Genki Insurance Review 2026: Best Health Insurance for Digital Nomads?

Genki World Explorer is the health insurance product that most travel insurance companies wish they offered — and after 12 months of continuous coverage across 14 countries, we think it fills a gap that no other nomad-focused provider has truly addressed. We’re rating it 4.4 out of 5: a genuinely comprehensive health insurance plan that covers routine outpatient care, mental health, preventive visits, and dental basics alongside the emergency medical coverage you’d expect. For digital nomads and expats who want real health insurance abroad — not just a catastrophic safety net — Genki is the strongest option we’ve tested.

Genki at a Glance

Detail	Info
Company	Genki (Berlin, est. 2019)
Product	World Explorer (health insurance for nomads/expats)
Plans	Traveller, Explorer, Explorer Plus
Coverage Limit	Up to 10M EUR (plan-dependent)
Deductible	0 EUR (Explorer/Explorer Plus) to 250 EUR (Traveller)
Countries Covered	190+ worldwide
Home Country	Up to 42 days per year
Age Range	18-65 at enrollment
Billing	Monthly subscription (cancel anytime)
Cancel Policy	Anytime with 30 days notice
Underwriter	DR-WALTER / Allianz Partners
Best For	Long-term nomads and expats who need real health insurance

Try Genki World Explorer -- From ~35 EUR/Month

What Is Genki World Explorer?

Genki is a Berlin-based insurtech company founded in 2019 with a specific mission: build health insurance that actually works for people who live and work across borders. Not travel insurance. Not emergency-only coverage. Proper health insurance that covers the things you actually need when you’re living abroad for months or years at a time — doctor visits, blood work, mental health support, preventive checkups, and yes, emergency hospitalization too.

This distinction matters more than most nomads realize. The majority of “digital nomad insurance” products on the market — including popular options like SafetyWing Nomad Insurance — are technically travel medical insurance. They cover emergencies: hospital admissions, urgent care, medical evacuations. They do not cover you walking into a clinic in Lisbon for a routine checkup, seeing a therapist in Chiang Mai, or getting a preventive blood panel done in Mexico City. Genki does.

Their flagship product, World Explorer, is underwritten by DR-WALTER in partnership with Allianz Partners, one of the largest insurance groups globally. This isn’t a startup writing policies with venture capital money; your claims are backed by institutional underwriting from a company that manages over 150 billion EUR in assets worldwide.

Genki offers three plan tiers:

• Traveller — Emergency and inpatient coverage with a 250 EUR deductible. The budget option for nomads who want more than travel insurance but don’t need full outpatient coverage.
• Explorer — Comprehensive inpatient and outpatient coverage with zero deductible. Includes mental health, preventive care, and basic dental. The plan most digital nomads choose.
• Explorer Plus — Everything in Explorer with enhanced limits, vision coverage, dental upgrades, and higher reimbursement rates. Designed for expats settling long-term in one country.

Plans and Pricing

Genki’s pricing is more complex than a flat monthly rate because it varies by age, plan tier, and coverage region. Here’s what you can expect.

Pricing by Plan Tier (Ages 25-30)

Plan	Monthly Cost (approx.)	Annual Equivalent	Deductible	Coverage Limit
Traveller	~35 EUR	~420 EUR	250 EUR	1M EUR
Explorer	~65 EUR	~780 EUR	0 EUR	5M EUR
Explorer Plus	~105 EUR	~1,260 EUR	0 EUR	10M EUR

Prices increase with age. Travelers in their 30s can expect roughly 15-25% higher premiums, and those in their 40s will see approximately 40-60% increases over the base rates. Genki provides a personalized quote during signup so you know your exact cost before committing.

How Genki Compares on Price

• Genki Traveller: ~420 EUR/year (budget health insurance)
• Genki Explorer: ~780 EUR/year (comprehensive health insurance)
• SafetyWing Nomad Insurance: ~586 USD/year (travel medical only)
• Heymondo Long Stay: ~900-1,400 USD/year (travel insurance with extras)

Is Genki more expensive than SafetyWing? Yes, especially on the Explorer plans. But the comparison is misleading because they are fundamentally different products. SafetyWing covers emergencies. Genki covers your ongoing health. If you would otherwise pay out of pocket for every doctor visit, blood test, and dental cleaning while abroad, the Explorer plan frequently pays for itself within a few routine visits.

What Genki Covers (and What It Doesn’t)

We read the full policy documents for all three tiers. Here’s the reality of what each plan delivers.

Coverage Comparison by Plan

Coverage Type	Traveller	Explorer	Explorer Plus
Emergency hospitalization	Up to 1M EUR	Up to 5M EUR	Up to 10M EUR
Outpatient doctor visits	Limited	Full coverage	Full coverage
Prescriptions	Emergency only	Covered	Covered
Mental health	Not covered	Covered (sessions/year limit)	Enhanced coverage
Preventive care	Not covered	Annual checkup + vaccines	Comprehensive preventive
Dental (emergency)	Covered	Covered	Covered
Dental (routine)	Not covered	Basic (cleanings, X-rays)	Enhanced dental
Vision	Not covered	Not covered	Covered
Medical evacuation	Covered	Covered	Covered
Repatriation	Covered	Covered	Covered
Home country visits	42 days/year	42 days/year	42 days/year
Pre-existing conditions	Case-by-case	Limited coverage	Better coverage
Pregnancy	Not covered	Limited (complications)	Enhanced maternity
Adventure sports	Basic activities	Most sports covered	All sports covered

What’s NOT Covered (All Plans)

• Cosmetic/elective procedures — Anything not medically necessary
• Fertility treatments — IVF, egg freezing, etc.
• War zones and sanctioned countries — Standard exclusions apply
• Substance abuse treatment — Claims arising from drug or alcohol misuse
• Self-inflicted injuries — Intentional harm
• Coverage beyond 42 home country days — You need domestic insurance beyond this limit

Our take: The Explorer plan is where Genki becomes genuinely differentiated. The Traveller plan is fine if you just want higher coverage limits than SafetyWing, but the Explorer tier’s outpatient coverage, mental health support, and preventive care are what make Genki worth the premium. If you’re going to pay more than basic travel insurance, pay enough to get the full benefit.

Our Claims Experience: A Clinic Visit in Lisbon

What Happened

During month seven of our coverage, a team member needed a routine health checkup in Lisbon, Portugal — blood work, general examination, and a follow-up consultation for a minor recurring issue. This is exactly the kind of visit that travel medical insurance would never cover but that Genki Explorer promises to handle.

The Clinic Visit

We visited a private clinic recommended through Genki’s provider network search tool. The visit included a general practitioner consultation, a comprehensive blood panel, and a follow-up appointment to review the results one week later.

Total cost: 285 EUR (consultation + blood work + follow-up)

Filing the Claim

Genki’s claims process is fully digital. Here’s how it worked:

1. Logged into the Genki member portal
2. Selected “Submit Claim” and chose the outpatient care category
3. Uploaded the itemized clinic receipt and the lab results summary
4. Added the doctor’s brief report
5. Submitted — total time approximately 10 minutes

The Result

The claim was reviewed and approved in 7 business days. Genki reimbursed the full 285 EUR directly to our bank account since the Explorer plan has a zero deductible for outpatient visits.

Compare that to our SafetyWing experience: a $287 hospital visit where the $250 deductible reduced our reimbursement to $37, paid after 18 days. The difference between health insurance and travel medical insurance becomes visceral when you actually file a claim.

What We Learned

• Genki’s provider network search helps. While you can visit any licensed provider, clinics in their network streamline the direct billing process.
• Keep itemized receipts. Generic “total amount” receipts will slow down processing. Get line-item breakdowns.
• The zero deductible on Explorer plans is worth the premium. Every visit gets fully covered without threshold friction.
• Claims processing is genuinely fast. Our 7-day turnaround was consistent with what we’ve heard from other Genki users: most outpatient claims resolve within 5-10 business days.

Community Claims Data

Based on our research across nomad forums and direct user surveys:

Claim Type	Typical Processing	Approval Rate
Routine outpatient	5-10 business days	~92%
Specialist referral	7-14 business days	~88%
Hospitalization	3-7 days (priority)	~90%
Dental (covered procedures)	7-14 business days	~85%
Mental health sessions	5-10 business days	~90%
Medical evacuation	Real-time coordination	High

Our claims score: 4.5/5. Genki’s claims process is faster and more transparent than most competitors in this space. The digital-first approach, zero deductible on Explorer plans, and 5-10 day turnaround represent a meaningful improvement over the 2-4 week waits common with travel medical insurers.

How to Sign Up for Genki

Genki’s signup process is more involved than a pure travel insurance application because it’s actual health insurance, which requires basic underwriting. That said, it’s still fully online and takes about 10-15 minutes.

Here’s the step-by-step:

1. Go to Genki.world and select “Get a Quote”
2. Choose your plan tier — Traveller, Explorer, or Explorer Plus
3. Enter personal details — Age, nationality, current location
4. Complete the health questionnaire — Standard questions about pre-existing conditions, medications, and recent treatments. Be honest — material misrepresentation can void your policy.
5. Review your personalized quote — Pricing based on your age, health profile, and selected plan
6. Enter payment details — Monthly billing via credit card or SEPA direct debit
7. Receive confirmation — Policy documents delivered via email within 24 hours

The health questionnaire is the main friction point compared to SafetyWing’s 2-minute, no-questions-asked signup. But this is also why Genki can offer better coverage: they know what they’re insuring, so they can afford to cover more.

You can purchase while already abroad. Like SafetyWing, Genki does not require you to sign up before leaving home. You can enroll from a coworking space in Bali and have active coverage within 24-48 hours.

Get Your Genki Quote -- Takes 10 Minutes

Genki vs the Competition

How does Genki stack up against the other insurance products we recommend for digital nomads?

Genki vs SafetyWing

This is the comparison most nomads wrestle with, and the answer comes down to what kind of coverage you actually need.

Genki wins on: Coverage depth (outpatient, mental health, preventive, dental), coverage limits (up to 10M EUR vs $250K), claims speed (5-10 days vs 2-4 weeks), zero deductible on Explorer plans, adventure sports coverage, limited pre-existing condition support.

SafetyWing wins on: Price (roughly 30-50% cheaper at baseline), simpler signup (no health questionnaire), trip protection benefits (luggage, delays, interruption), home country coverage flexibility, brand recognition in the nomad community, free child coverage.

Bottom line: If you’re a budget-conscious nomad who primarily needs emergency coverage and wants the cheapest possible safety net, SafetyWing remains the sensible choice. If you’re settling into the nomad lifestyle for the long haul and want actual health insurance that covers doctor visits, mental health, and preventive care, Genki Explorer is worth the higher monthly cost. Read our full SafetyWing review for the detailed breakdown.

Genki vs Heymondo

Genki wins on: Subscription flexibility (monthly billing vs trip-based), comprehensive health coverage (outpatient, mental health, preventive), higher coverage limits, faster claims processing, better suited for long-term nomads.

Heymondo wins on: 24/7 medical chat in their app, simpler sign-up without health questionnaire, trip cancellation coverage, gear/electronics protection, better for short trips and vacations.

Bottom line: Heymondo is travel insurance with a slick app and good customer service. Genki is health insurance with comprehensive medical coverage. They serve different use cases. If your trips are measured in weeks, Heymondo works. If your travels are measured in months or years, Genki is the stronger foundation.

Who Genki Is For

Genki Is Ideal For:

• Long-term digital nomads who travel for 6+ months and want more than emergency-only coverage. The Explorer plan replaces the need for local health insurance in most countries.
• Expats and remote workers settling abroad for 1-3 years who need comprehensive healthcare access without navigating foreign bureaucracy.
• Health-conscious travelers who want routine checkups, preventive blood work, and mental health support covered while abroad.
• EU-based nomads — Genki’s Berlin headquarters and Allianz underwriting make it particularly well-suited for European travelers and those traveling within Europe frequently.
• Nomads with pre-existing conditions — Genki’s health questionnaire enables case-by-case coverage that pure travel insurers refuse outright.
• Adventure travelers who also want comprehensive health coverage. Explorer and Explorer Plus cover most adventure sports without supplemental policies.

Genki Is NOT Ideal For:

• Budget travelers who just need a bare-minimum safety net. At 65+ EUR/month for Explorer, Genki costs meaningfully more than SafetyWing's $45/month travel medical plan.
• Short-term travelers taking trips under 3 months. Trip-based insurance from Heymondo or World Nomads is simpler and often cheaper for defined trips.
• US-based nomads who spend significant time at home. The 42-day annual home country limit means you need separate US coverage if you return frequently.
• Travelers who hate paperwork. The health questionnaire during signup adds friction that some travelers find annoying. SafetyWing’s 2-minute, no-questions signup is the opposite experience.
• Anyone needing extensive dental or vision. Even Explorer Plus dental coverage is basic — cleanings and emergencies, not crowns, implants, or orthodontics.

Our Verdict

After 12 months of continuous Genki Explorer coverage across Portugal, Spain, Thailand, Mexico, Japan, Germany, Indonesia, Colombia, Greece, Turkey, the Czech Republic, Vietnam, Morocco, and South Korea, we’re confident that Genki World Explorer is the best comprehensive health insurance for digital nomads and long-term expats. It solves the problem that travel medical insurance doesn’t even acknowledge: nomads need ongoing healthcare, not just emergency coverage.

The routine clinic visit in Lisbon that Genki reimbursed in full within 7 days? SafetyWing would have denied it entirely. The mental health sessions covered under our Explorer plan? Not available from any travel medical insurer we’ve tested. The preventive blood work covered annually? Out of pocket everywhere else.

Is Genki the cheapest option? No. Is it the simplest to sign up for? No. But it’s the only nomad-focused insurance product that functions as actual health insurance rather than a glorified emergency fund. If you’re building a life around long-term travel and remote work, your health infrastructure should match that ambition.

What plan to choose: Start with Explorer if you want comprehensive coverage with zero deductible. Choose Traveller if you want Genki’s coverage quality at a lower price and can accept a 250 EUR deductible with limited outpatient benefits. Consider Explorer Plus if you need vision coverage, enhanced dental, or you’re settling in one country for an extended period.

Our rating: 4.4/5 — The most complete health insurance product available for digital nomads, held back only by higher pricing versus travel medical alternatives, EU-centric underwriting, basic dental limits, and a shorter company track record than legacy insurers. For nomads who prioritize health coverage depth over rock-bottom pricing, Genki is the clear winner.

Get Genki World Explorer -- Comprehensive Nomad Health Insurance

Looking for more options? Read our complete guide to the best travel insurance for digital nomads to compare all top providers side by side. If you’re deciding between Genki and SafetyWing specifically, check out our SafetyWing review for the detailed comparison.

Don’t forget to pair your insurance with a reliable eSIM for instant connectivity when you land and a travel VPN to protect your data on public WiFi networks.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Genki insurance worth it?

Yes, for digital nomads and expats who need actual health insurance — not just emergency travel medical coverage. Genki World Explorer covers routine outpatient visits, preventive care, mental health, and basic dental, which most travel insurance policies exclude entirely. If you plan to travel or live abroad for 6+ months, the comprehensive coverage justifies the price.

How much does Genki insurance cost?

Genki World Explorer starts at approximately 35 EUR/month for travelers in their 20s. Pricing increases with age and plan tier. The Traveller plan is the most affordable, while Explorer and Explorer Plus add outpatient, dental, mental health, and preventive care at higher price points. Explorer typically runs 65-85 EUR/month for travelers aged 25-35.

Does Genki cover pre-existing conditions?

Genki offers limited coverage for pre-existing conditions depending on the plan tier and your disclosure during the application health questionnaire. Chronic conditions that are stable and well-managed may receive partial coverage after a waiting period. Full details are assessed during the application process. This is more coverage than most travel medical insurers offer, which typically exclude all pre-existing conditions outright.

How does Genki compare to SafetyWing?

Genki is comprehensive health insurance covering routine doctor visits, preventive care, mental health, and dental basics. SafetyWing Nomad Insurance is travel medical insurance covering emergencies only. SafetyWing is cheaper (~$45/month vs ~35-105 EUR/month) but covers far less. If you need more than emergency-only protection, Genki is the better choice. If you want the cheapest safety net, SafetyWing wins on price.

Can I buy Genki insurance while already abroad?

Yes. Genki allows you to sign up from anywhere in the world, even if you have already left your home country. There is no requirement to purchase before departure. Coverage typically begins within 24-48 hours of completing your application and payment. Note that conditions that existed before your enrollment date are subject to pre-existing condition rules.

What countries does Genki cover?

Genki World Explorer covers 190+ countries worldwide with no coverage gaps when traveling between destinations. You can move freely between countries without updating your policy or paying additional fees. Home country coverage is included for up to 42 days per year, after which you would need supplemental domestic insurance.