Insurance is the purchase every experienced traveller makes and almost every beginner under-buys. For a trip longer than a month the standard annual multi-trip policy usually does not apply (single trips are capped at 30 to 90 days), and the cheapest long-stay policy often excludes the exact things long-term travellers do. Here is what to look for; this is general information, not a recommendation of any product.
What it must cover
- Medical expenses with a high limit ($1 million or more for travel that includes the US; $250,000 to $500,000 is common elsewhere) and emergency evacuation and repatriation, which is the expensive part: a helicopter off a Nepali trail or a medical flight from Laos to Bangkok runs into tens of thousands.
- Direct billing with major hospitals, so you are not paying a $10,000 deposit on a card.
- Trip length that matches your plan, ideally with the option to extend from abroad.
- Activities: trekking to a stated altitude (3,000, 4,500 and 6,000 m bands are common), scuba to a stated depth, motorcycling (usually only with a full licence and helmet), surfing, skiing.
- Electronics at replacement value (standard policies cap a laptop at a few hundred dollars).
- Cancellation and curtailment, which matter less on a flexible trip, and personal liability, which matters more.
The exclusions that bite
Riding a scooter without a licence for its engine size; alcohol-related injury; pre-existing conditions not declared; travel against government advice (check the advisory levels on our country pages: a Level 4 destination may void cover); claims made without a police report for theft; countries excluded by the policy (some exclude the US, some Russia and Ukraine, some specific regions).
What it costs
Very roughly, for twelve months of worldwide cover excluding the US: $600 to $1,200 at 25 to 35, $900 to $1,800 at 45 to 55, $1,500 to $3,500 at 60 to 70, more with the US included or with declared conditions. Nomad-oriented monthly policies run $45 to $120 a month with lower limits and the flexibility to start and stop. Compare the limits, not the premiums.
Age and conditions
Premiums rise in bands; declare every condition, because an undeclared one voids the policy for anything the insurer can link to it. Travellers over 65 have fewer options and should buy early.
How to claim
Call the assistance line before treatment where possible (the number is on the policy; save it in your phone). For emergencies, treat first and call within 24 hours. Keep every receipt, report theft to the police within 24 hours and keep the report, photograph damaged items, and submit claims promptly with the policy number. Direct-billing hospitals handle the rest.
Residence visas and insurance
Several of our destinations require specific insurance for residence or nomad visas (Thailand's retirement visas, Croatia's and Hungary's nomad permits, Zanzibar's mandatory visitor cover). The visa rows in the finder note it where it applies.
What insurance will not do
Replace common sense about scooters and cliffs, cover you against government advice, or pay out on conditions you did not declare. Nothing on this site is a recommendation of any insurer or product.
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