If you travel often – or live between countries like Thailand – you’ve probably realized how quickly things like health insurance become complicated. What works at home rarely makes sense once you’re moving every few months, especially across different healthcare systems. Built around this kind of lifestyle, SafetyWing is one of the newer options that aim to cover the gaps that traditional policies tend to miss.
Safety Wing Insurance for Remote Workers
SafetyWing offers insurance to digital nomads and remote workers through two core plans. The company is known for upfront pricing and solid customer care, operating under the mantra “made by nomads, for nomads.”
If you’re on the fence about SafetyWing, read this review to determine whether it will provide you with the coverage that you need for your upcoming travels.
Here you can compare Safety Wing to other digital nomad insurance providers.
What is Safety Wing Insurance?
Founded in 2017 by Sondre Rasch, Sarah Sandnes, and Hans Kjellby, the company is headquartered in California. SafetyWing is privately owned and backed by venture capital investors, and its main insurance products appeal primarily to expats and digital nomads.
The founders have tried to simplify digital nomad insurance by offering two core plans (explained below), a Remote Health plan for digital nomad teams, and a premium Nomad Citizen product that goes above and beyond for entrepreneurs and remote workers.
What Safety Wing Insurance Covers & Who it Works For
There are two core options for SafetyWing customers: Essential and Complete. Both appeal to digital nomads, remote workers, and expats, but for slightly different reasons:
Essential is entirely flexible and is billed in four-week cycles, offering coverage for up to 364 days per year. It’s affordable, starting from just over $62 per month, but only covers expenses of up to $250,000. It’s a good option for shorter-term digital nomads looking for basic coverage.
Complete is a much more comprehensive plan that provides up to $1,500,000 in coverage in 175+ countries. It starts at $177 per month and requires an initial 12-month commitment, making it better suited to expats living abroad for at least a year.
Essential is a short-term travel insurance policy that may suit digital nomads or remote workers heading abroad for shorter spells, though cover is available for up to 364 days.
Its Complete plan is similar to the fully comprehensive global health insurance plans offered by AXA Travel insurance and Cigna Global and is well-suited to expats and remote workers who spend considerable time in a different country. Here’s an overview of what’s included in each:
Essential: Basic Travel Medical Insurance
- Annual coverage of up to $250,000
- Receive coverage for up to 364 days at a time, billed every four weeks.
- Cover includes treatment for new, unexpected issues on the road.
- You can claim for hospital stays, medications, and surgeries.
- Lost luggage, travel delays, and emergency evacuations are covered.
- Receive coverage for medical issues in your own country (up to 30 days).
Complete: Full Health Insurance
- Annual coverage of up to $1,500,000
- Everything included in the Essential plan.
- Ongoing coverage, renewable indefinitely.
- Routine and emergency medical care anywhere in the world (175+ countries; some exclusions apply).
- Wellness therapies, mental health support, and cancer treatment.
- Burglary, canceled accommodation, and delayed luggage allowance.
- Full coverage at home.
Pricing
Unlike many other insurance companies, SafetyWing is upfront about its pricing options and gives you a starting point to work from.
For the Essential Safety Wing insurance package, you get four weeks of coverage if you’re aged 18 to 39 from $62.72. The Complete package starts at $177.50 per month for customers in the same age range.
The pricing structure is age-based on a sliding scale. Age 10-39 is the cheapest, while those aged 60-69 pay the most. One perk of SafetyWing is that you can add up to two children per adult (up to 10 years old) free of charge.
The Essential plan rises from $62.72 per month to $116.20 per month when US coverage is included, and you can include optional extras like adventure sports and electronics theft, which will also hike your premium.
The same is true of the Complete plan. If you require cover in Hong Kong, Singapore, and the US, the starting price increases from $177.50 monthly to $308.50 per month. You also have the option of including dental coverage in your Complete plan.
Reviews and Ratings: Does SafetyWing Have a Good Reputation?
SafetyWing has generally positive reviews online from verified customers, with a 4.2/5.0 rating from over 3,200 reviews on Trustpilot. This ranks it similarly to other global health insurance providers, such as Cigna Global and AXA.
Reading between the lines, customers tend to agree that SafetyWing offers good value for money and has helpful real-time support staff, known for quick response times.
On the flip side, some reviewers write that the claims process can take longer than expected, while the coverage is known to be less comprehensive than that offered by other, more established insurers.
Trustpilot Review: “I live in Thailand and had to have an infected tooth pulled – SafetyWing approved my claim. I then had a stroke scare when I went to the emergency room and had follow-up exams. SafetyWing was there to assist with the entire claims process.” Vonnetta Powell, US.
Free iOS & Android App for Managing Your Health on the Road
After signing up for a policy with SafetyWing, you can access all your crucial documents and make claims through the company’s mobile app, which is free to download on all iOS and Android devices.
The app makes it easy to explore your coverage with handy drop-down options that let you effortlessly find the treatment you’re looking for and check whether you’re covered. You can then make a claim through the app and receive 24/7 customer support through the live chat feature.
One of the most intuitive things about the SafetyWing app is the Nomad Care Map. This lets you search for verified clinics and health centers in cities all over the world, from Bangkok to London. Use the search bar provided to find clinics reviewed by other SafetyWing customers.
SafetyWing vs AXA: Which is Better for You?
SafetyWing is well-suited if you’re looking for a lighter and more affordable health insurance product. The limits offered by AXA are higher, but so are the premiums.
SafetyWing is the better choice if you’re planning to be a digital nomad for a short amount of time (364 days or fewer), as its fully customizable Essential plan is considerably cheaper than anything that AXA has to offer.
But AXA is the better option if you’re a remote worker planning to settle in another country for a longer period. You might also consider Cigna Global’s regional Close Care or Silver plan, as both give you a reasonably high annual benefit and modular customization should you require it.
Our Verdict: Is SafetyWing Right for You?
SafetyWing is a popular choice among digital nomads and remote workers for the following reasons:
- It’s one of the most affordable short-term insurance options for digital nomads, starting at around $62 per month for trips of up to 364 days
- SafetyWing policies give you complete flexibility and the option to book in four-week cycles, rather than locking in to an inflexible 12-month plan
- Home visits are covered in standard SafetyWing policies, giving you medical care for up to 30 days when you return home to visit friends and family members
SafetyWing might not be well-suited to your needs for the following reasons:
Its Complete plan has lower benefit limits than the comprehensive plans offered by AXA and Cigna Global
Coverage in high-cost areas (Singapore, the USA, and Hong Kong) hikes the premiums considerably, almost doubling the price you must pay
