Nowadays, working abroad can mean so many different things.
There are tons of travel insurance to choose from, so it is good to decide what the best work abroad travel insurance is for you.
Whether you are volunteering with Workaway or slow traveling as a digital nomad, working abroad travel insurance is a crucial accessory for everyone.
Usually, travelers love buying new gadgets but this is the only travel item you will never want to use.
Unfortunately, you might have to at some point. If something does happen, you will be glad you do have it.
Maybe you have read other blogs about travel insurance or more specifically different work abroad travel insurance.
They talk about horror stories that have happened to them or others while traveling or working abroad.
That’s just not me, so I’m not going to spend a few paragraphs talking about what happened to Karen and Michelle.
I am not here to try to scare you into buying insurance.
Yes, of course, bad things happen. I have not had anything happen to me though.
Have there been a few times that I have traveled without insurance? Yep, I would not recommend it.
I was taking a gamble because I thought, I can’t afford it for my trip, or I’m not going too far so it will probably be okay.
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That’s the issue, most people do not consider it as a ‘necessity’ or an essential travel item because you will only need it when something bad happens.
Please take note, I did not say if, I said when, because it is inevitable that something will go wrong.
Let me ask you this. When you get into a car and put a seat belt on, you are not hoping for or expecting an accident right?
When you drive your car, you make sure to have your driver’s license right?
You are not hoping or expecting to get pulled over by the police though.
No one expects or wants unfortunate events to happen, but that does not mean we don’t take these preventative steps beforehand? It’s called being responsible.
Insurance is simply a no brainer.
Not all insurance is the same so it’s important to check into what will be best for you as you travel and start working abroad.
Here are a few tips to look out for when deciding what company and coverage to get.
#1 How Available Is The Company?
Being able to contact the insurance company any hour of the day and in any time zone is essential.
Check what their website says and then test it. So it says 24/7 but you have called a few different times and never got a real person to talk to?
That is probably not a company you want to do business with.
Remember, emergencies don’t follow business hours, so your insurance company shouldn’t either.
#2 Factor In Location To Your Decision
Believe it or not but insurance coverage can be determined by where your home country is and what country you will be traveling or working abroad.
Some countries are not covered so make sure to check before purchasing.
#3 Technology / Electronics Coverage
Expensive technology is only getting more and more commonplace, especially among travelers.
Protecting your devices from damage and theft should be high on your priority list.
Check out each potential policy you might purchase to see what they say about electronics coverage.
#4 No Rash Decisions Please
I know travel insurance policies are not the most glamorous of topics, right?
That does not mean you should rush it though.
Don’t leave it to the night before the trip to start looking. Take your time to look around at your options.
#5 Read The Fine Print
An important part of not rushing is so you have the time to know what you are getting yourself into.
Purchasing an invalid plan will only hurt later on.
Avoid a lot of hassle by checking my recommendations below for easy to understand plans from reliable companies.
#6 How Much For Medical Allowance?
One of the biggest expenses that could happen as you are working abroad, is a medical emergency.
It is important to make sure you have a large medical allowance cover for any situations that could arise.
Determining how much your medical allowance for working abroad insurance should come down to personal preference and your travel style.
If you aren’t going to be doing any extreme physical activities then $100,000 to $1 million should be fine.
If you do plan on participating in extreme activities, make sure they are covered by your plan.
#7 Check If Emergency Evacuations Are Covered
Even though emergency medical expenses are covered, that does not automatically mean emergency evacuations.
This is a fancy way to say an expensive form of transport like a helicopter, ambulance, seaplane, etc.
Anything that will come get you from a sticky situation, whether that be a general emergency or medical emergency.
#8 There Are Limitations To ‘Medical’ Coverage
The combination of travel and medical benefits in one package insurance is what most companies are selling as ‘travel insurance’.
It is this amazing hybrid that covers so many different aspects of going abroad.
Many would purchase before a regular vacation and for longer periods of being overseas.
What people do not read in the fine print of these insurance plans is the fact that ‘medical’ coverage is only for emergencies.
When I say emergency, I’m talking about car accidents, broken bones, malaria, etc. They have to be life-threatening emergencies.
Many people mistake this ‘medical’ coverage as something that will take care of them getting the flu, needing to refill a prescription, having a tooth pulled.
It doesn’t and if this happens the cost will come from your pocket.
As a person looking for work abroad travel insurance, you need to ask yourself how much coverage do you want and need.
If a traditional travel insurance policy is not enough coverage, check out SafetyWing Global health insurance for working abroad.
It is a fully equipped health insurance that goes with you everywhere – but you don’t have to worry about only being covered for emergencies.
#9 What The Heck Is Excess?
Not only travel insurance but in general, there is this term of ‘excess’ that gets tossed around a lot.
Simply, it means the money you have to pay towards the accident or damage that happened, whether that be lost luggage, a missed flight, or a visit to the emergency room.
This ‘excess’ amount is what you pay out of your pocket before the insurance company pays the rest.
Usually, cheaper insurances will have a large excess for you to pay if something bad does happen. Let me illustrate below.
You pay for high quality 6 months travel insurance
- 3 months into your trip an accident happens
- Your ‘excess’ is $0 so you don’t pay anything
- The insurance pays the full amount of the accident
You pay almost nothing for the cheapest plan you can find
- 3 months into your trip an accident happens
- Your ‘excess’ is $300 so you have to pay that towards the accident
- The insurance pays the remainder of the costs
It kind of works like this: the more you pay upfront, the less you will pay later.
If you aren’t willing or able to pay $300 (or any large excess amount) at the drop of a hat, then it is better to get a lower excess even though it might be a little bit more initially.
PS – if you choose a $300 excess but lose your luggage or miss a flight, you might not be reimbursed because the insurance could deem the costs less than the $300 excess.
#10 Make Sure There Is Personal Liability Coverage
It is so easy to think about ‘me me me’ when deciding on a work abroad travel insurance.
In reality, it isn’t only about you but those you have contact with.
Insurance doesn’t just cover accidents that happen to you, but any harm you might cause someone else.
This is the money that the insurance company will pay out to another person or company to cover damages caused by you.
This is called personal liability.
#11 Legal Protection
Along the lines of personal liability comes legal protection.
Hopefully, it would not ever be needed, but if you do cause damage to someone else, there could be legal fees.
If you are not convinced, just go ahead and google how much lawyers get paid per hour.
#12 Talk With Others & Get Feedback
Check with any friends that have used work abroad travel insurance before.
What were their experiences? Do they have any recommendations?
Before purchasing a plan, have someone else look over the plan you intend to buy in case you missed anything.
Recommendations For Work Abroad Travel Insurance
A perfect work abroad travel insurance doesn’t exist because there is no such thing.
Everyone is different; different priorities and needs. The best you can do is find the one most suitable for you and your needs.
Travel insurance used to be a dreaded word for me.
Researching it felt like I was heading down into the pit of despair from the movie Princess Bride (do yourself a favor and watch this movie).
It does not have to be this way because thankfully a few companies have cut the red tape for you and gotten rid of confusing policy wording.
SafetyWing have made it so much easier to understand because they are honest and upfront about what they cover and don’t cover.
They are great if you want a combination of travel and medical emergency cover while you work abroad.
SafetyWing is a newer company but has excellent ratings on TrustPilot and Product Hunt. It is a company founded by digital nomads for other nomads.
Their traditional travel medical insurance will cover you wherever you want to travel.
My recommendation for someone looking for work abroad travel insurance is to go with SafetyWing.
Not only is their customer service amazing, but they offer global health insurance.
It is a fully equipped health insurance that goes with you everywhere so you don’t have to worry about only being covered for emergencies.
If having real health insurance while working abroad is a priority, then this is the plan for you.
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