The International Travel Insurance I Actually Use

This post contains affiliate links and includes a reader discount code, as part of a partnership with SafetyWing. If you buy through my links or code, I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you, and you save money. I only recommend things I use myself, and this is genuinely the travel insurance I travel with.

Finding the right international travel insurance is not optional, especially when you travel solo and independently, as I usually do. It is the one piece of planning I never skip, and after testing it across long stays abroad, the policy I use and recommend is SafetyWing’s Nomad Insurance.

I am not going to pretend it is perfect for everyone, because no insurance is, and on this topic, being honest about the limits matters more than being enthusiastic. So let me tell you what it is, what it covers, what it does not, and how to get a discount as one of my readers.

What it is, and why I use it

SafetyWing’s Nomad Insurance is a travel medical insurance built for people who are location-independent, travellers, digital nomads, remote workers, that covers you while you are outside your home country, across 180-plus countries.

What sold me is the model. Rather than buying a fixed policy for fixed dates, you subscribe, and it runs continuously until you stop it. I used exactly this during my remote-working stays in Japan and, more recently, in Norway: sign up once, stay covered for weeks or months without buying a new policy each time, and cancel from the dashboard when you are home for good. For the way I travel- slow, independent, often for a long time- that flexibility is the whole point.

The plans, and the new annual option

Since late 2024, SafetyWing has split Nomad Insurance into two levels, so choose with your own trip in mind:

Nomad Insurance Essential is the core travel-medical plan: emergency and accident medical care, hospital, evacuation, and basic travel mishaps. It is the right choice for most travellers and holidaymakers, and it is the plan my reader code applies to.

Nomad Insurance Complete adds “regular” health cover, including routine doctor visits, preventive and wellness care, and coverage for some conditions that develop after your plan starts. It is aimed at full-time nomads who want their everyday healthcare handled too.

There is also a newer Annual Plan for the Essential level, worth knowing about if you are abroad most of the year. Its selling points, per SafetyWing: around 10% savings versus paying monthly; cover at home for trips of up to 90 consecutive days (up to 179 days a year); and a US$150 prepaid debit card so you don’t pay out of pocket at the point of care.

Being honest: what it does NOT cover

This is the part I care most about, because an insurance post that only lists benefits is doing you a disservice. Read the current policy yourself before buying, but as a guide, the Essential plan generally does not cover:

• Pre-existing conditions. Illnesses you already had before signing up stay excluded. If this matters to you, look at the Complete plan and read exactly how it handles conditions that begin after the start date.
• The US without an add-on. Coverage in the United States (and Canada) requires a paid add-on, so factor that in if your trip includes them.
• Adventure and professional sports unless you add the adventure-sports option. If you ski, dive, climb or ride seriously, check this carefully; it is exactly the kind of thing that catches people out.
• Expensive electronics and belongings. Lost-luggage and electronics cover is limited or an add-on, and the per-item cap is low. If you travel with a costly camera or laptop, you likely need separate cover for valuables.
• Cancelled trips before you leave, and cancer treatment, among other exclusions.

None of this makes it a bad policy; it makes it a travel-medical policy, which is what it is for. The trap is assuming it is a do-everything travel insurance. It is not, and knowing that is how you use it well: it is excellent, affordable emergency-and-accident medical cover for independent travellers, and you top up or look elsewhere for the specific things above.

Your reader discount code

SafetyWing gave me a reward code to share with you. Here is how to use it, because it is a little hidden:

Go to the Nomad Insurance page and look for a small pink camera icon on the site, that is where the reward code goes. Enter the code, then complete your purchase.

Reward code: MYCODE-XYZ

Two conditions to know: it is for new SafetyWing customers only, on a Nomad Insurance Essential subscription (monthly or annual), and it must be applied before you create your SafetyWing account. So enter it at the start, not after signing up.

A small honesty note, because it is who I am: I would genuinely have preferred a discount on my own policy, which I already pay for out of my own pocket, rather than a code to pass on. But since the savings go to you, my readers, I am glad to share it; it is a real discount on something I already use and rate.

Further reading

• SafetyWing Nomad Insurance, official page and full policy: https://safetywing.com/nomad-insurance/
• My guide to planning independent travel
• My guide to solo female travel

Frequently asked questions