Digital Nomad Insurance - Health Insurance for Digital Nomads

Digital Nomad insurance is something that many people overlook – but you don’t want to find yourself without one. Medical costs, emergency flights and cancellations can all hit your bank account hard when you’re travelling. Ultimately, it’s better to spend a little on something you might not need than spend a lot further down the line because you don’t have coverage.

That being said – a digital nomad faces a unique problem when it comes to health insurance. Many plans only cover single trips. Even those that let you take multiple trips across a year will still have a requirement that you spend most of your time at home. This isn’t any good for digital nomads that are living abroad permanently.

On top of that, digital nomads also have additional medical requirements. Emergency care is great if you’re only visiting for a couple of weeks, but if you’re on the road permanently you’ll likely also want things like dental coverage, check-ups, and travel vaccinations. These costs add up quickly.

Digital Nomad Health Insurance

Health Insurance fo Digital Nomads

Thankfully several insurance providers have tapped into the digital nomad market. Medical costs are particularly important – and if you only opt for the most basic insurance you should make sure it covers you at a minimum.

There are now a variety of plans to suit different travel styles. Even within the digital nomad sphere, there are different insurance needs. Some people stay in one country for months, others travel extensively. Insurance companies are more aware of this now and are starting to offer tailored coverage. This largely depends on what kind of traveller you are. These are some of the most common types of coverage nomads look for in health insurance.

Medical
If you don’t get anything else at least make sure you get medical insurance. Different countries have different healthcare systems – and you don’t want to end up in a country that charges through the nose for the most basic procedures. Medical coverage will give you peace of mind that you’ll be taken care of in the worst case scenarios. Medical coverage can vary from insurer to insurer. At the very least you want emergency cover – but for long term digital nomads we recommend opting for the more comprehensive plans. Nothing kills the vibe like toothache, you don’t want matters made even worse by how much the local dentists charge.
Luggage and Gadgets
Luggage insurance covers you in the event that an airline loses your luggage along the way. This is getting less common these days but it still happens. You want to make sure you at least have access to cash to replace your items when abroad. The last thing you want is to have to wear the same outfit for months at a time. Having said that, gadget insurance is increasingly more relevant since the last couple of years – especially for digital nomads. Laptops, phones and cameras are like magnets for pickpockets and thieves. If you lose these you might end up having to cancel your next trip in order to pay for them. Most insurance plans will charge a little extra for this coverage but it’s absolutely worth it.
Cancellations and Emergencies
Cancellations are a bummer but sometimes they’re unavoidable. Now more than ever it has become apparent how important this kind of coverage is. Those who were covered at the start of the pandemic were at least able to recuperate some of their emergency travel costs. You don’t want to have to fork out for something as basic as bad weather. Emergency costs can extend beyond sudden pandemics and natural disasters. You should also consider the political stability of the countries you are visiting. Some places might have tensions bubbling below the surface that are hidden from tourists. Emergency coverage takes care of you in case you need to get home fast.

Here is a quick rundown of our favorite insurance providers for digital nomads. Each offers something a little different – from medical coverage to gadget insurance.

The amount of travel insurance companies on the market is overwhelming. In my opinion, I have found it difficult to sort through the viable options. It wasn’t until I started trying out different travel insurance companies for different trips that I started to figure out which companies are legitimate and work well for my travel style.

To save you the stress and hassle that we’ve gone through, we’ve laid out some of the best travel insurance companies on the market:

1. Safety Wing

Safety Wing is a startup that was established to solve a major problem with the digital nomad lifestyle – what do you do if you get sick abroad? If you come from a country with universal healthcare it can be daunting facing your first medical bills. Even those from insurance based systems will be horrified to discover the cost of setting up different plans in every country. The health insurance plan Safety Wing offers aims to remove these barriers. It covers you in almost every country in the world so you won’t have to worry about researching the different healthcare systems of everywhere you visit. They also offer online healthcare insurance for companies that employ digital nomads. So it might be worth chatting to your boss about it.

Safety Wing Travel Insurance

Beyond health insurance they also offer regular travel insurance. This covers you for things like missed flights, theft and lost baggage. They’ll even cover you for emergency flights home – a major cost that many digital nomads forget to consider. This is one of the most comprehensive travel insurance plans available to those that work remotely.

Safety Wing isn’t just about insurance, however – they’re also building some exciting new products that you can add to your monthly plan. Later this year they are launching remote doctors – a service that gives you the ability to chat to a healthcare professional from the comfort of your home. You will also be able to pick a dedicated doctor – in the same way you would choose a GP back home. They are also working on an extensive pensions plan. This is another major cost that digital nomads don’t think about. One day you won’t be able to work anymore – so you’ll need to make sure you have access to a pension. Depending on the rules of your home country you might not be eligible if you’ve lived abroad for a while. This will let you save up a retirement pot to cover you when you’re older.

They also offer sabbaticals where you can enjoy some of your savings before you retire. Perfect for that once in a lifetime destination. In short, Safety Wing is an online safety net for digital nomads. It’s easy to take social security for granted when you’re back home – but once you’re out on the road you don’t want to learn what it’s like to live without it. Safety Wing takes out some of this uncertainty and covers you through any bumps in the road.

2. Medical for Nomads

Medical for Nomads is a specialist healthcare insurance plan for digital nomads. They’re very clear about the fact they do not provide travel insurance. It is simply health coverage for those who live and work abroad. Whilst some expats use it this is specifically tailored for those who are constantly crossing borders. They have four levels of health insurance.

Major Medical plan
Their most affordable plan is the Major Medical plan. This covers you for medical emergencies and inpatient treatment (including cancer treatment). It goes a little bit beyond the bare minimum for health insurance. If you’re from the EU, think of it like an EHIC card but with more extensive inpatient coverage (and also valid outside of member states).
Standard Plan
The Standard Plan is where outpatient benefits start to kick in. GP visits, specialist consultation and prescribed medicine are all covered under this plan. It offers a lot more than the Major Medical Plan, whilst only costing you a small amount more every month. This compares to most Universal Healthcare schemes across the world.
Comprehensive Plan
Their Comprehensive Plan is where those coveted extra benefits really start to come into play. Things like dental care, eye care and annual check-ups are all included with the plan. Importantly, you can also receive vaccinations under the comprehensive plan – an absolute essential for visiting some countries.
Fully Comprehensive
Finally, their most expensive plan is the Fully Comprehensive option. This covers you for everything above, but with higher (or completely removed) spending limits. You will also get to enjoy a fully private healthcare system. Whilst all of the other plans rely on a mix of private and public healthcare depending on the country you are needing care.

Beyond healthcare benefits, they also offer a few extras. All of the plans come with some level of psychology, security (muggings etc) and death benefits. You can also pay a little bit extra for evacuation and repatriation cover. Something that we’d suggest if you’re visiting an area that experiences natural disasters or unstable politics. This would also cover you in the event of having to evacuate a country due to an emerging healthcare issue (such as COVID-19 and Ebola breakouts).

3. World Nomads

World Nomads is a comprehensive travel insurance plan that caters to both vacationers and long-term digital nomads. They provide coverage for citizens from across the globe. With plans differing slightly depending on where in the world you are. The coverage is underwritten by a local insurance company in your home country.

The feature that really makes World Nomads Travel Insurance stand out is its flexibility. You don’t need to start your plan in your home country – you can purchase it whilst you’re already out on the road. If you decide to extend your trip abroad you can also extend it indefinitely, giving you ultimate flexibility if your plans change (although you cannot decrease how long your coverage lasts). This is an absolute game-changer for nomad insurance. Often plans have to change at the last minute – and a one-year trip to Australia can become a two-year trip that includes New Zealand and the South Pacific.

World Nomads Travel Insurance means you don’t have to faff about with flights back home before you can extend your coverage. Their coverage is also pretty extensive. Health care is included in the event of emergencies – including a 24/7 assistance team that can help you navigate international healthcare systems. Your transport and treatment will also be included (up to a certain limit) giving you peace of mind if you suddenly feel ill abroad. They also pride themselves on offering coverage for more than 200 adventure activities. Kayaking, skiing, rock climbing are all covered, as well as a number of cultural experiences. Started by digital nomads, World Nomads understand how important this coverage is to let you truly enjoy your destination. You don’t want to have to worry about how to deal with a broken wrist during a sporting accident.

World Nomads Local Charities

Your money will also go further than your own insurance coverage. World Nomads donate to local charities in the destination of your choice. These charities run projects that work directly with the community. World Nomads have carefully vetted each charity – making sure your money actually helps people in need. This is a great way to give back to the communities that have provided you with life changing experiences.

4. Insured Nomads

Insured Nomads specialises in two categories of coverage: travel insurance for those who make regular trips abroad and health insurance for those who live and work overseas. No matter the requirements, all policies can be customised for individuals, couples or families.

For expeditioners using their home country as a base, the World Explorer package is suited to single trips of between seven and 364 days. This starter option encompasses 24-hour medical care, Covid-19 and emergency dental treatment, as well as evacuation and repatriation up to the sum of $2 million.

You can also claim for lost luggage, flight delays and sports equipment. World Explorer Multi, meanwhile, boasts the same benefits but covers you for multiple trips of up to 30 or 45 days each, depending on the exact version you choose.

Created for American residents in particular, Insured Nomads offers World Explorer Guardian, which includes all the benefits of the standard World Explorer plan, plus trip cancellation coverage.

As if that wasn’t enough, you can buy add-ons for adventure sports, pet insurance, car rental, and accidental death and dismemberment. It’s worth noting, however, that riskier countries like Iran, Syria, Sudan and North Korea are excluded from the policy.

Turning to the other side of Insured Nomads’ offering, the health insurance packages conceived for those living overseas long term are more comprehensive than the World Explorer options in terms of what is included.

In addition to emergency assistance, you are also covered for routine, preventative and chronic care. That means not just physician consultations and surgeries, but mental health support as well. Vaccinations, prescriptions, screenings – all are contained by the Preferred Global Health bundle.

Depending on where you are planning to reside, the cost will differ – the most expensive alternative covers the entire world (apart from the US), but the cheapest choice excludes such locales as Australia, Mexico and the European Union. If you want US-inclusive coverage, however, you’ll have to opt for Preferred Global Health Plus.

INC Membership

All Insured Nomads policies include INC membership as an added bonus. This entitles you to benefits like a telemedic consultation and mental health assessments, as well as more generally helpful things like cultural cheat sheets that tell you how much to tip and what the local traditions are. In some instances, you’ll be provided with airport lounge access and a VPN for cybersecurity abroad.

The company also gives back to communities through partnerships with charitable organisations like Not For Sale and Share Hope International, making a donation each time coverage is purchased.

5. True Traveller

True Traveller have been around since the 1980s. Making them one of the most experienced travel insurance providers for backpackers. They provide mostly vacation cover, but they also have a number of plans that cover more long-term excursions. These plans are super customisable, ensuring you only pay for what you need. True Traveller specialises in insurance for under 40s. Backpackers have been travelling with their plans for decades, and in that time they have finely tuned their offering to cater to the long term travel market. They have a number of plans that offer coverage for multiple trips throughout the year rather than just a single trip. This is one of their most popular plans – especially with digital nomads.

The one catch is that you will still need to have a home base. If you’re the kind of digital nomad that likes to spend a couple of months at home before heading back out on the road this is a great plan for you. Otherwise, if you plan to be gone for years at a time it might be worth considering another plan more catered to that style of travel.

Their True Value plan is another popular choice with young travellers. This is their most affordable coverage – and should take care of most of your needs when visiting another country. It is their most accessible plan for last minute trips – meaning you can book the day of travel just before you fly. If you’re finding yourself in a last ditch attempt to get coverage this is the plan for you. Traveller Plus is their most expensive offering but also their most comprehensive. This offers an enhanced medical coverage – perfect if you require treatment for a pre-existing condition. It also provides enhanced cancellation coverage. There are some rules that you can’t avoid (if you have chosen to travel to a place that is on a government quarantine list, for example) but this will cover you in those unforeseeable events.

They offer some specialised packages depending on what kind of trip you are taking. They cover IEC Trips in Canada, and also offer some specialist gap year plans. You can also take out one of their more value friendly plans whilst already on the road – giving you a little bit of flexibility with your coverage.

6. TCP Insurance

TCPinsurance TCP offers specialist insurance for photographers and video producers. It’s becoming increasingly common for digital nomads to need cameras, sound equipment and laptops when working abroad. Regular travel insurance coverage doesn’t usually include these without also asking for massive monthly fees to cover these items. TCP recognised the importance of this insurance for many photographers and videographers and created a bespoke package to cover this kind of equipment.

They offer coverage for camera, sound recording equipment, editing hardware and computers. They also provide drone insurance – perfect for those that want to get mesmerising travel shots. Beyond equipment they can also insure you for your work. Similar to limited liability insurance, this is essential if you are working with other people across the world. You will be covered for things like injuries, theft, and cancellations related to your production. This is a must for anyone whose main source of income is photography or filmmaking. Their automotive insurance covers your vehicle and any equipment left in your vehicle. This is an area where many photographers and videographers need coverage- especially in countries with high crime rates. Sometimes you have no choice but to leave your equipment in the car. This coverage gives you peace of mind that everything is taken care of in the worst case scenario.

They also offer a home and renters insurance. Similar to the automotive cover, your equipment is protected if you leave it at home and it is stolen. Your landlord takes care of the building cover, so think of this like contents insurance that’s specialised for filming and photography equipment. TCP works with some of the biggest film and photography companies in the world. Everyone from major global corporations to independent photographers insure with them. This gives you an added layer of trust that you will be treated fairly should you have to make a claim. It’s one of the leading insurance companies for camera rental shops across the world.

One limitation with TCP is that they will only cover equipment that is used for film and photography production. Whilst this includes laptops, you’ll only be covered if you actually use this laptop for that kind of work. Digital nomads that work in other industries will need to find another type of insurance to take care of their gadgets.

7. PassportCard Nomads

PassportCard bases its reputation on being the first travel insurance company on the planet to offer pay outs in real time. What that means is that when you encounter an emergency abroad, all you have to do is contact PassportCard and they’ll immediately calculate the costs and transfer the money to your branded Mastercard debit card, so you don’t ever have to be out of pocket. No fuss, no muss.

This can be done via the phone for immediate service, as well as through their official website or app. Bear in mind, though, that this doesn’t apply to any non-emergency claims related to health or travel, which will have to be claimed back at a later date.

Starter

The most basic choice covers emergency care and medical evacuation for up to $500,000 and will set you back from $59 per month. Designed for trips of less than six months, Starter comes with up to $500 of emergency dental care.

As with all PassportCard packages, you can add on coverage for possessions like luggage, laptops and cameras. For the extreme sport aficionados, there’s also the option to get any accidents resulting from these activities included for an additional fee.

Remote

Up the ante with the Remote option, which has an increased limited liability of $1 million and emergency dental care for $1,000. Costing from $119 per month and valid for trips of up to 12 months, it also features non-urgent elective medical treatment, specialist consultations and wellness care.

Complete

The most comprehensive policy raises the claims maximum to $3.5 million. Designed for individuals who plan to be abroad for more than a year, it beefs up your coverage when it comes to continuous hospitalization as well as routine medical care for chronic conditions.

Headquartered in London, PassportCard covers digital nomads wherever they travel – with the notable exception of the USA. The UK, China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Brazil, Singapore and Switzerland are also not included as standard, though you can purchase addendums to suit your individual requirements.

While PassportCard is all about making sure you don’t have to feel anxious about shelling out your own money on expensive bills, you can also claim back expenses down the road if you happen to forget your PassportCard at your hotel or Airbnb when it comes to paying the hospital.

As a final bonus, those worried about ongoing effects of the pandemic can feel secure knowing all plans include inpatient treatment in case of Covid infection.

8. Genki

From a scooter crash in Southeast Asia to dengue fever in the Caribbean, Genki covers digital nomads all around the world for a variety of injuries and ailments. Conceived to cover the young (and young at heart) who enjoy safaris in Namibia and camel riding in the Moroccan desert, the Genki World Explorer policy is a one-stop shop for adventurous travellers.

That means sports like surfing, kitesurfing, skiing, snowboarding, kayaking, cycling, mountain biking and hiking are all included as standard – though bear in mind there are some ‘dangerous activities’ that are not, such as paragliding, base jumping and diving.

Genki offers two main choices, rather blandly named Option 1 and Option 2. In essence, Option 1 covers everything and everywhere, while Option 2 is fine for travel anywhere except the US and Canada and requires you to pay a deductible of €50 per case.

There’s almost no cost limit to your coverage, which means that if you’re a healthy 28-year-old, you could be spending €35.70 a month for Option 2 to completely insure yourself for all emergency inpatient and outpatient care anywhere in the world (excluding the US and Canada, as mentioned above).

Any medically necessary expenses associated with Covid-19 are also part of the deal, as are treatment-related medications and materials. Please be aware that only medically necessary treatment is covered, not quarantine or tests (unless prescribed by doctors during treatment because it’s necessary).

Okay, so there are some maximum thresholds, at least when it comes to emergency dental care (pain relief can be claimed for up to €500 per case, with necessary treatment as a result of an accident up to €1,000) and mental care (up to €1,500 per year, though emergency inpatient treatment for a first-time disorder, is covered up to €20,000 per year).

As some nice extras, Genki will cover travel for a family member or close friend to come to visit you if your hospital stay lasts more than five days. Additionally, they’ll reimburse transport to the nearest hospital in an emergency, as well as pay for transport home if recovery is expected to be prolonged.

If you become pregnant while abroad, you can take advantage of check-ups up to the 12th week of pregnancy, including two ultrasounds, treatments for complications, midwife expenses and postnatal care for up to €50,000.

Preventative screenings and examinations are not covered, so best to wait to get home if it’s nothing too urgent, unless you don’t mind paying out of your own pocket. Coverage is designed to last for two years, though you can exit your subscription at any time. As with most travel insurers, price varies by age, destination and chosen deductibles.

9. Protect Your Bubble

Protect Your Bubble specialise in insurance for gadgets. Similar to the insurance above – they go beyond just film and photography equipment. Everything, from mobile phones to laptops, is covered under their plans. This coverage can also be extended so it keeps your gadgets covered when you are abroad. Given that most digital nomads require a laptop to make money, this is absolutely essential. Plans are variable depending on how much you want insured.

How it works is you let them know about your ‘bubble’. This is a list of all the gadgets you own and want covered by the insurance. If you want to cover home items you can also include things like televisions, stereos and smart home systems. As long as it’s a gadget you can include it. One of their biggest selling points is their price. For only £15.99 per month you can cover any three gadgets. There is a maximum price limit but this incorporates the vast majority of gadgets. For digital nomads this is a major consideration – and will leave you with more money in your pocket to travel the world.

They offer special insurance plans for mobile phones (especially iPhones) in case you really only want minimal insurance cover. Mobile phones are one of the most stolen items by pickpockets in major theft hotspots across the world. No matter how secure your bag and pockets are, it’s sometimes impossible to avoid. You probably also keep a lot of travel tickets on there so losing it could be devastating.

Protect Your Bubble are also among the best rated insurers on the market! They have earned a score of 4.3/5 on Trustpilot thanks to their trustworthiness with customers. They also won the best insurance provider award at the 2020 What Mobile Awards. Both individuals and industry professionals offer excellent reviews of the company. Around 98.4% of insurance claims are accepted by Protect Your Bubble – incredibly high compared to other similar companies. Insuring your gadgets with them will give you peace of mind in the event any of your beloved personal effects are stolen. You don’t want to be caught at the other side of the world without a mobile phone – and their quick payouts mean you won’t have to wait too long to get a good replacement.

10. Travel Guard

Travel Guard offers one of the most comprehensive travel insurance coverages in the United States. This is the travel offshoot of AIG – one of the biggest insurance companies in the country. They have years of experience behind them, resulting in some great packages to suit a variety of travel styles.

Essential Plan
Their essential plan is their most affordable and hugely popular with budget travellers. They cover you for trip cancellation, interruption and delay. You’ll also be covered for baggage, emergency medical and emergency evacuation. Essentially, this is the plan for you if you’re really just after the basics.
Preferred Plan
Their next level plan – and most popular offering – is the preferred plan. This covers you for everything above but with larger payouts. You’ll also be covered for missed connections and travel inconvenience benefits (this is anything involving delays and diversions that cause you to change your itinerary). This plan is also where their 24/7 assistance kicks in. You’ll be able to get help from their dedicated team whenever you need to navigate something within your coverage. You can also enjoy benefits like their bag tracker service.
Deluxe Plan
Finally, their Deluxe Plan covers everything above with even higher payouts offered. You’ll also get an expanded list of travel inconveniences, and coverage if you need to move your travel plans to an earlier date. On top of all of these plans you can also build in extra coverage for pre-existing medical requirements, sports, pets and vehicles.

For digital nomads they also offer two fantastic packages outside of their usual cover. Pack N’ Go is ideal for those last minute trips. You won’t be covered for trip cancellation (which is rarely a concern for this kind of travel) so you’ll get to save some money. They also offer annual coverage that provides the above benefits for multiple trips across a year.

Due to state regulations with insurance, residents of New York State aren’t eligible for any of these plans. However, there is another set of packages available for those in the state. Residents of Kansas and Montana are not eligible for their regular annual coverage, but there are also some other packages worth checking out.

11. IMG

IMG is another fantastic American insurance company with heaps of experience in the travel sector. They offer both health and regular travel insurance packages – as well as some tailor made plans for expats and digital nomads. These plans are a little pricier than others in the market, but you’ll receive great service and unbeatable coverage in return. For digital nomads the best plan is one of their Expat/Global Citizen Plans. These are specially designed for Americans living abroad. IMG recognizes that many expats stay in more than one country throughout the year so they offer a variety of plans that you can carry across the world with you. If you only plan on staying in the one place for a while and want to save some cash they also have dedicated expat insurance that will cover digital nomads.

Their regular Travel Medical Insurance covers you in most countries across the world – but you take this out on a trip by trip basis. Thankfully they have a number of packages that can be tailored to how long you are away for. Whether you’re taking a two week vacation or studying abroad for a semester or two they have plans that cover you. This is one of the most flexible travel medical plans on the market right now. Of course, medical expenses aren’t your only concern when travelling abroad.

IMG offers three plans that cover other travel related costs. These take care of things like cancelled flights, lost luggage and evacuation. Their three plans cover – single trips, annual multi-trips and family cover. You can also mix and match between these policies. As mentioned above this is one of the more expensive options. That being said, it’s still not out of reach for most digital nomads and the level of cover on offer is truly exceptional.

They have tonnes of experience behind them – with knowledge of business, government and personal travel under their belt. IMG doesn’t just pay for emergency travel costs – they also have an extensive network across the globe that can make sure you receive the best treatment as quickly as possible. There are many physicians across the world that are in the company’s contact book. You’ll also have 24/7 access to online support and a dedicated call centre team to talk you through accessing your policy.

12. Travelex

Travelex Insurance (not to be confused with the forex company) offers basic, customisable plans that let you control exactly what cover you want. This is great for those that want to avoid the expensive extras that many other insurance companies force you to take in order to receive the coverage you want. Outside of their basic coverage, Travelex Insurance only adds on the cover that you want.

Speaking of their basic coverage – this plan is already pretty comprehensive. You’ll be covered for up to $15k medical expenses, $10k trip cancellation costs and $500 for lost baggage. There aren’t any deductibles – and you can opt for single trip or annual multi-trip coverage. This is the bare minimum that anyone should travel with.

Travel Select Plan

Their travel select plan is where you get to add on coverage that matters to you. Going on an adventure trip? They can cover you for specific sports activities. Need more baggage coverage for that expensive laptop? You can add that in with this plan. Need coverage for your hire car? They have a number of extensions depending on your specific needs. This high level of customizability is exactly what people love about Travelex Insurance. You only pay for what you need – so you don’t need to throw money away on insurance features that don’t really suit your itinerary. Uniquely, they also offer a Travel America plan. This is for residents of the US that will be travelling domestically. You’ll be covered for things like roadside assistance, emergency medical expenses and trip delays.

You can also cover your pet if you plan on taking them on the road with you. Many travellers (especially digital nomads) don’t bother with domestic insurance – but this is actually one of the places where you need it the most. Travelex Insurance claim they offer packages for every kind of traveller. So if you don’t see something that quite aligns with your needs it’s worth getting in touch.

Their bespoke packages don’t end with what is visible on the website. Their dedicated customer service team can help you build an insurance plan that suits your needs. Regardless of your age, travel style and reason for travel you are sure to find something that aligns with exactly what you require.

13. Faye

Faye Logo Whole-trip travel insurance is the tagline for Faye, which means you can build custom policies for yourself that contain everything from lost luggage to vacation rental damage. Just don’t forget that what’s available (and what it costs) varies depending on your home location. Faye is principally a US travel insurer, though it does have an international suite of offerings, too.

The base plan focuses solely on aspects of your actual travel, which includes things like delays of more than six hours (up to $300 per day, max $2,100), trip inconvenience such as late arrival at accommodation or flight diversions/cancellations (max $600 total), and problems with your personal effects (travel document replacement, baggage delays).

This can then be customised with your choice of health add-ons. The standard ones feature up to $250,000 for accident and sickness expenses incurred – out of that, you can use $750 for emergency dental.

In the event of an extremely serious illness, you can count on medical evacuation and repatriation for up to $500,000. This also includes transportation of any children you might have back home as well as the option to have somebody join you if you are hospitalised for more than seven days (Faye will pay for an economy round trip ticket).

Perhaps what makes Faye’s offer most appealing is you can mix and match what you want to suit your individual needs. For example, if you’re particularly worried about losing out on refunds should you catch Covid or any other illness, there’s an optional bundle for that.

If you’re planning on hiring a rental car and want to get that thrown in, too, there’s a bundle for that. If you don’t think the standard baggage and personal effects coverage of $750 is enough, there’s an upgrade bundle to raise the total amount to $2,000. Bring a pet along? Yes, there’s a bundle for that as well.

Cancel For Any Reason

For anybody who’s extremely anxious at the prospect of some last-minute snafu that isn’t covered by most policies, Faye offers Cancel For Any Reason (CFAR) protection. This does what it says on the tin: allows you to claim back up to 75% of any travel costs that are not refundable.

While this is a pretty expensive add-on – it can raise the cost of an insurance plan by 40-60% – it may be worth it for anybody who feels particularly concerned by today’s uncertain global situation.

If you can’t afford to pay for any treatments or costs that you know are covered by your plan, Faye can help by paying the medical facility directly or transferring funds to your Faye Wallet: a digital card in the company’s app that can store funds for approved claims.

Travel Insurance For Digital Nomads

So what do digital nomads do about travel insurance?

There are many different areas that travel insurance needs to cover for digital nomads, but one area that remote workers cannot ignore is their money-making technology. Luckily, several forward thinking insurance companies like World Nomads have jumped at the chance to grab a hold of this growing market. Besides the usual coverage that you would expect from any travel insurance policies such as emergency medical evacuation and trip protection, World Nomads offers gear protection up to $3,000. This doesn’t mean it covers you if you left your technology somewhere. This policy protects you if your tech is stolen or broken.

These insurance companies also make it easy to be covered around the world. You can find full coverage travel insurance for up to one year. They cover you in almost every country around the world. Sometimes it can be confusing because this coverage might be called expat coverage. This type of coverage can be quite expensive, but if you know you will be traveling and working full-time, it’s worth it to have the peace of mind wherever you may explore.

For digital nomads that are considering putting down roots for a while, it may be worth it to consider the health care system of the country where you now reside. For example, you stay for 6 months in Berlin, but travel the other 6 months. It may be worth it to look into getting covered by a German insurance company.

Becoming a digital nomad involves a lot of planning. Digital Nomad travel insurance should be at the top of your list. Look for travel insurance that protects your tech and covers you worldwide. If you stay long-term in one country, consider insurance companies of the country you now reside in.

Digital Nomad Insurance Final Thoughts

Travel insurance isn’t the most exciting expense but it’s absolutely necessary. We don’t want to sound too dramatic but for those traveling on a budget, it can literally mean life or death. Medical costs, stolen gadgets and flight cancellations will ruin your trip if you aren’t covered. Think about your specific travel needs by all nomad means – but at least get the basics covered.

Thankfully there are plenty of travel insurance providers now offering digital nomad (and expat) friendly insurance plans. These give you extra peace of mind whilst you gallivant around the world. You’re probably a freelancer so things like medical coverage aren’t a given – even in nations that extend socialized medicine to visitors and immigrants.