What Does Travel Insurance Cover? A Complete 2026 Breakdown

Travel insurance covers more than most people think — and less than most people assume. After 14 months of testing four different providers across 11 countries, filing real claims, and reading every page of fine print so you do not have to, we have a clear picture of what travel insurance actually protects you against in 2026 and where the dangerous gaps hide.

This guide breaks down every major coverage category, what is typically excluded, and the specific coverage differences between the top providers we recommend for digital nomads and long-term travelers.

The Core Coverage Categories

Every travel insurance policy is built around a handful of coverage pillars. The specifics — limits, deductibles, exclusions — vary dramatically between providers, but the categories themselves are consistent across the industry.

1. Emergency Medical Coverage

This is the most important coverage category and the primary reason to carry travel insurance. Emergency medical coverage pays for doctor visits, hospital stays, surgeries, prescription medications, and diagnostic tests when you get sick or injured abroad.

Why it matters: A broken leg in Thailand can cost $5,000-15,000. An emergency appendectomy in the US runs $30,000-50,000. A week in a European ICU can exceed $100,000. Without insurance, you pay every cent out of pocket.

What is typically covered:

• Emergency room visits and hospitalization
• Doctor and specialist consultations
• Surgical procedures
• Prescription medications
• Diagnostic tests (X-rays, MRIs, blood work)
• COVID-19 treatment (as of 2026, most providers cover this)
• Ambulance transport within the country

What is typically NOT covered:

• Pre-existing conditions (the biggest gap)
• Routine checkups and preventive care (except Genki Explorer plans)
• Dental work (unless caused by an accident)
• Vision care and eyeglasses
• Elective or cosmetic procedures
• Mental health treatment (except Genki Explorer Plus)

Coverage limits by provider:

Provider	Medical Coverage Limit	Deductible
SafetyWing	$250,000	$250 per claim
Genki World Explorer	Up to 10M EUR	Varies by plan
Heymondo	Up to $10,000,000	$0 on most plans
World Nomads	$100,000-300,000	Varies by plan

For most travelers, SafetyWing's $250,000 limit is more than sufficient for emergency medical situations. If you want comprehensive health coverage including routine care, Genki World Explorer is the only provider we have tested that covers outpatient visits, preventive care, and mental health.

2. Emergency Medical Evacuation

Evacuation coverage pays for emergency transport to the nearest adequate medical facility — or back to your home country — when local hospitals cannot provide the care you need.

Why it matters: A medical evacuation flight can cost $50,000-250,000 depending on the distance and medical equipment required. A helicopter evacuation from a remote area in Southeast Asia to a Singapore hospital can exceed $100,000. This is the single most financially devastating scenario for uninsured travelers.

What is typically covered:

• Air ambulance to the nearest adequate hospital
• Medical repatriation to your home country
• Medically necessary ground transport
• Accompanying medical personnel during transport
• Repatriation of remains (in the event of death abroad)

What is typically NOT covered:

• Evacuation for non-medical reasons (political instability, natural disasters without injury)
• Transport upgrades or preferred hospital selection
• Evacuation from countries under government travel warnings
• Search and rescue costs in remote areas (some adventure policies cover this)

Coverage limits: SafetyWing covers up to $100,000 in evacuation costs. Genki and Heymondo include evacuation within their overall medical limit. World Nomads includes evacuation on all plans with limits varying by tier.

3. Trip Cancellation and Interruption

Trip cancellation insurance reimburses prepaid, non-refundable travel expenses when you need to cancel or cut short your trip for a covered reason.

Why it matters: A canceled international flight, non-refundable hotel bookings, and prepaid tours can add up to thousands of dollars. If a family emergency forces you home mid-trip, trip interruption coverage reimburses the unused portion of prepaid expenses.

What is typically covered (covered reasons):

• Illness, injury, or death of you, a travel companion, or immediate family member
• Natural disasters affecting your destination
• Airline strikes or bankruptcy
• Jury duty or military deployment
• Terrorism at your destination (within a defined window before departure)

What is typically NOT covered:

• “I changed my mind” cancellations
• Fear of disease outbreaks (unless a government travel ban is issued)
• Work schedule changes
• Visa denials (some policies cover this, most do not)
• Weather delays under a certain duration

Important note for digital nomads: Trip cancellation coverage is designed for traditional travelers with fixed itineraries. If you are a nomad with a rolling travel style and no fixed return date, this coverage may offer limited value. SafetyWing focuses on medical coverage rather than trip cancellation precisely because their users are nomads without fixed trips to cancel. World Nomads offers the most robust trip cancellation coverage — making it better suited for travelers with defined itineraries and prepaid bookings.

4. Baggage and Personal Belongings

Baggage coverage reimburses you for lost, stolen, or damaged luggage and personal items during your trip.

What is typically covered:

• Lost or stolen luggage
• Damaged personal belongings
• Baggage delay (reimbursement for essential purchases)
• Theft of personal items from your accommodation

What is typically NOT covered:

• Items left unattended in public places
• Valuables not stored in a hotel safe
• Normal wear and tear
• Items over the per-item limit (usually $500-1,000 per item)
• Cash, cryptocurrency hardware wallets, or negotiable instruments

Coverage limits: Baggage coverage typically ranges from $1,000-5,000 total with per-item sub-limits of $500-1,000. This is almost always insufficient to cover a stolen laptop or high-end camera. If you travel with expensive electronics, consider dedicated gadget insurance as a supplement.

5. Personal Liability

Personal liability coverage protects you if you accidentally injure someone or damage their property while traveling.

Why it matters: If you accidentally cause a traffic accident on a rented scooter in Bali, knock someone off their bike, or damage hotel property, you could face a lawsuit or compensation demand. Liability coverage pays for legal defense and damages.

Typical coverage limits: $25,000-100,000 depending on the provider and plan.

6. Adventure Sports and Activities

Standard travel insurance excludes most adventure sports. If you surf, ski, dive, climb, or participate in any activity above walking pace, you need to verify your specific activities are covered.

Covered by default on most policies: Hiking (below certain altitudes), snorkeling, cycling on roads, kayaking in calm water.

Typically excluded unless you pay extra or choose the right provider: Scuba diving (below certain depths), surfing, skiing/snowboarding, bungee jumping, paragliding, rock climbing, martial arts, motorized water sports.

World Nomads stands out here with coverage for 200+ adventure activities on all plans — far more than any other provider we have tested. If adventure sports are central to your travel style, this is the provider to choose.

What Travel Insurance Does NOT Cover

Understanding exclusions is just as important as understanding coverage. These are the most common and dangerous gaps across all providers:

Universal exclusions (no provider covers these):

• Pre-existing conditions — The number one claim denial reason. Any condition diagnosed, treated, or symptomatic before your policy start date is excluded
• Intentional self-harm or suicide
• Incidents while under the influence of alcohol or drugs
• Illegal activities — Injuries sustained while breaking local laws
• War zones and government-advised “do not travel” destinations
• Elective and cosmetic procedures
• Routine dental and vision (Genki Explorer is a rare exception for basic dental)

Common exclusions that surprise people:

• Pregnancy after week 26-36 (varies by provider)
• Mental health treatment (most providers exclude this; Genki Explorer Plus is an exception)
• Motorcycle accidents without a valid license — If local law requires a motorcycle license and you are riding without one, your claim will be denied
• Extreme altitude — Trekking above 4,000-6,000m is excluded on most policies
• Failure to seek timely treatment — Delaying medical care can void coverage

Nomad-Specific Coverage Gaps

Traditional travel insurance is built for two-week vacations with fixed dates. Digital nomads face coverage gaps that most policies never anticipated:

The Home Country Problem

Most travel insurance only covers you outside your home country. When you return home — even briefly — your coverage pauses or has strict limits.

• SafetyWing covers you in your home country for up to 30 days per 90-day period (15 days for US residents)
• Genki allows up to 42 days of home country coverage per year
• World Nomads requires you to start your trip from your home country, limiting flexibility
• Heymondo coverage applies only outside your country of residence

The “Continuous Travel” Problem

Standard trip-based insurance has a fixed end date. If you do not know when your trip ends — because you are a nomad — traditional policies force you to guess and either overpay or risk a coverage gap.

Subscription-based solutions: SafetyWing and Genki both offer rolling monthly subscriptions with no fixed end date. You pay month-to-month and cancel anytime. This is fundamentally better for nomads than trip-based policies.

The “Travel Medical vs Health Insurance” Problem

Travel medical insurance (SafetyWing, Heymondo, World Nomads) covers emergencies only. It is not health insurance. If you need ongoing care — regular prescriptions, therapy, chronic condition management — you need actual health insurance.

Genki World Explorer is the only provider in our tested group that bridges this gap, offering genuine health insurance with outpatient visits, preventive care, mental health coverage, and basic dental on higher-tier plans. SafetyWing’s Remote Health product ($250+/month) also fills this role but at a significantly higher price point.

How to Compare Plans: Coverage Across Providers

Here is how the four insurance providers we recommend for digital nomads compare across every major coverage category:

How to Choose the Right Coverage

Choosing insurance is not about finding the “best” provider — it is about matching coverage to your specific travel style:

Choose SafetyWing if:

• You are a digital nomad traveling continuously without fixed dates
• You want affordable emergency medical coverage ($45/month)
• You do not need adventure sports, dental, or mental health coverage
• You want the flexibility to buy, pause, and resume coverage anytime

Choose Genki if:

• You need actual health insurance, not just emergency coverage
• You want routine doctor visits, preventive care, and mental health covered
• You are based in or frequently travel through Europe
• You plan to live abroad for 6+ months and need comprehensive protection

Choose Heymondo if:

• You want 24/7 access to a doctor via in-app medical chat
• You prefer $0 deductible plans
• You take defined trips (not open-ended nomading)
• You want a modern, app-first claims experience

Choose World Nomads if:

• You regularly do adventure sports (surfing, diving, climbing, skiing)
• You have a defined trip with fixed dates and prepaid bookings
• You need robust trip cancellation coverage
• You want the broadest activity coverage available

For a deeper dive into each provider, read our full best travel insurance for digital nomads ranking with detailed reviews and real claims experience.

Tips for Maximizing Your Coverage

After filing claims across multiple providers and learning from both approvals and denials, here are the practical lessons we have learned:

1. Read the policy document, not the marketing page. The sales page says “comprehensive medical coverage.” The policy document defines exactly what “comprehensive” means and lists 40 exclusions. Always read the PDS (Product Disclosure Statement) or policy wording before purchasing.

2. Declare everything honestly. Non-disclosure of pre-existing conditions is the fastest way to void your entire policy. If you have any chronic conditions, medications, or recent treatments, declare them during application. A denied claim due to non-disclosure is worse than paying a slightly higher premium.

3. Keep receipts for everything. Every doctor visit, pharmacy receipt, hospital bill, and taxi ride to the clinic. Digital photos on your phone are fine — just capture them immediately. Claims without documentation get denied.

4. File police reports for theft within 24 hours. If your belongings are stolen, file a police report in the local jurisdiction within 24 hours. Without a police report, theft claims are almost always denied regardless of how legitimate they are.

5. Notify your insurer as soon as possible. Most policies require you to notify them within 24-72 hours of an incident. Heymondo’s app makes this instant. SafetyWing and Genki have online portals. Delayed notification can reduce or void your claim.

6. Understand your deductible. SafetyWing has a $250 deductible per injury or illness. This means a $200 doctor visit costs you $200 out of pocket — the insurance pays nothing. Factor this into your decision-making for minor medical expenses.

Staying Connected While Traveling

Having insurance is only half the equation — you also need reliable internet to access your insurance portal, contact your provider, and manage claims from anywhere. We recommend pairing your travel insurance with a reliable eSIM provider so you always have data access, even when local WiFi is unreliable. And if you are traveling to countries with internet restrictions, a good VPN ensures you can access your insurance portal and medical records without censorship or geo-blocking.

The Bottom Line

Travel insurance is not one product — it is a spectrum from bare-bones emergency coverage to comprehensive health insurance. The right choice depends entirely on how you travel, how long you travel, and what risks you face.

For most digital nomads, we recommend starting with SafetyWing Nomad Insurance for affordable emergency medical coverage, then upgrading to Genki World Explorer if you need comprehensive health insurance with routine care and mental health coverage.

Whatever you choose, do not travel without coverage. The question is never whether you can afford travel insurance — it is whether you can afford a $50,000 hospital bill without it.