Robust medical coverage for Americans traveling abroad
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For information relating to policies purchased prior to October 23 2024, please check the Policy Wording provided with your purchase. You can contact us if you need this sent to you again. For plans purchased after October 23 2024, please see below.
We’ve seen some pretty hairy accidents and illnesses, from aneurysms to scooter crashes, and at least one shark bite! When the unexpected happens, you will want to know who to call and how to get help. When you purchase one of our travel insurance* plans, you can rest a bit easier on your trip knowing you made plans for the “just in case”.
One of the key reasons many travelers purchase travel insurance is to make sure they are covered for an unexpected injury or illness while on vacation. Food poisoning, bike accidents and serious illnesses happen more than you might imagine. Sometimes you might just need advice on where to find a local doctor to get some medicine. But a serious illness or injury may require hospitalization, surgery or other medical treatment. In many cases, if you get sick or injured, a hospital may not treat you without upfront payment or providing proof you purchased a travel insurance plan.
World Nomads travel insurance covers a wide range of overseas medical expenses, including:
This is not a full list of what's covered. Terms, conditions, limits, and exclusions apply. Coverage may depend on your past medical history, what's happened to you and any other conditions, limits, or exclusions of coverage as described in your plan.
With the 24/7 Emergency Assistance Team, you’re never alone during a medical emergency. The team provides support to find local medical facilities and can even arrange repatriation if needed, ensuring your safety and well-being.
Our Single trip or Annual travel insurance plans for US residents all offer support should you unexpectedly get sick while traveling. Our medical coverage includes benefits for serious illnesses, such as COVID-19, or being placed under strict quarantine by a physician or government mandate, among other scenarios.
Your travel insurance plan may help with emergency medical treatment for unexpected injury or sickness, including contracting COVID-19 while you are traveling. You may also be eligible for Trip Interruption benefits if your travel arrangements have changed mid-trip because you’ve contracted COVID-19 and a doctor diagnoses you as too sick to travel.
For more information on benefit limits, conditions and exclusions, read our What’s Covered for Coronavirus article.
While our travel insurance offers extensive coverage, certain exclusions apply, such as some pre-existing medical conditions and non-emergency treatments that can wait until you return home. The following situations are excluded from coverage:
Here are a few other things you may want to keep in mind as you plan your trip:
It’s essential that you get in contact with our assistance teams as soon as possible so that our teams can support you from the time you fall sick or get injured until the time you're well again.
So that our Emergency Assistance teams can assist you quickly, please be ready with the following:
While visiting the Monkey Forest in Bali, I was bitten by a monkey and blood was drawn. After returning to our hotel we then visited a local doctor the same evening of the bite. I received the first Rabies vaccination and then went to the International SOS office in Bali for an examination. There I received a second rabies shot, and then immunoglobin shots.
Been working hard for your trip?
We'll work hard to protect it.
We’ve got your back.
Feeling fit and healthy? What if you get sick or injured?
Take the pain out of medical or dental costs.
We’ve got your back.
Know where the nearest hospital is?
Don’t stress, we’ll get you there quickly.
Help starts here.
Love photography, filming or sport?
Cover your bags, tech or gear.
Help starts here.
Whether you need medical assistance or emergency evacuation, our teams are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year before and during your trip.
Are you in need of emergency assistance right now?
Contact the teamHere are our most frequently asked questions about overseas medical insurance. You can also find the answers to other questions in our Help Desk or you can ask our customer service team.
Get covered by World Nomads, even if you're already overseas
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Here are our most frequently asked questions about buying away from home. You can also find the answers to other questions in our Help Center or you can ask the customer service team.
Already travelling, decided to extend your stay and realised your travel insurance has expired? Or worse… realised you never bought it in the first place?
With World Nomads, if you live in the United Kingdom and you’re 69 years or younger, you can buy a policy online, anytime, from anywhere in the world.
We’ve designed simple and flexible travel insurance so you can buy what you need, when you need it, even while travelling. If you forgot to buy a policy before you started your trip, are outside the UK, or your cover has ended but your trip hasn’t, you can buy a World Nomads policy 24/7 online.
If you buy a policy after leaving home or when already overseas, a waiting period may apply, which means you may have to wait up to 72 hours for full cover to apply, and certain benefits (like pre-trip cancellation) may not be available as you’ve already left home (for trips solely winthin the UK) or boarded your transportation for international trips. Where the insurance is purchased after your trip has commenced, your country of residence will determine the laws, regulations and tax that apply.
Any illness or injury that occurs during the waiting period may be considered a pre-existing medical condition and, as a result, will not be covered. However, no waiting period applies if you're seriously injured as a result of an accident, if it’s witnessed by someone else, after you buy a policy.
Lastly, if you buy a new policy before your current policy expires, you'll have continuous cover. However, as your new policy terms and conditions may differ from your previous one, be sure to read the Policy Wording before you buy, as it will have full details of the cover, limits, conditions, and exclusions.
Waiting Periods apply
On the 25th of December I woke up feeling nausea, fever, headache, and lethargy. After two days with the symptoms not ceasing I went to a clinic and was admitted with severe malaria. I stayed in the hospital for two days taking shots for malaria and also saline drip.
Been working hard for your trip?
We'll work hard to protect it.
We’ve got your back.
Feeling fit and healthy? What if you get sick or injured?
Take the pain out of medical or dental costs.
We’ve got your back.
Know where the nearest hospital is?
Don’t stress, we’ll get you there quickly.
Help starts here.
Love photography, filming or sport?
Cover your bags, tech or gear.
Help starts here.
Whether you need medical assistance or emergency evacuation, our teams are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year before and during your trip.
Are you in need of emergency assistance right now?
Contact the teamWith World Nomads, you can easily get travel insurance while already travelling.
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You’ve waited for this special getaway for so long. Maybe you’re heading out on a safari in Africa, backpacking through Europe, or learning to make pasta in Italy. With all the excitement of packing your bags, jumping on a plane, and jetting off to a faraway destination, travel insurance may have been the last thing on your mind. If you’ve already left Canada, you may now be asking yourself “Can I buy travel insurance while already abroad?” The answer is yes!
If you’ve left home without travel insurance, or your policy has run out and you’re still on the road, don’t panic. With World Nomads, you can easily get travel insurance while already travelling.
Anytime you’re travelling, there’s always going to be some things you can’t anticipate. Because of this, travel insurance may be something you want to consider. As travellers ourselves, we’ve experienced cancelled flights and have been left sitting at the carousel for the bag that never came. We’ve also known nomads who have dealt with everything from biking injuries to stolen iPhones. Nobody enjoys dealing with these things, but they happen.
If you don’t start thinking about all of the “what if’s” until you’ve left Canada though, that’s ok. It’s still easy to get travel insurance while already abroad.
You just need a good internet connection to get a quote for travel insurance while overseas. You’ll answer a few simple questions about your trip and follow the prompts that will outline the coverage and benefits offered by World Nomads travel insurance. You can then compare our Standard and Explorer plans side by side and select the best travel insurance plan for your needs. You’ll see that the Explorer plan costs more but has higher benefit limits and/or sub-limits than the Standard.
Make sure to add any activities you plan to participate in, read and accept the terms and conditions, pay for your insurance, and you’re done. It’s a simple process to buy travel insurance while already travelling, and within just a few minutes you’ll be back to lounging by the pool at your resort.
When you get a quote and purchase your travel insurance while overseas, you’ll see there’s several things that are covered.
World Nomads covers more than 250 activities for Canadian residents. When you get a quote and purchase your World Nomads travel insurance, you’ll need to list your planned activities. You won’t be able to add or remove activities after you make your purchase, so make sure you add them all at that time. It is best to list out all possible activities you may do on your trip, even if you aren’t sure. This way you can travel worry-free. If you plan on participating in an activity that isn’t listed in your policy wording, you can contact us to determine if you’ll be covered.
Even if you have a Government Health Insurance Plan, it may only pay a small portion, if any, of your medical expenses while you’re travelling internationally. Unless you have travel insurance that includes emergency medical coverage, you will be responsible for any out-of-pocket expenses you incur when you see medical attention. Medical providers in some areas may even require upfront payment and in some cases, if you have travel insurance, the 24-hour Emergency Assistance team may be able to arrange payment directly with the medical provider.
Travel insurance from World Nomads includes overseas emergency medical coverage for Canadian travellers, and you could be reimbursed for things like an ambulance transfer, medication, or a hospital stay. You will still need to have Government Health Insurance Plan coverage in your home province while you are on your trip though. If you don’t, your total limit for all emergency medical expenses during your trip is limited to CAD $40,000.
Note that if you buy your World Nomads travel insurance plan while already abroad, there will be a 48 hour waiting period before you have emergency medical coverage for injury or sickness.
The availability of medical care is not the same in all destinations. If you get hurt hiking in a remote jungle in Thailand, you may find limited medical services available. Even if you’ve purchased your travel insurance while already abroad, local ground or air ambulance transportation and emergency evacuation and repatriation coverage will still be included in your World Nomads travel insurance plan. This coverage may help get you to a place that offers the level of care that you need, and could even assist with getting you back home to Canada if your attending physician and the 24/7 Emergency Assistance team agrees that’s best for your treatment.
Baggage insurance may help reimburse the cost to replace your belongings if your bag was lost by a common carrier. World Nomads travel insurance includes coverage for lost bags, as well as delayed bags (up to your policy limits.) If your luggage is delayed more than 12 hours, you could be reimbursed for the costs of things like toiletries and a change of clothes.
Travel insurance covers many unwelcome situations that can occur while you’re on your trip. What happens if you unexpectedly get hurt while skiing in Japan and have to cut your trip short? Even if you wait to purchase your travel insurance while already abroad, your trip interruption coverage could help you be reimbursed for your prepaid, nonrefundable trip costs if you can’t recover those costs from the travel supplier.
The Canadian government offers travel advice and advisories for destinations across the world, and you can easily see if there are specific risks for your destination. For example, the Canadian government offers warnings about volcanoes, earthquakes, and tsunamis in Chile. You often can’t plan for the unpredictable forces of nature, and World Nomads offers coverage for unanticipated natural disasters that may cause the Canadian Government to issue a travel advisory against travel.
Even the best travel insurance plans don’t cover everything. If you’ve thrown back too many cervezas in Mexico and trip and fall, you wouldn’t be covered for that.
A few other things that wouldn’t be covered include:
This is only a summary of coverage and does not include the full terms and conditions of the policy. It is important you read and understand your policy as it contains benefits, conditions, exclusions and pre-existing condition exclusions. If you do not understand your coverage, or if you have questions, just ask us.
On Christmas Day, I woke up feeling nausea, fever, headache, and lethargy. After two days the symptoms hadn’t disappeared so I went to a clinic and was admitted with severe malaria. I was in the hospital for two days and had to take medication.
Been working hard for your trip?
We'll work hard to protect it.
We’ve got your back.
Feeling fit and healthy? What if you get sick or injured?
Take the pain out of medical or dental costs.
We’ve got your back.
Know where the nearest hospital is?
Don’t stress, we’ll get you there quickly.
Help starts here.
Love photography, filming or sport?
Cover your bags, tech or gear.
Help starts here.
Whether you need medical assistance or emergency evacuation, our teams are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year before and during your trip.
Are you in need of emergency assistance right now?
Contact the teamHere are our most frequently asked questions about buying travel insurance away from home. You can also find the answers to other questions in our Helpdesk or you can ask our customer service team.
Yes. If you buy travel insurance while already abroad, there is a waiting period. There will be no coverage for any injury or sickness that occurs in the 48-hour period after your departure date (as defined in the policy).
World Nomads offers two different options for Canadian travellers. When you get a quote, you can check out the Standard and Explorer plans to compare coverage side by side. You can then determine the best travel insurance plan is the best for your particular needs.
You can get an instant quote for travel insurance online and the whole process only takes a few minutes. Be sure to read your policy to see exactly what coverage is included.
Yes, World Nomads covers domestic travel for Canadians travelling within Canada. Your travel insurance can be used anywhere outside of your home province and you can still get a quote and purchase World Nomads travel insurance if you have already started your trip to another province.
You can start a claim online at any time. Make sure you keep all receipts and documentation that you may need for your claim.
With World Nomads travel insurance has options for solo travelers, as well as couples and families. You can include up to 2 adults and up to 7 children per policy. When you get a quote, you’ll be asked for information on the others in your travel party.
Wherever you are, we’re there to help!
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If it's an emergency, such as a serious injury, sudden illness, an accident or hospitalisation, contact our Emergency Assistance team as soon as possible. Our Emergency Assistance Team are available 24/7, 365 days a year.
From New Zealand & Overseas:
+61 2 8263 0470
+61 2 8292 1470
Within Australia (free call):
1800 611 210
SMS: +61 4 1720 4602
Email: assist@worldnomads.com
So that our Emergency Assistance teams can assist you quickly, please be ready with the following:
I was bitten by a tick in Sierra Nevada region on my trip in Colombia, and infected by borrelia. A doctor examined me and I have received treatment for borreliose with antibiotics and probiotics. However, as the brain fog and dizziness persisted even during continuing treatment, the emergency assistance team organised medical repatriation as it is not safe for me to travel with these symptoms.
Wherever you are, we’re there to help!
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Emergency Medical Assistance: 24 hours, 7 days a week
Phone (from anywhere in the world): +44 (0) 144 444 2021
Email: worldnomads.assist@collinsoninsurance.com
Emergency Medical Assistance: 24 hours, 7 days a week
Phone (from overseas): +44 (0) 20 3093 1750
Email: worldnomadsassist@axa-assistance.com
So that our 24/7 Emergency Medical Assistance teams can assist you quickly, please be ready with the following:
I was riding my bicycle along a remote stretch of road with my son on the back on a child seat. Somehow my son managed to get his toes through the frame of the bike and his foot caught in the spokes and brought the bike to a sudden stop. His foot and ankle were completely twisted around and facing backwards, his shoe and sock had come off and all the skin had been flayed off his ankle and heel – it looked like there was bone visible. My mobile phone would not work so I went to a nearby house where the 96-year-old owner called the ambulance. When the ambulance came they immobilized the foot and ankle and took us to the hospital. The emergency room could not determine whether it was a fracture in the growth plates or a severe sprain so they splinted it and referred my son to an Orthopedic doctor.
Wherever you are, we’re there to help!
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For information relating to policies purchased prior to October 23 2024, please check the Policy Wording provided with your purchase. You can contact us if you need this sent to you again. For plans purchased after October 23 2024, please see below.
Our Emergency Assistance partners at Generali Global Assistance are available 24 hours, 7 days a week, 365 days a year from anywhere in the world. This is who you will call if you need emergency help while traveling. This can be for a medical reason or instances of theft, missing bags, or natural disasters. They are your first call for any emergency situation. They also have translators available, if that is needed.
Telephone: +1-877-289-0968 (toll free within the US and Canada)
Telephone: +1-954-334-8143 (Collect worldwide)
Email: ops@gga-usa.com
The Emergency Assistance team will want to quickly assist you, so please be ready with the following:
I was bitten by a tick in Sierra Nevada region on my trip in Colombia, and infected by borrelia. A doctor examined me and I have received treatment for borreliose with antibiotics and probiotics. However, as the brain fog and dizziness persisted even during continuing treatment, the emergency assistance team organised medical repatriation as it is not safe for me to travel with these symptoms.
Learn how travel insurance may cover emergency dental treatment abroad.
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For information relating to policies purchased prior to 03 February 2022, please check the PDS provided with your purchase. You can contact us if you need this sent to you again. For policies purchased on or from 03 February 2022 please see below.
No one likes going to the dentist, and even less when it's not your regular dentist. But teeth can crack and infections can strike, regardless of where you are in the world. A pitted olive that wasn't; a very, very sticky caramel... it's the worst sort of surprise. World Nomads can help you out with emergency dental cover.
If something happens, we only offer cover for the immediate relief of sudden and acute onset of pain on healthy teeth and teeth with fillings. We may cover those teeth if you suddenly have:
Cover is limited, and we may need to talk to your dentist back home to see what your teeth were like before you left. Just remember, the policy comes with a AUD$100 excess which will be deducted from your claim.
In short, pretty much anything that's not on the list above. Specifically, there are a few straight-up things we don't provide cover for:
A lot of the time, our cover will be limited to patching the problem, such as a temporary filling, a pain-relieving injection, that sort of thing. The big stuff will have to wait until you get home.
This is only a summary of cover and does not include the full terms, conditions, limits, and exclusions of the policy. You should read your PDS in full, so you understand what is and isn’t covered. If you are unsure about your level of travel cover, please contact us for help.
It’s essential that you get in contact with our 24/7 Emergency Assistance Team as soon as possible so that our teams can support you from the time your fall sick of get injured until the time you get home.
So that our 24/7 Emergency Assistance teams can assist you quickly, please be ready with the following:
While in Lumbini, Nepal, experienced 2 days of occasional, severe aching pain from a molar on the right upper jaw, brought on by cold drinks or hot food. On the 17th the pain was constant and unrelieved by any medications. After an 8 hour bus ride back to Kathmandu I presented to CIWEC Dental Clinic where after X-ray and evaluation the dentist diagnosed an infected root canal. I was given antibiotics and scheduled an appointment for endodontic surgery in two days time, as the pain was serious and I was planning an extended trek to Everest Base Camp in the coming weeks. On the 19th of October I returned and underwent a successful endodontic treatment in one canal of my tooth and had the hole covered with posterior surface restoration.
Been working hard for your trip?
We'll work hard to protect it.
We’ve got your back.
Feeling fit and healthy? What if you get sick or injured?
Take the pain out of medical or dental costs.
We’ve got your back.
Know where the nearest hospital is?
Don’t stress, we’ll get you there quickly.
Help starts here.
Love photography, filming or sport?
Cover your bags, tech or gear.
Help starts here.
Whether you need medical assistance or emergency evacuation, our teams are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year before and during your trip.
Are you in need of emergency assistance right now?
Contact the teamHere are our most frequently asked questions about overseas dental travel insurance. You can also find the answers to other questions in our Helpdesk or you can ask our customer service team
Learn how travel insurance could help if your luggage misses your flight.
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This information is for Australian residents.
So you've arrived at your destination and spent your first two hours on the ground watching a baggage carousel grow empty without ever coughing up your bags. This happens a lot. It's really annoying. Happily, there's someone to blame. That's the airline.
In every airport, there's a lost luggage counter where you can report your missing items (also go here if your bags have been damaged). You need to get a Property Irregularity Report (PIR) from that counter.
If you're luggage is delayed by more than 12 hours, our policies cover essential purchases (toothbrushes, deodorant, clean undies, etc.).
There are limits on the amount you can spend. So before you go shopping for a new wardrobe, check your policy carefully on the limits, conditions and exclusions which may apply before you buy.
If you need to make a claim, you'll also need to fill in all of the documentation required by the carrier and submit this with your receipts.
Delayed luggage once you're back home. You've now got access to your full wardrobe, so you shouldn't need anything from your bags. When you're shopping for essential purchases, think Walmart and the chemist, not high street fashion and designer labels.
Items you can claim if your bags are delayed:
Items that aren't covered if your bags are delayed:
Upon travelling from Hanoi (Vietnam) to Chennai (India) my luggage was misplaced/delayed for 5 days. I reported the baggage missing with the airport authorities and they completed a Property Irregularity Report (PIR). I phoned the airlines every day for an update. In the meantime I had spoken several times to World Nomads to explain the situation and to check what I am covered for. The items I am claiming for are all essential items for my day to day living. I have receipts for everything I purchased.
Been working hard for your trip?
We'll work hard to protect it.
We’ve got your back.
Feeling fit and healthy? What if you get sick or injured?
Take the pain out of medical or dental costs.
We’ve got your back.
Know where the nearest hospital is?
Don’t stress, we’ll get you there quickly.
Help starts here.
Love photography, filming or sport?
Cover your bags, tech or gear.
Help starts here.
Whether you need medical assistance or emergency evacuation, our teams are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year before and during your trip.
Are you in need of emergency assistance right now?
Contact the teamHere are our most frequently asked questions about cover for delayed baggage. You can also find the answers to other questions in our Helpdesk or you can ask our customer service team
Find out how we could help if you're caught up in a terror attack.
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This information is for Australian residents only.
There's a lot of media around this, and there's a lot of allure in danger too. When everyone is saying something different about the risks of travel, it's hard to get a clear picture of what's going on. It also raises lots of questions about how insurance works.
If the event is unforeseen – which by their very nature terrorist attacks almost all are, you could be covered for:
In addition, we also have emergency assistance teams who can assist you – keeping you informed, putting you in contact with consular officials, arranging medical care, and getting in touch with your family for you.
Travel insurance isn’t designed to cover everything. We often see claims for terrorism that we have to decline because the Australian plan excludes them:
Also, we don't cover anything that happens because you made jokes about terrorism or bombs while standing in an airport security screening area or other high security environment. Those people do not have a sense of humour, and you won't be laughing when they reach for the latex gloves.
It’s essential that you get in contact with our 24/7 emergency assistance teams as soon as possible so that our teams can support you from the time your fall sick of get injured until the time you get home.
So that our Emergency Assistance team can assist you quickly, please be ready with the following:
Been working hard for your trip?
We'll work hard to protect it.
We’ve got your back.
Feeling fit and healthy? What if you get sick or injured?
Take the pain out of medical or dental costs.
We’ve got your back.
Know where the nearest hospital is?
Don’t stress, we’ll get you there quickly.
Help starts here.
Love photography, filming or sport?
Cover your bags, tech or gear.
Help starts here.
Whether you need medical assistance or emergency evacuation, our teams are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year before and during your trip.
Are you in need of emergency assistance right now?
Contact the teamHere are our most frequently asked questions about cover for Terrorism. You can also find the answers to other questions in our Helpdesk or you can ask our customer service team
Learn how travel insurance could help your family if you die overseas.
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For information relating to policies purchased prior to 03 February 2022, please check the PDS provided with your purchase. You can contact us if you need this sent to you again. For policies purchased on or from 03 February 2022 please see below.
It's not something anyone wants to talk about, but fatal accidents and illnesses do happen. For those worst case scenarios, your family will need help and support; emotional, logistical and financial.
Our Emergency Assistance Team can help your loved ones get you home – they're available 24/7 for help, they have the expertise to handle some aspects of international bureaucracy such as helping out with the paper work and working with relevant government departments and the policy can help with the associated costs.
The priority of your loved ones will be to bring you home; we’ll be there to help take away the added stress of navigating overseas laws, different languages and formalities.
If you die overseas as the result of an accident or a sudden and unexpected illness, you may be covered for:
We also have access to some of the Australian Government's DFAT services, so for countries where the local laws are complex, we can call on some additional support.
Note: In case of death, the death certificate and a medical report must be included with any claim.
A lot of the exclusions to medical cover do also apply here, so take the time to read the policy. In the event of a fatal illness or injury, if we're not going to cover your medical expenses and you then pass away, there won't be any cover under this part of the policy either.
This is only a summary of coverage and does not include the full terms, conditions, limitations and exclusions of the policy. You should read your PDS 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.
It’s essential that your family or travel buddy get in contact with our Emergency Assistance team as soon as possible, so that our teams can support them from the time you die until your remains have returned home.
To help our Emergency Assistance teams assist them quickly, they'll need the following:
So, leave a copy of your policy with your family or friend, just in case they need to use it.
Overseas deaths are the most heartbreaking cases to help with. No one is ready to deal with the sudden death of a close relative overseas, let alone having to deal with the complex organisation and unexpected high costs. The World Nomads Emergency Assistance team can coordinate a local burial or bringing home loved ones with trusted partners on the ground, and ensure that families and friends are supported throughout such a difficult time.
Been working hard for your trip?
We'll work hard to protect it.
We’ve got your back.
Feeling fit and healthy? What if you get sick or injured?
Take the pain out of medical or dental costs.
We’ve got your back.
Know where the nearest hospital is?
Don’t stress, we’ll get you there quickly.
Help starts here.
Love photography, filming or sport?
Cover your bags, tech or gear.
Help starts here.
Whether you need medical assistance or emergency evacuation, our teams are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year before and during your trip.
Are you in need of emergency assistance right now?
Contact the team