If you’re reading this article, you’re probably wondering if you should get SafetyWing travel insurance for your upcoming trip. In my experience, it’s always worth it. This is coming from someone who’s gotten into a motorbike accident and lost teeth in Indonesia, broken an ankle while solo hiking in Australia, and needed a helicopter rescue from the 5th highest mountain in the world.
Why Should You Get SafetyWing Travel Insurance?
Even if you’re not an adventure sports enthusiast, even if you’re traveling to see the cherry blossoms in Japan or touring art museums in Paris, it’s always worth it to travel with peace of mind. I can enjoy my adventures fully knowing that I’m covered if the worst were to happen.
I happened to be subscribed to SafetyWing’s Travel Insurance when I broke my ankle solo hiking Australia’s highest peaks. Afterward, I successfully claimed my surgery and emergency medical bills.
My wife also suffered a freak accident at the beach that caused permanent bruising on her spinal cord. The accident required an emergency spinal fusion to stabilize her condition. SafetyWing covered that too (and sent her flowers). If you need more reasons to book their travel insurance, I’ll explain fully below.
You can even use code JOURNEY8 when you visit their site and get 8 WEEKS of free ‘electrical add-ons’, which is super handy to have your laptop, phones and camera gear covered. All you have to do is find one the pink cameras on the Nomad Insurance Page and click the link and enter my code JOURNEY8.
What is SafetyWing Nomad Insurance?
SafetyWing is a travel medical insurance provider created for remote workers and businesses. They aim to build a global safety net encompassing travelers, digital nomads, and remote teams. As someone who spent 10 years on the road, I appreciate their offering of both Essential and Complete coverage plans, regardless of geographical borders.
SafetyWing Nomad Insurance: Essential vs Complete Plans
Safetywing Nomad Insurance currently comes in two versions, Essential and Complete. The Essential Plan is typically what most travelers would purchase for a one-off trip, while the Complete Plan is better for longer travels, digital nomads, and people who simply prefer more coverage. The Complete Plan is a great choice if you’re in need of comprehensive health care.
SafetyWing Nomad Insurance: Essential Plan Coverage
SafetyWing’s Essential Plan is what I use anytime I’m traveling internationally. The Essential plan offers coverage for unexpected medical issues while abroad. This includes a US $250,000 overall limit and standard travel coverage for events like trip interruptions and travel delays.
What’s covered, up to the limits above:
- Medical treatment for unexpected injuries
- Emergency dental
- Hospitalization
- Ambulance
- Diagnostics
- Motor accidents
- Injuries from leisure sports
- Lost checked luggage
- Trip interruption
- Travel delay
- Evacuation from local unrest
- Arrangements upon death
What’s not covered:
- Preexisting conditions
- Cancer
- Maternity care
- Routine medical care, ie. vision & dental
- People aged 70 and over
- Limited coverage for visits to your home country or the US
SafetyWing Nomad Insurance’s Essential Plan works great if you’re planning a trip abroad. If you don’t want to subscribe, you can set the exact dates of your travels and enter the countries you plan to visit for exact coverage. This flexibility is one of the reasons I love Nomad Insurance.
SafetyWing Nomad Insurance: Complete Plan Coverage
SafetyWing’s Complete Plan offers upgraded coverage that’s great for long-term travel and digital nomads. It’s a solid stand-in for the comprehensive health coverage you’d expect from most developed countries. I say this because the complete plan features a US$1,500,000 overall limit, and includes all the items covered in the Essential Plan, plus routine and preventive care, cancer treatments, maternity care, and wellness therapies.
What’s covered, up to the limits above:
- Medical treatment for unexpected injuries
- Emergency dental
- Hospitalization
- Ambulance
- Diagnostics
- Motor accidents
- Injuries from leisure sports
- Lost checked luggage
- Trip interruption
- Travel delay
- Trip cancellation
- Stolen belongings
- Evacuation from local unrest
- Arrangements upon death
- Doctor & specialist visits
- Routine checkups and preventative care
- Wellness therapies with a $60 co-pay
- 10 psychologist/ psychiatrist visits per year
- Cancer tests & treatments
- Maternity care
What’s not covered:
- Preexisting conditions
- People aged 64 and over
- Covered treatments over the set maximum limits
SafetyWing Travel Insurance: My Experience
I’ve unfortunately had the chance to properly test SafetyWing’s claims process. Over the last few years, both my wife and I have had significant accidents while traveling, resulting in surgery and thousands of dollars in medical expenses. In both cases, we were covered by SafetyWing and our claims were successfully paid.
Claim #1: Broken Ankle & Reconstruction Surgery — Australia
In 2021, I was solo hiking a loop around Australia’s highest peaks when I injured my ankle attempting to jump across a river. I still managed to summit Mount Kosciuszko and hike roughly 20 km back to my car before driving myself to the hospital.
It turned out I had broken my ankle and ultimately needed reconstructive surgery, leaving me with a medical bill of approximately $7,000 AUD.
Submission Process: I waited until I had received the final invoice for my treatment and surgery before submitting the claim to SafetyWing. I submitted the claim with the supporting medical and billing documentation and then waited for it to be reviewed.
Documents Required: Medical documentation relating to the injury and treatment, along with the final invoice and supporting billing documents.
Wait Time: Approximately six weeks from submitting the completed claim until it was processed and paid. By the time the reimbursement came through, I was just about getting off my crutches. SafetyWing has since dropped all deductibles and reduced waiting times to less than a week if all documentation is successful. It’s also possible to request Guarantee of Payment (when the medical provider bills insurance directly) for any treatments that need an overnight stay at the hospital.
Deductible: I don’t recall the exact deductible that applied to my policy at the time, but the eligible costs of my claim were successfully reimbursed.
Location at Time of Claim: Australia.
For me, this was the claim that really proved the value of having travel insurance. A $7,000 AUD bill was easily the largest unexpected medical expense I had faced while traveling, and SafetyWing successfully covered the claim.
Claim #2: Spinal Injury & Surgery — Australia
A few years later, my wife also had to make a major claim with SafetyWing following a freak accident at the beach.
The accident resulted in spinal cord bruising and a herniated disc and ultimately required surgery. It was a serious injury and the type of procedure that could have cost more than $100,000 USD in the United States. Fortunately, the surgery was performed in Australia, where the total cost was less than $4,000 USD.
Submission Process: As with my ankle injury, the medical expenses and supporting documentation were submitted to SafetyWing for review following treatment.
Documents Required: Medical documentation relating to the accident, diagnosis and surgery, together with the relevant hospital invoices and billing records.
Wait Time: The claim was reviewed and successfully covered by SafetyWing. I don’t remember the exact processing time for this particular claim.
Deductible: I don’t recall the exact deductible applicable to her policy at the time.
Location at Time of Claim: Australia.
Most travelers buy insurance hoping they’ll never actually need it. Unfortunately, we’ve had to use ours for two significant medical emergencies. Having both claims successfully covered is a major reason I’ve continued to have confidence in SafetyWing. Reading the benefits on an insurance policy is one thing; having it actually pay out when you’re facing surgery and a bill for thousands of dollars is another.
Partially because my SafetyWing Travel Insurance claim was successful, and partly because it was a great gig, my girlfriend at the time applied for the SafetyWing Dream Job. She got the job, traveling to digital nomad destinations around the world as their nomadic content creator.
However, right as her trip came to an end, she suffered a freak accident at the beach that left her with permanent spinal cord bruising and a herniated disk. She had a surgery that would’ve cost over $100,000 in the US for less than $4,000 in Australia. And the best part? SafetyWing covered that too.
What SafetyWing Could Do Better
One limitation for me is the 4,500-meter altitude limit. It rules out quite a few of the adventures I regularly do, including Everest Base Camp and higher-altitude trekking in Nepal and Pakistan.
I understand why this restriction exists, as high-altitude incidents can involve expensive and complicated rescues. However, it would be great if SafetyWing offered an optional high-altitude add-on for an additional fee. I’d happily pay extra for coverage above 4,500 meters rather than having to purchase a completely separate policy from another insurer, which often means paying for overlapping coverage.
Having the option to add high-altitude trekking coverage would make SafetyWing much more practical for adventure travelers who otherwise really like the product.
What Convinced Me: SafetyWing vs Other Providers
Before choosing SafetyWing, I also looked at other well-known travel insurance providers, particularly World Nomads and Heymondo. Both are established options that I’d consider depending on the type of trip, but SafetyWing stood out for the way I travel.
The biggest deciding factor for me was flexibility. I’m often traveling for extended periods rather than taking a traditional one- or two-week holiday, so I like that SafetyWing is designed with long-term travelers and digital nomads in mind. The subscription-style model also makes sense for someone whose travel plans can change along the way.
I also found SafetyWing relatively straightforward to understand and manage online. Rather than feeling like a traditional travel insurance policy that I need to organize separately for every individual trip, it fits more naturally into an ongoing travel lifestyle.
World Nomads is another option I’ve used and considered, particularly for adventure-focused trips, while Heymondo offers comprehensive travel insurance with a strong app-based experience. However, for longer trips, frequent travel, and the flexibility to keep coverage running while moving between countries, SafetyWing was the best overall fit for me.
That doesn’t necessarily mean it will be the best option for every traveler. For example, SafetyWing’s 4,500-meter altitude limit is something I need to consider for high-altitude trekking in places like Nepal and Pakistan. But for the majority of my travels, the combination of flexibility, simplicity, and long-term coverage is what ultimately convinced me to choose SafetyWing.
A Quick Background on SafetyWing
SafetyWing was founded by a team of Norwegians with a pretty ambitious goal: to build a global safety net for people who live and work around the world. Travel and medical insurance was the first step in that vision, with SafetyWing focusing particularly on digital nomads, remote workers, and long-term travelers who don’t necessarily fit into the traditional travel insurance model.
Since launching, SafetyWing has provided coverage to more than 400,000 travelers worldwide. The long-term idea goes beyond simply offering travel insurance, but for now, its Nomad Insurance product is the part of that vision most travelers will encounter.
Conclusion: My Honest Review of SafetyWing Travel Insurance
Considering my wife and I have both successfully filed claims through SafetyWing for major accidents, it’s definitely something that worked well for us. Given its flexible plans, affordable products, and both Essential and Complete coverage, it’s one of my favorite travel insurances. I also love that you can add adventure sports coverage (just make sure your activities are covered)!
Its simple claims process, global coverage, and 24/7 live support are additional reasons to book SafetyWing travel insurance for your next trip. Whether you’re seeking comprehensive health coverage as a remote worker or booking a 1-week holiday abroad, SafetyWing is an excellent addition to your travel adventures.
Frequently Asked Questions about SafetyWing
How do SafetyWing claims actually work: timelines, documents, and payouts?
In my experience, filing a SafetyWing claim involved submitting the claim online along with supporting documents such as medical reports, invoices, and proof of payment. My wife and I have both had significant claims successfully paid, including my ankle surgery, and the process was straightforward once all the required documentation had been submitted.
How fast does SafetyWing pay claims?
As of 2026, SafetyWing states that claims are generally processed within 10 business days once all required information has been received. SafetyWing Complete also includes a $500 Virtual Payment Card that can be used for eligible expenses immediately and replenished after an approved claim; Essential members who prepay for the full 364-day term can receive a similar $150 benefit via a physical prepaid card.
Does SafetyWing charge a deductible?
No. SafetyWing removed the deductible from its standard coverage in 2024, so eligible claims are no longer subject to the previous deductible.
How can I get electronics covered against theft while traveling?
Electronics theft is available through SafetyWing’s optional electronics add-on, rather than being automatically included in the standard plan. The add-on can cover eligible electronic devices against theft while traveling, subject to SafetyWing’s coverage limits and claim requirements. Use my reward code JOURNEY8 when signing up to get 8 weeks free electronic theft coverage. All you have to do is find one the pink cameras on the Nomad Insurance Page and click the link and enter my code JOURNEY8.
Is SafetyWing legit? I read Reddit complaints, then filed a claim myself.
My wife and I have both had several SafetyWing claims successfully paid. In my experience, many frustrations with travel insurance come from expecting something to be covered when it falls outside the policy or requires an additional add-on, so it is important to understand exactly what your plan includes. My ankle surgery was expensive, and having the eligible costs covered made the insurance more than worthwhile for me.
Does SafetyWing include non-emergency benefits?
Yes, but these broader non-emergency benefits are available through SafetyWing Complete rather than the standard Essential plan. Complete includes benefits for areas such as routine and preventive care, mental health support, maternity care, and cancer treatment, subject to the plan’s specific coverage limits and conditions.
