2025 update: I’m excited to share that SafetyWing has rolled out two new Nomad Insurance plans designed for every kind of adventure. The Essential plan offers emergency medical coverage with flexible add-ons, which is perfect for mid- to short-term travelers, while Complete is an all-inclusive health insurance with extended travel coverage, ideal for long-term travelers. The Essential plan starts at $56/4 weeks, whereas the Complete plan starts at $150.50/month. Click here for more information!
If you’re thinking about using SafetyWing travel insurance as a digital nomad, long-term traveler or simply for your next trip, this post is for you.
One of the most important things to consider is travel insurance. Not only does it provide peace of mind, but it can also save you a lot of money in case something bad happens (although I really hope this won’t ever be the case).
After getting altitude sickness in Peru, being hospitalized due to giardia in Pakistan, having a scooter accident in India, and losing part of one of my teeth in Vietnam, I would never even consider traveling without insurance. You never know what might happen, and the last thing you want to worry about if something bad occurs is the financial side of things.
Now, when you Google “SafetyWing,” the results will show both people saying this is the best digital nomad insurance in the world and those claiming it’s a complete scam (which it’s not). I’ve been using SafetyWing for more than three years now and will share here my experience as well as what it covers, what it doesn’t, and its pros and cons.
So, let’s dive right into it! Here’s an honest (not sponsored!) review of SafetyWing Nomad Insurance Essential.
What is SafetyWing, and how does it work?
SafetyWing is somewhat different from most travel insurance companies in that it’s fully remote and mainly focuses on providing coverage for digital nomads and long-term travelers. It was created by nomads who know exactly what remote workers need.
This said, you don’t have to be a digital nomad or long-term traveler to use SafetyWing. What makes it so appealing for long-term travelers, however, is its subscription-based policy, which is auto-renewed.
You can pay per month and then easily start, pause, or stop your coverage according to your plans. This means that you will have a lot of flexibility and won’t need to set an end date for your travels.
SafetyWing offers two policies: Nomad Insurance Essential and Nomad Insurance Complete. While Essential covers travel and medical emergencies with options for adventure sports and electronics theft, the Complete plan offers comprehensive health coverage with routine healthcare, mental health support, and maternity, anywhere in the world, including in your home country.
In this review, I will focus on Nomad Insurance Essential, which is the most popular option and the one I’ve been using for over three years.
What’s covered by SafetyWing’s Nomad Insurance?
Nomad Insurance offers coverage in over 180 countries and includes the following:
- Emergency medical coverage: up to $250,000 USD
- Emergency dental care: up to $1,000 USD
- Emergency medical evacuation: up to $100,000 USD
- Accidental death and dismemberment: up to $25,000 USD
- Political evacuation: up to $10,000 USD
- Terrorism: up to $50,000 USD
- Trip interruption: up to $5,000 USD
- Lost checked luggage: up to $3,000 USD per certificate period; $500 USD per item (up to $6,000 USD lifetime limit)
Read the full description of what’s covered on the SafetyWing website.
It’s also good to know that the maximum coverage is $250,000 USD for US residents under the age of 65 and 100,000 USD for US residents aged 65-69. Additionally, Safety Wing doesn’t cover people aged 70 or over.
All in all, SafetyWing’s coverage is comprehensive, and it has your back in plenty of cases. It’s reassuring to know that in case something bad happens and you end up in the hospital, you won’t need to worry about money.
What isn’t covered by SafetyWing’s Nomad Insurance?
As with all travel insurance policies, some things aren’t covered. You will find the most important ones below:
- Pre-existing conditions
- High-risk adventure sports (unless you purchase an add-on)
- Cancer treatments
- Routine checkups and preventive care
- Non-medically necessary treatments
- Mental health disorders and suicide or attempted suicide
- Sexually transmitted diseases and conditions
- Illnesses or injuries as a result of substance abuse
- Travel to Belarus, Cuba, Iran, North Korea, Russia, Syria, or Ukraine
- Stolen electronics (unless you purchase an add-on)
You can find a full list of what’s not covered in SafetyWing’s Nomad Insurance description of coverage.
At the time of my claims, SafetWing charged $250 deductible, this is why most of my (very cheap) medical expenses in Asia weren’t covered. They got rid of this so now all claims are covered!
Pros and Cons of SafetyWing travel insurance
Now, let’s talk about the pros and cons of SafetyWing insurance. To me, the pros outweigh the cons, but this is different for everyone.
Pros:
- Affordability: SafetyWing is one of the most cost-efficient travel insurance companies out there. While some others offer more coverage at higher rates, what’s covered by SafetyWing is perfect for me.
- Flexible subscription model: This is ideal for digital nomads and long-term travelers. You don’t need an end date for your travels, and you can easily pause or stop your subscription at any time.
- Wide coverage of medical emergencies: Although not everything is covered, the most important things are, which will give you peace of mind.
- 24/7 human customer support: If you need assistance, you can talk to someone at any time, and you will get an answer right away.
- Ease of use: SafetyWing is very easy to use. The website is straight to the point, and it doesn’t take long to subscribe or file a claim.
- Can be purchased abroad: Contrary to most insurance companies, you can sign up for SafetyWing while you’re already abroad.
Cons:
- Limits in coverage: Essential plan doesn’t cover pre-existing conditions, routine checkups, and some other less common things.
- Add-ons: If you want to be covered for electronics theft or adventure sports, you will need to purchase add-ons (these cost $10 USD a month each).
- It can take up to 45 business days for a claim to be processed: Because of this, it can take a while before you get reimbursed. *2025 update: according to SafetyWing, claim submissions are now done in 2 minutes and the processing takes up to 10 days only.
- Age limit: It’s not possible to purchase SafetyWing travel insurance if you’re 70 or over.
SafetyWing Travel Insurance: Pricing
If you’re on a budget, this is an important one, so let’s talk about pricing!
SafetyWing insurance’s rates vary based on how old you are and whether it should include coverage in the United States. There are also two extra options you can pick that can affect the price: insurance against electronics theft ($10 USD per month) and coverage for injuries related to adventure sports ($10 USD per month).
For travel outside of the US, the monthly prices for SafetyWing’s nomad insurance are as follows:
- 10-39 years old: $56.28 USD
- 40-49 years old: $92.40 USD
- 50-59 years old: $145.04 USD
- 60-69 years old: $196.84 USD
This makes SafetyWing one of the more affordable insurance companies out there, though there’s a significant difference depending on your age.
My Experience with SafetyWing’s Nomad Insurance Essential
While I was backpacking in Vietnam, a part of one of my teeth fell off, and I had to pay a visit to the dentist. They told me I needed a crown, which is quite a pricey undertaking (I paid about $400 USD).
This was the first time I made a claim with SafetyWing. The process was super easy, and the website was extremely user-friendly. After gathering the documents the dentist gave me, I went to my dashboard on their website, filled out a form, and uploaded the necessary documents, which took about five minutes.
It does take a while for the claim to be processed — up to 45 business days. In my case, it took about six weeks to be approved and for the money to appear in my bank account.
Although I was hospitalized due to giardia (and an overdose of antibiotics, I kid you not) in Pakistan and had an accident with a scooter in India, the medical costs were under $250 USD both times, meaning they weren’t high enough to be covered by SafetyWing.
Apart from its simplicity and ease of use, another thing I love about SafetyWing is the 24/7 customer service. I admit to only using it once, but I got an answer to my question in the chat almost immediately — and it was a human answering, not a robot (I find this so important these days).
Last but not least, as I’ve been traveling full-time and occasionally return to my home country (where I have separate insurance), I love how easy it is to start, pause, or stop my insurance plan — it literally only takes a couple of seconds.
All in all, SafetyWing gives me peace of mind when I’m abroad, as I know I can count on it in case something bad happens.
SafetyWing Travel Insurance Review: Final Thoughts
So, to wrap things up, after using SafetyWing for over three years, I’ve had a pretty good experience with it. This is an affordable travel insurance that covers quite a few things, is easy to use, and does what it promises to do.
If you’re the type of traveler who finds affordability and flexibility important, SafetyWing might just be the best travel insurance for you. It’s always better to compare, browse around, and weigh your options, though, so make sure to read our other insurance comparison guides and reviews next:
- World Nomads vs. SafetyWing Travel Insurance
- Faye vs. World Nomads Travel Insurance – I Tried Both
- My Honest Experience with Faye Travel Insurance
- Should You Buy World Nomads Travel Insurance?
*Some links in this post are affiliate links that support us at no extra cost to you when you purchase through them. We only recommend products we love and use ourselves. Your trust always comes first!
Almog says
I don’t usually write reviews, but I feel obligated to warn people about SafetyWing. I purchased their Digital Nomad Insurance a few months ago and have been paying over $100 per month for at least 5-7 months. Until recently, I hadn’t needed to use the insurance, but last week I came down with a fever and throat infection. After 5 days of no improvement, I consulted a doctor through telemedicine, which cost 70 EUR.
I filed a claim with SafetyWing, but it was denied without explanation. Frustrated by this, I decided to cancel my policy. After all, what’s the point of paying for insurance if they won’t even cover a basic doctor visit when you’re sick?
When I asked for a refund, since I had just been charged for the month, they informed me that no refund could be given once a claim has been filed, even if the claim was denied, citing company policy. This makes no sense, as my claim was rejected.
Based on my experience, I cannot recommend SafetyWing to anyone. It’s essentially a scam—you’re paying for coverage that you may never actually receive when you need it.
George Pickard says
Doesn’t it state that you’re only covered for claims over $250 which would mean your 70 euro claim didn’t meet the threshold?