they cover COVID-19 medical care (although they are equally clear that they do not cover quarantines).
Why I Don't Use SafetyWing Nomad Insurance
Thanks to their robust marketing and referral programs, you have probably seen a ton of bloggers, Youtubers, and influencers talking about SafetyWing. SafetyWing markets itself as "Insurance for Nomads by Nomads" and "your home country on the Internet."
SafetyWing was the first provider I know of to specifically cater to the digital nomad community. When they released their "Nomad Insurance" product several years ago, many nomads welcomed it, myself included. It was nice, after all, to have a company that understood the unique needs of nomads (or so I thought). I became a customer myself and, for a few months, also recommended them as an affiliate.
Then the pandemic happened.
Spring 2020 was a truly scary time to be a digital nomad traveling abroad. It was exactly the sort of situation where the digital nomad community could have really benefited from a company that understood our unique needs.
Unfortunately, in my opinion, SafetyWing blew it.
SafetyWing initially refused to provide COVID-19 medical care coverage, despite the reality that COVID-19 was clearly an emergency situation (similar to dengue or any other viral infection) and despite the fact that their policies did not have a pandemic exclusion.
They instead relied on a strained reading of another exclusion to deny coverage, but never released a coverage opinion nor sought clarification from a court of law (which, in my opinion, they should have).
SafetyWing's team gave me a bunch of contradictory explanations that all seemed to basically boil down to "it's just too expensive for us to cover COVID-19 for everyone." I called them out on it repeatedly, and even did some math to show them that actually it was not that expensive to cover COVID-19 medical care (not that an insurance company's bottom line should be the deciding factor anyway!).
Many months after that post, SafetyWing reversed course and started covering medical care for COVID-19. That is a welcome development, but it only happened after I and many other customers had ended our coverage. Many of us felt abandoned during the single most stressful event to ever affect the nomad community.
In my opinion, the SafetyWing team really showed their true colors during those difficult months. I would need to see more evidence of true organizational change before I would trust them again with my personal insurance or as a recommendation to my readers.
FAQs About Digital Nomad Insurance
Do digital nomads have health insurance?
Most digital nomads from the US will not be covered abroad by their domestic health insurer, although policies vary by company. Digital nomads can separately find health insurance catered to their needs through companies like Insured Nomads or Genki.
How much does digital nomad insurance cost?
The cost of health or travel insurance for digital nomads varies based on a number of factors, including age, pre-existing conditions, and country of origin. I searched these 3 sites for nomad insurance, and found that health insurance quotes starting at around $40 USD per month, and travel insurance quotes starting at around double that.
***
#1 for Nomads (What I Use)
Genki
4.5
Genki provides affordable health insurance for digital nomads as a recurring subscriptions. Genki is what I currently use for my own digital nomad health insurance.
Pros:
- Health insurance made for digital nomads
- Choose your doctor
- Monthly subscription you can cancel anytime
Cons:
- Not travel insurance
- Not available if age is 50+
That's it for this guide to digital nomad insurance. I hope it's been informative on your journey to finding the best nomad insurance (whether travel or health insurance, or both) for your needs.
Always remember only you or a licensed broker can choose insurance, always read the full terms and conditions, and be skeptical of anything that sounds too good to be true.
Interested in more articles about the nomad lifestyle? Check out all our digital nomad guides.
I hope this guide helped you understand the complexities of digital nomad insurance a little better. Happy travels!
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