Travel Health Insurance: What to Buy Before Leaving Home

Travel health insurance is the most boring part of trip planning — and the most important. A hospital stay in Japan costs $1,000/day, an emergency surgery in the US can cost $50,000+, and a medical evacuation from a remote area can cost $100,000+. Here is the complete 2025 guide to travel health insurance.

Why Travel Health Insurance Is Non-Negotiable

Your home health insurance almost certainly does not cover you abroad. Even if it does, the coverage is usually limited to emergencies only — not the medical evacuation, family flights, or extended stay you might need after a serious illness or injury abroad.

What Travel Health Insurance Should Cover

• Medical treatment — at least $100,000 coverage
• Medical evacuation — at least $250,000 coverage (medical flights home can cost $100,000+)
• Repatriation — return of your remains if you die abroad
• Family travel — flights for a family member to be with you if hospitalised
• Trip cancellation — reimbursement if you cancel for covered reasons
• Trip interruption — reimbursement if you have to cut your trip short
• Lost luggage — at least $1,500 coverage
• Travel delay — meals and accommodation if flights are delayed
• Adventure activities — hiking, scuba diving, etc. (often excluded by default)

Best Travel Health Insurance Companies for 2025

Company	Best For	Cost (per month)	Medical Coverage	Evacuation Coverage
SafetyWing	Digital nomads, long-term travellers	$45–$80	$100,000	$100,000
World Nomads	Adventure travellers	$100–$200	$100,000–$250,000	$100,000+
Allianz Travel	Families, vacation travel	$80–$150	$50,000–$100,000	$100,000
IMG Global	Expats, long-term travellers	$100–$300	$100,000–$1,000,000	$500,000+
Seven Corners	Comprehensive coverage	$80–$200	$100,000–$1,000,000	$500,000+
HCC Medical (now Tokio Marine)	Budget travellers	$50–$150	$50,000–$250,000	$50,000–$500,000

Travel Insurance vs Travel Health Insurance

These terms are often confused but they are different:

• Travel insurance — covers trip cancellation, lost luggage, travel delays. Limited medical coverage.
• Travel health insurance — covers medical treatment and evacuation abroad. Limited trip cancellation.
• Comprehensive travel insurance — covers both. The best option for most travellers.

Adventure Activity Coverage — Critical for Trekking

Most travel insurance policies exclude 'adventure activities' by default. If you are trekking, scuba diving, skydiving, or climbing, you need a policy that explicitly covers these activities. Standard exclusions include:

• Trekking above 2,500 m or 4,000 m
• Mountaineering (using ropes/crampons)
• Scuba diving below 18 m
• Skydiving, paragliding, bungee jumping
• Mountain biking
• Skiing off-piste

For Nepal trekking, see our Nepal trekking insurance guide — the policy MUST cover trekking up to your maximum altitude and helicopter rescue.

Pre-Existing Conditions

If you have a pre-existing condition (diabetes, heart disease, etc.):

• Disclose it when buying insurance — non-disclosure can void your policy
• Look for 'pre-existing condition waiver' policies
• Get a letter from your doctor stating you are fit to travel
• Bring enough medication for your trip + a backup supply

How to Make a Travel Insurance Claim

1. Contact the insurance company's 24-hour emergency line IMMEDIATELY (before treatment if possible)
2. Get pre-authorisation for any major treatment
3. Pay upfront if necessary and keep ALL receipts
4. Get a medical report from the treating doctor (in English if possible)
5. Get a police report for theft, lost luggage, or accidents
6. Submit claim within 30 days of returning home
7. Include all receipts, medical reports, and police reports with the claim

Common Travel Insurance Mistakes

• Buying the cheapest policy (which excludes everything you need)
• Not reading the exclusions
• Not declaring pre-existing conditions
• Forgetting to extend the policy if you extend your trip
• Not getting pre-authorisation for major treatment
• Throwing away receipts
• Assuming 'adventure activities' are covered (they usually aren't)

EHIC and GHIC — For European Travel

European travellers can use the free EHIC (European Health Insurance Card) or UK travellers the GHIC (Global Health Insurance Card) to access state healthcare in EU countries at the same cost as locals. This is useful but NOT a substitute for travel insurance — it does not cover medical evacuation, repatriation, or private treatment. See NHS EHIC information.

Travel Insurance Costs by Trip Type

Trip Type	Recommended Coverage	Cost (USD)
1-week beach vacation	Basic comprehensive	$30–$60
2-week European trip	Comprehensive with medical	$60–$120
1-month Southeast Asia backpacking	Comprehensive + adventure activities	$100–$200
2-week Nepal trek (EBC)	Trekking insurance to 6,000 m + helicopter rescue	$200–$350
3-month round-the-world trip	Long-term comprehensive	$300–$600
1-year digital nomad lifestyle	SafetyWing or similar	$540–$960

Travel health insurance is the most important $50–$200 you will spend on any trip. Skipping it can cost you $100,000+ in medical bills. Buy comprehensive cover, declare any pre-existing conditions, and ensure your policy covers any adventure activities you plan to do. For Nepal-specific advice, see our Nepal trekking insurance guide — and for general travel planning, see our Nepal travel budget guide.