Travel Essential: 4 Reasons Why You Should Use SafetyWing

So, you are about to embark on your first trip (of a lifetime even?) or you are a seasoned traveler and maybe the whole travel planning process comes naturally to you and even when things go wrong, you somehow managed to get by without any problems. No matter where you stand, there will always be something we can forget before taking a trip. And travel insurance should not be one of them. If I may share my personal take, even I have often forgo taking out travel insurance. And this was always due to two main reasons. One was because my “home country”, that being my current home base of Luxembourg was hardly covered in most travel insurances that I came across. And when I did find one, it was a significant additional cost to add to my overall budget, as it was often with these big insurance companies doing more than just travel insurance, charging you a hefty amount and leaving you with minimal coverage. It can become quite frustrating, because it led me to take risks where I should not have. Nothing major has happened since but let us not play the “what if” game which is always there.

Over the last year or so, I came across SafetyWing and it met all of my needs. It is a great travel and medical insurance for both the short breaks and longer holidays I take. The coverage is good with competitive prices. And the process is simple, just follow the link here. You will be taken to their standard Nomad Insurance, which I will detail later on (and you do not have to be a nomad to benefit!). But given the name of its products like Nomad Insurance, Nomad Health or even Remote Health, it really comes into its name for those outside of their “usual home country” for longer periods of time. And by the way I phrased that, it is because one’s situation as a digital nomad or remote worker is not straightforward at all. And finding a decent insurance to match your needs is an even bigger challenge.

Most policies only cover you for a number of weeks in a given year away from “home”. And as I mentioned earlier as one of my own problems (not even as a digital nomad or remote worker), some policies may require you to purchase your coverage from your “home country” and to return for a number of days at the end of each trip. Funny thing to do if you do not really see an end to your current movements. It is not very convenient if you are hopping from one place to another or spending 6 months at a time in a country halfway across the world. And even less convenient when you do not envisage a “return”. This is another area where SafetyWing sets the bar.

What is SafetyWing and what does it offer?

Before I get into the details of what SafetyWing offers, the question on what it is stands. As you might have already guessed, SafetyWing provides insurance to meet the medical and travel needs faced by digital nomads and other remote workers while outside of their home country. The aim of SafetyWing is to build a global safety net to address the needs of digital nomads and remote workers who often fall between the cracks and cannot access the social protection needs in the same way as their full-time employee counterparts based in a set location (even in the more advanced system of Norway, where one of the founders/CEOs is from).

The first thing they tackled was healthcare through their Nomad Insurance. This travel medical insurance is tailored to the needs of digital nomads, who are geographically independent ensuring coverage no matter where they are. This also works well for those of us who are on anything between a short trip of a few days to longer ones lasting a few weeks.

Then, they continued to build the foundations of their name with Remote Health, a comprehensive health insurance that allows companies the ability to offer insurance benefits to their entire team. This refers to freelancers, contractors, full-time and part-time employees. And if you are self-employed, you can purchase it for yourself and your family.

Most recently, they came out with their Nomad Health, a global health insurance specifically designed with digital nomads and remote workers in mind. It covers all your medical needs worldwide, including your country of residence (with some exceptions, check the list here for what your personal situation looks like).

SafetyWing Insurance Products

As mentioned, SafetyWing offers three products: Nomad Insurance, Nomad Health and Remote Health.

Nomad Insurance is a travel medical insurance that offers:

– Travel medical coverage, which lets you access a qualified global network of hospitals and doctors for unexpected medical problems and accidents. It also covers visits to doctors, hospitals and emergency medical evacuations.

– Travel which covers travel delays, lost checked luggage, emergency response and natural disasters, and personal liability.

You are covered in over 175 countries, with the exception of countries or areas sanctioned by the EU, US, UK and UN, with which SafetyWing complies.

Nomad Health is a full-fledged health insurance offering a global health insurance in over 175 countries, including your country of residence. You can choose between the standard policy offering a basic medical insurance or the premium one which includes dental, eye and maternal care as well as vaccinations and screening.

And lastly, Remote Health a fully equipped health insurance for global teams. Like the others, it offers coverage in 175+ countries as the main residence of your workers and customizable add-ons such as dental, eye and maternal care and visits for screening and vaccinations. It is also easy to use, providing independent workers with an overview of their company’s insurance details and their covered members.

Why choose SafetyWing? What makes it stand out?

1. Flexibility

You can get covered even if you have already started travelling. So do not worry if you might have forgotten to get travel medical insurance prior to your trip or if you have had to extend your trip. Of course, you can also plan ahead by selecting your start date.

This flexibility also applies to the duration. Your insurance automatically extends every 28 days until you pick an end-date. Think of it almost like a subscription. But even if you are a traveler with set travel dates, SafetyWing has you covered.

2. Competitive prices

SafetyWing offers more affordable rates in all of its packages compared to other travel and/or medical insurance providers.

3. Coverage

One policy can cover you in multiple countries, with the exception of sanctioned countries as previously mentioned. You are also covered when you return home. After being abroad for 90 days, you keep your medical coverage for 30 days more in your home country in the event that something happens (this number goes down to 15 days if your home country is the US).

If you are a family with maximum 2 children, your children are covered for free if they are older than 14 days, but under the age of 10.

Another interesting point worth noting is the coverage for non-professional/amateur sports and activities. For example, if you decide to sign up for the gym, try a new sport, or start lessons and you happen to injure yourself, SafetyWing covers the associated costs.

4. An insurance designed by remote workers

Another important aspect to note is that the co-founders of SafetyWing and the majority of its staff are remote workers. This puts them in a unique position to truly understand the nuances of their customers’ situations as they have likely been in a similar position if not the same one, allowing them to tailor these insurances to fit your needs.

The drawbacks of the SafetyWing Nomad Insurance

I refer to the Nomad Insurance as this is the one I am most likely going to use and that I recommend for my audience. As with everything in life, nothing is perfect and without a few drawbacks and here are some worth mentioning:

– There is a $USD 250 deductible for most medical expenses per policy period before they start sharing the costs.

– There is no coverage for your gear and electronics, meaning loss or theft are not covered. This is fairly concerning for me as someone who travels with a lot of valuable electronics.

– Their website and support are only available in English, and while most people can speak English either as their mother tongue or as a secondary language, it is sometimes better to be able to speak in your native language, one that you understand the most especially for most complex topics like insurance.

– A minimum coverage period of 5 days is required, which excludes then any shorter trips you plan to take, especially based in Europe with a lot of nearby destinations within reach for a weekend getaway.

– Purchases are all in USD, which is not too big of a deal for me, but I know people can miss out on the currency exchange rate or even being subject to additional fees by banks.

And there you have it. The products of SafetyWing offer value for money and comprehensive, quality care for all your needs both for the avid remote worker or digital nomad or for your regular travellers getting a well-deserved holiday. As with all insurances, be sure to read the fine print, ask them questions and make sure the policy you choose covers your exact situation and needs. The SafetyWing customer service is really good and responsive, which should help you with those decisions. Now, if you are ready to get covered, you can get started here.