How To Find The Best Long Term Travel Insurance

I have searched for the best long term travel insurance for years. There are simply so many offers out there, some which are ridiculously cheap, some only covering emergencies, to others with more care for extended periods of travel. Some cover worldwide destinations but not the US, and no visits back to your home country.

Over the past few years of travelling full-time, I have changed my travel insurance provider a number of times. But I always had travel health insurance, and never boarded a plane without.

I think travel health insurance is the number one insurance you should take out before you leave your home country. Health insurance for any overseas trip is the most essential because you simply never know what can happen. And than, you can also insure other things like lost luggage, electronic equipment, adventure sports, or add car rental excess cover.

Why should you buy travel insurance

Travel insurance is nothing you should save your hard-earned coins on.

Because you never know what happens if:

• You unexpectedly have to cancel your trip last minute
• An earthquake or other natural disaster strikes your destination
• You fall sick for no real reason or get injured on your trip
• Your personal possessions or electronic equipment is lost or stolen

Travel insurance saved my butt when I travelled to a remote region in Peru and fell sick with food poisoning, and ended up in a private hospital for a night. A truly horrible night of my life! And I had to board a plane back to the capital Lima the next day.

It also saved me on the island of Koh Samui in Thailand when I caught a nasty eye infection from who-knows-what; things like that just happen without you having any control over it!

Travel insurance also came in handy when I was backpacking through Thailand and caught bed bugs that got badly infected.

You just never know what can happen, it often is not your fault at all either, and you can be as cautious as possible, but having travel insurance is that peace of mind I wouldn't ever go without!

How to decide on the right travel insurance

There are some essential things you should be asking yourself before diving too deep into the many travel insurance offers out there, because when it comes to selecting travel insurance, there is no one-size-fits-all solution.

The right policy for you depends on a variety of factors, such as your travel destination, duration, activities, and personal circumstances. By understanding the key elements and asking the right questions, you can navigate the complexities of travel insurance and ensure you make the best decision to safeguard your journey.

Destinations: Where are you going to be travelling to?

You can get travel insurance for a particular region or country or, more commonly for long stay travel insurance, you can also choose worldwide insurance. I prefer buying insurance like this if you got a longer trip planned and don't know exactly where you will go yet.

US exclusions & limitations

Keep in mind that many providers don't naturally include the US in their policies because of the high cost of healthcare. There is usually a higher fee that applies to you if you are travelling to the United States and want to be insured there too. Some worldwide covers include the US but have limitations such as a two-week period, so make sure you read between the lines.

Finally, insurance providers sometimes don't cover every single country in the world. I have seen some providers not cover countries like North Korea, Cuba or Iran.

Home country coverage: Are you insured in your home country?

With being a nomad comes a lot of freedom, but you can also run into trouble with traditional, inflexible structures by some insurance providers.

For example, if you are travelling long-term, you may not be a resident in any country, not even your home country. Some people opt out of health insurance in their home country simply because they are not residing there and paying for health insurance without receiving any services in return. At some stage, I also decided to let my residency status in Germany go as well. This allowed me to exit the national health system, and instead, I took out comprehensive international insurance.

However, this also means that you may not be covered by health insurance when travelling back to your home country to see family and friends.

Often, international insurance providers will still ask for your home country and citizenship and then limit the number of days or weeks you are covered for when travelling “back home”. If you go over that time, you may not be covered by health insurance if anything happens there anymore, so be sure to double-check this if you have extended trips back home planned.

How long will you travel for?

Are you going on a two-week holiday or travelling for an extended period? If you are planning multiple small trips throughout the year, it might make sense to get annual travel insurance for a yearly fee.

If you are on the road long-term, then the best option is to get comprehensive and not only emergency cover. Usually, that's paid for monthly, but sometimes even ahead.

Mode of transport: How will you travel?

Are you flying, taking the train or bus, or wanting to rent a car?

Especially when renting cars overseas, it pays off to have cover included when taking out travel insurance. The insurance coverage offered by rental car companies in many destinations around the world almost always works out much more expensive.

Also, check if your credit card offers rental car insurance. Most of the time, you will have to book your rental car with that exact credit card to get the full insurance benefits.

Adventure Sports & Pre-existing Conditions

What activities have you planned? Adventurous activities such as snowboarding or skydiving are sometimes excluded with standard travel insurance policies but can be added on. Make sure your policy states this if you are planning to do these activities.

Do you have any medical conditions? Keep in mind that existing medical conditions may be exempt and not covered under most policies or need to be insured as an extra.

Coverage limits, excess & deductibles

Good travel insurance will cover you for at least US$250,000-500,000. I also see providers that offer US$1 to 5 million. However, that seems like a lot, and I am unsure if you'd ever need this much. It is important you check this number, though, as health care gets expensive fast (especially in countries like the US, Singapore or Switzerland), and you don't want to be left half-treated, right?

Also, it is good to look out for emergency medical evacuations in case you are badly injured and need to be flown to a hospital. This is something I'd always want included.

Make sure you have a buffer for potential excess or deductible payments in the case of cases as you don't want this to financially put you into debt. The easiest way I find is to have a separate bank account with emergency savings which you truly ever touch in an emergency!

Do you need anything else insured? Camera, laptop & other tech gear

Some insurance providers offer to additionally insure your baggage and tech equipment and reimburse you for missed flights. If that's something you need, it might be worth taking out an all-in-one insurance bundle for an additional fee.

After a lot of research and experience, I will list the most popular and flexible insurance policies for long-term world travellers, that I have used during my travels. Plus a couple of others underneath to check out!

The Best Long Term Travel Insurance

1. HeyMondo Travel Insurance (best overall!)

HeyMondo is my top pick for flexible travel insurance, no matter if you're going on a short trip or you're travelling long term.

They offer customisable plans, allowing you to select coverage options that meet your specific needs in their user-friendly online platform and mobile app.

HeyMondo's travel insurance typically includes essential coverage such as trip cancellation, medical expenses, emergency medical evacuation, baggage loss or delay, and personal liability. They provide 24/7 multilingual customer support to offer immediate assistance in emergencies.

Highlights of HeyMondo travel insurance:

• Customizable plans tailored to individual travel needs
• User-friendly online platform and mobile app for easy quotes, comparisons, and policy purchases
• Comprehensive coverage, including medical expenses, emergency evacuation, baggage loss, and personal liability
• Protection against non-refundable expenses and trip cancellations due to serious illness or death of the insured person or a family member caused by Covid-19, available in policies with trip cancellation guarantee
• 24/7 multilingual customer support for immediate assistance in emergencies

Get a quote for HeyMondo Insurance.

2. SafetyWing Travel Insurance (cheapest long term travel insurance!)

SafetyWing travel insurance is a rather new company but backed by one of the most solid insurance companies in the world, Tokio Marine!

It is specifically designed as medical and travel insurance for long-term travellers such as digital nomads and other independent remote workers and covers anything from unexpected illness, and injury to hospital and doctor visits outside your home country.

SafetyWing also includes emergency medical evacuation, travel delay, and lost luggage. It does not cover routine checkups and preventative care.

Highlights for digital nomads & long-term travellers:

• Worldwide coverage for travel to over 180 countries outside of your home country and up to $250,000 maximum limit.
• Medical and political evacuation if a political or terrorism event occurs, as well as accommodation replacement in the event of natural disasters.
•  Automatic renewal as you pay month by month, which is super cool for remote workers with no intended return date. After 364 days, you can renew your coverage if you choose to be away from your home country longer. This is a great idea for a travel insurance for long term travel, as you don't want to pay everything upfront like you used to with traditional travel insurances, but you can simply budget it in every month.
• Home country coverage is included on a limited basis. If you are from the US, you'll get 15 days of coverage in your home country for each 90 days that you are covered. If you usually reside outside of the US, you are covered for 30 days for every 90 days you are covered.
• Very affordable, starting at US$45/month compared to other insurance providers. Or US$83/month if you're travelling in the US. This makes SafetyWing the cheapest long-term travel insurance on the market.

Get a quote for SafetyWing Insurance.

3. World Nomads Travel Insurance (most comprehensive!)

World Nomads has been around for a long time and offers long-term travel health insurance for independent travellers to cover all the important essentials for any trip worldwide.

You can even take out an insurance policy out when you have already left your home country, something not many insurance providers offer!

Their policies can easily be extended online at affordable prices too, which makes it another good long-stay travel insurance.

Highlights of World Nomads travel insurance:

• Many adventure activities are covered, so you don't have to worry when you go scuba diving, skiing or want to give bungee jumping a go.
• Your most precious gear is protected, this way you don't have to break a sweat when your tech gear is stolen, your bags are delayed, or worse, your passport is lost.
• Home country coverage is very limited, but you can return home one time and then resume your trip during the insured period for any reason and you will still be covered.
• Emergency dental treatment is included for accidental injuries that occur during the trip.

Get a free quote for World Nomads travel insurance.

Other travel insurance providers worth checking out

• World2Cover – For Australians looking for global coverage, it also has winter sports options, a simple claims process, and no excess.
• HanseMerkur – For Germans going on long-term trips, studying, or working abroad. I have used this health insurance for long term travel a number of times and was always very happy.
• IMG Global – In the US, specifically for long term travel insurance, expats and global citizens.

The Best Long Term Travel Insurance – Final Words

When it comes to finding the best long-term travel insurance, thorough research and understanding of the policy details are key. I hope the options and options listed above will help your research into the best long term travel insurance.

Remember to obtain quotes and carefully review the coverage specifics to ensure that your needs are adequately met. Each traveler's requirements may vary, so it's crucial to consider factors such as trip duration, destinations, activities, and personal circumstances.

Prioritizing your safety and well-being is paramount, so choose a policy that provides comprehensive coverage for medical emergencies, trip interruptions, and other unforeseen events that may arise during your long-term travel.

Stay safe and happy travels, always!

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