Long Term Travel Insurance
For those who aren't going home anytime soon
- Trusted by:
Coronavirus (COVID-19) and travel - what you need to know.
About CoronavirusWe are aware various governments have changed their travel warnings to restrict travel during this time. To understand the impact on your policy, please go to our FAQs and choose your country of residence.
What can long term travel insurance cover?
Often the best adventures have no end date… that’s why World Nomads has designed flexible travel insurance policies that, with some conditions, allow you to extend your policy or purchase more insurance, as needed.
World Nomads policies support long term travelers.
- The maximum length of a policy can be from 6 to 12 months, depending on where you’re from (the minimum length can be as little as 1 day).
- You may be able to extend or purchase additional policies for travel for longer periods of time
- Free membership with World Nomads means you can manage and view multiple policies in the one location online, making it easy to buy more policies as needed for your planned travel.
Our travel insurance policies are designed to cover more than 150 activities and events including casual bar work, skiing, volunteering, hiking and much more, for travelers from more than 130 countries.
Our policies come with loads of benefits, depending on the policy you buy, but all of them provide cover for:
- Medical
- Cancellation
- Luggage/baggage cover
- 24/7 worldwide assistance
There’s also a number of things we don’t cover outlined below which you should take the time to read and understand so there are no surprises.
How long does travel insurance cover last for?
Depending on where you’re from, you can choose to purchase your initial policy for up to 6 or 12 months. Just enter your dates when you get a quote and it will tell you if you can purchase it for your chosen time frame, or if you will need to look at other options such as purchasing multiple policies or extending once you’re on the road.
If you’re planning on exploring the world for longer, or don’t know how long you’ll be gone for, you have a couple of options to ensure you’ve travel insurance cover while you’re away:
- Extend your policy: You can extend most of our policies online and from overseas while traveling, as long as you extend it before it expires. Conditions and limitations apply so check the policy details before you purchase to make sure this will suit your needs.
- Once it’s expired: You can purchase a new policy when you’re already travelling. You'll have to wait up to 72 hours for full cover to apply however, you can be covered straight away if you're injured in an accident after you buy a policy. Your policy wording will have full details to understand the cover, limits and exclusions.
- Purchase and track your policies with World Nomads Membership: World Nomads offers free membership for all travelers which allows you to track and manage all your policies in one place, as well as access online claims forms. Just make sure you log-in before purchasing your new policy or if you’ve already created a second account by accident, we can merge them for you if you contact us.
What if I need to increase my level of travel insurance cover but I’m already traveling?
You can buy more cover, even if you’re already on the road. Generally you can purchase cover that can last for up to one year, but if you want to extend your trip beyond one year, you just need to jump online to get a quote.
You can’t upgrade your policy type once you’ve departed and started your holiday, so you’ll have to buy a new policy if you need more coverage. That’s why it’s critical you select the right level of cover up front – this article can help you understand the differences between the different levels of cover.
What’s not covered on long term travel insurance?
There’s a number of other exclusions so make sure you read your policy and know what you aren’t covered for. These include but aren't limited to:
- Anything illegal (you didn’t really think we’d cover that did you?)
- If you've taken drugs or alcohol
- That rash you picked up while having hostel sex (ah, sorry)
- Non-emergency treatment that can wait until you return home (it's not health insurance, it's for travel emergencies)
- Ongoing treatment at home
It’s important to remember that World Nomads offers travel insurance… not medical insurance. That means most of our policies won’t cover you for pre-existing medical conditions or ongoing medical care (we'll patch you up and send you home).
This is not a full list of what's covered and not covered. There are terms, limits, conditions and exclusions that may apply. Always read your policy carefully before you buy and make sure it’s right for you and if you have more questions get in touch.
Severed Nerve
I was opening a bag of potatoes with a knife. The knife slipped and cut my finger on my left hand. I attended the local emergency department in Aix-en-Provence at no charge (and was) referred to Clinique Axium the following day. I underwent micro surgery and had two follow up appointments at the Clinique, along with having a specialised splint made to keep my finger in a bent position to enable healing.
T.P. Kiwi in France.
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)
We cover 150 activities you love + more
Here’s this year’s top 10 activities under each category that World Nomads love to do:
Not all activities are covered under every plan - click here to read the full list. You may have to upgrade the policy and sporting level to make sure you’re covered for everything you plan to do. Please read your policy wording carefully before you buy it.
- Scuba diving
- Mountain biking
- Surfing
- Bungee jumping
- Skiing
Snow
- Bobsledding
- Ice Hockey
- Ice Skating
- Kite Wing
- Skiing
- Ski Joring
- Snowboarding
- Snow kiting
- Snowmobiling
- Tobogganing
Water
- Canoeing
- Kayaking
- Paddle Boarding
- Sailing
- Scuba Diving
- Snorkelling
- Surfing
- Tubing
- Windsurfing
Air
- Aerial Safari
- Ballooning
- Bungee Jumping
- Hang Gliding
- High Diving
- Hot Air Ballooning
- Passenger in a commercial aircraft
- Skydiving
- Tandem Skydiving
- Zip Line
Land
- Bushwalking
- Camel Riding
- Camping
- Caving
- Hiking
- Orienteering
- Motorbiking
- Mountain Biking
- Trekking
Sports
- Baseball
- Basketball
- Cricket
- Fencing
- Go Karting
- Golf
- Hockey
- Tennis
- Ultimate frisbee
- Volleyball
Experiences
- Childcare work
- General farm work
- Hospitality
- Restaurant
- Teaching
- Fruit Picking
- Admin work
- Ski instructor
- Office work
- WWOOFing
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 teamWherever you are, we’re here 24/7 to help you in any emergency.
Emergency Assistance, World Nomads
Travel insurance. Simple & flexible.
Travel insurance for independent travelers and intrepid families. Nobody wants to think about all the things that could go wrong on their trip, but these things can and do happen. So be prepared and get your travel insurance today.