Nomads in 2026: Genki vs SafetyWing – Which Travel Insurance Wins?
Remote worker, bikepacker or early retiree? The best insurance may be different.
Raph and I spent the last few years travelling across Asia, the Middle East and Europe meeting a variety of nomads.
To assess which policy is the best we came up with five traveller profiles: Remote Worker/Entrepreneurs, Gap Year Adventurers, Family Nomad Travellers, Long-Term Bikepackers and Retiree Travellers.
In this article, we aim to guide you through this often-overlooked aspect of long-term travel, helping you make the best choice for your own adventures.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
- Why A Special Insurance for Nomads? Traditional travel insurance is often not suitable for digital nomads because they do not cover for over 3-months period, and excludes anything that is not an accident or an emergency.
- There are three companies that stand out. Genki, SafetyWing and World Nomads. Genki and SafetyWing have a shorter track record but good reputation, based on recent reviews. World Nomads has longer track record but doesn’t cover EU Residents.
- There are two types of coverage. The first type covers up until one year but may be renewable. The second is for long term travellers and expats that may extend above 12 months.
- In this article we cover packages with 12-month coverage. Genki calls it Basic, SafetyWing calls it Essential and World Nomads Standard Single Trip. For packages above 12-months also suitable to geographically mobile expats, see our dedicated guide.
- Genki and SafetyWing are the most competitive. If you’re above 50, Genki is cheaper. SafetyWing Essential is overall cheaper for the remaining age categories, including if you travel with kids. WorldNomads can competitive if you are below 50s, however it is not available to EU residents and conversely to Genki and SafetyWing requires a fixed end date and full upfront payment.
None of these policies provide continuous coverage beyond 12 months. This means they may not be fully suitable for truly long-term stays abroad, such as multi-year digital nomad lifestyles, slow travel, or permanent expatriation. For those planning to be abroad for longer and needing a more extended care (like pregnancy coverage), there are alternative more comprehensive products—like Genki Native or SafetyWing Complete. We cover those in a separate guide.
Here is the full analysis
What is a Travel insurance for Nomads?
Who is it for?
Anyone looking to travel above 3 months
A travel insurance for nomads is a type of global insurance tailored for individuals who are continually on the move, especially those working or living abroad temporarily. It provides medical coverage outside the insured’s home country, ensuring they have access to healthcare during their travels. It’s suitable for:
- Long-term travellers
- Digital nomads and remote workers
- Expatriates
How does it compare with a typical travel insurance?
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.
- 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. These products includes routine medical check-ups, wellness practices, maternity coverage and no age limit once you’re on the plan . We cover them in a separate guide. You can sign for Safetwing Complate here.
Think of it like a normal insurance but while on the move
When you’re spending extended periods abroad, standard travel insurance—focused mainly on emergencies or trip disruptions—often falls short. Nomad insurance bridges the gap: it offers broader coverage than typical travel insurance, with benefits like outpatient care, some preventive services, and protection across multiple countries. However, it’s not a substitute for a full local or expat healthcare system.
The upside? These plans are generally much more affordable than comprehensive expat insurance, making them an attractive option for long-term travelers and digital nomads who want extra protection without the high cost.
Nomad vs Traditional Travel Insurance
| FEATURE | Classic Travel Insurance | Nomad Insurance | Expat Insurance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Home Country Coverage | ❌ | Limited | 🔵 |
| Duration | Up to 90 days | Up to 1 year | 12+ Months |
| Worldwide Coverage | 🔵 | ✅ | 🔵 |
| Renewability | ❌ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Routine Medical Coverage | ❌ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Emergency Medical Coverage | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Coverage Areas | Varies | Varies | Varies |
| Trip Cancellation | ✅ | 🔵 | 🔵 |
| Baggage and Personal Effects Loss | ✅ | 🔵 | 🔵 |
| Repatriation | ✅ (more limited) | ✅ (comprehensive) | ✅Comprehensive |
| Professional Activities Coverage | ❌ | 🔵 | 🔵 |
Leading insurance companies for nomads
Which are the leading companies?
World Nomads, SafetyWing & Genki
Today, there are about seven relatively known travel insurances for nomads. Our analysis focuses on the three leaders – World Nomads, SafetyWing and Genki, because they are among the most popular and have innovative offerings.
Genki, founded in 2021, is based in the Germany and collaborates with Dr Walter and Allianz. SafetyWing, started four years earlier, is associated with Japanese Insurer Tokyo Marine. Meanwhile, World Nomads, established on 2002 in Australia, partners with different insurance companies depending on the traveller’s country of origin.
Key characteristics of nomad insurance providers
| Provider | 📆 Inception Date | 🏢 Headquarters | 🤝 Insurance Partner |
|---|---|---|---|
| 🩺 Genki | 2021 | Germany | Squarelife |
| 🏥 SafetyWing | 2017 | USA, Norway | SafetyWing Insurance |
| 🌍 World Nomads | 2002 | Australia | Depends on the country |
Who is eligible?
Residents of Most Countries, except EU For World Nomads
For all insurers, you’re covered unless you’re in your late 60s. They provide worldwide coverage except US Sanctioned countries for SafetyWing Essential although for World Nomads there are limitations based on your residency. The waiting period – defined as time before you can claim – is longer for Genki Basic. The most important distinction is your current residency. If you choose World Nomads, you need to reside outside the EU.
Genki, safetywing and world nomads Eligibility
| Insurance | 🌍 Client Country Eligibility | 🚫 Excluded Coverage | 👵 Age Limit | ⏳ Waiting Period |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 🩺 Genki | All countries | None | 69 years old | 14 days¹ (emergencies covered) |
| 🏥 SafetyWing | All except US-sanctioned countries² | US-sanctioned countries² | 69 years old | None |
| 🌍 World Nomads | Several countries³ | See note⁴ | 69 years old | None⁵ |
² Syria, South Korea, Cuba, Iran, Russia and Belarus at the time of the article. Ukraine is excluded too although not sanctioned. Limitation is for residents, not nationals.
³ World Nomads calculator did not provide coverage for residents in the EU.
⁴ Coverage can change based on your residency country. Information here applies to UK and Ireland residents
⁵ 72 hours in case the product is purchased when already travelling
Which insurance is the cheapest?
SafetyWing if you're you're below 40, you have a family or you want to travel to Canada. Genki if you are above 50.
Each plan takes a different approach to pricing based on age. Genki’s prices increase progressively, while SafetyWing and World Nomads keep flat rates for younger age groups, with sharp increases starting in the 40s and 50s.
If you plan to visit the United States, be aware that none of the insurers include full U.S. coverage by default. You’ll need to purchase an add-on for extended protection. Observations:
- Genki includes 7 days of emergency-only coverage for the U.S. and Canada within each 90-day period under its standard policy. However, both countries are treated the same by Genki: if you want non-emergency or extended coverage in either the U.S. or Canada, you’ll need to purchase an additional coverage package.
- SafetyWing also require an add-on for the U.S., but Canada is included by default in their standard coverage (no extra fee needed).
Below are simulations of Standard Policies as of June 2025.
Genki (Standard Policy For EU/UK Residents):
- Offers the most age-sensitive pricing, starting at €52.50 for individuals in their 20s.
- The cost increases with age: €63.90 for the 30s, €79.80 for the 40s, and €109.80 for the 50s.
SafetyWing (Standard Policy For EU/UK Residents):
- Charges a consistent rate of $56.28 for the 20s and 30s age groups.
- The rate rises to $92.40 for those in their 40s and up to $145.04 for travellers in their 50s.
- SafetyWings allows two children below 10 for free for each adult.
World Nomads (Standard Policy For UK Residents):
- Has a flat rate of £60.80 for 20s, 30s and 40s age brackets.
- The cost jumps to £117.34 for those in their 50s or
Price simulation as of June 2025
| Insurance | 🧑 20s | 👨 30s | 🧔 40s | 👴 50s |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 🩺 Genki¹ | €52.50 | €63.90 | €79.80 | €109.80 |
| 🏥 SafetyWing² | $56.28 | $56.28 | $92.40 | $145.04 |
| 🌍 World Nomads³ | £60.80 | £60.80 | £60.80 | £117.34 |
² Price excluding USA coverage
³ Standard Coverage for a subscription of 12 months for UK residents. Exclude USA & Canada, they can be added for a high surcharge
What is their reputation?
They have similar user feedback
Looking at Trustpilot reviews, these are the scores for the above companies:
- Genki 4.2
- SafetyWing 4.0
- WorldNomad 4.2
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health cover - Your personal travel preferences
1. Home country exclusion & Policy Duration
If You Intend to come back home, choose safetyWing
Genki offers coverage for 6 weeks every 6 months in your home country (but you have to have been out of the country for at least 6 months and just emergency are included). They bill every month, with policies lasting up to 1 year. Interestingly, they don’t require an end date for the policy, and their minimum term stands at 1 month.
SafetyWing provides 30 days of home country coverage for every 3 months (with the exclusion of the US where the coverage is limited to 15 days). Their billing cycle is every 28 days, although you can opt to pay the full price upfront. Policies with Safety Wing can stretch up to a year, without the need for a predefined end date.
World Nomads does not cover your home country. They prefer full upfront payments, with a coverage duration up to a year. Unlike the other two, World Nomads requires an end date for their policy. They have an option to purchase a multi-trip policy that however it is not relevant for nomads since require a maximum length of 31 days for each trip.
Travelling for more than one year? Your price may go up.
If you plan to travel for more than one year, you will need to subscribe to a new insurance. It can be done while travelling. For Genki and SafetyWing it’s pay-as-you-go. World Nomads requires a trip end date.
HOME COUNTRY Coverage & BILLING
| Insurance | 🏠 Home Country Coverage | 💳 Billing | 📆 Max Duration | 📑 Require End Date | ⏳ Minimum Term |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 🩺 Genki | 6 weeks every 6 months¹ | Monthly | Up to 1 year | No | 1 month |
| 🏥 SafetyWing | 30 days every 3 months | Every 28 days | Up to 1 year | No | 5 days |
| 🌍 World Nomads | No | Upfront | Up to 1 year² | Yes | None |
² Valid for UK and Ireland simulation. Coverage can be limited to 180 days for residents of other countries
2. Deductibles, Pre-conditions & Maximum Coverage
Prefer no deductible? SafetyWing Is your choice
Genki has a deductible of €50 and does not offer coverage for pre-existing conditions unless they were stable for at least 6 months before the start of the policy. In addition, at renewal, Genki does not cover conditions discovered during the first year of coverage. The maximum coverage is € 1 million.
SafetyWing has a no deductible, however with the US add-on, there is a $100 co-pay for each visit to an emergency room and $50 co-pay for each visit to an urgent care center (in the USA). It covers only acute episodes of pre-existing conditions, offers a maximum coverage of $250,000 ($100,000 per 65+) per certificate period.
World Nomads requires a £100 deductible per claim, does not cover pre-existing conditions but provides the highest maximum coverage of £5 million.
Deductibles and Health pre-conditions
| Insurance | Deductible | Pre-condition | Maximum | Repatriation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Genki | €50 | 🚫 Not included | €1 million | €500,000³ |
| SafetyWing | None ¹ | Acute Episodes only | $250,000² | $100,000⁴ |
| World Nomads | £100 | 🚫 Not included | £5 million | £5 million |
² $100,000 if over 65. Maximum is per insurance certificate
³ Per insurance year
⁴ Per Insurance period
3. Extreme Sports and Pregnancy
For Extreme Sports Genki Is the best choice.
Genki offers dental coverage up to €1,000 and covers sports activities unless they are made for professional reason. Minor Exclusions applies to hiking and mountaineering above 4,000 meters. Genki covers pregnancy complications after a 10 months waiting period, however in case of live birth the baby hospital stay is not included. Also, considering that the maximum duration of the policy is 12 months, maternity is covered just for a very short period.
SafetyWing covers dental expenses up to $1,000, but only covers complications related to pregnancy up to 26 weeks. SafetyWing covers cycling, hiking, trekking, via ferrata and glacier walking up to 4500 meters without need for the sports add-on. The add-on covers extreme sports like aviation, parachuting or skydiving, and increases the mountaineering limit to 6,000 meters.
World Nomads offers a moderate dental coverage of up to £300, covers only low-risk sports activities, but you can opt-in for extreme sports. Additional fees apply for example, for world bike touring.
Sports & Pregnancy
| Insurance | 🦷 Dental | 🏄 Sport | 🤰 Pregnancy | 🧑⚕️ Counselling |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 🩺 Genki | €500¹ | ✅ Covered unless dangerous³ | 🆘 Emergency only after 10 months | Up to €20,000⁵ |
| 🏥 SafetyWing | $1,000² | ✅ Covered unless dangerous⁴ | ⚠️ Complication only, up to 26th week | 🚫 Not included |
| 🌍 World Nomads | £300 | ⚠️ Only category 1 risk | ⚠️ Complication only, limited period (up to 12 weeks before delivery) | £250 |
² Deductible does not apply
³ Motorcycle and Car Racing, including the training related hereto, parachuting, paragliding, bungee jumping, base-jumping, mountaineering (if special climbing equipment is required), Free Climbing, sport diving and scuba diving
⁴ Wider Exclusion that for Genki, however there is an add-on option available to include high risk activities, such as cave diving, ski jumping and more.
⁵ Include inpatient treatment for newly diagnosed disorder
outside Health cover
Cancellation and Delays
Genki is the only one not covering typical travel add-ons
World Nomad coverage varies greatly between the basic (‘Standard’) coverage that we simulated above and the (‘Explorer’) policy, including a wider range of coverage (i.e. rental cars). That said, the standard insurance still provides coverage of up to £3,000 for cancellation/interruption, and up to £10,000 for death/disability, but does not include coverage for travel delays or catastrophes.
SafetyWing offers a comprehensive coverage, including up to $5,000 for interruption, $25,000 for death/disability, and $100 per day for both travel delays and catastrophes.
Deductibles do not usually apply.
Genki does not provide any coverage in these categories.
Non-Health coverage
| Insurance | 🛑 Cancellation / Interruption | ⚰️ Death / Disability | ⏰ Travel Delay | 🌪️ Catastrophe |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 🩺 Genki | 🚫 Not included | 🚫 Not included | 🚫 Not included | 🚫 Not included |
| 🏥 SafetyWing | ✅$5,000 | ✅$25,000³ | ✅$100¹ | ✅$100² |
| 🌍 World Nomads | ✅ £3,000⁴ | ✅£10,000 | 🚫 Not included | 🚫 Not included |
² Max 5 days
³ Up to $50,000 for death when using public transport
⁴ Interruption only, cancellations are not covered
What is the best nomad insurance?
Typical profiles of long-term travellers
Our assumptions
- Remote Worker/Entrepreneur: Professionals working remotely, typically travel for 6-12 months in specific countries, and prioritize high coverage for travel disruptions.
- Gap Year Adventurer: Young individuals on a year-long break, often traveling worldwide, heavily involved in extreme sports, with minimal concern for dental/pregnancy.
- Family Nomad Travellers: Families traveling globally for a year, with minimal involvement in extreme sports, standard dental/pregnancy coverage.
- Long-Term Bikepacker: Adventurous travelers on extended biking trips over 12 months, often worldwide, with a significant focus on extreme sports.
- Retiree Traveller: Retired individuals traveling globally for over a year.
our nomad profile assumptions
| Nomad Profile | Coverage Period | Coverage Geography | Extreme Sports | Dental/Pregnancy | Cancellation/Travel Delay |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 👨💻 Remote Worker/Entrepreneur | 6–12 months | 🌍 Specific Countries | 🟡 Medium | 🟠 Standard | 🔴 High |
| 🎒 Gap Year Adventurer | 6–12 months | 🌏 Worldwide | 🟢 Important | 🔵 Low | 🔵 Low |
| 👨👩👧👦 Family Nomad Travellers | 12 months | 🌏 Worldwide | 🟠 Marginal | 🟠 Standard | 🔵 Low |
| 🚴 Long-Term Bikepacker | 12+ months | 🌏 Worldwide | 🟢 Important | 🔵 Low | 🔵 Low |
| 👴 Retiree Traveller | 12+ months | 🌏 Worldwide | 🟠 Marginal | 🟠 Dental - Standard | 🔵 Low |
🌏/🌍 Worldwide/Specific Countries
Which company should you choose?
it's a tight race, and safetywing became much more competitive
Genki used to be the standout option for long-term travellers thanks to its broad coverage and competitive pricing. However, recent changes to the policy have significantly reduced the strength of its offer, bringing it more in line with SafetyWing’s Essentials plan. Today, the two products are very similar in scope.
SafetyWing is now the most competitive option for travellers under 40 or families with young children, especially given that there are two children free per two adults in the same policy. Meanwhile, retirees may still favour Genki, as its pricing for older age groups remains lower—and unlike SafetyWing, Genki does not reduce the maximum coverage amount for seniors.
While SafetyWing’s base plan includes fewer sports by default compared to Genki, the sports add-on is affordable and can easily be justified, particularly now that SafetyWing has removed the deductible for most travellers, making it an even stronger overall contender.
Overall, it’s important to consider personal needs and circumstances when choosing an insurance plan.
Best Nomad InsuranceS
| Nomad Profile | Coverage Period | Best Insurance |
|---|---|---|
| 👨💻 Remote Worker/Entrepreneur | 6–12 months | 🏥 SafetyWing |
| 🎒 Gap Year Adventurer | 6–12 months | 🏥 SafetyWing |
| 👨👩👧👦 Family Nomad Travellers | 12 months | 🏥 SafetyWing |
| 🚴 Long-Term Bikepacker | 12+ months | 🏥 SafetyWing / 🩺 Genki |
| 👴 Retiree Traveller | 12+ months | 🩺 Genki |
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Good Luck and Keep’em* Rolling!
(* Wheels & Dividends)
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