Last Updated: August 25, 2026
After using SafetyWing Nomad Insurance for a while now, I believe it’s the best travel and health insurance for nomads and frequent travelers. Read on for my honest review as a digital nomad who’s been traveling nearly full-time for five years.
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Many things have changed since I first published this review of SafetyWing, so it was about time to update it. Aside from changes to the coverage itself, one major change is that I’ve actually had to use my health insurance while traveling, so I now have first-person insight into how the claims work.
Since my first review, I’ve also decided to subscribe to the Complete plan, which has been a game changer for me as a digital nomad. I’ll go into all the details below, but if you just want my honest opinion, I couldn’t recommend SafetyWing more!
Plus, now you can get 8 weeks of free electronics theft coverage if you’re new to SafetyWing. I’ll share all the details at the end of this article. If you just want the code, you can jump straight to the dedicated section here.
Is travel medical insurance necessary?
I’ve been traveling nearly full-time for almost five years now and extensively for over 15 years. During this whole time, I thankfully never had any major medical or travel-related issues (*knock on wood*). The only time I required medical assistance was just this year in Vietnam when I got tonsillitis and had to see a doctor for an antibiotic prescription. Even for such a simple matter, SafetyWing covered all my medical expenses!
I did have several close calls, like the time I got sick in Mexico (a classic) or when I got injured while walking the Camino de Santiago. These were all minor issues that didn’t require hospitalization, but things could have gone worse! Through it all, I always had peace of mind, knowing I had taken all the necessary precautions by buying travel insurance to cover such accidents.
I firmly believe that the one time you’re not prepared, something will happen. You know, like when you always carry an umbrella, and it never rains, but the one time you forget it, it pours. That’s how I feel about having travel insurance. I still fail to carry an umbrella, but I never travel without insurance.
Moreover, travel insurance is a mandatory entry requirement for several countries, so you actually MUST buy it to travel there. Even countries that didn’t have this requirement are now implementing it, like Georgia. The bottom line is, mandatory or not, travel health insurance is always a good idea!
What is SafetyWing’s Nomad Insurance?
SafetyWing Nomad Insurance is travel medical insurance for people who spend significant time traveling outside their home country, like digital nomads, remote workers, and expats, but also for occasional travelers. The policy covers travel nearly anywhere in the world (170+ countries), except for sanctioned places (by the UK, EU, and UN).
Nearly anyone can get SafetyWing travel medical insurance and even extend it to a friend, family member, or group member. Additionally, it includes insurance for one child per adult or 2 children per group/family at no extra cost (limitations apply).
Travelers can choose between two plans: Essential and Complete. The first is for medical and travel emergencies abroad, while the second is a full global health insurance plan with added travel protections.
SafetyWing Nomad Insurance: Essential vs Complete
I won’t go into all the details between the two plans, as you can find all the relevant information on the SafetyWing website. Just toggle between Essential and Complete to see what each policy covers. However, I wanted to give you an idea of the differences between the two.
SafetyWing Nomad Insurance Essential
Nomad Insurance Essential is ideal for occasional travelers and digital nomads who already have another health insurance plan for their country of residence. It covers unforeseen medical emergencies and some unforeseen travel-related costs for travelers between 14 days and 70 years of age.
The Essential policy offers coverage in most countries, with a few exceptions. For coverage in the US, you must select the specific add-on, as the basic plan doesn’t offer US coverage. You won’t get coverage in your home country, except for a few specific situations listed under “Medical coverage during visits to your home country”.
Medical coverage includes but is not limited to:
Travel disruption coverage includes:
There are specific conditions and limits for each type of coverage, so you should check the full policy available here. Most notably, as with any other health insurance, you can’t get coverage for pre-existing conditions.
There are specific conditions applicable to sports and activities. However, an add-on for adventure sports gives you coverage for a wide range of sports and activities, including scuba diving, quad biking, motorbiking, and more.
SafetyWing Nomad Insurance Complete
SafetyWing’s Complete policy takes your insurance one step further by offering comprehensive health insurance. The travel-related costs portion of this plan is the same as the Essential, covering travel disruptions and emergencies outside your country of residence.
The cool thing about the Complete Plan, and the reason why I ended up subscribing to this, is that it covers medical expenses both in your country and abroad. You can get reimbursement for a wide range of health-related expenses at home or while traveling. Moreover, it comes with a virtual prepaid card to pay for your health expenses.
You can check the detailed policy for the Nomad Complete plan here. To give you an idea, here are some things included with this plan:
As usual, specific conditions and limitations apply, but it’s basically like any other health insurance plan, except it’s valid both in your home country and while traveling. However, Nomad Insurance Complete is not available in the United States and a few other countries.
My experience with SafetyWing
I currently have SafetyWing Nomad Insurance Complete, and I’ve already submitted several claims since I got it, both at home for routine check-ups and while traveling. Submitting a claim has always been straightforward and quick. Using the virtual card for payments makes it even easier, as the claim is automatically created and you just need to add the supporting documents.
Even if you don’t use the SafetyWing card (available with Complete and Essential for the yearly plan), submitting a claim only takes a few minutes. In my experience, claims have always been approved within a week of submission. However, they may take up to 10 business days.
On one of my most recent trips to Vietnam, I got strep throat and required an antibiotic prescription. I just looked up a hospital, made my appointment, paid for it with the SafetyWing card, then bought my prescription medication. Everything was covered, and although it wasn’t a big expense, it was great to have everything reimbursed.
How can you get SafetyWing Nomad Insurance?
Getting SafetyWing Nomad Insurance is super easy. Just click on this link and create an account. Once you’ve logged in, you can explore insurance options and register for your preferred policy.
Before applying, you can use the price calculator to check different coverage options based on your age and optional add-ons. You will notice that the default policy is for 4 weeks, with automatic renewal at the end of this period. The policy lasts for 364 days, but you can choose to end it sooner.
On the registration page, you can check the restrictions in place depending on your location and age. You may not be eligible for SafetyWing insurance if your home country is sanctioned (like Cuba, Iran, Syria, or North Korea). Additionally, the policy is not available if your address is in specific locations, including some US states, Canada, and Australia. In these cases, you must be physically outside the country or state to purchase insurance.
You may choose to include U.S. coverage and adventure sports (in addition to those covered by default). Electronics theft coverage is available for policies for 28 days or longer.
Electronics Theft Coverage
One thing that I am always careful about when I travel is keeping my electronics safe. Since I carry my laptop wherever I go, I always half-jokingly say that my whole life is in that one device. Without my laptop, I couldn’t get my work done and keep traveling, so it’s not so much of an exaggeration.
Having electronic insurance gives me peace of mind. If anything were to happen to my laptop, I know I can get reimbursed for it. And since I always travel on a tight budget, that makes a huge difference!
If you’re new to SafetyWing, you can now get 8 weeks of free electronics theft coverage when you subscribe to the 28-day or annual Nomad Essential plans. To claim the promotion, go to the SafetyWing Nomad Insurance page, scroll down, and find the pink camera. Hint: it’s on the table in the train picture and on the ski mask reflection in the bottom photo.
Tap on the camera and add the code ROXANA8. The 8 weeks of free electronics theft coverage will be automatically added to your insurance plan. After 8 weeks, the electronics theft add-on will auto-renew as a normal paid add-on.
SafetyWing Nomad Insurance FAQ
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