SafetyWing Review: Why We've Used It for 7 Years (and the 4 Times We Claimed)
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People ask us about travel insurance more than almost anything else, usually in a DM the week before a trip: "Which one do you guys use?" The short answer is SafetyWing. We've bought their Nomad Insurance before every trip for about seven years now, and we've claimed from them four times.
But to be honest, it isn't the right policy for everyone. So this is our full review: what it covers, what it really costs, the four times we needed it, and the situations where we'd tell you to buy something else.
See SafetyWing's prices for your trip →
Our quick verdict
Great for: longer trips, multi-country trips, backpacking, slow travel and anyone working remotely. You can buy it after you've already left home, and you can cancel it when you get back.
Not ideal for: an expensive, prepaid trip you'd need to cancel (the standard plan has no trip-cancellation cover), pre-existing medical conditions, travellers over 69, or carrying lots of expensive camera gear without the electronics add-on.
What is SafetyWing?
SafetyWing is travel medical insurance built for people who travel a lot. Instead of one policy per trip, it works like a subscription: you pay every four weeks (or upfront, for a 10% discount) and you're covered in pretty much every country you go to, for as long as it runs. There are two plans:
Nomad Insurance Essential: the one we use. It covers emergency medical care, hospital stays, evacuation, lost checked luggage and travel delays, for trips of up to 364 days at a time.
Nomad Insurance Complete: full health insurance with extra travel cover, like routine care, mental health support, cancer treatment, cancelled accommodation and theft. It's more of a fit if you live abroad full-time rather than taking trips.
What it actually costs
When we checked in October 2026, Essential cost US$62.72 every four weeks for ages 18 to 39, and Complete cost US$177.50 a month. Prices go up with age, so put your own details into their calculator. You can add these extras:
US cover: needed if your trip includes the United States, where medical bills are the most expensive in the world
Adventure sports: for things like scuba diving beyond the basics, high-altitude trekking and other riskier activities
Electronics theft: worth it if your phone, laptop and camera aren't already insured back home
The Essential plan has no deductible (excess) on claims since 2024, except for US residents. Cover in your home country is limited to 30 days, which is why it's travel insurance and not your medical aid.
The four times we've claimed
"Okay guys, but have you actually used it?" Yes, four times so far. We count ourselves lucky that nothing truly serious has happened, but each of these would have cost us real money without it.
2020, Bali: when the pandemic hit, SafetyWing covered our repatriation flights from Bali home to South Africa. That would have cost us about US$2,500 out of pocket.
2021, Belitung, Indonesia: we were put into a mandatory government quarantine, and they paid US$50 a day towards it.
2022, Malaysia: doctor visits and treatment for stomach bugs we'd picked up in India a few weeks earlier.
2022, Bali: an emergency root canal for Claire. By then, medical and dental care in Bali had become quite expensive.
Since 2022: no claims, thankfully. We still buy a policy before every single trip, because better safe than sorry.
A check-up at a clinic abroad. These are exactly the bills travel medical insurance is for.
Being sick on the road is bad enough without worrying about the bill.
What claiming was actually like: honestly, easy. When we claimed for our repatriation flights, the money was in our account within 30 days.
The process has changed a bit since then, so here’s how it works now. Log in to your SafetyWing dashboard, click “Submit a claim”, fill in the form and upload your documents: the medical report from the doctor or hospital, the itemised invoice and your receipts. SafetyWing says that once everything’s in, a claim takes up to 15 business days from submission to reimbursement, and they’ll email you if they need anything else.
Our tip: photograph every receipt and medical note on the spot. Chasing a clinic for paperwork after you’ve left the country is no fun.
Dental emergencies happen on the road too. Keep every receipt and the dentist’s notes.
What we like about it
You can buy it after you've left. We've bought policies at the airport on the day we flew, and you can sign up mid-trip if you forgot.
It's easy to stop and start. We switch it on before every trip and cancel it when we get home, with no strings attached.
One policy for many countries. On a long trip you don't have to buy a new policy at every border.
It's affordable. For the medical cover you get, it's one of the cheapest options we've found for long trips.
Leisure activities are included. Injuries from everyday holiday things like snorkelling and hiking are covered on Essential, and motor accidents are covered too if you're properly licensed and wearing a helmet.
What we don't love (and who should look elsewhere)
We'd rather you know this now than find out when you need to claim:
No trip cancellation on Essential. If you've prepaid a big safari or a Maldives resort and might need to cancel before you leave, SafetyWing won't refund that. For a trip like that, also look at a comprehensive policy from an insurer at home.
Pre-existing conditions aren't covered on Essential, and neither are maternity care or cancer treatment.
Age limits. Essential covers up to age 69, and the medical maximum drops for ages 65 to 69.
Camera gear. If you travel with expensive equipment, add the electronics theft cover and check its limits, or insure your gear separately like we do.
How we buy it before every trip
Make a free account in advance. Use our link, then click "Log in" and "Sign up". You don't pay anything until you buy a policy.
Pick your plan. We use Essential. If you're living abroad rather than travelling, look at Complete.
Add what you need. Select your age, then add US cover, adventure sports or electronics theft if they apply to your trip.
Buy it a few days before you fly. With an account set up, it takes under a minute. We usually do it at home or at the airport.
Cancel when you're home. Then do it all again next trip.
Quick answers
Can I buy SafetyWing if I've already started my trip?
Yes. You can sign up before you leave or at any point while you're travelling.
Does SafetyWing cover the United States?
Only if you add US cover, and only if you're not a US resident.
Is there an excess or deductible?
Not on Essential or Complete since February 2024, unless you're a US resident.
Does it cover scuba diving and adventure activities?
Everyday leisure activities are included. For riskier sports, add the adventure sports cover and check that your activity is on the list.
So, is SafetyWing worth it?
For the way we travel, long trips across several countries and a lot of time on scooters and boats, yes, and it's paid for itself more than once. If you're taking a short, expensive trip where cancellation is your biggest worry, it really depends on what you've prepaid, and a comprehensive policy might suit you better.
Whatever you choose, please don't travel without insurance. That repatriation flight alone would have cost us more than years of premiums.
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Have you claimed from SafetyWing, or do you use something else? Let us know in the comments. We read every one.
