Traveling as a family can be an incredibly rewarding experience; creating memories, seeing amazing sights and sharing adventures together is exciting. It can also be very different to traveling solo or traveling when you were younger, and World Nomads Travel Insurance can help if things don’t go to plan.

With World Nomads, you can buy travel insurance for you and the whole family as soon as your trip is locked in and you're ready to go, or while you're on the road traveling.

• What's covered for families
• Considerations when traveling as a family
• Traveler tips
• Things to look out for when buying travel insurance

What's covered for families

Depending on your Country of Residence and the policy you choose, you and your family may be covered for:

• Coverage for extended stays – if you’re having too much fun and want to extend your holiday, your plan can be extended while still traveling for up to 12 months from your departure date (terms and conditions apply). We are happy to extend your policy as long as it’s done before the end date shown on your Certificate of Insurance. Be aware that if you buy a policy while traveling overseas, you must wait 72 hours before any cover is activated (with the exception of emergency medical as a result of a sudden accident which is witnessed and verified by an independent third party).
• Family Plans benefits – did you know that you can add your children and grandchildren to our policies at no extra cost? Only adults are charged. It’s just one of the ways we look after families on their travels.
• Emergency overseas medical and evacuation coverage – if you or a member of your family suffers an illness or accident whilst traveling, they may be covered for medical expenses and medical evacuation.
• Activities and sports coverage – broaden your family’s horizons with coverage for more than 150 sports, activities and adventures across the globe. Coverage varies between our two plans – Standard and Explorer– so it’s important to take the time to understand what activities you are likely to do, and the difference between our plans.
• Baggage and high-value items cover – if your baggage or items are stolen, lost or damaged you may be covered, including benefits if your bags are delayed and you need to purchase emergency clothes and toiletries.
• Cover for some Coronavirus-related events – our policies can offer medical coverage if you or your family are diagnosed with Coronavirus. You may also be able to get cover for Coronavirus-related travel costs such as personal quarantine and trip cancellation, depending on your country of residence and the plan you select.

Considerations when traveling as a family

Keeping track of bags, belongings and children can be a challenge, especially when you’re rushing to catch a connecting flight or out seeing the sights. It may be worth considering the following before traveling:

Dependents eligible for cover

With World Nomads travel insurance cover, a dependent is:

• Child(ren) or grandchild(ren), or others for whom you are the legal guardian and,
• who are not in full time employment and,
• are 20 years old or younger at the Policy Issue Date and,
• are traveling with you on your trip and are listed as covered on your Certificate of Insurance.

Note: age limits for dependents as outlined above will vary depending on your country of residence. 

When applying for a policy there must be at least one adult insured on the policy, and at least one of the insured adults on the policy must be the legal guardian of the dependent(s). World Nomads can cover up to 8 dependents per policy.

If a dependent is not traveling with their legal guardian they may need their own policy, depending on your country of residence. Read the policy wording carefully to choose the right plan and level of cover for everyone who is traveling with you. Your policy may have conditions and exclusions.

Activities for families (Adults and Children)

Want to take the family skiing in Japan? Going on a family hiking trip in the Canadian Rockies? Taking surfing lessons with the kids in Hawaii?

Depending on your country of residence, the plan you choose and the activity cover selected, you and your family can be covered for more than 150 activities, sports and adventures. To have cover for a broader range of adventure activities and sports you may need to upgrade your plan or select a plan with more benefits/coverage when you buy and pay the extra premium. Remember, you can’t upgrade your coverage after you buy, so it’s important to get this right on the first go.

Medical emergencies, pregnancy and Covid cover

If a member of your family becomes sick or injured, with anything from food poisoning to a serious injury, our policies can cover the costs of medical treatment including hospitalisation, prescribed medicines and evacuation.

If a member of your family is diagnosed with Covid-19 you may be covered for medical expenses and hospital assistance, as well as repatriation. Depending on your country of residence and the plan selected, you may also be able to get extra cover for Coronavirus-related events such as cancellation, trip interruption expenses and some personal quarantine costs.

We also offer cover if you or a family member is traveling while pregnant. Whilst we don’t cover the normal costs associated with pregnancy, we may provide cover for pregnancy complications that may arise during your trip. Depending on your country of residence, cover may also apply for pre-trip cancellation due to complications of pregnancy.

24/7 Emergency Assistance

Our multi-lingual team helps take the stress out of already stressful situations and is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. We can offer assistance such as arranging medical transport, provide help when navigating language barriers, provide assistance following a robbery or assault, and giving support to you and your family.

Trip cancellations/interruptions

Our policies provide benefits if you need to cancel or rearrange your trip in the event that a member of your family becomes sick or injured, and they can’t travel or need to return home early. Depending on your country of residence and the plan selected we may also cover you if a natural disaster affects your trip.

Things to look out for when buying travel insurance

• Make sure you correctly choose the right trip dates, age limits, and level of cover. 
• Ensure all your destinations are covered.  
• Make sure you understand what a pre-existing medical condition is under our policy; most plans do not offer cover for pre-existing medical conditions. 
• Some activities and sports may require extra level of cover or may not be covered. 
• Make sure you clearly understand the benefit limits and the excess as per the level of cover you’ve selected. 
• Understand that there will be General Exclusions in your cover for which you won’t be covered under any circumstances.  
• Make copies of travel documents and keep receipts in case you need to make a claim.

This is only a summary of cover and does not include the full terms, conditions, limitations and exclusions of the policy. You should read your policy wording 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.

Travelling with medication – baggage delays and other unexpected things

Travelers could be unknowingly risking their life by putting their medication in their checked luggage, with a rise in delayed luggage due to the return of international travel in 2022 catching out many of our Nomads.

• How to travel with medication
• Is that legal or illegal? Checks on your medication you should do before you go
• Local culture and attitudes to certain illnesses

World Nomads has seen a rise in travelers contacting our Emergency Services team for help when their checked bag with their life-saving critical medications doesn’t make it to their destination. And the situation has been compounded by COVID, with doctors reluctant or unable to visit travelers in their hotel room if they have COVID, making getting a new prescription very difficult.

How to travel with medication

• Pack it with you: You should always take your medication in your carry bag with you onto the plane. Do not check it underneath.
• Bring more than you need: There are so many things that can delay your return home, and put you at risk of running out of your medication if you’re not prepared. Maybe your flight was cancelled, or worse you or a traveling companion has COVID and you’re in isolation. because you’re plane didn’t make it, or you go into COVID quarantine for a week or more, you may need more medication than you’d anticipated. We recommend having at least an extra two weeks worth of any critical medication that is essential to your health.
• Plan ahead: It pays to plan ahead and prepare in case you run out of your medication while overseas. You should consider before you go:
• Travel insurance: Most travel insurance providers including World Nomads offer 24/7 Emergency Assistance. Depending on the urgency of the situation, these teams may be able to help you find local or telehealth facilities, or get medication prescribed and couriered to you.
• Your local doctor: If you don’t have travel insurance, speak to your doctor before you go about the options they may have to help you if its needed.
• Local medical facilities: You can also attend local medical facilities and see if they are able to help. If you have travel insurance, you may be able to claim back the costs of emergency medical treatment.

Is that legal or illegal? Checks on your medication you should do before you go

While your medication might be perfectly legal at home, the rules are different overseas and you don’t want to find yourself with fines to pay, confiscated medication, particularly if it’s critical to our health, or worse, arrested and jailed.

All this has happened to unwary travelers over the years, so it pays to check your medication’s legal status at the destination you’re travelling to. Some examples of medication that has caught travelers out has ranged from asthma medication, to medicinal marijuana, and contraception.

• Check your medication’s status: Start by contacting the consulate or embassy of the country/ies you are heading to or through for a list of what is or isn’t legal... even if you’re transiting you must comply with local laws and that means not carrying drugs through their country they consider illegal.
• Find an alternative: If you find your medication is illegal in the countries you’re traveling to, talk to your local doctor about alternatives they can prescribe.

Whatever you do – it is never a good idea to ‘run the gauntlet’ if you know your medication is considered illegal in the country you are heading to. If that is the case and you have no alternatives then you should seriously reconsider your need to travel there.

Traveller Tale

“One of our Nomads was travelling in Singapore and needed their medication to be topped up – they reached out to their doctor who properly prescribed it in their home country and couriered it to them. Unfortunately it was not legal in Singapore and our poor Nomad spent two days in jail before they were able to clear things up with the authorities, with our help.”

Local culture and attitudes to certain illnesses

While all cultures are different, some also hold different attitudes and beliefs around illness such as seizures, mental health episodes and reproductive health. It’s important to respect these beliefs but also plan for what that may mean for you.

You may not be able to get your medication prescribed or filled, and you may not be able to seek the medical help you need if your condition isn’t properly recognised. Make sure you plan ahead with adequate medication and a plan of how to get help if needed.

The policy isn’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?

Traveller Tale

Did you know travel insurance covers...

• Trip cancellation
• Emergency medical
• Evacuation and repatriation
• Lost or damaged gear
• Delayed baggage
• Death overseas
• Terrorism
• And more...

While there may be many valid reasons why you need to travel during the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, when it comes to knowing what you are or are not covered for can be tricky.

That's why we've put together this guide to help you navigate travel during Coronavirus, with tips on trip planning, selecting travel insurance and more.

• Before your trip
• During your trip
• After your trip

Before your trip

1. Are your intended destinations open for travel?

While we would like to sell travel insurance to every country or region, in some instances this will not be the case. Please be aware that some of our policy coverage depends on government travel advisories and your coverage could be invalidated if you travel against government advice.

For example, if a government issues warnings against travel to a specific region or country due to COVID-19 cases, your policy may be invalidated depending on your Country of Residence. This travel warning does not apply to US residents.

Many travel bubbles can change at a moment’s notice when COVID-19 cases go up or down and may cause a big headache if you’ve booked tours, have connecting flights, and need to cancel or rearrange your flight and accommodation dates.

If you’ve purchased a World Nomads policy and a government travel warning is given after you bought your policy and before you left home, and you have no option but to cancel your trip, you may be covered for the costs incurred of cancellation.

Coverage depends on your Country of Residence and varies between plans.

Don’t forget to read the policy wording when you hit the quote button as all plans are different – don’t just assume you’re covered in every situation, as conditions or exclusions may apply.

2. Be aware of the risks of traveling during COVID-19

Regardless of where you may be traveling to, when it comes to COVID-19, you will need to abide by any country or regions’ rules. If you don’t do your research and prepare in advance, you’ll be in for a few stress-related headaches.

Be aware that we won’t cover you if you decide to travel abroad and you buy or extend a policy when you are aware of circumstances that may impact your travel plans, or if you knowingly put yourself in a risky situation, such as:

• You know you will be unable to avoid close contact with a case of Coronavirus during your trip.
• You are medically unfit to travel.
• You travel against medical advice when you know you will have to consult a medical practitioner during your trip.

3. Check your insurance for all the details around cover for Coronavirus-related events

As the world continues to be affected by various COVID-19 strains, it is trickier than ever to plan a trip overseas without potentially getting denied entry because of a positive COVID-19 test or having to go into mandatory quarantine due to a confirmed case of Coronavirus.

Some of our plans have always had coverage for sudden sicknesses such as COVID-19, but more recently, we've added insurance coverage for some Coronavirus-related events to the plans that don't have them. To find out more about coverage, terms, conditions and benefits check out our Coronavirus cover article.

Our Coronavirus-related coverage will vary depending on your Country of Residence and which plan you have selected.

4. Check you have all paperwork

Before you head off on your trip, you'll need to gather evidence of your planned travel and accommodation costs, medical documents that show proof of vaccination or negative COVID tests and which confirm you’ve got a clean bill of health. If you need to make a claim after you’ve returned home, you may need to provide proof of:

• COVID-19 vaccinations and PCR tests.
• Any special tourist visas.
• Mandatory travel or health insurance
• Ownership of belongings with receipts.
• Any supporting police or carrier reports when theft occurs.
• Any evidence of accommodation, airline and tour operator related charges.
• Any medical evidence especially if you or your loved ones had an accident, fell ill, or had to quarantine and had to use a credit card for extra costs and wish to be reimbursed.

5. Check travel advisories

If you’re planning on traveling abroad or transiting through or near a country or region with a high number of COVID-19 cases, please check any travel and health advice issued by your Country of Residence and monitor the situation through local and international media as it may affect your travel insurance policy.

Helpful links:

• US Department of State Advice
• UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office
• Irish Department Foreign Affairs and Trade
• Government of Canada
• Health Canada
• Australian Government (Smartraveller)
• NZ Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade

During your trip

6. If you get a positive test at the airport

If you or someone in your traveling party tests positive for COVID-19, you should isolate immediately and contact the 24/7 Emergency Assistance Team as well as a local medical practitioner for advice on what to do.

You should also contact your airline or travel provider to reschedule your travel plans and seek advice on whether you can continue travelling. You may need to go into mandatory quarantine depending on the country that you’re in.

7. If you unexpectedly need to quarantine while traveling

If you need to change your travel arrangements because you’ve contracted COVID-19 or been deemed a close contact and you need to go into mandatory quarantine, in the first instance contact your airline, cruise company or travel agent for assistance and to reschedule your flights. Refer to your policy wording for more details or contact us to discuss your plans before making any changes.

Also, if you are feeling unwell and need urgent medical assistance contact the 24/7 Emergency Assistance Team as soon as possible.

Depending on your Country of Residence, and as part of our Coronavirus Travel Costs benefits (Explorer Plan only), if you need to go into mandatory quarantine we will pay for your reasonable additional travel, meals, and accommodation, including in-room entertainment.

You must provide satisfactory written evidence of the timing and circumstances of the quarantine event and the actual costs incurred. Where applicable, this includes written advice from the attending medical practitioner or local health authority confirming that your quarantine is necessary.

8. If you get COVID during your trip

If you are diagnosed with COVID-19 while overseas and it’s not considered an ‘existing medical condition’ under our policy, and there is not a warning against travel in place for COVID-19 in the location you are currently visiting, your benefits may include:

• 24/7 access to our Emergency Assistance Team, who can help you access local medical care.
• Overseas medical costs including hospitalization.
• Evacuation or repatriation if deemed medically necessary by us and in consultation with your attending physician, and up to the relevant benefit limit.

Depending on your Country of Residence you could have access to Coronavirus Travel Costs benefits (Explorer Plan only) for certain events such as cancellation, trip interruption expenses, as well as additional benefits for healthcare workers, residential care workers and law enforcement officers who have their pre-arranged leave cancelled by their employer due to COVID.

You can check out our Coronavirus cover article which has more details, including benefit limits and exclusions. 

After your trip

9. Claims tips – gather the right documents for your claim

If you make a claim, you must show the event was unexpected and occurred after you purchased the policy and after you booked or paid for any travel arrangements.

In the event of a claim covered by your policy, you must do everything reasonable you can to reduce the cost of the claim and provide all supporting documentation of the event and expenses incurred.

If you intend to submit a claim, please complete the claim form, and if you have questions about what's covered and not covered, just ask us.

What other tips for COVID-19 travel do you offer?

We have compiled this general information if you’re looking for more information on COVID-19-related articles when planning your next trip, check out our articles below:

• Travel tips for the COVID-19 era
• How the COVID-19 vaccine could impact your travel plans
• COVID FAQ’s
• Travel alerts

Watch Anton's story

Watch our True Claims video to get a glimpse of how we help travelers when something goes wrong.

• Buy while traveling
• Get cover 24/7 online
• Instant confirmation
• Ongoing traveler support
• 24/7 Emergency Assistance

Waiting periods apply

Key travel insurance tips for traveling in the age of COVID-19

At World Nomads, we’ve heard stories from many travelers telling us about how much they miss traveling and how they have had their dream trip disrupted by Coronavirus (COVID-19).

Dealing with eye-watering medical and quarantine bills is something most of us don’t budget for. To avoid some nasty surprises, we’ve compiled these handy tips that we hope will give you the upper hand for your next trip in this new traveling era of COVID-19.

While we can tell you what you should expect or look out for, we can’t tell you what you’ll need to know for your exact destination, so our number one tip is to check in with the government authority of the country you’re heading to, or through, and familiarize yourself with any new or existing COVID-19 requirements for entry...

Tip 1: Allow extra time at airports, particularly when traveling internationally:

If you’ve been given the greenlight to travel then we envy you, but it also means there may be a few more hoops for you to jump through. Many countries have implemented extra measures at borders, with airport and customs staff taking extra measures to collect health declarations at arrival, as well as travelers’ visa requirements and contact details. You may need to complete a travel risk assessment, undergo a COVID-19 test, or provide more information on where you’ve been and where you’re going. Be ready to add in an extra two to three hours if traveling in a large group or if you need to make a flight connection.

Tip 2: Get ready to quarantine:

While many countries have quarantine measures already in place, some countries may not have them until you arrive, or, you may be asked to go into mandatory quarantine if authorities believe you have come in contact with someone diagnosed with COVID-19 or if an outbreak occurs. Please note that if you need to go into compulsory quarantine as required by the government to return to your home country, you will have to factor in the costs as this is not covered under World Nomads travel insurance policies.

Tip 3: Special visas and stay permits may be the new normal:

To kick-start tourism some popular destinations now require new tourist visas (e.g. Thailand, Costa Rica, Japan) with new rules in place to combat COVID-19 ensuring travellers visiting their country have a level of cover to pay any potential medical costs. We’re seeing more countries introduce these visas and with some new requirements travellers may need to:

• Buy extra locally-based travel insurance;
• Pass extra health tests to confirm you’re COVID-19 free;
• Provide a letter outlining your travel insurance cover benefits;
• Provide a letter agreeing that any required medical treatment will be paid by you if upon arrival you have a positive Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) test or show symptoms of COVID-19.

Whether or not you’ll need to do this depends on the visa requirements at the countries you are traveling to or through. Also be prepared to use your credit card or have the funds if you’re asked to go to a hospital or need to quarantine on arrival.

Tip 4: Get tested for COVID-19 before you board your flight:

Now more than ever there are key benefits to getting a clean bill of health right before you go overseas. A growing number of airlines and governments now require travelers to produce a PCR test that shows they are negative for COVID-19. Many people have had to cancel their trips at the last-minute or have had significant losses because they didn’t get tested, or their PCR test was delayed. Make sure you know when the test needs to be taken – you'd hate to have it not count as you took it five hours before the eligible time period kicked in. Current reports have test times varying from 48 to 72 hours before your flight - check with the government at the destination you are heading to or through for any requirements and be sure you leave enough time to get tested and have the results back in time before you arrive at the airport to avoid delays, having to reschedule or deal with any further losses.

Tip 5: Research your travel bubbles, travel corridors and travel tiers:

Many countries and regions are planning or have implemented travel bubbles, travel corridors and travel tiers. It can get confusing knowing who can go where and when so it’s important to keep an eye on government and travel websites for travel alerts and what levels of travel may be in place, especially if you’ve bought your travel insurance quite far in advance of your travel dates (a lot can change in a week or two when it comes to COVID-19!). Be aware some travel bubbles are one way only – for example between New Zealand and Australia – this could mean added costs if you haven’t done your research. If that bubble does pop you could be required to go into quarantine if you’re already traveling, or you may have to cancel your trip if you haven’t left home. Many travel tiers and corridors can change at a moment’s notice when COVID-19 cases go up or down and may cause a big headache if you’ve booked tours, have connecting flights, and need to cancel or rearrange your flight and accommodation dates.

Tip 6: It pays to be an admin junkie:

One thing that remains super important with COVID-19 is keeping copies of receipts and your paperwork when you travel. It’s a good idea to send a copy to a friend or family member at home, as well as yourself via email, so you can always access them easily. When you first head off on your trip, you may need evidence of your planned travel and accommodation costs, and medical documents confirming you’ve got a clean bill of health. If you need to make a claim after you’ve returned home, you may need to:

• Provide proof of ownership;
• Provide any supporting police or carrier reports;
• Provide any evidence of accommodation, airline and tour operator related charges;
• Provide any medical evidence especially if you or your loved ones had an accident, fell ill or had to quarantine and had to use a credit card for extra costs and wish to be reimbursed.

Tip 7: Plan for a risk-free holiday and remember to have fun:

If you’re lucky enough to have a holiday planned out and everything goes to plan, you should take every measure possible in place to avoid putting yourself and others at risk of getting COVID-19. Some things that will help you have a stress-free holiday include:

• Always remember to keep social distancing
• Wear a face mask and carry hand sanitizer
• Comply with rules and any customs in the country that you’re visiting
• Consider driving (if properly licenced in the country you’re in) rather than flying, taking a train or bus to your next destination
• Use online or contactless reservations and check-in using contactless payment
• Self-cater when possible
• Try and avoid large crowds.

At the end of the day, your holiday is meant to be packed with fun and not stress. The better informed and prepared you are, the more fun you’ll have!

You can read more about the latest information on Coronavirus. If you have any unanswered questions our FAQ's section may be able to help out. 

About World Nomads

World Nomads polices are designed by travelers for travelers to provide simple and flexible travel insurance – and it’s often cheaper than you might think! Featuring coverage for more than 150 activities, quotes are fast, free and you can do it all online at www.worldnomads.com. All of the information we provide about travel insurance is a brief summary only. It does not include all terms, conditions, limitations, exclusions and termination provisions of the travel insurance plans described. 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.

Did you know travel insurance covers...

• Trip cancellation
• Emergency medical
• Evacuation and repatriation
• Lost or damaged gear
• Delayed baggage
• Death overseas
• Terrorism
• And more...

You can also buy away from home or buy more cover if you extend your trip. Plus, you can claim online anytime, anywhere in the world.