The Best Travel Insurance for Digital Nomads (Updated 2023)

Posted: 8/31/23 | August thirty first, 2023

Even earlier than the COVID-19 pandemic, an increasing number of individuals have been transitioning to distant work. Digital nomads have been turning into more and more widespread as individuals give up the cubicle to work from wherever they felt like.

Right now, because the pandemic recedes, an excellent higher quantity individuals are working remotely. Research present that distant employees are happier at the same time as productiveness has stayed the identical — if not elevated. Quite a few international locations now supply visas completely for digital nomads too.

I’ve written about discovering the very best journey insurance coverage a ton over time. That’s for emergencies on the highway, with the concept if one thing actually unhealthy occurs, you’ll go dwelling and deal with it. In any case, journeys normally have a begin and finish date.

However being a digital nomad or distant employee is a distinct factor. When you find yourself roaming the world with out an finish date and wish prescriptions and common checkups, regular journey insurance coverage gained’t actually do.

In the event you’re contemplating the transition to working remotely overseas or turning into a digital nomad, it’s essential to know your choices.

What to Search for in Journey Insurance coverage for Digital Nomads

Digital nomads want to ensure their journey insurance coverage plan doesn’t simply cowl emergencies. They want a plan that additionally contains routine medical protection (extra on that later).

First, although, I’d ensure your coverage has not less than $100,000 USD in medical protection. Such a excessive restrict is essential, as a result of in the event you get sick or injured or want critical consideration and have to hunt skilled care, you need to ensure your excessive hospital payments are lined. The worst factor you are able to do is go low-cost and get a coverage with a $50,000 USD protection restrict after which burn by means of it in an emergency, leaving you to doubtlessly foot a invoice within the tens of hundreds of {dollars}.

Second, you need to ensure your coverage additionally covers emergency evacuation (separate out of your medical protection). If a pure catastrophe happens or in the event you fall and break a leg climbing in a distant space and you’ll want to be evacuated some place else, your plan ought to cowl that as effectively, not less than as much as $300,000 USD (emergency evacuations are costly!).

Moreover, listed below are a number of different customary provisions an excellent journey insurance coverage coverage can have protection for:

• COVID-19 (and pandemics on the whole)
• Misplaced, broken, or stolen possessions (together with some protection to your electronics)
• Cancelations (accommodations, flights, excursions, and so on.)
• Unintentional demise or dismemberment
• Political emergencies and pure disasters

It must also supply:

• Monetary safety if any firm you might be utilizing goes bankrupt
• 24/7 help (you don’t need to be advised to name again later throughout an emergency)

A complete coverage can have all of this and extra — these are simply a number of the most essential issues to maintain an eye fixed out for when evaluating one.

Now, as a digital nomad, on prime of emergency protection described above, you’ll additionally need protection for extra customary medical conditions. These embrace, however should not restricted to:

• Routine dental and imaginative and prescient care
• Physician checkups
• Prescription treatment
• Psychological well being help
• Screenings and vaccinations
• Maternity care

These components should not lined by customary journey insurance coverage, as a result of that’s just for emergencies. So, by shopping for a plan that covers emergencies as effectively as routine care, you’ll have the ability to wander the world with confidence, figuring out that each one your medical wants shall be sorted, it doesn’t matter what the highway throws your means.

Simply understand that these long-term plans with nonemergency protection are going to be costlier than customary journey insurance coverage, as a result of they embrace way more than simply fundamental emergency help.
 

The three Greatest Insurance coverage Corporations for Digital Nomads

1. SafetyWing – Nomad Well being
Whereas SafetyWing is understood for its inexpensive journey insurance policy (the fundamental one is simply $42 USD per 30 days), it additionally has a complete medical health insurance plan for distant employees and digital nomads referred to as Nomad Well being.

Nomad Heath is a totally outfitted medical health insurance coverage designed particularly for distant employees and nomads. In the event you spend most — or all — of your time overseas, it is a good plan for you.

Right here’s a take a look at Nomad Well being and what protection it contains:

• As much as $1,500,000 USD yearly
• Emergency evacuation as much as $100,000 USD
• Eye exams and glasses
• Rehabilitation and specialised therapies
• Screenings and vaccines
• Routine dental care
• Most cancers and surgical procedure
• Organ transplants
• Psychiatric remedy
• Full protection in your house nation

In the event you’re 18–39, a Customary Nomad Well being plan prices round $123 USD per 30 days. For a Premium Plan, that very same traveler pays $238 USD per 30 days. In contrast to the corporate’s customary journey insurance coverage, there isn’t a deductible for Nomad Well being.

To see how a lot a plan will value for you, click on right here to get a free quote.
 
2. IMG – International Medical Insurance coverage
IMG has a spread of plans for short-term and enterprise vacationers, college students, and expats. Its International Medical Insurance coverage coverage is particularly designed for long-term vacationers who shall be out of their dwelling nation for almost all of the yr. There are a number of choices for a deductible, so you’ll be able to hold prices low, and in addition a number of tiers (Bronze, Silver, Gold, Platinum), so you will get the protection you want.

Right here’s a take a look at the protection for IMG’s International Medical Insurance coverage:

• From $1,000,000 to $8,000,000 USD
• Pharmaceuticals
• Non-obligatory imaginative and prescient care (included within the Platinum plan)
• Nonemergency dental care (included within the Platinum plan)
• Some psychological well being care
• Maternity (within the Platinum plan solely)
• Some preexisting situations

IMG has 4 tiers: Bronze, Silver, Gold, and Platinum. The latter two have the choice so as to add sports activities actions; the Platinum plan may be bolstered to incorporate terrorism incidents, if that’s a priority for you.

As all the time, costs range primarily based on location and age. For reference, nonetheless, a Bronze plan with a $250 deductible prices $180 USD per 30 days, whereas a Platinum plan begins at $725 USD per 30 days. In the event you pay yearly, there are vital reductions out there.

Click on right here to get a quote.
 
3. Insured Nomads – International Well being Insurance coverage
Insured Nomads is likely one of the newer journey insurance coverage firms on the block. Based in 2019, it gives each emergency insurance coverage and a extra complete medical health insurance plan for long-term vacationers. Its International Well being Insurance coverage covers emergencies in addition to routine, preventive, and continual care. It has plans for {couples} and households too, in addition to a number of tiers to provide you much more choices.

Right here’s a take a look at what’s included with Insured Nomads:

• Emergency and nonemergency medical care and consultations
• Preventive screenings
• Imaginative and prescient care
• Maternity care and help
• Substance abuse help
• Vaccines, journey immunizations, and pharmaceuticals
• Telehealth consults
• Psychological well being counseling

Like IMG, Insured Nomads supply quite a few deductible choices that can assist you hold prices down. Whereas costs range, you’ll be able to count on to pay round $250-500 USD per 30 days for a complete coverage and not using a deductible.

Click on right here to get a quote.
 

Often Requested Questions

Listed here are a number of the most commons questions I get requested about journey insurance coverage for digital nomads:

Is journey insurance coverage obligatory?
For many vacationers to most locations, it isn’t obligatory. Nonetheless, many digital nomad, work, and pupil visas do require some type of insurance coverage — as do many excursions and excursions.

In brief, journey insurance coverage typically isn’t obligatory — however it’s all the time a good suggestion to have, because you by no means know what’s going to occur on the highway.

Can’t I simply use common journey insurance coverage?
In the event you simply need fundamental protection for emergencies, misplaced baggage, theft, and so on., then common journey insurance policy will be just right for you. Nonetheless, on these plans, you’ll solely have emergency protection. Which means none for common checkups, fundamental dental care, prescriptions, and so on. But when that’s fantastic with you, then customary insurance coverage can work!

What isn’t lined by journey insurance coverage?
Whereas this varies by plan, typically you’ll be able to count on accidents sustained whereas intoxicated, excessive sports activities, reckless conduct, misplaced or stolen money, and civil unrest to not be lined by most plans. Once more, all of it varies by coverage, so be sure to learn the fantastic print!

Does journey insurance coverage cowl COVID-19?
Most plans now present some protection for COVID-19 and different pandemics.

Am I lined if I go to my dwelling nation?
Presumably. Some plans present protection for short-term stays in your house nation whereas others don’t. All of it is determined by the coverage you get. Some firms have an upgradable choice so that you can go to your house nation, whereas others allow you to accomplish that however solely present protection in the event you’re not close to your precise dwelling (e.g., in the event you’re from New York, you might be lined in the event you go to California, however not in the event you return close to your house).

I’ve preexisting situations. Am I lined?
That relies upon. Each coverage — and each medical situation — is totally different, so I’d name your potential journey insurance coverage firms to ask them immediately. That is the easiest way to get correct, up-to-date details about your particular scenario.

After virtually 15 years on the highway, I’ve discovered the onerous approach to by no means go away dwelling with out journey insurance coverage. Whether or not for a fast weekend getaway or a multimonth journey, I all the time journey with journey insurance coverage. It supplies peace of thoughts, so I don’t must suppose twice about being lined in an emergency.

As a digital nomad, you might have extra essential issues to concentrate on. Journey insurance coverage removes the concern, so you’ll be able to take pleasure in your journey, develop your corporation, and dwell your greatest life on the highway.