Digital nomads frequently move from one country to another, making it difficult to maintain traditional health and life insurance policies.
In this comparative study, we’ll take a look at 2 popular digital nomad insurance providers: PassportCard Nomads and SafetyWing.
We’ll compare their coverage options and see which one is the better value for digital nomads. We’ll also consider questions such as “Is SafetyWing good travel insurance?” and “Does SafetyWing cover COVID-19?” So if you’re looking for comprehensive coverage for your next trip, read on!
At A Glance
- What Is Digital Nomad Insurance?
- PassportCard Nomads
- SafetyWing
- PassportCard Nomads and SafetyWing: A comparison
- What Does SafetyWing and PassportCard Insurance Not Cover?
- How long does each Insurance Coverage Last?
- How Much Does Each Insurance Cost?
- Other Related Questions to Digital Nomad Insurance
- Other related questions to SafetyWing Insurance
What Is Digital Nomad Insurance?
Of course, you may still be wondering what exactly digital nomad insurance is and how it differs from regular travel insurance.
Simply put, digital nomad insurance is a type of policy that provides coverage for remote workers who’re often on the move and away from their home country while offering the usual travel insurance coverage such as baggage delay and medical coverage and provides access to emergency services when needed.
The differences become apparent when comparing a regular insurance policy with a digital nomad insurance policy.
A regular policy typically covers repatriation, medical expenses and other essentials such as flight delay coverage or stolen items reimbursement. However, a digital nomad policy offers more comprehensive coverage that includes coverage for camera equipment, laptop repairs and replacements, sports injuries and COVID-related expenses.
Who’s it for and why do they need it?
As mentioned briefly above, digital nomad insurance is specifically designed for digital nomads who are on the move and in need of comprehensive coverage.
Digital nomads often work remotely, away from home, so traditional health and life insurance policies may not cover them abroad.
Not only that, but digital nomads who’re also content creators (like me) need more specialised coverage such as camera equipment repair and replacements or medical coverage for overseas medical treatments. That’s where a digital nomad insurance comes in handy – it gives you the peace of mind that your health and possessions are covered, no matter where your travels take you.
Now that we understand what digital nomad insurance is and who it’s for, let’s take a look at some of the current leading providers of digital nomad insurance.
PassportCard Nomads
PassportCard Nomads is a leading global travel insurance provider. PassportCard Nomads is a digital nomad insurance under the wing of DavidShield Insurance Company Ltd – a company that operates in over 150 countries. DavidShield Insurance Company Ltd also has physical offices in numerous countries that help provide services and coverage to nomads and travellers alike all around the world.
PassportCard Nomads has been around since 2017 and offers coverage in more than 140 countries. PassportCard Nomads offers a variety of plans that range from basic to comprehensive coverage, allowing you to pick the one that best suits your needs.
They specialise in digital nomad policies that provide innovative travel and health insurance solutions that’re otherwise not available in normal travel insurance. The insurance is tailored to the needs of digital nomads, with comprehensive coverage for:
- Emergency medical expenses
- Emergency surgery and inpatient care
- Emergency dental coverage
- Camera equipment
- Electronics
- Sports injury
- Etc.
Their starter plan starts from USD 59 a month. There are also additional options that you can add to both Starter and Remote packs to further expand your insurance depending on the coverage you need.
Extreme Sports add-ons are highly recommended for adrenaline junkies who love to try different extreme activities.
If working remotely and vlogging is inclined with your career, then Laptop and Camera add-ons are the perfect fit for you, each offering up to USD 750 in coverage.
Baggage and Personal Items add-on will cover any loss or theft items that are under the care of an airline, and you can get up to USD 6,000 in coverage.
PassportCard Nomads also offers COVID-19 coverage, which covers medical expenses and travel cancellations due to infection by the virus.
They cover almost every country in the world except the USA. These countries are also not part of the default cover, but you can add an extended medical insurance coverage for USD 99 a month: UK, China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Brazil, Singapore, and Switzerland.
Limitation of Coverage
This is the plan limit of my Starter plan, where the coverage is for up to 6 months.
If you choose a higher tier i.e. Comfort plan that starts from USD 242 a month, it allows you to be covered for an unlimited amount of time and the limit is up to USD 3.5 million per insurance year.
You can compare the benefits of the Starter plan vs Comfort plan vs Premium plan here.
The policy provides unlimited medical coverage with no deductible and covers both emergency and non-emergency treatments. That means never having to fork a single cent from your pocket!
What I like about PassportCard Nomads
PassportCard Nomad has a prepaid debit Visa card called the ‘Red Card’. That means no out-of-pocket expenses! All you have to do is preload the card and pay as if you’ll pay using a normal debit card at any medical provider.
Check out PassportCard Nomads here!
SafetyWing
SafetyWing is another digital nomad insurance provider that was also founded in 2017 and is based in San Francisco. SafetyWing offers 2 types of products: Nomad Insurance and Remote Health Insurance. These insurances are designed to meet both medical and travel needs often faced by either Digital Nomads or other remote workers while they’re currently residing outside their home country.
SafetyWing’s Nomad Insurance is a travel medical insurance that covers unforeseen accidents or illnesses while you’re outside of your home country and needs medical assistance.
When it comes to travelling, SafetyWing’s Nomad Insurance covers travel delays, lost checked luggage, emergency response, natural disasters and personal liability.
You’re even covered in your home country for every 90 days you’re abroad.
SafetyWing’s Remote Health Insurance is designed more for remote workers who want more comprehensive health coverage such as cancer and pre-existing conditions.
Nomad Insurance vs Remote Health
What sets Nomad Insurance apart from regular global health travel insurance is the comprehensive health insurance available in 175+ countries as part of SafetyWing’s plans.
SafetyWing also offers COVID-19, which includes medical expenses and travel cancellations due to infection by the virus.
Limitation of Coverage
There’s a USD 250 deductible, with coverage of up to USD 250,000.
What I like about Safetywing
When you sign up, you can also buy insurance for a friend, family or group member that you’re travelling with. If you’re travelling with children aged between 14 days and 10 years old, they can be insured in the same insurance plan without added cost.
Check out Safetywing here!
PassportCard Nomads and SafetyWing: A comparison
Happy to meet these 2 digital nomad insurance providers? Let’s look at a brief comparison between PassportCard Nomads and SafetyWing.
Medical Coverage
On top of our checklist when it comes to emergency medical coverage, both digital nomad insurance providers offer intensive coverage with unlimited medical expenses provided.
SafetyWing provides more comprehensive coverage with a broader range of countries in its plan. However, there’s a USD 250 per certificate period, while PassportCard Nomads doesn’t.
Both SafetyWing and PassportCard Nomad also offer emergency dental coverage.
SafetyWing offers emergency vision coverage but PassportCard Nomads doesn’t.
PassportCard Nomads offer maternity coverage on their Comfort plan but Safetywing doesn’t.
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Flight & Baggage Delay, Flight Cancellations
SafetWwing provides coverage for flight delays, baggage delays, and flight cancellations while PassportCard Nomads doesn’t.
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Loss Or Theft Of Checked Luggage & Personal Items
SafetyWing provides reimbursement for the cost of lost checked luggage, not to exceed USD 500 for any one item. They also cover up to USD 100 for lost or stolen documents.
For PassportCard Nomads, you can add coverage for baggage and personal items of up to USD 6,000 in coverage.
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Electronics & Camera Equipment
This is a huge sore point for me, especially as a travel blogger, as I almost always travel with my full camera and vlogging gear.
PassportCard Nomad has an option for coverage of your electronic and camera equipment for an add-on fee between USD 8 to 12 on a monthly basis. You can get up to USD 750 for this coverage. SafetyWing does not have any options for this type of coverage.
Therefore, if you’re a frequent traveller who often carries expensive electronics or camera equipment with you, then PassportCard Nomads would be the better option.
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Sports Coverage
You never know when accidents can happen..
Another major concern when I get nomad travel insurance is sports coverage. If you know me, you know I’m a very active individual! While I’m cautious, I can’t always plan for accidents, and that’s one of the dangers of the digital nomad lifestyle.
Insurance has saved me one time a lot – from skiing accidents, rock climbing, etc. I was flown on a Business class flight back home from Japan to undergo ACL treatment after a severe fall from skiing.
Both insurances cover sports coverage, as long as it’s not organised athletics or professional sports or activities. If you engage in sports as a hobby, you’ll be covered.
PassportCard Nomads covers sports for an additional top-up of USD 30 per month. You can check out the list of sports covered here.
Make sure to double-check that the sports that you might do are covered. For instance, PassportCard Nomads covers paragliding and 4×4 off-road vehicles but Safetywing doesn’t. PassportCard Nomads covers mountaineering up to 6,000 metres while Safetywing covers up to 4,500 metres.
When in doubt, reach out to their customer support for specific activities.
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COVID-19 Coverage
Lastly, SafetyWing and PassportCard Nomads both offer COVID coverage with their respective insurance plans.
SafetyWing’s plan covers medical expenses and travel cancellations due to infection by the virus; while PassportCard Nomads offers a ‘Red Card’ that covers any and all emergency medical expenses related to COVID-19 when you are infected and need to see a doctor or be hospitalised.
For both insurances, testing for COVID-19 will only be covered if you are ill and it’s deemed medically necessary by a physician.
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Road Traffic Accidents
Both insurances cover road traffic accidents provided you have a valid driver’s licence for the country where the incident occurred, including an international driver’s licence. You also have to be wearing proper safety gear such as a helmet, and not be driving while intoxicated or while racing.
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Routine Check-Ups
If you take the Comfort Plan and upwards with PassportCard Nomads, it covers health checks of up to USD 400, and vaccinations and immunizations of up to USD 200. Passportcard Nomads also cover outpatient and inpatient cancer treatments across all their plans.
SafetyWing doesn’t cover routine checkups, cancer treatment and preventative care.
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Coverage Start Date
PassportCard Nomads allow you to start the policy 7 days after the first purchase, whereas SafetyWing’s policy is effective immediately upon purchase.
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Support
PassportCard Nomads offers in-app chat (although the chat disappears once your conversation is done), a chat function on the website and a Whatsapp option.
Safetywing offers a chat option on the website. You can also call WorldTrips for 24/7 assistance.
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Claims procedure
For SafetyWing, you have to submit your claims online on their platform. You have to attach:
- your medical report (a note from your doctor which includes symptoms, diagnosis and treatment),
- a detailed invoice outlining what you paid for
- proof of payment or receipt.
If approved, you will receive the reimbursement in your bank account by a wire transfer.
For PassportCard Nomads, all you have to do is preload your Red card and then make a payment. You’ll receive an email after requesting the necessary documents. Approval usually takes a day or two. There’s no need to have any out-of-pocket expenses!
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Verdict
As a digital nomad and travel blogger, electronics and camera coverage is of utmost importance to me because you can prevent accidents and illnesses as long as you’re not too active and you stay healthy, but you can’t always prevent your valuables from being stolen.
I got burned badly once when my laptop, wallet, phone and smartwatch vanished one day when I was travelling Playa del Carmen, Mexico. I couldn’t claim any of my loss because I wasn’t insured with PassportCard Nomads.
The second thing I’d look at is medical coverage since sickness and injury are not something we can predict and happens more often than you think. For that, PassportCard Nomads make it very easy to seek medical assistance when I have a common cold, whereas the USD250 deductible with Safetywing would definitely put me off unless it’s a serious illness.
As a nomad insurance, travelling is part of our DNA. The fact that PassportCard Nomads doesn’t cover travel delays, cancellations or baggage delays is a sore point.
Overall, PassportCard Nomads, with the additional add-ons, 0 deductible and the Red Card feature where you don’t have to pay upfront and spend time with the claims .
In the end, it’s important to consider all factors mentioned above before choosing a digital nomad insurance provider. You must decide what kind of coverage you need and if the insurance plan suits your lifestyle as a nomad.
SafetyWing and PassportCard Nomads both offer good coverage for digital nomads, so it’s better to read more about each provider’s insurance plan and decide which one works best for you.
What Does SafetyWing and PassportCard Insurance Not Cover?
SafetyWing
SafetyWing Insurance is not considered primary health insurance, therefore it has some notable exclusions for you to be aware of:
- Cancer treatments,
- Routine check-ups, and
- Pre-existing conditions (please refer to SafetyWing’s policy to determine the specific coverage for pre-existing conditions).
PassportCard Insurance
PassportCard Nomads does not offer coverage in the case of:
- Delay and cancellation of the trip,
- Loss or damage to your belongings,
- Pre-existing medical conditions,
- Accidents of injuries sustained during military service,
- Coverage in your home country (unless the Complete plan is availed).
How long does each Insurance Coverage Last?
SafetyWing
SafetyWing insurance coverage can be availed for a period of 28 days to a maximum of 12 months. Their system offers coverage every four weeks or 28 days.
By signing up, you agree to pay for the first 28 days. If you choose not to cancel your subscription within this time frame, it’ll automatically renew every four weeks until a year has passed, at which point you’ll need to buy another package. After 364 days, you have to re-purchase new coverage, and the deductible and benefits will reset.
There’s no maximum length of time for which SafetyWing will cover you, and you can even buy it while on vacation if you’re unsure of how long you’ll be gone.
PassportCard Nomads
Both the Starter and Remote plans require a minimum commitment of 1 month. On the other hand, the Comfort plan requires a minimum commitment period of 3 months is required.
PassportCard Nomads’ Starter Plan offers up to 8 months of coverage for those with shorter-term needs. Their Remote Plan offers up to 12 months of coverage for those travelling more frequently. The Comfort Plan offers unlimited travel coverage, so it’s perfect for those who are on the road or planning longer trips.
You can purchase the Travel Insurance plan on a yearly basis and it’ll renew automatically every 12 months. The policy is valid for 365 days, or until you reach the age limit of 80 years old, depending on which comes first.
In case of emergency or illness, PassportCard Nomads offers coverage for up to 180 days per policy period. After the 180-day duration, you can opt to extend your coverage by purchasing another travel Insurance plan before the start of the next policy term.
How Much Does Each Insurance Cost?
SafetyWing
SafetyWing insurance is very affordable, starting at just USD 42 for every 4 weeks (28 days)! The cost varies depending on your age and whether you need coverage in the United States, but it’s always quite reasonable.
PassportCard Nomads
PassportCard Nomads’ insurance plan starts from USD 59 per month. This plan includes coverage for medical expenses and emergency evacuation in the event of a medical emergency. The cost may vary depending on your age or if you choose to add additional coverage such as baggage delay or sports injury coverage.
Other Related Questions to Digital Nomad Insurance
Is it necessary to have travel insurance?
If I haven’t stressed it enough already, digital nomad insurance is essential, so it’s a resounding YES!
I’ve shared in detail why you should always have insurance when you travel before.
Accidents and medical issues can happen anywhere in the world, so it’s important to have access to a reliable health insurance provider that covers your needs. Not a fun fact but accidents are more prone while travelling, many times they are more serious than we want to imagine.
No one expects things to go wrong, but they often do – especially when you’re least expecting it. Experienced travellers will tell you that. Furthermore, the probability of getting hurt skyrockets when you’re on vacation.
I understand the financial burden digital nomads and long-term travellers face. I’ve been in your shoes, worrying about a health scare that could deplete my savings and force me to return home prematurely. Would I be able to pay for emergency medical care?
I, like many others who are constantly on the move, worry about not having health insurance. Thankfully, I discovered that there are insurance companies out there that provide unique coverage plans that fit my needs exactly, without charging an arm and a leg. Seriously, it was so easy to find a company and plan that works for me and my (indefinite) travel schedule.
PassportCard Nomads and SafetyWing offer different plans tailored to digital nomads, giving you the ability to choose the one that is right for you. So whether you’re a tech entrepreneur or an intrepid traveller, make sure you review both options and get the coverage you need.
How far in advance should I book travel insurance?
I’d recommend booking your travel insurance at least two weeks in advance of your trip to make sure the policy is effective right away. It’s also important to keep in mind that some policies have a maximum coverage period and may not be valid after a certain date.
You can go as far as booking it on the day of your trip itself for Safetywing since it’s effective immediately, whereas PassportCard Nomads require a week to activate your insurance plan.
It’s important to keep track of your policy dates and make sure your coverage is valid for the duration of your stay. That way, you know that you’re fully protected in case of any unexpected events.
Can I use my own health insurance in another country?
Unfortunately, the answer is usually no. If you’re a digital nomad or long-term traveller, chances are that your regular health insurance won’t cover any medical issues that arise abroad, and if they do, then it’s for selected countries only.
That’s why it’s important to have coverage tailored to overseas travel, such as SafetyWing and PassportCard Nomads.
What should I look for in a travel insurance plan?
When looking for travel insurance options, you must consider a few things that’ll help you long-term. Some of the essential things to consider are:
- Emergency medical and dental treatment
- Hospital room and board
- Emergency evacuation
- Local ambulance
- Outpatient care
- Crisis response in case of emergency (terrorism, kidnapping, etc)
- Natural disaster coverage
- Return of remains
- Adventure activities
The items listed are typical when it comes to travel insurance coverage.
The only aspect of travel insurance policies that varies significantly between companies is the coverage of adventure activities. Some insurers barely cover anything and will be very clear about it in their policy documents, while others are more generous with what they’ll cover.
Additional things that travel insurance may cover include:
- Trip interruption
- Trip cancellation
- Lost or stolen luggage
Though these types of things are typically included in regular travel insurance, there’s no guarantee that a nomad insurance plan will cover them because it’s a mixture of both travel and medical insurance after all.
24/7 global assistance should be a dealbreaker when deciding which company to go with. No matter the time or location, you should always have access to customer service in case something goes wrong.
If you find yourself in a bind while abroad, whether it’s needing an airlift or just some medical advice, 24/7 global assistance from your travel insurance company is essential.
What’s the Best Travel Insurance for Long-Term Travellers and Digital Nomads?
But the real question is, which one is better, PassportCard Nomads or SafetyWing? There’s clearly no right or wrong answer on this one, as it all comes down to personal preference.
Referring to the factors above, we can help you decide which one is right for you. Continue reading if you want to know more about which is better for you!
Is SafetyWing good travel insurance?
If it hasn’t been answered yet, SafetyWing is indeed a good choice for travel insurance. It’s one of the most affordable plans on the market and covers basic medical issues, stolen items, and trip interruption/cancellation.
Where is SafetyWing based?
As mentioned above, SafetyWing is based in San Francisco, CA but offers global coverage. This plan does cover Covid-related claims as long as you meet the necessary requirements to be eligible for coverage.
Does SafetyWing cover stolen items?
SafetyWing does cover stolen items as long as it’s reported to the police within 24 hours of the theft. It’s crucial to have proof of the theft, such as a police report or other documents, so SafetyWing can cover the cost for you.
At the end of the day, SafetyWing and PassportCard Nomads both offer great coverage for digital nomads. However, it’s important to do your own research and figure out which one is right for you!
