SafetyWing vs World Nomads: Short & Long Stay Travel Insurance

If you are about to hit the road and looking for the best travel insurance, in this post I will show you what makes SafetyWing and World Nomads two of the best short and long-stay travel insurance.

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Updated in September 2022

When planning your trip, one thing that you cannot forget to do is to have good travel insurance. Here I will explain why it is very important to always have one when you travel while comparing two important players in the travel insurance field: SafetyWing vs World Nomads.

Due to the nature of my travels, I usually buy long-stay travel insurance, and we all want one that doesn’t cost much. But to be honest, what price do you put on your health and well-being? Many travelers have difficulty deciding which travel insurance to buy, and when you funnel your options to SafetyWing vs World Nomads, it is an even tougher choice.

Things such as how long you will travel for, which countries will be on your itinerary, and your travel style will also play a role in choosing the best travel insurance that suits your needs.

So in my SafetyWing vs World Nomads review, I will answer these questions in a very matter-of-fact manner so you can make sure to buy the travel insurance that is really best for your own circumstances.

What To Expect From Your Travel Insurance

The last thing that you want is for something to go wrong, especially when you are away from home and those who can help you. But let’s be honest, when we are traveling, as much as we think otherwise, life goes on as normal. As much as we wish to the contrary, we could still fall ill, have an accident, or have some sort of food poisoning. We could also lose our phone, camera, or even worse, be robbed. During our travels, we are prone to life’s ups and downs as much as when we are in the comfort of our homes. That is why it is important to have good travel insurance. If you travel long-term or live a nomadic lifestyle, you may also wonder what is the best nomad travel insurance.

Let me repeat: no matter if you are traveling for a week or you are on a year-long world-the-world trip, having travel insurance is essential – and even compulsory to enter some countries.

At this point, many questions will arise. What’s the best travel insurance? What’s the best nomad travel insurance? Do I need travel insurance to go to Europe? Will my insurance cover me in Australia? And a very important one: what’s the best travel insurance for the USA? Which travel insurance covers my chronic illness? Does it cover winter sports? The list goes on and on. But be sure of one thing: you will need travel insurance no matter where you are going or how long you are traveling for.

Why You Need Travel Insurance

You may be a fit guy or girl who exercises regularly, eats healthily, and hasn’t been sick for years. Good on you! Whether you go for SafetyWing vs World Nomads, you will not only be protected in case of health problems while on the road, but also if other incidents happen. The truth is, travel insurance is one of those purchases that we have to make but we always hope we will never need to use it. Until you do. So far – and touch would – I have never personally needed to use my travel insurance, but having that peace of mind that, if something happens you are protected, is priceless.

After all, if you are a foreigner in need to see a doctor after falling ill, or if you need hospitalization after an accident, chances are you will be charged big money. Much more than what locals would pay. That is just the way things work. Add to that the probability of being taken advantage of, since you are a foreigner and potentially don’t speak the local language. Having travel medical insurance will make things much easier for you.

Long Stay Travel Insurance

It is true that most people don’t have the luxury of enjoying long-term travel. Most holiday/vacation trips range from one to two weeks, with some people being able to take a full month off. When it comes to travel insurance, most companies will not cover you for a period of more than 30 days. That is when we also have to start thinking about long-stay travel insurance.

Even if you buy a policy to cover you for a full year, in the vast majority of cases, the plan will cover you for every separate trip for a period of up to one month. So if you are fortunate to travel for longer periods, you will not be covered for any time beyond those 30 days. Let’s face it, that’s really not ideal for long-term travelers.

If you work remotely from different parts of the world, live a nomadic lifestyle or are taking a sabbatical or a gap year abroad, you will need long-stay travel insurance. And this is something that makes SafetyWing and World Nomads stand out from the bog-standard travel insurance companies.

Choosing A Travel Insurance

There are several companies out there, and searching for travel medical insurance or nomad travel insurance can be a daunting experience. Two of the best insurance companies out there are SafetyWing and World Nomads. Both of them are good for short single trips or longer ones, even if you live a nomadic lifestyle. The two of them, as you can imagine, also have their shortfalls, for there is no perfect or all-encompassing travel insurance in the market.

SafetyWing Travel Insurance

Despite being relatively new in the market, SafetyWing has already garnered a good reputation for its reliability and the uniqueness of its product. For these very same reasons, it is one of the fastest-growing travel medical insurance companies worldwide.

Created by digital nomads, they understand exactly what you need, especially (but not only) when you are on a long-term trip or are a digital nomad yourself.

SafetyWing travel insurance will offer full medical cover for accidents and illnesses, including physical therapy and chiropractic care. However, it does not cover pre-existing conditions.

One of the best things about SafetyWing is that the plan is very simple, with no extra hidden costs. For some benefits, such as emergency medical expenses, there is a 250USD deductible. But for most other benefits there is no deductible.

SafetyWing Travel Insurance Includes

SafetyWing travel insurance includes covers for any unexpected medical illness or injury overseas, including everything. It also includes cover for emergency medical evacuation, as well as travel delays, trip interruption, and lost checked luggage.

And last but not least, there is also health coverage in your home country: every 90 days you get 30 days home coverage; if you are a US citizen or resident, you get 15 days’ coverage every 90 days.

Not Included in The SafetyWing Policy

While most travel insurance policies have a long list of items not covered, it is very easy to understand what is not included in the SafetyWing policy.

One of these items is pre-existing conditions, like any other travel insurance. To be clear, the policy will only cover unexpected medical emergencies. Having said that, if a patient is diagnosed with cancer during a trip, the treatment is not covered either.

While many types of sports are covered by the policy, high-risk sports are not included in the SafetyWing travel insurance. Last but not least, if your property (phone, laptop, camera gear, etc) is damaged, lost or stolen, the policy will not cover that, although there are plans for that to change in the near future, so keep an eye on the small print.

SafetyWing Price

SafetyWing has a very straightforward price system. It can work like a subscription and you can keep it going or cancel it at any time. It costs 42USD for a 4-week period for persons aged up to 39 years old for worldwide travel, excluding the USA.  That is 1.50USD per day.

Alternatively, you can also choose a specific period for your insurance and pay upfront for the entire period you need to be covered, just like any other travel insurance. For example, if you are traveling for 5 days, you would be paying as little as 7.50USD, with exactly the same benefits.

World Nomads Travel Insurance

World Nomads is a well-established company offering long stay travel insurance already the no 1 company out of all the other companies in the market, so there is nothing new about them. Since World Nomad is truly old in this sector, so it has a huge reputation. Their policies are aimed mainly at backpackers and have a bunch of benefits.

World Nomads allows extending the policy for a maximum of 12 months. Presently they have two simple categories, the Standard Plan and the more expensive Explorer Plan. The Explorer Plan covers 150 adventure activities, including bungee jumping, skiing, scuba diving, and even bull riding.

World Nomads Travel Insurance Includes

As you would imagine, they cover any unexpected medical emergency or injury. That includes emergency dental treatment and emergency medical evacuation.

It also covers for delayed travel as well as your checked luggage, in case the airline loses it. Finally, their policy will also cover lost or stolen personal belongings, including your camera, mobile phones, drone, laptop, etc.

Not Included in The World Nomads Insurance Policy

As with the majority of travel insurance companies, World Nomads will not cover any pre-existing medical conditions. So, if you have a cardiac condition and have a heart-related emergency, that will not be covered.

In terms of lost or stolen personal items, if it was due to your own negligence, you are not covered either.

World Nomads Price

When it comes to the price of World Nomads travel insurance, it all depends on your country of residence and country of travel. They use different insurance providers depending on your country of residence, so the insurance price, terms, limits, and even benefits vary from country to country. The Standard Plan costs on average 5.20USD/day and Explorer Plan costs about 10USD/day. Here I need to mention that, the longer the period of travel, the lower the average daily price will be.

SafetyWing vs World Nomads Comparison

There is no doubt that both SafetyWing and World Nomads are excellent insurance options for both short and long-term travel. Choosing between one or another will really depend on your personal circumstances and what you consider to be more important.

Price Difference

As I mentioned, SafetyWing has a very simple price structure. It can work like a subscription, in the same way as Netflix, for example. For worldwide travel excluding the US, it will cost you 42USD if you’re up to 39 years old. Below you have a full breakdown of the price of SafetyWing travel insurance.

Age	Price for 4 weeks excl. USA (in USD)	Price for 4 weeks incl. USA
18-39	42	77
40-49	68	126
50-59	107	208
60-69	145	284

World Nomads, on the other hand, has a less straight forward price structure. It all depends on your home country, your age, and your travel destination. For example, if you are a 30-year-old California resident traveling to Thailand and Australia for 28 days, you will pay 111USD for the Standard Plan or 198USD for the Explorer Plan. If you are a UK resident going to the same destinations, you will pay 113USD for the Standard and 131USD for the Explorer Plan.

SafetyWing Home Country Cover

Like the actual name says, travel insurance is to be used when you are traveling. So it is refreshing to see that SafetyWing also offers a 30-day home country cover for every 90 days of the active subscription. That is useful if you need to return home in between travel destinations. World Nomads, like any other travel insurance, does not offer this option.

Which One Offers Better Long Stay Travel Insurance?

As I previously explained, most travel insurance will cover you for a maximum period of 30 days. SafetyWing and World Nomads are two of the companies that don’t fall under that rule, and both offer long stay travel insurance products.

World Nomads offers cover for up to one year in one single plan. You have the option of buying single-trip plans, but if you are traveling long-term, that may not be very convenient.

SafetyWing, with its subscription model, can be used for as long as you like. All you have to do is to allow for your payment to be renewed every 28 days.

Family Cover

SafetyWing offers a product that will delight families traveling with young children. Children between 15 days and 10 years old can be included for free in an adult’s plan, limited to two children per family (2 adults + 2 kids).

World Nomads, on the other hand, only offers individual plans. Following the same nationality and travel destinations I specified above, insurance for an 8-year-old child will cost exactly the same as an adult. For a family of four (2 adults + 2 children) that would come to at least 444USD for a 28-day trip on World Nomads Standard Plan.

Personal Items Cover

Nowadays many people, especially those traveling for longer periods of time, travel with a lot of gadgets. Laptop, mobile phone, camera, GoPro, drone… the list goes on and on. For that reason, having your personal items covered by your travel insurance can be a real deal-breaker. One single person could be carrying tens of thousand dollars worth of equipment and, getting that taken away from you or simply lost, would mean a real financial loss.

Comparing SafetyWing vs World Nomads, only one will cover your personal items. SafetyWing has announced that in the near future they will be covering personal items. World Nomads, on the other hand, will cover up to 500USD per item, limited to only 2 items.

SafetyWing vs World Nomads: Final Thoughts

SafetyWing and World Nomads are among the best travel insurance companies, both leaders in the market – even though SafetyWing is still considered a new kid on the block. There is no perfect or all-encompassing insurance company available and, whether you choose one or the other, it will all depend on your own circumstances: how long you will be traveling for, who is traveling and your budget.

But I dare to say once again that, no matter if you are going on a short or long-term trip, you will definitely need travel insurance. With that in mind, I advise you to look carefully, because this is one of the most important purchases you will make before your trip.