Travel Insurance for volunteering
Don't let your good deeds go uncovered.
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Whether you have specific skills to offer or you’re in search of meaningful connections, volunteering abroad can be a life changing experience. While out in the world helping others, make sure you also look after yourself and consider buying travel insurance before you pack your bags.
World Nomads travel insurance can cover you when participating in a range of round-the-world volunteer activities and vacations, from summer teaching programs to clean water projects. Whatever the cause, we’re strong supporters of paying it forward and giving back.
What's covered
Want to step out into the world and volunteer your time? Depending on your Country of Residence and the plan you’ve selected, World Nomads travel insurance may provide cover for:
- Trip cancellation
- Trip interruption
- Emergency medical care
- Emergency evacuation and repatriation
- Trip delay
- Baggage and personal belongings cover
- Extend or buy more cover while traveling
- Cover for some Coronavirus-related events
Traveler tip 1: if you intend to work or study, you must have the appropriate visa to work or study under the local laws of the country you’re visiting.
Travel insurance cover on our Standard and Explorer plans
At World Nomads, we do our best to support volunteers, whether it's protecting endangered turtle hatching grounds or teaching school children in an under resourced village.
Before you take off on your next volunteer adventure, consider packing travel insurance that provides cover for the things you plan to do.
Volunteer activities our Standard Plan may cover include:
- Hospitality or work at bars.
- Farming such as fruit picking, WWOOFing or other manual labor.
- Wildlife or animal care.
- Environmental or conservation work.
- Au pair, nanny or other volunteer childcare.
- Teaching.
- Retail work such as shop assistant or store manager role.
- Office or clerical work.
Volunteer activities our Explorer Plan may cover include:
- Undertakings in construction or renovation projects, including painting, using power tools, operating machinery, or roadwork.
- NGO support and disaster relief.
- Medical and health care work (health education, medical services, medical practitioner).
Note: you can upgrade your cover for a range of other activities and experiences and manual work if you select the activities (listed as Level 2 and 3) and pay any required additional premium at the time you buy your policy.
If you feel unsure about whether your volunteer activity is covered, you can get in touch with our Customer Service team and they will be able to assist you.
Am I covered for Coronavirus-related events?
While volunteer work is rewarding, getting sick while overseas can be costly in more ways than one, especially with Coronavirus still causing major issues worldwide. The cover you will have under our Standard and Explorer plans will depend on your Country of Residence. They include:
- Standard and Explorer plans: offer cover for emergency medical assistance if you get sick with Coronavirus (COVID-19) overseas (excluding pre-existing medical conditions, as defined in the policy wording) – cover includes medical assistance, repatriation, and hospitalization.
- Explorer Plan: additionally, offers cover for some Coronavirus-related events including but not limited to cancellation, trip interruption expenses and some quarantine costs, as well as additional cover for healthcare workers, residential care workers and law enforcement officers who have their pre-arranged leave cancelled by their employer due to Coronavirus. Benefit limits apply.
To find out what cover applies to you, read our Coronavirus cover article, which has all of the details, including benefit limits, terms and conditions, and exclusions.
Traveler tip 2: do your research well in advance of your trip around vaccines needed for your intended destination. Make sure you follow government, health department, and World Health Organization preventative and precautionary measures, including any relevant vaccinations, hygiene, or social distancing guidelines. Please refer to who.int for further information.
What’s not covered?
Some volunteer activities may not be covered as they’re just too risky for us to cover. This includes volunteer work that includes:
- Taking part in activities such as base jumping, wingsuit flying, cliff diving, martial arts competitions, motor sports, and piloting an aircraft among others.
- Going on dangerous expeditions; mountaineering expeditions or expeditions to inaccessible regions of the Arctic, Antarctica, or Greenland, unless approved by us.
- Crewing of a vessel more than 60 miles (96.5km) from a protected body of water.
- Work as a guide where ropes or other specialist climbing equipment is required.
- Work offshore or underground, including in caves.
- Work operating machinery or heavy/industrial equipment.
- Work at height without proper safety equipment.
- Working with dangerous animals, for example, hippopotami, crocodiles, alligators, sharks, elephants, bears, big cats, and deadly snakes.
Traveler tip 3: you must have the appropriate skills and training and hold the necessary licences and/or certificates for the work you undertake. You should only work from ground level up to two metres above ground, as the risk of injury is significantly increased when working at heights greater than two metres.
If you’re not sure about coverage, contact us and we’ll help you.
If haven't yet chosen a volunteer program, you can find inspiration in the following articles:
- Questions to Ask Before You Volunteer Abroad
- Tips on Choosing an Ethical Volunteer Program
- Voluntourism 101: How to Get Started
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 policy wording in full, so you understand what is and isn't covered.
Travel Insurance Benefits: how we can take care of you
Trip Cancellation
Been working hard for your trip?
We'll work hard to protect it.
Trip Protection
- Unexpectedly hospitalised?
- Travel buddy unfit to travel?
- Close relative suddenly dies?
We’ve got your back.
Emergency Medical Expenses
Feeling fit and healthy? What if you get sick or injured?
Take the pain out of medical or dental costs.
Emergency Medical Insurance
- Need meds quick?
- Accidentally injured?
- Suddenly sick?
We’ve got your back.
Emergency Medical Transportation
Know where the nearest hospital is?
Don’t stress, we’ll get you there quickly.
Evacuation and Repatriation
- Banged up abroad?
- Need a hospital urgently?
- Medivac home?
Help starts here.
Protect your gear
Love photography, filming or sport?
Cover your bags, tech or gear.
Protect your gear
- Passport or tech stolen?
- Airline lost your gear?
- Bags delayed?
Help starts here.
- Emergency Overseas Medical & Dental Expenses
- Emergency Medical Evacuation & Repatriation
- Trip Cancellation or Interruption
- 24-Hour Assistance Services
- Baggage
- And more (depending on your country of residence)
24/7 emergency assistance
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 teamFAQ
Here are our most frequently asked questions about overseas medical insurance. You can also find the answers to other questions in our Helpdesk or you can ask our customer service team.
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Will travel insurance cover me for countries other than those listed on my policy?
That depends on your policy and your country of residence. You may have to put in a request with the customer service team for a country to be added to your policy.
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Why don't you cover ongoing treatment at home?
Travel insurance policies are designed for accidents or unexpected illnesses overseas. They don't stand in place of primary medical insurance or your home health system.
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Does my insurance cover medical costs upfront or do I have to pay and claim later?
Who pays depends on what happened. If it’s an emergency situation, where medical evacuation is required, World Nomads can cover these costs upfront (provided the incident is covered as per the policy wording and you get pre-approval from the Emergency Assistance team). You must contact World Nomads 24/7 Emergency Assistance if you have a medical emergency.
Travel insurance when off the grid
Ready to unplug and cleanse mind, body, and spirit? We have coverage for unexpected setbacks while you’re getting away from it all.
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Whether off-grid for you means a remote mountain escape in Jasper National Park, a solo road trip in New Zealand, or experiencing rural village life by volunteering, it can be a great way to escape the stresses of daily life.
While you’re planning your off-grid getaway, don’t forget to consider travel insurance which could save you a few headaches and avoid some nasty hospital and medical bills.
Why should I consider travel insurance?
Going off-grid can be the ultimate form of social distancing if you’re seeking solitude, avoiding large crowds, and wanting to unplug from digital devices. Both our Standard and Explorer plans may offer coverage (up to the benefit limits) if:
- You get injured and need medical transport or evacuation back to your home country.
- You need coverage for your bags and valuables in case they’ve been lost, stolen or damaged. Keep the paperwork and receipts for your gear.
- You’ve already left home and forgot to buy travel insurance.
- You need coverage for emergency medical expenses and hospitalization costs for sudden injury or illness.
- You’re looking for coverage for a range of adventure sports, activities, and experiences.
Don’t forget to read the policy wording as all plans are different and coverage will depend on your Country of Residence. Never assume you’ll be covered in every situation, as benefit limits, terms and conditions and exclusions may apply. If you are still unsure about what you are covered for then contact us.
Want to know more about what is and isn’t covered by travel insurance? Read your policy and contact us if you have any questions.
Rental coverage when your road trip comes to a halt
Some World Nomads plans offer damage collision waiver coverage depending on your Country of Residence and your choice of insurance plan, a Standard or an Explorer. Make sure you read your policy and check the amount of coverage your plan provides.
Remember, if you leave your gear in your rental vehicle unattended or unsecured, and it gets stolen, our plans are unlikely to cover it.
If you get into a car accident, rental car travel insurance may help by covering damage to your vehicle and the cost of repairs, as well as charges imposed by the rental company, depending on your circumstances.
Make sure you report the damage to the local authorities and the rental car company as soon as possible. Also, it almost goes without saying, damage due to irresponsible behaviour will not be covered.
Depending on your Country of Residence and the plan you purchase there may be coverage for vehicle rentals. However, coverage may not be available for residents of all countries, states or provinces. Please carefully read your policy wording for a full description of coverage. If you’re not sure if something is covered, get in touch.
Coverage for adventure seekers and sports lovers
Off-grid getaways are a great way to engage in some high-energy activities.
Maybe abseiling or a thrilling zip line is your thing? Before you pull the rip cord on that adventure, check that your insurance covers your activity. Depending on your Country of Residence, you may need to include an insurance upgrade when you buy to have coverage for some activities. If you don’t have the right level of coverage, you won’t be able to claim if something goes wrong.
Many policies cover white water rafting and kayaking, for example, but Class 6, Extreme and Exploratory Rapids aren’t covered. Read the policy wording carefully to choose the right plan and/or adventure sport option for your trip. Your policy may have conditions and exclusions.
Coverage for unexpected medical emergencies
Our plans cover emergency medical expenses when you're sick or injured. If your injuries are more serious than minor bumps and scratches, you may need to get to a hospital. Our plans include emergency evacuation coverage for ambulances or transfers to an appropriate medical facility. Be sure to check the maximum benefit amount and terms of coverage in your policy.
Go REALLY off the grid, but check your destinations
OK, so there’s off-grid and then there’s really off the grid. Just be aware that the more remote your destination, the more chance there is that these may not be covered. Make sure to check if your off-the-grid destination(s) are covered by our policies.
Some destinations may not be covered due to violence, terrorism or possibly due to being designated a COVID hotspot. Additionally, there will also be certain activities, including volunteering activities, that we cannot cover as they are too dangerous.
Our policies aren’t designed to cover everything, so take the time to read the terms, conditions, limitations, and exclusions in the policy wording for full details so that there are no surprises if you need to use it. If you’re not sure if something is covered get in touch.
What does my travel insurance cover?
Travel insurance tip 4: Depending on your Country of Residence, if you decide to travel to a country where there’s already been a ‘Do Not Travel’ warning or its equivalent put in place by your government, then your policy will be cancelled. Governments can issue or change travel warnings without notice, so always check with World Nomads before you pay anything towards your trip.
True Claims Stories
Travel Insurance Benefits: how we can take care of you
Trip Cancellation
Been working hard for your trip?
We'll work hard to protect it.
Trip Protection
- Unexpectedly hospitalised?
- Travel buddy unfit to travel?
- Been made redundant?
We’ve got your back.
Emergency Medical Expenses
Feeling fit and healthy? What if you get sick or injured?
Take the pain out of medical or dental costs.
Emergency Medical Insurance
- Need meds quick?
- Accidentally injured?
- Suddenly sick?
We’ve got your back.
Emergency Medical Transportation
Know where the nearest hospital is?
Don’t stress, we’ll get you there quickly.
Evacuation and Repatriation
- Banged up abroad?
- Need a hospital urgently?
- Medivac home?
Help starts here.
Protect your gear
Love photography, filming or sport?
Cover your bags, tech or gear.
Protect your gear
- Luggage lost?
- Airline lost your gear?
- Tech trashed?
Help starts here.
- Emergency Overseas Medical & Dental Expenses
- Emergency Medical Evacuation & Repatriation
- Trip Cancellation or Interruption
- 24-Hour Assistance Services
- Baggage
- And more (depending on your country of residence)
24/7 emergency assistance
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
