One of the best things about being alive right now is that you can make a living anywhere in the world as long as you have access to the internet. This has given us more freedom than ever before, but unfortunately, most of the insurance industry hasn’t quite caught up.
And that’s where SafetyWing comes in. They recently relaunched Nomad Insurance and Nomad Health as Nomad Insurance Essential and Complete. That is great news because you no longer have to choose between travel or complete medical insurance.
Which plan is right for you? Well, it depends on your style of travel and the length of your trip. So let’s take a closer look at the difference between Essential and Complete Nomad Insurance.
Article overview
Who is SafetyWing?
“We’re here to remove the role of geographical borders as a barrier to equal opportunities and freedom for everyone.“
SafetyWing is a modern travel + medical insurance provider designed to meet the needs of digital nomads, remote workers and travelers from all walks of life.
Their mission is to provide affordable, flexible and borderless coverage that caters to both short trips and long-term adventures.
Disclosure: I’ve written this SafetyWing Nomad Insurance comparison to the best of my knowledge and understanding, however, changes to insurance policy terms can happen. Use the information within this article at your own discretion. Before purchasing a policy, do your own research and make sure all your personal needs will be covered!
SafetyWing Nomad Insurance
Nomad Insurance now has two plans with different levels of coverage, Essential and Complete. The first plan offers travel medical coverage, while the other provides comprehensive health insurance with extended travel coverage, both designed for those working or exploring across multiple countries.
But don’t let the word nomad make you think it’s only for full-time travelers, the Essential plan can be used for any trip 3 days or longer.
Essential
SafetyWing Nomad Insurance Essential plan is great for short- to mid-term travelers, covering unexpected medical situations and travel mishaps.
It is not a replacement for health insurance because it is only designed to cover emergency accidents and illnesses that may happen while you travel, rather than preventative care, and elective or continuous treatments.
This is most comparable to regular travel insurance, but the great thing is that it works like a subscription. And you don’t need to know your itinerary in advance, which always used to be my biggest struggle with insurance. You can even buy a policy when you’re already abroad.
However, you don’t even need a recurring subscription if you’re just looking for coverage during specific travel dates.
✅ Most important inclusions:
🩺 Medical treatment and hospitalization up to $250,000
🚑 Evacuation to a better hospital up to $100,000
🧳 Lost checked luggage $500 per item
🛻 Motor accidents (when fully licensed) up to $250,000
🛩 Evacuation from local unrest up to $10,000 lifetime max
➕ Available add-ons:
🪂 Adventure sports
💻 Electronic theft
🇺🇸 US coverage (for non-residents)
I won’t go into too much detail about the Essential plan again because I’ve already written about it. So if you want more information and read about my own experiences, be sure to also check out my complete SafetyWing Nomad Insurance Essential review.
Complete
SafetyWing Nomad Insurance Complete plan is designed for long-term nomads, with health and travel upgrades for comprehensive coverage, also in your country of residency.
In other words, it is health insurance with extended travel coverage, building upon the foundation of the Essential plan. You can choose to pay monthly or yearly, but the minimum contract is 12 months.
The Complete plan also offers coverage in 180+ countries and includes mental health care, wellness therapies and the option to choose your own doctor while traveling. They also plan on expanding the coverage, including an add-on for electronics theft, which is great, I once had my phone stolen in Bali.
✅ Most important inclusions:
🩺 Medical treatment and hospitalization up to $1,500,000
🛻 Motor accidents (when fully licensed) up to $1,500,000
🪂 Adventure sports
👮 Stolen belongings up to $5,000
🧠 Psychologist or Psychiatrist up to 10 visits
🪷 Wellness therapies up to $5,000
See the complete list below, or check out the full policy here.
➕ Available add-ons:
🌏 Hong Kong, Singapore and US coverage (coverage for longer than 30 days, up to 6 months. If you are a resident of Hong Kong or Singapore, it is required.)
💻 Electronic theft (coming soon)
What you need to know
It’s important to understand that with the Essential plan, new conditions become pre-existing when the plan expires after a maximum of 364 days. So it doesn’t provide continuous coverage for any conditions.
It is only for unexpected health issues and accidents, not conditions that existed before your policy started. It is great as temporary cover but should not be used as ongoing health insurance.
Although the Complete plan also does not cover pre-existing conditions, it is renewable for life and will cover you if you do develop long-term health issues like diabetes or asthma while on the plan. It also has important coverage for screenings, vaccines, cancer treatment and maternity care.
Countries covered
With the Complete plan, the only exceptions are Hong Kong, Singapore and the United States. In those three countries, coverage is limited to 30 days per trip, not to exceed 183 days or half of the year, unless you have specifically purchased the worldwide add-on.
You need pre-approval
You need to let SafetyWing know about procedures costing more than $500 in advance to prevent unnecessary treatments and manage the costs.
Getting a confirmation that the procedure is covered under your policy, is important to make sure you are not stuck with a large bill. You will also have the option to request that the healthcare provider be paid directly.
If you do not get pre-approval first and pay and claim as normal for something that costs more than this, you may get back 30% less on your reimbursement. In an emergency where you are not able to communicate, report your treatment within 72 hours.
Discount with annual billing
Unlike most other international insurance companies, Safetywing Complete offers a 10% discount if you pay for an annual plan. That means you could essentially get a free month of insurance and can spend the money on experiences instead.
Which plan is right for you?
The main difference between the two policies is that the Essential plan is for emergencies abroad while the Complete plan is a comprehensive at-home health care insurance with additional travel benefits. This means you’ll be covered no matter where you are – settled somewhere or still on the road.
If you’re just heading out for a couple of weeks or a few months, SafetyWing’s Essential plan is the option for you. It is designed for budget-conscious travelers, it is flexible and covers emergencies.
However, if you will be working abroad or traveling for months (or years), their new Complete plan is the best option for you. It offers extensive coverage while still keeping the cost down. I know a plan like this has been long awaited in the digital nomad community.
| ✅ For you if.. | ❌ Not for you if.. |
| you’re a budget traveler | you travel with with very expensive of electronics |
| you’re looking for simple emergency coverage | you are doing professional/excessive extreme sports |
| you travel without lots of expensive electronics | need comprehensive trip delay or cancellation |
| you’re a digital nomads who need medical coverage for long-term travel | you have preexisting medical conditions |
As I like to say, if you can’t afford travel insurance, you can’t afford to travel. I know it’s not the most fun topic, but it can save you hundreds or thousands of dollars. I never leave home without it and I don’t think you shouldn’t either.
Click below to choose the plan that matches your journey!
Psst. If you’re a travel blogger or content creator, you can also earn by becoming a SafetyWing ambassador. Just click here to learn more!
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