SafetyWing Insurance: An Affordable Choice for International Travelers & Digital Nomads
Travel is so unpredictable. As much as I would like to carefully plan the perfect itinerary, there is always something bound to happen. Almost every trip we have taken, there has been a near miss – from almost missing our flight home while in Munich to almost falling cliff-side while hiking the Pyrenees in Spain. And, then there are the times when we relied on our home health insurance coverage to treat my second-degree sunburn in Mexico and my high fever and flu while in Venice and Rome. But, the one time we didn’t get travel insurance was when we really needed it the most. Our flight home from NYC to Toronto was cancelled due to incremental weather (a thunderstorm in July no less!) which caused an out-of-pocket expense of an additional night stay and food, in one of the most expensive cities in the world. So, yes lesson learned, accidents and emergencies can and do happen.
When I was asked by SafetyWing if I would be interested in writing a blog post about their product, I needed to seriously think about it. I know firsthand how important, and necessary, travel insurance really is, but I needed to make sure that this is a company I would personally use for my next trip. So, I did some thorough research and will share my honest opinion where I think SafetyWing excels and where it falls short.
Disclosure: if you click on the SafetyWing links, at no additional cost to you, I will earn a commission if you decide to make a purchase. If you have any questions please use the comments section below, I’m always happy to answer any of your questions.
SafetyWing Insurance is primarily designed to meet the medical and travel needs faced by digital nomads and remote workers while they are outside of their home country. Their goal is simple, to build a global safety net for digital nomads and remote workers to feel secure and protected the same way that most positioned-based employees get to enjoy. As an HR Professional (yes, that is my real job), I can attest to the fact that the emerging future workforce are entrepreneurs and online-based freelancers, those who can work from anywhere there is internet, and yes that includes while traveling, so I believe it is important that they have the same access to affordable health and travel insurance too.
What's their Vision?
I love their story. The co-founders, all from Norway, a country which provides one of the best and strongest safety nets for their residents, discovered a crack in that support system, and the only option at the time (and now competitor) was Digital Nomads. They found that they were just too expensive and that they didn’t focus on that high touch customer experience they were looking for. And so, SafetyWing was born.
SafetyWing are true community builders. They want to develop strong social bonds by hosting events (both online and offline) in cities around the world so that members feel connected to each other, to create the experience of always having your village nearby, wherever you are in the world. The entire team themselves are fully remote, representing various locations around the world. Don’t you just love that?!
SafetyWing is a Y-Combinator company and the insurance is underwritten by Lloyd’s partnership with Tokio Marine which is one of the largest and most reputable insurance companies in the world. All claims are handled by Tokio Marine directly, who offer 24/7 support when a person is in need.
World Nomads
Cost
SafetyWing coverage starts at approximately $37+/4 weeks (for ages 10-39 years old, price increases 40+)
Cost
World Nomads coverage starts at approximately $116+/month (2-tier plans)
Plan Options
Super simple, one plan
Plan Options
Choose from 2-tiered plans – the “Standard” and the “Explorer”
Coverage (Key highlights only)
- Travel delays out of your control (excludes missed flights) up to $5,000
- No trip cancellation
- Only lost checked luggage is covered up to $3,000 (excludes electronics gear, but they want to expand this coverage later in 2019)
- Worldwide coverage (excludes North Korea, Cuba and Iran)
- Health coverage for unexpected injuries and illnesses (includes dental emergencies, hospital stay, prescriptions, doctors, and emergency medical evacuation / extraction) AND, up to $250,000 (with $250 deductible)
- Health coverage not covered for pre-existing conditions, cancer treatment, routine checkups, preventative care
- Personal Liability Coverage = $10,000
Coverage (Key highlights only)
- Travel delays out of your control (includes missed flights) up to $2,500
- Trip cancellation (due to unforeseen events) up to $2,500
- Lost checked luggage up to $1,000 and stolen / damaged gear (need to refer to full policy for all the details on this coverage)
- Worldwide coverage (no exclusions)
- Health coverage for unexpected injuries and illnesses (includes dental emergencies, hospital stay, prescriptions, doctors, and emergency medical evacuation / extraction) AND up to $100,000
- Health coverage not covered for pre-existing conditions, cancer treatment, routine checkups, preventative care
- Personal Liability Coverage = none
Company Review (by TrustPilot)
- Has an overall positive review
Company Review (by TrustPilot)
- Has an overall average review
- Extremely affordable Let’s face it, price matters! It doesn’t matter if you are a student or a retiree or somewhere in between, we all want the best coverage at the best price. And, SafetyWing has the entire insurance industry beat – they offer the best coverage at its price point.
- Worldwide and Home Coverage They offer worldwide and home country coverage too. There is no other provider that does this. It includes 30 days for every 90 days of medical coverage in your home country (unless you’re a US citizen–then you get 15 days of coverage for every 90 days when you are back home).
- Free Coverage for Young Children They offer free additional travel medical coverage of one child, age 14 days to 10 years, per paying adult in the family (up to 2 children). This is perfect for those families who love to travel.
- Flexible Coverage They operate very much like a subscription. You have the flexibility to choose when the coverage starts and ends, even at a minutes notice. Everything is done online and at the click of a button.
The two biggest gaps are:
- High risk sport activities are not covered by SafetyWing, but some may be covered by World Nomads under their “Explorer” policy. The distinction here is extreme. Here are a few examples of what is not covered by SafetyWing, heli-skiing, hang-gliding, kite surfing, running with the bulls. Extreme right? So, for the average adventuresome traveler like me, you will still be covered. Refer to the full list of exclusions on page 19 of the policy.
- Electronics and gear coverage is not covered by SafetyWing (unless it is part of checked baggage), but is by World Nomads under their “Explorer” policy. It only makes sense to pay for this premium if you have professional and top-of-the-line photography equipment and gear. SafetyWing is set to revise their policy in 2019 to address this gap.
How does the claim process work?
Sign onto SafetyWing’s online claims portal and fill out a single and simple medical claims form. Next, email the form along with scanned copies of all relevant receipts. You will receive an email notification that the claim has been received (usually within 24 hours) and what next steps may include. You can track each step of the claim process via their online portal, Client Zone.
After the claim has been reviewed and evaluated you receive a letter outlining your benefits (or information on how to appeal the claim if you feel the decision was inappropriate). This last step is usually within 4-6 weeks.
What are some travel insurance tips?
- Please read the fine print carefully. Even when there is coverage, know every detail.
- Find out what coverage you already have and determine what’s missing or where you might need extra coverage.
- Know how the plan works, so that in the event of an illness or emergency, you already know what to do and follow their claim process.
- Keep copies of all receipts and related information.
Travel insurance is one of the most important things that you can purchase for any international travel. So, whether you are going for a week or a year-long trip around the world, it is something that you should consider very seriously.
If you would like to receive a free quote, or you are ready to sign up – click here SAFETYWING.
Safe travels!
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38 Comments
Natasha
Travel Insurance is so important! Thanks for sharing!
The.Holidaymaker
Thank you for your comment Natasha!
Carol Colborn
Seriously considering this for our next trip out of the country, 3 months into Mexico starting January 1. Very affordable and no gaps for not an explorer!
The.Holidaymaker
Thank you Carol for your comment. It takes a matter of a couple minutes to get a quote, and then you know what you need to budget for. Wow, 3 months in Mexico during winter sounds wonderful!
Jane Frith
Travel insurance is so important. I would not consider going abroad without it. We usually just buy an annual policy and renew it every year. As skiers it is especially important to have mountain rescue cover and full medical cover. It sounds like Safetywing have all this covered. Insurance is one thing I do not mind paying for and hope I never need!
The.Holidaymaker
Thanks for your comment Jane and sharing your experience with travel insurance. You may want to check out the cost of SafetyWing, it acts like a subscription so you can start and end it at any time, and that might be more cost effective than annual coverage. But you are right, read the fine print about skiing and mountain rescue. That is all spelled out in their policy of when it is and is not covered.
Kit
It’s good to see that there are more options available especially for a lower cost. It definitely pays to do your homework. Thanks for the comparison — that’s helpful.
The.Holidaymaker
You are most welcome Kit, I am glad you found it helpful.
Paula Morgan
This looks like a fairly decent policy providing you don’t need trip cancellation which many nomads don’t cause they are already on the road. The other thing to check for is the altitude of where you are going. Make sure they cover you if you are hiking at a specific height. We ran into this when planning a trip recently.
The.Holidaymaker
You are right Paula, always check the small details of the adventure activities. All policies will state inclusions and exclusions, especially on some of the higher risk activities like hiking, scuba diving, etc. They are clearly spelled out in SafetyWing’s policy. Thanks for your comment and sharing your travel advice.
Jeremy
That’s a really comprehensive comparison ! And yes, really important to buy travel insurance when travelling ! =)
The.Holidaymaker
Thank you Jeremy for your comment. I am glad you found it helpful.
April
Thanks for sharing! We never purchased other insurance as our credit card includes travel insurance if we used it! Do you advise in purchasing another insurance aside from cc coverage or if you have it already it’s enough?!
The.Holidaymaker
Great question April! I have always relied on my credit card too, but having looked into it further realize it offers very limited coverage and only in certain circumstances. It is always best to read the fine print of the credit card’s policy to know what is and is not covered, that includes any travel insurance you may have with your employer as well.
Catherine
Medical and travel coverage is essential for digital nomads who can expect the unexpected. SafetyWing looks like a great option with reasonable fees.
The.Holidaymaker
Thank you Catherine for your comment. I completely agree with you and happy to share this alternative with others.
Josy A
This is really helpful. I have been trying to work out what travel insurance to buy for our next trip. Back in the UK there are plenty of websites that help compare various insurance policies, but I didn’t find anything similar while I live in Canada. I’ll take a peek at Safety Wing.
The.Holidaymaker
That’s great Josy! Yes, being Canadian also, I did a little digging on what coverage would be honoured here to see what medical centres would be offered as a point of reference, and only the well-known and reputable hospitals were listed. Thanks for your comment.
Elizabeth
I love this post! I’ve considered World Nomads, so it’s nice to see a side-by-side comparison.
The.Holidaymaker
Yes, World Nomads has dominated the market for so many years with very little competition, that is until SafetyWing came along.
Jenn and Ed Coleman
We are looking to go location independent in two years and leave the traditional cooperate coverage. All my friends say “What about medical coverage?!>>!!!!” (Did I get enough punctuation?) It looks like Safetywing ad 37$/month would totally work. We might be in the old people doing dangerous sports category, but those are just details. It’s hard to believe that so many people dread this concept when it’s solved by $500/year or so.
The.Holidaymaker
Congratulations on your upcoming adventure! I am sure it will be everything you hope it will be, and more!
When it’s time, hopefully you will remember SafetyWing as one of those companies you might check out to see if it meets your needs.
Thank you for your comment.
Candy
I recently purchased insurance through SafetyWing for my trip to London and it was extremely affordable. Thankfully my trip went smoothly and I didn’t have to fil any claims. I don’t have any children but it’s great that they cover up to 2 kids free of charge.
The.Holidaymaker
That is great of you to share that you used SafetyWing Travel insurance for your last trip. Thankfully you didn’t have to file a claim, but likely were able to enjoy your trip knowing that if anything were to happen that you had great coverage at an affordable rate. Yes, the added bonus for families is that children are covered up to age 14.
Kristina
What a comprehensive guide. Thank you for sharing. I always get a random travel insurance for my travels and never really look at what’s included. Im disappointed that it doesn’t cover electronics however as drones are very expensive and definately needs cover.
The.Holidaymaker
Hi Kristina, yes SafetyWing is exploring including electronics later this year as they look to revise their policy plan. Thank you for your comment.
Kevin | Caffeinated Excursions
I’ve read one or two other posts on SafetyWing but had no idea what their backstory was until now. I also like how you include who they work with (Tokio Marine). After reading your post, I’m even more likely to consider them for my next trip! It seems like they have the right idea for a different type of customer than Global Nomads.
The.Holidaymaker
Thank you Kevin for your comment. I am glad that added a bit more information you already had about them and that you may consider them for your next travels. Yes, the back story is always important to me, it speaks volumes in terms of the customer experience and that is important when you are looking at differentiators.
FS Page
We travel abroad so many times and never thought of getting such insurance. Of course, we had to spend more on many occasions when we got stuck or sick. Insurance from SafetyWing seems to be a good choice for the nomads out there. Thanks for the insights.
The.Holidaymaker
Thank you for sharing your personal experience. I hope that SafetyWing Travel insurance gives you an affordable option in the future.
Shreya Saha
Travel insurance is important indeed. Safetywings seems very effective. I liked your tips where you mentioned that it is really important to see how your insurance plan works so you know what to do during emergency, when it’s needed.
The.Holidaymaker
Thank you Shreya for your comments. I am glad that you found this information helpful.
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The.Holidaymaker
Thank you kindly for your comment. I am so happy that you find this helpful and will refer to this link when you are ready to get some travel insurance.
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Everyone loves it when people come together and share views.
Great blog, stick with it!
Linda (LD Holland)
As Canadians, travel insurance is always an add on to a provincial plan. But we are considering a long term stay out of country and need to look at insurance products like SafetyWing to see if it meets these needs. Good to see how it compares to World Nomads. It would be interesting to see how each company has addressed Covid coverage.
The.Holidaymaker
Yes, they have updated their policy to reflect COVID coverage.