The three are built for different people. SafetyWing Nomad Insurance has two plans: Essential, travel medical cover for time outside your home country, and Complete, a health plan with a 12-month commitment that is not sold to residents of some countries. World Nomads plans and rules depend on your country of residence; every World Nomads benefit limit in this guide is from the U.S.-resident version. Allianz Travel Insurance plans on allianztravelinsurance.com are sold to U.S. residents only and may not be available in all jurisdictions. None of them is a drop-in replacement for another, so the sections below split the choice by your situation.
Premiums depend on the insurer's own quote, so get a quote from each insurer's official website. This guide leaves prices out. The policy wording and certificate you receive control what is covered.
Who each plan is for
| Insurer and plan | Type of product | Who it is aimed at, per the insurer |
|---|---|---|
| SafetyWing Essential | Travel medical insurance, up to 364 days at a time | Nomad Insurance is global health and travel insurance for people who live and work anywhere (product page) |
| SafetyWing Complete | Full health insurance with extra travel protections, renewable | Digital nomads, expats and families living abroad |
| World Nomads Standard (U.S.) | Single-trip plan | Backpackers, budget travelers and families; short trips, domestic travel |
| World Nomads Explorer (U.S.) | Single-trip plan | Adventure travel, long-haul and international trips |
| World Nomads Epic (U.S.) | Single-trip plan | Remote destinations, luxury travel, once-in-a-lifetime trips |
| World Nomads Annual (U.S.) | Multi-trip plan | Frequent travelers, digital nomads and weekend warriors |
| Allianz OneTrip Prime | Single-trip plan, designed for trips up to 180 days | Vacations |
| Allianz AllTrips Prime | Annual plan | For people who take three or more trips a year |
SafetyWing's Essential cover comes from a Description of Coverage administered by WorldTrips. The Complete plan is a packet of two separate documents, "Nomad Travel" and "Nomad Health", each with its own underwriter. World Nomads' generic page lists three plans; the U.S. page lists the four above.
Who can buy it, and where it works
| SafetyWing Essential | SafetyWing Complete | World Nomads (U.S. page) | Allianz | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Age | 14 days through 69; ages 65 to 69 have a lower overall limit | Travel document: most people aged 18 to 65. Complete page: sign up until 64 | Family plan: 1 or 2 adults aged 69 or younger, plus up to 7 dependent children under 25; everyone on the plan must be a U.S. resident in the same state, traveling together on the same itinerary. A rest-of-world help page (last updated Dec 05, 2019) says single policies need you to be 64 or younger | The plan pages do not state an overall age limit; OneTrip Prime covers kids 17 and under free with a parent or grandparent (not on Pennsylvania policies) |
| Residence | U.S. citizens and non-U.S. citizens, for cover outside your home country | Not sold to residents (more than 6 calendar months a year) of Belarus, Canada, Democratic Republic of Congo, Ireland, Palau, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates and the USA and its territories | U.S. residents: residential address and unrestricted right of entry into the U.S. Other countries get their own versions | U.S. residents only; may not be available in all jurisdictions |
| In your home country | Limited: see below | Product page: no coverage restrictions at home. The travel document: no cover in your primary residence | Not covered within 100 miles of home | The long-trip article defines a trip as travel at least 100 miles from your primary residence |
| Length | Up to 364 days, except for a benefit period; any extension follows the insurer's eligibility rules and is at its discretion | 12-month commitment, renewable | 1 to 180 days per single-trip plan; up to 45 days for the Annual plan (U.S. help page). The U.S. page shows Annual limits per person per 14 Day Trip | OneTrip Prime designed for up to 180 days; AllTrips Prime runs for 365 days of travel but excludes trips over 45 days |
Some details behind that table:
- SafetyWing Essential and your home country. The product page offers up to 30 days of medical cover in your home country. Per the Description of Coverage, you must first have bought three months of coverage; then you get up to 30 days per three-month period for a non-U.S. home country, or up to 15 days for a U.S. home country. Unused days do not carry over to another three-month period, and incidental home-country cover is void if you do not continue your international trip or return home only to get treatment for an illness or injury that began while traveling. U.S. citizens and residents are not eligible for cover within the U.S. except incidental home-country cover or an eligible benefit period. After the certificate ends, the benefit period covers eligible expenses only for an injury or illness diagnosed or treated while the certificate was in effect, for up to 90 days from the first day of diagnosis or treatment outside your home country.
- SafetyWing Complete. On the Complete page, country of residence means where you spend the most time, and by default more than 183 days within a year. The travel part does not cover trips to the U.S., Hong Kong or Singapore unless you buy the optional add-on; residents of Hong Kong or Singapore must buy it. The health policy's table of benefits says coverage in the United States, Singapore and Hong Kong is only available when traveling there, for up to 30 days per trip.
- World Nomads. A U.S. citizen living abroad buys under the country where they live. After residing outside the U.S. for more than 180 consecutive days, your classification as a U.S. resident may be subject to change (U.S. help page, last updated Oct 22, 2024, for plans bought after Oct 23 2024). To claim as a U.S. resident, you must show you left the U.S. within the last 180 days for a single-trip plan, or 45 days for the Annual plan. The plan is not meant to cover indefinite travel.
What each one covers
SafetyWing: Essential vs Complete
Essential numbers come from the Description of Coverage (it shows no date) unless marked "product page". Complete numbers come from the Complete page and the Complete policy dated 2025-07-09 in its file name. Where a page and a document differ, both are shown.
| Benefit | Essential | Complete |
|---|---|---|
| Medical limit | Overall maximum US$250,000 (ages 65 to 69: US$100,000); US$250 deductible per certificate period, then 100% of eligible expenses up to the overall maximum. In the U.S., an emergency-room visit for an illness has a US$100 co-payment unless you are admitted, with none for an injury, and an urgent-care visit has a US$50 co-payment not subject to the deductible | US$1,500,000 annual maximum; the page does not state a deductible |
| Emergency medical evacuation | Up to US$100,000 lifetime | Page: US$100,000 lifetime. Health policy: evacuation and repatriation, including repatriation or cremation of mortal remains, up to US$100,000, with benefits offered per insured per policy year unless otherwise stated |
| Repatriation of remains | Up to US$20,000 lifetime; local burial or cremation in the country of death up to US$10,000 lifetime | US$100,000 for transport if you die (page); the health policy counts repatriation or cremation of mortal remains inside its US$100,000 evacuation and repatriation limit |
| Trip interruption | Up to US$5,000 | Page: US$5,000 for a ticket home after a family death. Travel document: up to US$5,000 per year, for a one-way economy ticket and reasonable transportation to and from departure or arrival points after fire or weather destroys more than 40% of your primary residence, or a parent, spouse, sibling, child or grandchild dies or is on their deathbed |
| Trip cancellation | Not listed | US$300 per trip, US$600 per year |
| Emergency dental | Acute onset of pain: up to US$1,000, not subject to deductible | Up to US$1,000 (page) |
| Evacuation from local unrest | Political evacuation: up to US$10,000 lifetime | US$10,000 lifetime (page) |
| Lost checked luggage | US$500 per item, US$3,000 per certificate period; US$6,000 lifetime limit | US$500 per item; US$3,000 per policy (page) or per year (policy); US$6,000 lifetime limit (policy) |
| Travel delay | Product page: US$60 for 3 to 8 hours, US$150 for 8+ hours. Description of Coverage: up to US$100 a day after a 12-hour delay that needs an unplanned overnight stay, maximum 2 days | Policy: US$60 for 3 to 8 hours, or US$150 for 8+ hours plus US$150 per night after the first 8, up to US$450 per trip and US$900 per year. Page: US$60 for 3 hours, US$150 per day for 3 days |
| Outpatient, check-ups, mental health, cancer, maternity | Routine check-ups, mental health disorders and cancer are excluded; pregnancy is excluded except complications | Outpatient within a US$5,000 limit; check-ups US$350; psychologist or psychiatrist 10 visits per year; cancer tests and treatment up to US$1,500,000; maternity US$2,500 with a 10-month waiting period |
| Wellness therapies | Acupuncture, massage and holistic care of any nature are excluded; outpatient physical therapy and chiropractic care up to US$50 a day if a physician orders it in advance | US$60 per visit within the US$5,000 outpatient limit (page; examples: chiropractics, dieticians, acupuncture) |
Per the Essential product page, US cover is extra. Complete has a U.S. add-on too. Its page lists stolen belongings at US$5,000 (the policy's burglary benefit is US$500 per item, US$3,000 per incident); electronics theft is a separate add-on.
World Nomads: the U.S.-resident plans
The U.S. page shows limits per person insured; for the Annual plan, limits are per person per 14 Day Trip. These are the U.S.-resident plans only; plans for other countries differ.
| Benefit | Standard | Explorer | Epic | Annual |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Trip cancellation | $2,500 | $10,000 | $15,000 | $5,000 per individual coverage term |
| Emergency medical | $125,000 | $150,000 | $250,000 | Up to $100,000 per trip |
| Evacuation and repatriation of remains | $400,000 | $500,000 | $700,000 | Up to $100,000 per trip |
| Baggage and personal effects | $1,000 | $2,000 | $3,000 | Up to $2,000 per trip |
| Trip delay | Up to $250 per day, maximum $1,000 | Up to $250 per day, maximum $3,000 | Up to $500 per day, maximum $5,000 | Up to $250 per day, maximum $1,500 per trip |
| Baggage delay | Up to $150 per day, maximum $750 | Up to $200 per day, maximum $1,000 | Up to $250 per day, maximum $2,500 | Up to $200 per day, up to $1,000 per trip |
Trip interruption matches trip cancellation on each plan. Optional Cancel for Any Reason is available on Explorer (up to 50% of the non-refundable insured trip cost) and Epic (up to 75%). The page says this is paid on prepaid, forfeited, non-refundable payments or deposits and does not exceed $5,000 on Explorer or $11,250 on Epic. It costs extra and is only available during the time-sensitive period; you must cancel at least 2 days before departure to claim, and it is not available in New York.
World Nomads' generic page gives no limits; they come from the plan documents shown with a quote. It also says 150+ activities, while the U.S. page gives 250+ to 340+ by plan.
Allianz: OneTrip Prime and AllTrips Prime
Allianz's plan pages describe trip cancellation and interruption, emergency medical and transportation, baggage and delay benefits. They say benefits are per insured traveler, may vary by state, and may carry sub-limits. Plans are sold to U.S. residents only and may not be available in all jurisdictions. Limits from each plan's own page (AllTrips Prime figures are from its page, not OneTrip Prime's):
| Benefit | OneTrip Prime | AllTrips Prime |
|---|---|---|
| Trip cancellation | Up to $100,000 | $3,000 per insured, per year |
| Trip interruption | Up to $150,000 | $3,000 per insured, per year |
| Emergency medical | $50,000; dental expenses capped at $750 | $20,000 per trip, no deductible; dental capped at $500 or $750 |
| Emergency medical transportation | $500,000 | $100,000 per trip |
| Baggage loss or damage | $1,000 | $1,000 per trip |
| Baggage delay | $300 after 12+ hours | $200 per trip after 12+ hours |
| Travel delay | $800 maximum, $200 daily limit, after 5+ hours | $600 per trip, $200 daily limit, after 6+ hours |
What is commonly not covered
Pre-existing conditions
| Insurer | Definition and look-back | Exceptions |
|---|---|---|
| SafetyWing Essential | Any condition that existed at application or at any time in the 2 years before the effective date, whether or not known or diagnosed | Acute onset may be covered up to the overall maximum (emergency medical evacuation under this benefit: US$25,000 lifetime) if all conditions are met, including treatment within 24 hours of the sudden outbreak, under 80, not chronic or congenital, not traveling against medical advice or to seek treatment for the condition, and outside your home country |
| SafetyWing Complete | Any illness or injury treated or diagnosed in your life, plus any with symptoms in the last 2 years. The Complete page says it is not covered | The health policy refers to exceptions in its Sections 6.23 and 6.32. Its Section 4.16 says pre-existing conditions disclosed in the application may receive coverage, unless they are limited or permanently excluded by an amendment in the Certificate of Coverage; conditions that were not declared are not covered. The policy also covers treatment to manage and stabilize injuries from an accident or emergency that is not caused by a pre-existing condition |
| World Nomads | Set by each policy. The pre-existing conditions page describes an ongoing medical or dental condition under investigation by a doctor, dentist or chiropractor, or whose symptoms you have experienced and are aware of, and gives examples such as the previous 90 or 180 days, and says COVID-19 can be a pre-existing condition, with cover depending on your country of residence and plan. Most plans do not cover pre-existing conditions | Explorer and Epic have a pre-existing exclusion waiver if you buy within a time-sensitive period and are healthy enough to travel when you buy (U.S. page) |
| Allianz | A condition that in the 120 days before and including purchase led to an exam, diagnosis, care or treatment, caused symptoms, or required prescribed medication (unless controlled and unchanged) | OneTrip Prime page: excluded unless you bought within 14 days of your first trip payment or deposit, insured the full non-refundable trip cost, are a U.S. resident, and were medically able to travel on purchase day. AllTrips Prime page: the exclusion is waived if at least one applies: the trip was bought during the coverage period, you bought within 14 days of your first trip payment or deposit, or your coverage starts no later than seven days after a previous annual policy issued to you by Allianz ends |
Other exclusions the pages state
- SafetyWing Essential. The general exclusions include mental health disorders, all forms of cancer, routine medical examinations and vaccinations, and pregnancy except covered complications (charges after the 26th week, routine prenatal care, childbirth and postnatal care are also excluded). They also exclude injury caused wholly or partly by intoxication or by drugs other than those taken as prescribed by a physician (drugs prescribed for treating substance abuse are carved out in the wording), and injury while operating a motor vehicle, aircraft or watercraft at a blood alcohol level of 0.08 or the local legal limit, whichever is lower. The epidemic and outbreak exclusion (illness or injury from epidemics, pandemics, public health emergencies, natural disasters or other disease outbreaks) applies if, before your effective date, the U.S. CDC had issued a Warning/Alert Level 3 or higher for a location, destination or common carrier, or a global one, and it was in effect within 60 days before your effective date or you failed to leave that country or location within 10 days after it was issued; it does not apply to COVID-19 charges.
- World Nomads. The overseas-medical page lists drug or alcohol use as per the policy wording, sexually transmitted infections (except, for example, where contracted through an assault), reckless behavior, and non-emergency treatment that can wait until you are home. The U.S. page adds as never covered: expenses within 100 miles of home, destinations or dates not on your plan, countries the U.S. government sanctions, and illegal or reckless acts. The generic page adds that there is no cover if you travel to a destination with a 'Do not travel' warning from your home country's government. It also says you must pick your countries at quote time, cannot add any after you buy, and cannot continue a quote that includes a country it does not cover, such as Iraq, North Korea or Sudan.
- Allianz. The plan pages say terms, conditions and exclusions apply. Both pages describe an epidemic coverage option for certain epidemic-related losses (on AllTrips Prime an endorsement "not available in all jurisdictions"). Allianz's long-trip article says medical benefits are for emergencies, not long-term or preventive care, and that the plans do not cover travel to receive medical treatment, moving, or commuting.
- Gear. World Nomads' digital-nomad page says there is no cover for gear you leave behind, electronic malfunction, devices damaged in checked luggage, devices older than the policy can cover, or items you cannot prove you own (for example, with no purchase record). Depreciation and wear and tear are taken into account when calculating the value of electronics.
Adventure sports
- SafetyWing Essential covers amateur sports and activities taken for recreation during a trip, with appropriate safety equipment worn at all times. It does not cover organized athletics involving regular or scheduled practice and/or games, activities performed in a professional capacity or for any wage, reward or profit, or a list of excluded activities that includes base jumping, cave diving, heli-skiing, mountaineering at 4,500 meters or higher, paragliding, parachuting, quad biking and whitewater rafting. Scuba diving needs a certified instructor at depths under 10 meters, or PADI, NAUI or SSI certification.
- Both SafetyWing plans cover motor accidents only if you are properly licensed, wearing all safety equipment and not intoxicated (product pages).
- World Nomads counts activities by plan: 250+ on Standard and Annual, 300+ on Explorer, 340+ on Epic. Cave diving, for example, is included on Explorer to 165 feet/50 meters and on Epic to 196 feet/60 meters.
Buying after you have left, and extending
| Buy after leaving home? | Start and waiting period | Extend or renew | |
|---|---|---|---|
| SafetyWing Essential | Yes: sign up before you depart or at any point while traveling or living abroad (product page) | Effective on the latest of: the moment the insurer receives your application with correct premium (if you apply and pay online or by fax; by mail, 12:01 a.m. U.S. Eastern Time on the date it is received), the moment you leave your home country, or 12:01 a.m. U.S. Eastern Time on the start date you request on the application. Home-country cover needs three months of coverage bought first, and the COVID-19 quarantine benefit needs a minimum of 28 days of coverage | Maximum 364 days, except for a benefit period; any extension follows the insurer's eligibility rules and is at its discretion |
| SafetyWing Complete | Yes, same product-page wording | Up to 10 days to process; once approved, starts on the 1st or 15th of the month, whichever comes sooner | Renewable; moving from Essential cancels that plan and refunds unused days if there are no ongoing claims |
| World Nomads | Yes, anytime from anywhere | U.S. page: immediate cover for accidents, possible waiting period for other benefits. Generic page: there may be a waiting period. Pre-existing conditions page: up to 72 hours depending on residence, and illness in that window can count as pre-existing | U.S. help page: you cannot extend; buy a new plan for the new dates (starts 12:01 a.m. local time the day after purchase). Known events are not covered, and anything you sought care for under the first plan could be considered pre-existing and not covered. You cannot buy more cover at 70 or older or after leaving U.S. residency. The generic page says an extension before the end date is possible, so this varies by residence version |
| Allianz | No: the long-trip article says you cannot buy a new plan while traveling | AllTrips Prime: benefits start on the plan start date; no waiting period is stated on the plan pages | The long-trip article suggests returning home before 180 days and buying a new plan for the second half of the trip |
Complete is a 12-month commitment. The Complete page says you can request cancellation within the first 15 days of coverage or at renewal, and that a midway cancellation refunds up to 65% of coverage you paid for but did not use, or all of it after a qualifying life event such as getting married and joining your spouse's health insurance. The health policy says that after the 15-day review period it reimburses the unearned portion of the premium up to a maximum of 65% of the total premium, and does not reimburse administrative fees or a 35% retention by the Company.
Claims
- SafetyWing Essential. Proof of claim must reach the insurer within 60 days of the last day of the certificate period; for a claim incurred in a benefit period, within 60 days of the date it was incurred. Proof of claim includes a signed claimant's statement, itemized bills and receipts. Emergency medical evacuation needs a physician's certification and the insurer's advance approval. In the U.S., the Description of Coverage offers a PPO network and says that, to comply with its PPO requirements, you must receive treatment from PPO providers; the insurer pays an eligible PPO provider directly, but you still have to send proof of claim.
- SafetyWing Complete. Log in to the dashboard, choose "Make a claim", fill a short form and upload documents, receipts and medical notes. The page says claims are typically reimbursed in 21 days or less. The travel document says to claim within 60 days of your end date. You can pay yourself and claim for reimbursement, or contact the 24/7 assistance team to arrange the payment; that option is not available for all types of claims, and some claims need advance notice.
- World Nomads (U.S.). Log in to the member portal, go to the claims administrator's portal (Trip Mate), report the incident as soon as possible and no later than 20 days after it happened, then upload documents such as police reports, medical records and receipts. Travel insurance is secondary cover: try your primary health insurer or airline first and show proof of what they denied. A general help page, not the U.S. one (last updated Jun 16, 2022), says that for an emergency needing hospital admission or evacuation, the insurer pays upfront if the incident is covered, and you or someone with you must contact the emergency assistance team immediately; for non-emergency visits where the costs are not excessive, you pay upfront and claim online once all treatment is complete.
- Allianz. The claims page gives three steps: fill in a who, what, where and how claim form, upload documents, and check your status. The pages give no claim deadline.
SafetyWing's separate FAQ and policy viewer pages are interactive, so this guide does not quote them; its SafetyWing facts come from the product pages (including the Complete page's FAQ) and the two policy documents.
Which should you choose
- Living or traveling abroad with no fixed return date: compare SafetyWing Essential and the World Nomads single-trip plan for your country of residence. SafetyWing Complete is also in the comparison unless your country of residence is on its excluded list, which includes the USA.
- You need ongoing outpatient, preventive or maternity benefits while abroad: among these three insurers, only SafetyWing Complete lists them, with limits, and it is not sold to residents of the excluded countries.
- You live in the U.S. and take several short trips a year: compare World Nomads Annual and Allianz AllTrips Prime, which excludes trips over 45 days.
- One prepaid holiday from the U.S.: compare Allianz OneTrip Prime and the World Nomads single-trip plans. SafetyWing Essential lists no trip cancellation benefit, and Complete (US$300 per trip) is not sold to residents of the USA.
- A single trip longer than 180 days: Allianz OneTrip Prime is designed for up to 180 days, and World Nomads' U.S. help page gives up to 180 days per single-trip plan. SafetyWing Essential runs up to 364 days at a time.
- You are not a U.S. resident: Allianz plans are not sold to you. Compare SafetyWing Essential (and Complete, if your country of residence is not on its excluded list) with the World Nomads version for your country, whose limits you will see with a quote.
- You will mostly be at home: Essential's home-country cover is limited, and World Nomads' U.S. page says it never covers expenses within 100 miles of home. Complete's product page lists no coverage restrictions at home, but its travel document gives no cover in your primary residence.
Need flights or a hotel quote?
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