Expat Health Insurace in 2026: Genki vs SafetyWing – Which Wins?
May 13, 2026
Expat Health Insurace in 2026: Genki vs SafetyWing – Which Wins?
Leaving your country for more than a year? Here's how to choose an expat travel insurance.
After spending the past year exploring the world of nomad insurance, we’re excited to return with a fresh new comparison—this time focused on expats who travel and settle abroad.
Drawing on our ongoing conversations with nomads, remote workers, and FIRE-minded couples, we’ve taken a closer look at two leading options for long-term international health coverage: Genki Native Insurance and SafetyWing Nomad Complete.
In this article, we aim to guide you through the key differences, strengths, and weaknesses of each policy, helping you navigate one of the most important—and often overlooked—aspects of expat life.
Whether you’re planning a new adventure, putting down roots overseas, or simply seeking peace of mind as you travel, our updated review will help you make a more informed choice.
Let’s dive in.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
- Why A Special Insurance for Expats? Traditional health insurances, or even nomad packages are often not suitable for expats that decide to travel for over a year.
- There are two companies that stand out. SafetyWing and Genki.
- SafetyWing offers SafetyWing Complete, which is priced similarly to Genki Basic but includes broader coverage—although it remains less comprehensive than Genki Premium.
- Genki offers two types of coverage. Genki Basic, which is more affordable but has limited benefits, and Genki Premium, which provides very comprehensive protection but comes at a higher cost.
- SafetyWing Complete: Best value for younger travelers and families, but exclude pre-conditions.
- Genki Premium: Broader health protection for long-term or older expats, as long as you sign up before 55.
- In this article we cover packages for 12+ months travellers. For packages below 12-months see our dedicated nomad insurance guide.
- If you just travel for a short period, a standard travel insurance (30 or 90 days) may be enough. Stay tuned for our guide about those!
Here is the full analysis
What is a Health insurance for expats?
Who is it for?
Anyone looking to travel above 12 months
Expat insurance is ideal for:
- Digital nomads working remotely while traveling internationally
- Long-term travelers exploring multiple countries over extended periods
- Expats settling in foreign countries
- FIRE couples
- MBA students living internationally
- Retirees living abroad (with age restrictions)
These insurance plans are specifically designed for people who spend significant time outside their country of residency and need reliable health coverage that works internationally.
This guide is mainly for people who spend months or years abroad—working remotely, living as expats, or traveling long-term. If you mostly travel for holidays or family visits in Europe, you may not need such comprehensive coverage. In most cases, a standard travel insurance is enough—but it’s worth knowing when you might outgrow that!
How does it compare with a typical travel insurance for nomads?
As a traveller you have 3 insurance options
As a traveller you have three options:
- A classic 30 to 90 days travel insurance – this is typically provided by your bank, credit card company or local insurer. We don’t cover them in this article.
- A nomad travel insurance – is designed for long-term travellers and offers comprehensive worldwide coverage, including routine medical care and extensive evacuation services. Key features like coverage for professional activities and trip cancellation vary by policy. They are typically 12- months, and in certain cases can be extended. We cover them in a separate guide.
- Expat travel insurance – on the other hand, fills the gap between flexible nomad insurance and traditional local policy, like you can have when you work for a corporation. It’s ideal for people living abroad for extended periods who want more stable protection than standard travel insurance, but with global flexibility that local plans don’t offer. This guide focuses on these policies.
Expat insurance is like a local insurance but for 12+ months travellers
Since you’ll be spending significant time away from home, it’s important to have health insurance that functions more like a personal healthcare system (in a sense like a local insurance see below) —not just emergency cover, but ongoing access to doctors, treatment, and support wherever you are.
When it comes to health insurance, expat plans generally provide ongoing access to healthcare services across multiple countries—unlike short-term or local health policies, which only cover you in one country or for a brief trip. With expat health insurance, your coverage moves with you, ensuring continuous protection wherever you are in the world.
Nomad vs Traditional vs expat Insurance
| FEATURE | Local Insurance | Nomad Insurance | Expat Insurance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Home Country Coverage | ✅ | Limited | 🔵 |
| Duration | 12+ Months | Up to 1 year | 12+ Months |
| Worldwide Coverage | ❌ | ✅ | 🔵 |
| Renewability | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Routine Medical Coverage | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Emergency Medical Coverage | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Coverage Areas | Limited | Varies | Varies |
| Trip Cancellation | ✅ | 🔵 | 🔵 |
| Baggage and Personal Effects Loss | ✅ | 🔵 | 🔵 |
| Repatriation | ❌ | ✅Comprehensive | ✅Comprehensive |
| Professional Activities Coverage | 🔵 | 🔵 | 🔵 |
Leading insurance companies for expats
Which are the leading companies?
SafetyWing & Genki
The market for extended-travel or long-term international health insurance is still relatively limited, with only a small number of providers are catering specifically to this niche. Two brands continue to focus on these types of plans:
- SafetyWing (Nomad Complete) – that is a comprehensive international health insurance product from SafetyWing, a company founded by Norwegian nationals. SafetyWing is widely used by digital nomads and remote workers. You can sign for the insurance here.
- Genki (Basic & Premium) – a German insurance provider established in 2021, expanded its core products to include longer-term international health insurance. Genki Native is available in two versions: Basic and Premium, each offering different levels of coverage.
Key characteristics of expat insurance providers
| Provider | 📆 Inception Date | 🏢 Headquarters | 🤝 Insurance Partner |
|---|---|---|---|
| 🏥 SafetyWing | 2017 | USA, Norway | SafetyWing Insurance |
| 🩺 Genki | 2021 | Germany | Squarelife |
Who is eligible?
Most Residents can subscribe outside of select countries
SafetyWing Complete is available to travelers from most countries worldwide (excluding a few selected one including USA and Canada), with entry allowed up to age 64 and no general waiting period. Genki Native accepts expats and nomads from all countries up to age 55, with no excluded coverage and a short 14-day waiting period (emergencies are covered immediately).
Genki and safetywing Eligibility
| Insurance | 🌍 Client Country Eligibility | 🚫 Excluded Coverage | 👵 Age Limit | ⏳ Waiting Period |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 🏥 SafetyWing | A few Exclusions⁴ | A few Exclusions⁴ ⁵ | 64 years old | None |
| 🩺 Genki | All countries | None¹ | 55 years old ² | 14 days³ (emergencies covered) |
² Age at first purchase
³ Waived if proof or previous insurance is provided. However, some premium benefits (like maternity) have a waiting period of 12 months
⁴ Belarus, Canada, Democratic Republic of Congo, Ireland, Palau, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, and the USA
and its territories
⁵ Coverage to USA, Hong Kong, and Singapore is limited to 30 days per trip. An add-on can be purchased to include coverage up to 180 days
How is home country defined?
Genki Native considers your home country to be your country of citizenship, as well as any country where you have permanent residence, spend more than 183 days per year, or maintain essential ties such as family, work, or national healthcare access.
For expats and nomads, the concept of home country can be harder to define—especially if you hold two passports or split your time across several countries. In these situations, the country where you have the easiest or most reliable access to healthcare will most likely be treated as your home country for insurance purposes. But remember: in case of medical repatriation, you will only be sent to your designated home country—so it’s important to choose wisely.
Which insurance is the cheapest?
SafetyWing if you're you're below 40, have a family or want to travel to Canada. Genki if you are above 50.
The two plans have a similar approach to pricing based on age. They keep flat rates for younger age groups, with sharp increases starting in the 40s and 50s.
If you plan to visit the United States, Canada, Honk Kong and Singapore be aware that there maybe limitation. Observations:
- SafetyWing requires you to purchase an add on to cover USA, Honk Kong or Singapore.
- Genki covers USA and Canada for 30 days only per year and just for medical emergency.
Below are simulations of Standard Policies as of June 2025.
SafetyWing Complete:
- Charges a consistent rate of $161.50 for the 20s and 30s age groups.
- The rate rises to $232.50 for those in their 40s and up to $351.50 for travellers in their 50s.
- Safetywing offers a policy for <18 just if linked to an existent parent policy.
- safetywing offers a 10% discount if you pay yearly instead of monthly.
Genki Native Basic and Premium (Standard Policy For EU/UK Residents):
- It has a constant price for 20s and 30s (€162 per basic and €231 premium) to then start increase for people in the 40s (€204 and €299).
- The cost significantly increases at €323 and €444 for people in their 50s.
Price simulation as of June 2025
| Insurance | 🧒Children Up to 18 | 🧑 20s | 👨 30s | 🧔 40s | 👴 50s |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 🏥 SafetyWing² | $106.50 | $161.50 | $161.50 | $232.50 | $351.50 |
| 🩺 Genki Native Basic¹ | €145³ | €162 | €162 | €204 | €323 |
| 🩺 Genki Native Premium ¹ | €189³ | €231 | €231 | €299 | €444 |
² 10% of outpatient costs when receiving care (e.g., doctor's visits, tests, minor procedures)
³ Price Valid up 19 years old
What is their reputation?
They have similar user feedback
Looking at Trustpilot reviews, these are the scores for the above companies:
- SafetyWing 4.0
- Genki 4.2
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health cover - Your personal travel preferences
1. Home country exclusion & Policy Duration
If you travel to USA and Canada choose safetyWing
SafetyWing Complete covers your home country with no limitation but requires an add on for USA, Honk Kong And Singapore. They allow you to pay monthly or yearly and the upfront payment maybe convenient because it comes with a discount of 10%. The minimum term is 1 year.
Genki Native Basic offers for just 30 days coverage in your home country (but you have to have been out of the country for at least 6 months and just emergency are included) and limit the coverage to €250K and medical emergency. The same limitation applies to USA and Canada (regardless if they are your home country or not). They bill every month, with policies lasting minimum 1 year.
Genki Native Premium covers your home country with the exception of USA and Canada where they have the same limitation of the Basic policy.
Is it important to have coverage in your home country? It depends. If you come from a country with good, free, and easily accessible healthcare, home country coverage may not be essential. But if healthcare in your home country is limited or costly, having insurance that covers you there could be an important factor to consider.
Travelling for more than one year? Your price may go up.
Genki Native and SafetyWing Nomad Complete both lock in your price for the first 12 months (the contract year). After that, your premium can be revised once per year at renewal, and you’ll receive at least 30 days’ written notice. In both cases, increases can be due to age band changes, inflation, or adjustments by the insurer for all customers.
HOME COUNTRY Coverage & BILLING
| Insurance | 🏠 Home Country Coverage | 💳 Billing | 📆 Max Duration | 📑 Require End Date | ⏳ Minimum Term |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 🏥 SafetyWing Complete | Covered | Monthly or Yearly¹ | None | No | 1 year |
| 🩺 Genki Native Basic | Not Covered | Monthly | None | No | 1 year |
| 🩺 Genki Native Premium | Covered | Monthly | None | No | 1 year |
2. Deductibles, Pre-conditions & Maximum Coverage
Prefer no deductible? Genki Is your choice.
SafetyWing has a 10% copayment for outpatient treatment and covers maternity after a 10 months waiting period (although the maximum amount is much lower than the ones for other conditions). The maximum coverage is $1.5 million per insurance year. There are also a few consitions for which there is a 24-Month Waiting Period: Hernias, Hemorrhoids, Tonsillectomies, Diseases of the reproductive organs, Gallstones, Kidney stones, Varicose veins. For non emergency treatment, Safetywing requires pre-approval for claims above $500.
Genki Native has a deductible option of €0, €500 and €1,000 (out patient treatments only) and may cover pre-existing conditions (they have to be disclosed at the sign-up and Genki may accept them or not upon review). Genki Premium covers maternity after 12 months waiting period. The maximum coverage is €1 million. Genki Basic has a maximum coverage of €1 million per year but there is no limit with Genki Premium.
Please note that there are limitation to some outpatient treatments:
- SafetyWing Complete caps all outpatient services together at $5,000/year and covers preventive care up to $350/year outside that.
Genki Native (Basic: no preventive, Premium: €250/year) does not cap total outpatient costs (apart from deductible and policy max).
Deductibles and Health pre-conditions
| Insurance | Deductible | Pre-condition | Maximum | Repatriation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SafetyWing Complete | 10%² | 🚫 Not included ³ | ✔️ $1,500,000 | ✔️ $1,000,000 |
| Genki Native Basic | €0, €500 or €1,000¹ | ✔️Possible (after medical review/approval) | 🚫 €1,000,000 | ✔️€500,000 |
| Genki Native Premium | €0, €500 or €1,000 ¹ | ✔️Possible (after medical review/approval) | ✔️None | ✔️€500,000 |
² Outpatient Only
³ Pre-condition is any condition discovered in the 24 months prior the start of the policy
3. Extreme Sports and Pregnancy
For Extreme Sports and pregnancy Genki Is the best choice.
SafetyWing covers the recreational sports but exclude several sport classified as dangerous (like parachuting). It requires an add on to cover for dental expenses and covers maternity after a 10 months waiting period. However, there is a relative low limit for the pregnancy coverage ($2,500) and complication are not included in this limit however incurs in 20% co-payment.
Genki covers sports activities unless they are made for professional reason with both policy. In addition, Genki Premium covers pregnancy after a 12 month waiting period as well as dental up to €2,000 per year.
Sports & Pregnancy
| Insurance | 🦷 Dental | 🏄 Sport | 🤰 Pregnancy | 🧑⚕️ Counselling |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 🏥 SafetyWing Complete | ⚠️ Add On required² | ✅ Covered unless dangerous⁴ | ⚠️ With Limitation⁶ | ✅ $2,500 per year |
| 🩺 Genki Native Basic | 🚫 Not included | ✅ Covered unless professional³ | 🆘 Emergency only after 10 months | 🚫 Not included |
| 🩺 Genki Native Premium | ✅ Covered¹ | ✅ Covered unless professional³ | ✅ Yes⁵ | ✅ Yes⁷ |
² Up to $1,000 per policy year, 6 months for non-emergency dental care
³ Dangerous or extreme sports may require prior approval
⁴ Excludes certain dangerous/extreme sports such as: Base jumping, Parachuting/skydiving, Hang gliding, Bungee jumping, Combat sports, Motorized racing, Mountaineering above 4,500 meters and similar high-risk activities
⁵12 month waiting period
⁶ 10-month waiting period. Capped at $2,500 for normal delivery (including prenatal, delivery, and postnatal care). Complications of pregnancy are covered (up to policy limits), but co-insurance applies (20%). Newborns are covered for up to $50,000 for the first 30 day
⁷ Require Pre-Approval
outside Health cover
Cancellation and Delays
Genki is not covering typical travel add-ons
SafetyWing Nomad Complete, on the other hand, provides broad travel protections: up to $300 per trip for cancellation, $5,000 for trip interruption, $60 for delays over 3 hours, $150/day for overnight delays, $3,000 for lost luggage, reimbursement for delayed luggage, $5,000 for stolen belongings, and passport replacement. Safetwing Complete also offer the option to purchase an add on to cover your electronics, like laptops, tablets and cameras for up to $2000 per stolen item and an annual limit of $5000 per policy.
Genki Native (Basic & Premium) does not cover non-medical travel incidents such as trip cancellations, delays, or lost luggage.
Non-Health coverage
| Insurance | 🛑 Cancellation / Interruption | ⚰️ Death / Disability | ⏰ Travel Delay | 🌪️ Catastrophe |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 🏥 SafetyWing Complete | ✅$5,000¹ | ✅$25,000² | ✅$60³ | ✅$100⁴ |
| 🩺 Genki Native (Basic & Premium) | 🚫 Not included | 🚫 Not included | 🚫 Not included | 🚫 Not included |
² Up to $50,000 for death when using public transport
³ Over 3 hours,$150 for overnight delays
⁴ Up to max 5 days
What is the best nomad insurance?
Typical profiles of traveller Expats
Our assumptions
To choose the best policy we created five typical profiles:
- Remote Worker/Entrepreneur: Professionals working remotely, typically travel exstensively in specific countries, and prioritize high coverage for travel disruptions.
- FIRE Couple (40-year-old early retirees) with children: Family expats that reached financial independence and is traveling worldwide, maybe using remote schooling and with minimal concern for dental/pregnancy.
- Young Expat Couple: Couple in early 30s with a nomad lifestyle and possibly planning for a family.
- MBA Student(25-year-old doing degree): Adventurous, interested in extreme sports and sensible to travel disruptions.
- Retiree Traveller: Retired individuals living abroad and traveling extensively over the year.
our nomad profile assumptions
| Profile | Coverage Period | Coverage Geography | Extreme Sports | Dental/Pregnancy | Cancellation/Travel Delay |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 💻 Remote Worker/Entrepreneur | 12+ months | 🌍 Specific Countries | 🟡 Medium | 🟠 Standard | 🔴 High |
| 👨👩👧👦 FIRE Couple with children | 12+ months | 🌏 Worldwide | 🟠 Marginal | 🔵 Low | 🔵 Low |
| 💑 Young Expat Couple | 12+ months | 🌏 Specific Countries | 🟠 Medium | 🟠 Standard | 🟢 Important |
| 🎓 MBA Student | 12+ months | 🌏 Specific Countries | 🟢 Important | 🔵 Low | 🟢 Important |
| 🧓 Retiree Traveller | 12+ months | 🌏 Worldwide | 🟠 Marginal | 🟠 Dental - Standard | 🔵 Low |
🌏/🌍 Worldwide/Specific Countries
Which company should you choose?
SafetyWing Complete vs. Genki Premium: A Real Choice
For most traveler profiles, Genki Native Basic struggles to compete. It’s generally pricier than SafetyWing Nomad Complete and delivers less coverage—except when it comes to dangerous sports, where Genki does have an edge.
When comparing SafetyWing Complete and Genki Native Premium, both are strong options, but with important distinctions:
SafetyWing Complete is usually the most affordable—especially for families. However, its key drawbacks is the strict exclusion of pre-existing conditions (which Genki may accept, subject to review). The 10% co-payment for outpatient care is another consideration, though it’s less likely to affect young, healthy travelers.
Genki Native Premium tends to be the superior pick for older travelers or those seeking more comprehensive health benefits. It covers a wider range of scenarios and may accept pre-existing conditions after individual assessment. The main catch: Genki’s entry age cap of 55 makes it inaccessible for most retirees seeking new coverage.
Considering geography is also important. SafetyWing excludes residency in a handful of countries. Conversely, Genki Native does not cover you in the USA or Canada, except for a limited period and only for emergencies.
Overall, it’s important to consider personal needs and circumstances when choosing an insurance plans
Best Nomad InsuranceS
| Profile | Coverage Period | Best Insurance |
|---|---|---|
| 💻 Remote Worker/Entrepreneur | 12+ months | 🏥 SafetyWing |
| 👨👩👧👦 FIRE Couple with children | 12+ months | 🏥 SafetyWing |
| 💑 Young Expat Couple | 12+ months | 🏥 SafetyWing / 🩺 Genki Premium |
| 🎓 MBA Student | 12+ months | 🏥 SafetyWing |
| 🧓 Retiree Traveller | 12+ months | 🏥 SafetyWing / 🩺 Genki Premium¹ |
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Good Luck and Keep’em* Rolling!
(* Wheels & Dividends)
