Frequently asked questions

Here are some common questions we get asked about travel insurance.

Show FAQ's specific to travellers from:

Price

How much does a policy cost?: Prices vary depending on both duration and where you are travelling to. To find out how much a policy costs visit the prices & benefits page and select your country of residence.
How can I buy a policy?: You have to buy the policy online using one of these credit cards:
* Australian / New Zealand customers: Visa, MasterCard
* United States customers : Visa, MasterCard, Amex, Diners, Discover
* Canadian customers : Visa, MasterCard
* United Kingdom / Irish customers: Visa, MasterCard
* Rest of the world customers: Visa, MasterCard

To start, select your country of residence and select continue
As you can only purchase with a credit card, how do I know it is secure?: World Nomads uses a secure payment gateway that makes the credit card transaction directly and securely with the bank. We do not see, record or store these card details in any form, simply get approval or decline from the banking institution. Once authorised, it’s instant travel insurance cover – your policy certificate is displayed on screen for you to print. This connection through to the bank uses a 40bit encrypted SSL Web Server Certificate so that any information is encrypted or scrambled, making it impossible to intercept or steal. More information on this can be found at www.thawte.com but you can be assured that your transaction is at least as safe as any other normal offline credit card transaction.

Cover

What is my country of residence?: Your country of permanent residence can be defined as the country you would wish to be repatriated to in the event of a medical emergency and where you would be able to then receive long term medical care, if required. You must also be legally defined as a permanent resident (not temporary) of that country and have a residential address that you can refer to within that country. Please be aware, your policy does not cover expenses incurred within your country of permanent residence. If you are a permanent resident of the USA or Canada traveling over 100 miles from home, your policy may cover expenses incurred within your country of permanent residence. Please refer to the policy wording / description of coverage for the full policy terms and conditions.
Can I change my country of residence in my World Nomads members' page?: Some of our travellers find that their plans change and they find themselves 'living' somewhere else. Before changing your country of residence you will need to consider the question 'Is this where I want to be repatriated?'. If you are able to receive medical treatment in this country, are able to enter and exit without restriction and consider yourself a permanent resident (not temporary) with a permanent address then you may wish to start a new membership with your new country. Your current membership can only be linked to one country of residence. Please be aware, your policy does not cover expenses incurred within your country of permanent residence. If you are a permanent resident of the USA or Canada traveling over 100 miles from home, your policy may cover expenses incurred within your country of permanent residence. Please refer to the policy wording / description of coverage for the full policy terms and conditions.
If I return home early, do I get a refund?: We do not refund a policy if you return home early. World Nomads allows you to extend your policy, because this enables you to purchase a 2 months policy and then extend it, for example by 2 months and then again by another month as you need.
Am I covered for Asthma or other medical conditions?: Asthma or any other medical conditions, which you are aware of and might reasonably seek treatment for, are generally considered pre-existing medical conditions. World Nomads travel insurance excludes expenses relating to pre-existing medical conditions. Please refer to the policy wording / description of coverage for your country of permanent residence for the full details. You can still take out a World Nomads policy with a pre-existing medical condition, however your claim may not be covered as a result of this condition.
Am I covered for skiing or other adventure activities?: World Nomads covers many adventure activities. Please see our A - Z of adventure page for a list of what we cover and what we don't.Please refer to the policy wording / description of coverage for the full policy terms and conditions and to decide if the policy is right for you.
Am I covered if I am travelling on a working holiday visa?: Coverage may apply, but if your claim is recoverable from an employers’ workers compensation insurance or similar insurance required by the laws of the country you are working in, then this is not covered by World Nomads. Please refer to the policy wording / description of coverage for the full policy terms and conditions and to decide if the policy is right for you.
Does your policy cover theft of cash?: In most cases World Nomads does not provide cover for theft of cash. Please refer to the policy wording / description of coverage where it will be specifically outlined if coverage is applicable.
What is the age limit for World Nomads policies?: The age limit varies depending on the country of residence you have chosen. For more information, please see the prices and benefits page relevant to your country of residence.
Is the country that I’m travelling to covered by the policy?: World Nomads provides coverage for travel to countries that are deemed safe to travel to by a government’s Department of Foreign Affairs. Generally, you are covered to travel outside of your country of residence (or over 100 miles from home for USA residents and outside your province or territory of residence for Canadian residents) to any country as long as it's safe to do so.

Every policy has exclusions relating to any event, including war, terrorism, civil unrest and bad weather, where the event is already reported in the mass media or where there are travel warnings given by a relevant Government prior to you buying insurance. Please refer to your specific policy wording / description of coverage for more detail when getting a quote for travel insurance. If this doesn’t answer your question about your specific destination please ask us before you go.

Policy

Who can buy a World Nomads policy?: Residents of over 140 countries can buy travel insurance, even if you're already travelling or away from home.

World Nomads provides a global service. You can buy a policy for travel destinations outside your country of residence (or over 100 miles from home for USA residents and outside your province or territory of residence for Canadian residents). Select your country of residence, which is the home country that you will be repatriated to in the event of a medical emergency, and select ‘Continue’.
Can I buy a policy?: World Nomads is a global service so anyone who are residents of the countries listed can buy World Nomads travel insurance. You can buy a policy long as you are travelling outside your country of residence (or more than 100 miles from home for USA or Canadian residents). Select your country of residence, which is the country we will repatriate you to in the event of a medical emergency, and select continue.
Do I get a policy document in the mail or by email?: World Nomads is all online so we do not send any policy documents out by mail. When you buy a policy, we send you a receipt email confirming your purchase of cover and your World Nomads members’ log-in details. All of your policy documentation is permanently available online, 24hrs a day in your members page, for you to access any time you need it - just log-in!
Do I have to start and finish my trip in my country of residence?: No. You can start and finish your trip pretty much anywhere. This is one of the reasons World Nomads policies are different from those of other travel insurance companies. We have designed them specifically to the needs of such travellers.
Can I purchase a policy if I have already left home?: Yes, you can purchase a World Nomads policy even if you have already left on your travels. Unlike other insurance companies, you don't have to be in your country of residence to purchase a policy. Please refer to your policy wording / description of coverage for specific detail.
How do I extend my cover?: As long as the same terms and conditions of cover are available [travel coverage changes from time to time as we develop our products] and your travel insurance has started but not yet ended, your travel insurance policy can be extended via your World Nomads members page. If the product has changed you will need to check that the policy is still right for you before making a repeat purchase.

We suggest that you sign in and extend at least 3 days before your travel insurance ends to be sure that there is no gap in cover. The latest that you can extend your cover is before midnight Australian Eastern Standard Time on the end date shown on your Policy Certificate.
Is there a limit to the number of times I can extend my policy?: No, as long as the same terms and conditions of cover are available [travel coverage changes from time to time as we develop our products] and your travel insurance has started but not yet ended, cover can be extended via your World Nomads members page. If the product has changed you will need to check that the policy is still right for you before making a repeat purchase.

We suggest that you sign in and extend at least 3 days before your travel insurance ends to be sure that there is no gap in cover. The latest that you can extend your cover is before midnight Australian Eastern Standard Time on the end date shown on your Policy Certificate.
Are World Nomads policies single trip policies or multi-trip policies?: World Nomads policies are single trip policies only.

For UK travellers we do offer a multi-trip product but you MUST be in the UK to purchase this.
What date can I choose as my policy start date?: The start date is the day you leave on your trip.

Cancellation benefits are insured from the time that you buy your insurance up until the time that you leave on your trip (if cancellation cover is available on the plan that you choose).

You cannot backdate insurance to start earlier than today and you cannot buy insurance for a trip that starts more than a year from today.

If you are already travelling when you buy a policy coverage starts straight away although there may be a waiting period before medical or repatriation claims can be made. Please refer to your specific policy wording / description of coverage for more detail when getting a quote for travel insurance. If this doesn’t answer your question please ask us before you buy.

Claims

I don't have receipts for my personal items. Can I still make a claim?: Yes. Please be aware though that when we receive a personal belongings claim, you will still be asked to provide proof of ownership for the lost or stolen items. We understand that you might not be able to produce such receipts for each and every item, but you still have to 'tip the balance' and should be able to provide evidence of ownership where you could be reasonably expected to have such evidence. Typically, the insurers may accept photographic evidence in conjunction with warranty cards, manuals, receipts, bank or credit card statements as proof of ownership. In the end, common sense prevails and you should ask yourself, "Do these documents conclusively prove that I owned this item?"
What is the policy excess / deductible?: The policy excess (otherwise known as a policy deductible) is usually the amount deducted from your claim, for any one incident. The policy excess / deductible for each travel insurance policy from WorldNomads.com is different, depending on your country of residence. For example: some plans have an excess on certain policy benefits; for other plans, the excess is either not applicable or it is applied across all benefits, for each person.

Please choose your country of residence in these FAQ's for specific details on the excess/deductible applicable. Please read the complete description of coverage (policy wording) carefully to review the policy excess/deductible applicable for your policy. You will find references to the excess or deductible either in the claims section or in individual benefit descriptions. The policy excess is also clearly displayed at the bottom of the list of benefits ("what you get") when you get a quote.
Can I buy out the policy excess / deductible?: No, you're unable to buy out the excess / deductible on a World Nomads policy. Please see the relevant policy wording / description of coverage for details about your policy excess / deductible.
How do I contact the claims department?: You will need to sign in to your World Nomads members page to obtain the contact details for the claims department that will handle your claim.
Can I make a claim while I am away?: Yes, of course! Because you are a World Nomad and you will probably be away for extended periods, we designed and built our online claims system, the first in the world for travel insurance, which allows you to submit and review claims while you are still traveling.
What can I claim for?: World Nomads offers coverage for overseas medical expenses (expenses incurred overseas from your country of residence), medical evacuation and additional expenses, cancellation costs (please refer to your policy wording / description of coverage), funeral expenses, emergency dental treatment and luggage and personal effects. Please refer to your policy wording / description of coverage for details of coverage.

Emergency Assistance

How do I get Emergency Assistance overseas?

PLEASE SIGN IN TO YOUR WORLD NOMADS MEMBERS PAGE . PLEASE USE THE BELOW AS AN ALTERNATIVE ONLY!

The 24hr Global Emergency Assistance contact numbers vary according to your country of residence. These details are also printed on your Certificate of Insurance.

For residents of the USA with Jefferson or BCS Insurance Company policies
24 hour emergency numbers:
1-877-257-8108 from the U.S
1-804-281-5789 (Collect)

For residents of the USA with National Union Fire Insurance Company of Pittsburgh policies
24 hour emergency travel assistance:
+1-888-381-2449 (USA) or
+1-715-295-5452 (international)
Be sure to use the appropriate country and city codes when calling.

For residents of Canada with Allianz Global Risks policies
24 hour emergency travel assistance:
1-866-759-2892 toll free from the U.S, Canada, Puerto Rico and U.S Virgin Island or
519-342-4947 collect from anywhere else in the world

For residents of Canada with Chartis policies
Travel Guard 24 hour emergency travel assistance:
+1-866-878-0192 toll free from Canada and Continental U.S or
+1-416-646-3723 (collect) from anywhere else in the world

For residents of Ireland
If phoning from abroad please call the UK on +44 (0)20 7183 3751 and say that you are insured by World Nomads. You can call anytime day or night. Please be ready to quote your insurance details. You will be answered by one of our experienced assistance coordinators who you should give all relevant information to.

For residents of the UK
If phoning from abroad please call the UK on +44 (0)20 7183 3751 and say that you are insured by World Nomads. You can call anytime day or night. Please be ready to quote your insurance details. You will be answered by one of our experienced assistance coordinators who you should give all relevant information to.

For residents of Australia & New Zealand with Lloyd’s policies
Simply dial the following number reverse charge (collect) via the local operator: +44 (0)20 7902 7405

For residents of Australia & New Zealand with Allianz policies
24 hour free call if you are in one of the following countries:
Australia - 1300 729 467
Canada - 1800 214 5514
China - 10800 611 0094
Germany - 0800 182 7636
Hong Kong - 800 900 389
Italy - 800 787 451
Netherlands - 0800 023 2683
New Zealand - 0800 778 103
Singapore - 800 6162 187
Switzerland - 0800 561 361
Thailand - 001 8006 121 082
United Kingdom - 08000 289 270
United States - 1866 844 4085

If you are in an area not listed or are having problems with the above numbers call Australia (reverse charge, 24/7)
+61 7 3305 7499

For residents of everywhere else
For 24hr Emergency Service call ihi Bupa in Denmark on
+45 70 23 24 61

About World Nomads

Who are World Nomads?: World Nomads is an Australian company, established to provide more suitable and flexible travel cover for global travellers than standard insurers provide.
Who underwrites World Nomads?: World Nomads partners with some of the best insurers in the world to provide unique but financially secure travel insurance to our customers. These include: Certain Underwriters at Lloyd's, Chartis, ihi Bupa, Millstream Underwriting and Chartis Travel Guard.

Contact Customer Service

If you still have any questions, and would like to talk to a sales representative, please use the following:

Policy sales & information

Telephone: All travellers in Australia: 1300 787 375; For travellers who are British or Irish: +44 (0)845 838 4718; For travellers who are American: Toll-Free: +1 888 381 2449 or Direct (collect): +1 715 295 5452; For all travellers, everywhere: +61 2 8263 0400 (World Nomads head office, Australia)

If you have any questions or enquiries about your cover, claims or travel security advice, please check the Frequently Asked Questions page to see if it has already been answered, or complete the following form and we'll respond quickly.