EN Contact us
Member
Photo © Getty Images / andresr
  1. World Nomads
  2. Travel Insurance
  3. Why Buy
  4. What Is Travel Insurance

What is Travel Insurance?

Unsure how travel insurance works, and why you might need it? Get your answers here.

    As featured in:

  • As featured in:

Travel insurance is often the last thing we want to think about when packing for our escape. However, there are many unforeseen events that can turn your trip into a nightmare. That's where travel insurance is designed to help.

Travel insurance is designed to help cover your expenses if something goes wrong before or during your trip. Travel insurance can provide financial protection against these unforeseen events that could disrupt your travel plans.

Also, your personal health insurance may not cover costs while traveling out of the country or might exclude certain activities. With travel insurance, you can explore your boundaries (within reason, of course) and still have cover available.

Traveler tip: travel insurance is not a substitute for your primary health insurance and won't cover non-essential overseas medical treatment, such as routine exams. 

Rear view of young Asian mother holding hands of cute little daughter looking at airplane through window at the airport while waiting for departure.
Photo credit: Getty images / d3sign

What else do I need to know when buying travel insurance?

When you buy travel insurance World Nomads may agree to cover costs (up to a certain limit) for things like emergency medical treatment, damaged or stolen luggage, delayed flights, or non-refundable expenses should you have to unexpectedly cancel your trip. Your cover will depend on your country of residence and what plan you have chosen.

World Nomads travel insurance typically offers benefits such as:

Travel insurance isn't designed to cover everything. Full terms, conditions, limitations and exclusions do apply, so be sure to read your full policy to avoid surprises. If you have any questions, please get in touch.

How does World Nomads provide added benefits?

  • Coverage for many events: from medical emergencies to flight delays, natural disasters, lost bags, and cover for adventure activities, World Nomads travel insurance covers a wide range of potential risks.
  • Flexibility: purchase or extend your travel insurance coverage even after your trip has started.
  • Emergency Medical Assistance: emergency help for a range of medical and non-medical events.
  • Community Support: contribute to local community projects and make a positive impact on the environment and people’s lives through microdonations.
Overhead view of young Asian woman packing a suitcase for a trip at home.
Photo credit: Getty images / d3sign

Did you know travel insurance covers...

You can also buy away from home or buy more cover if you extend your trip. Plus, you can claim online anytime, anywhere in the world.

What travel insurance plans do you offer?

At World Nomads, we have made choosing a travel insurance plan less time-consuming and stressful by offering simple and flexible travel insurance plans with different levels of cover depending on your travel needs. 

Standard Plan: includes a range of benefits such as overseas medical, coverage for your belongings, pre-trip cancellation and certain adventure activities. 

Explorer Plan: has all the benefits of a Standard Plan and a few more, but it is more expensive. 

You can buy World Nomads travel insurance cover anytime, anywhere. Plus, if you decide to stay longer somewhere or want to change direction on a whim, we are happy to extend your policy as long as it’s done before 11.59pm on the end date for your home country shown on your Certificate of Insurance. 

Traveler tip: if you buy a policy while traveling overseas, you must wait 72 hours before any cover is activated. The maximum trip duration available on a Single Trip policy, including extensions, is 12 months from the start date.

Check out our Standard vs Explorer article for information on coverage, benefit limits, terms and conditions and exclusions. 

Packing a suitcase
Photo credit: Getty images / Kinga Krzeminska

What's covered and what's not?

The full list of things we cover is too long to include here, but in general our policies offer cover for:

  • Overseas emergency medical and dental expenses
  • Emergency medical evacuation
  • Trip delay, cancellation, or interruption due to an unforeseen event
  • Delayed, damaged or stolen gear or bags if they've been checked in with a carrier
  • Coverage for some COVID-19 medical and travel related events, but please note coverage depends on your Country of Residence and may vary between plans. To find out what cover applies to you, read our What’s Covered for Coronavirus article, which has all of the details, including benefit limits, conditions and exclusions.

Here are the main things that aren't covered:

  • Expenses related to pre-existing medical conditions unless your policy says otherwise
  • Non-emergency medical expenses, such as eyeglasses or contact lenses, routine medical check-ups or cosmetic procedures
  • Items left unsupervised in a public place
  • Gear damaged while in use.

How do I choose the right type of travel insurance for my needs?

Choosing the right travel insurance involves considering your specific needs and comparing different policies. Here are five tips to help you make the best choice:

  1. Assess your needs: Determine what kind of coverage you need based on your destination, country of residence, activities, medical history, and personal circumstances. For example, if you're planning an adventure trip, look for policies that cover sports injuries.
  2. Compare plans: Consider whether our Standard vs Explorer plans cover the types of events that you are looking to be covered; for example, overseas medical emergencies or trip cancellation. Additionally, be sure to pay attention to the limits and exclusions of the policy to ensure that you're comfortable with them.
  3. Single trip vs Annual Multi-Trip: Make sure you choose a policy that covers you for the entire duration of your trip if it’s a single trip, and always be mindful of the end date of your trip. Depending on your country of residence we may offer Annual Multi-Trip (AMT) plans. If you do plan to take multiple trips throughout the year, consider the AMT plan instead of buying several single trip policies. AMT policies have shorter trip duration limits, so ensure your entire trip will be covered by your AMT policy.
  4. Read the fine print: Understand the policy's terms and conditions, including what is and isn’t covered. Pay attention to exclusions and coverage limits.
  5. Look for add-ons: Consider additional coverage options such as high value items, rental vehicle insurance excess, trip interruption, or coverage for specific activities such as Snow Sports. Options available vary by country of residence.

What does my travel insurance cover?

Examples of when travel insurance is needed

Pre-Trip example:

  • Trip Cancellation: You’ve booked a non-refundable trip to Thailand, but a sudden illness forces you to cancel before your trip departure date. Travel insurance can reimburse you for your pre-paid, non-refundable expenses, saving you from financial loss.

On-Trip examples:

  • Medical Emergency: While hiking in the Alps, you sprain your ankle and need medical attention. Travel insurance offers cover for emergency medical expenses and any additional accommodation costs due to the injury.
  • Lost Luggage: Your checked luggage gets lost on your way to Paris. Travel insurance compensates you for the lost items and the cost of purchasing essential replacements. 

This is only a summary of cover and does not include the full terms, conditions, limitations and exclusions of the policy. You should read your policy wording in full, so you understand what is and isn’t covered. That way there won’t be any surprises if you need to use it. If you have any questions, please get in touch

Insure your trip in three easy steps


Travel insurance for independent travelers and their families. Simple, flexible trip insurance for international or domestic travel. Buy and claim online from anywhere in the world.

1

Start your quote

Tell us your travel details including where, when and who is traveling. Make sure to add all destinations and include travel dates from the day you leave, to the day you return.

2

Choose a plan

Select the activities and benefits that you'll need for you, your partner or your family.

3

Finalize your purchase

Once you’ve purchased, we’ll send your policy details to your chosen email, or you can access it via your account.