⚡ 5-Second Verdict: Which Policy Should You Pick?
- Best for Tech & Backpackers: Heymondo 👉 Get Covered with Heymondo (5% Off Auto-Applied)
- Best for open-ended digital nomads, slow-travelers, & budget travelers: Safetywing 👉 Start Your SafetyWing Subscription
- Best Pure Medical Cover: Genki 👉 Get a Quote with Genki
I’ve lived as a digital nomad, backpacked around the world, and actually worked as a travel agent selling travel insurance. Over the years, I’ve made every insurance mistake in the book too, so if you’re comparing Genki, SafetyWing, and Heymondo for a long-term trip, here’s my honest breakdown of which one you should actually buy.
I’m cutting through the corporate noise, and putting each company to the test using real-world travel scenarios and policy comparisons to help you make the best choice for you.
Before we get into it though, there’s one thing worth knowing upfront: these three aren’t quite the same kind of product. SafetyWing and Heymondo are travel insurance, i.e. medical cover bundled with the usual extras like baggage, delays and cancellation. Genki is different: it’s travel health insurance, built almost entirely around medical cover, with little to no protection for your stuff. That distinction decides more of this comparison than price does, so keep it in mind as you read…
Safetywing vs Genki vs Heymondo: At a Glance
If you’re lazy in a rush, and just want to find the perfect coverage for your specific style of travel, here’s the quick breakdown of how the big three compare…
| Genki (Traveler) | Safetywing (Essential) | Heymondo (Long Stay) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Best For | Pure medical focus & high budget-conscious limits | Flexible, rolling monthly subscriptions | Backpackers & anyone with valuable tech/gear |
| Starting Price | From €52.50 / month | From $62.72 / 4 weeks (Ages 18–39) | Varies by trip length & region |
| Max Medical Limit | €1,000,000 per year | $250,000 per policy period | Extremely high (Up to $10,000,000) |
| Tech/Baggage Cover? | None (Strictly medical health insurance) | Optional add-on available | Included (Excellent gear coverage) |
| Deductible | €50 per medical case (Waived for hospital stays) | $0 (No deductible outside the US) | $250 USD on medical expenses only |
| How To Buy | Rolling subscription, cancel anytime after month 1 | Rolling subscription, auto-renews every 28 days | Must choose set dates upfront (Min. 90 days) |
| Get a Quote | Check Genki Prices | Get a Quote With Safetywing | Get 5% off with Heymondo |
Why Listen to Me? (Ex-Travel Agent & Nomad)
I’ve lived and worked in several different countries, I’m a long-term ex-pat, I did a round the world trip, and I even worked as a travel agent selling travel insurance! I’ve been a digital nomad juggling time zones, I was a backpacker chasing adrenaline highs, and I also run my own outdoor activities and tour company, so I understand travel insurance from all sides!
I’ve also made my fair share of insurance blunders, like assuming my policy covered a lost camcorder at the airport (it didn’t), or the countless times I stupidly traveled without cover when I was young, dumb and full of…enthusiasm. Suffice to say I know what to look for in a good travel insurance policy.
The real difference: travel insurance vs. travel health insurance
It’s tempting to treat this as a simple three-way price comparison, but that misses the more useful question. SafetyWing and Heymondo are built to protect your trip – lost bags, cancelled flights, stolen gear, plus medical emergencies. Genki is built to protect your health – it’s essentially private international medical insurance for people who move around a lot, with none of the trip-related extras.
That means the “best” choice isn’t really a ranking. It’s a fit question:
- If losing your camera or having a flight cancelled would genuinely hurt, Genki alone probably isn’t enough. You’d want Heymondo, or SafetyWing with the right add-ons.
- If your main worry is a serious medical bill somewhere expensive, and you’re happy to self-insure smaller stuff like bags, Genki’s medical limits are hard to beat.
Keep that distinction in mind through the rest of this guide, as every comparison below comes back to it.
Meet the Contenders
Let’s first introduce and give a little background into each of our three contenders, including their founding, some of their main policies, and what each is best known for…
Founded in 2017 by a team of Norwegian entrepreneurs, SafetyWing was built specifically for the modern digital nomad lifestyle, operating in over 170 countries. SafetyWing divides its core offerings into two distinct tiers: Nomad Insurance Essential and Nomad Insurance Complete.
The Elevator Pitch: Flexible, accessible global insurance offering a choice between budget-friendly emergency protection and comprehensive, lifelong international health coverage.
Essential vs. Complete:
- Nomad Essential: Built as a flexible travel medical policy. It runs on a 28-day auto-renewing subscription (starting at ~$62.72 / 4 weeks for ages 10–39), providing up to $250,000 in emergency medical coverage, limited home-country visits (up to 30 days per 90-day period), and core travel perks like trip interruption and lost luggage reimbursement.
- Nomad Complete: A comprehensive global health insurance bundle (starting at ~$177.50 / month). It raises the annual medical coverage limit to $1,500,000 and adds ongoing healthcare benefits missing from Essential—including mental health visits, routine wellness checks, cancer screenings, and optional dental, vision, or maternity care.
Key Strengths:
- Highly flexible setup—you can start, pause, or switch tiers while already traveling abroad.
- Essential tier offers an accessible entry price with a $0 deductible on medical claims outside the US.
- Complete tier provides full, ongoing health coverage with no fixed return requirements.
Key Drawbacks:
- Essential tier’s $250,000 payout cap is lower than traditional comprehensive policies, and new conditions can convert to pre-existing conditions after 364 days.
- Complete tier carries a higher monthly premium and is structured for ongoing long-term healthcare rather than short emergency trips.
Maximum age: 69 for Essential, 64 for Complete.
Pre-existing medical conditions: Essential – No / Complete – Yes (if developed during a previous subscription period).
Based in Germany and regulated under European Union insurance frameworks, Genki specializes strictly in medical and healthcare coverage, intentionally omitting non-medical travel benefits like lost baggage or flight delays. Genki offers two main paths: Genki Traveler and Genki Native.
The Elevator Pitch: Pure, high-quality medical insurance designed by digital nomads, ranging from flexible short-term travel health cover to full global health insurance.
Traveler vs. Native:
- Genki Traveler: Designed for trips up to 1 year, functioning as a monthly subscription (starting at ~€52.50 / month). It provides up to €1,000,000 per year in emergency and medically necessary treatment with a low €50 deductible per incident (which is completely waived for inpatient hospital stays).
- Genki Native: Full international health insurance for permanent nomads and expats, offered in
Key Strengths:
- Backed by strict EU consumer protection standards with direct payment guarantees for hospital stays.
- Low deductibles with a complete waiver on hospitalizations under the Traveler plan.
- Native provides full continuous health coverage without requiring a legal residence or permanent home-country base.
Key Drawbacks:
- Zero traditional travel insurance benefits across all plans (no payout for delayed flights, stolen passports, or canceled hotels).
- Genki Native requires a medical health questionnaire during sign-up and carries higher monthly premiums based on age and deductible choices.
Age limits: Genki Traveler – None; Genki Native – 55.
Pre-existing medical conditions: Genki Traveler – No / Genki Native – On review.
Launched in 2018 and backed by the AXA insurance group, Heymondo is a tech-forward travel insurance provider known for its seamless mobile experience. Their Long Stay plan is tailored specifically for travelers spending 90 or more consecutive days abroad, offering a middle ground between flexible subscription travel insurance and fixed-term coverage.
The Elevator Pitch: High-limit, tech-focused travel insurance for backpackers and digital nomads carrying valuable gear on extended trips.
Key Strengths:
- Extensive emergency medical coverage limits (up to $2,500,000 USD on Long Stay policies).
- Covers lost, stolen, or damaged luggage natively, with an optional tech add-on to protect laptops, cameras, and tablets up to 50%–100% of your baggage limit.
- 24/7 medical support, free WhatsApp consultation, and direct medical claim assistance via the Heymondo mobile app.
Key Drawbacks:
- Requires purchasing an initial fixed period of at least 90 days before shifting to flexible renewals.
- Age limits restrict policy availability and coverage options for older travelers depending on trip duration.
Age limits: 69 for short trips up to 29 days, 49 years old for trips over 30 days.
Pre-existing medical conditions: No.
Real-World Tests: 3 Travel Scenarios
Anyone who’s searched online for travel insurance quotes before, will know that making direct comparisons using like-for-like plans isn’t really feasible here. This is because each company (apart from Safetywing) seems to categorise their offers differently depending on which country you’re from.
To most effectively put each of these three companies to the test, I’ve therefore decided use a few different real-world scenarios based on common trips made by international travelers, myself included.
I plugged into the websites of Safetywing, Genki, and Heymondo to get quotes for each of the following travel scenarios, and I selected the most appropriate insurance cover based on the specific needs of each of my three travellers.
So let’s dive in to the results, starting with our young gunner, Dave…
Backpacker Dave: 6 Months in SE Asia (Budget & Adventure)
Dave, a 24 year old British backpacker plans to visit South-east Asia and Australia for 6 months. His dream is to go cage diving with Great White Sharks (the nutter), get his PADI Scuba diving certification, and to do a skydive and bungee jump.
Going with the flow as far as his money will take him is important to him. He’s in the prime of his life, so he’ll be partying it up and looking to save as much of his cash for beer as possible. Take it easy, Dave!
He’s reckless young, adventurous but highly price conscious. His trip is exactly the same as I myself took a few many years ago, so I know exactly what his needs are…
Must haves: Adventure sports coverage; cheap. Ideally: some level of typical travel cover (loss, theft etc.) too.
Safetywing’s most appropriate policy for Dave is their monthly Nomad Essential plan, with an Adventure Sports add on.
This is Safetywing’s rolling 4 weekly (28 day) cover. The added bonus of this subscription model is that in case things go tits up, and Dave runs out of money or otherwise has to cut his trip short, he’s able to simply cancel his subscription at the end of the month, thus potentially saving himself a lot of money.
Safetywing do offer prices for travel with fixed dates too, but unfortunately not in this case, due to the addition of the Adventure Sports cover. The total cost of his cover for 6 months came to $436.32, which is $2.42 per day.
After browsing the Heymondo site, Dave opted for their ‘Long Stay Insurance‘. He initially input his data into their ‘International Travel Insurance’ plan, but fortunately then also decided to try their long stay policy which came out significantly cheaper.
Even with the addition of Adventure Sports cover for his planned activities, Heymondo’s Long Stay Insurance came to a total of just 363.49 EUR. This is made up of a base 179.49 for the first 90 days, and an additional 120 days renewal price of 184.
Being rather price conscious, Dave particularly liked the ability to pay in two installments to cover his trip, rather than having to pay it all upfront.
For Dave, the best option with Genki is their ‘Traveler’ policy, as it comes in considerably cheaper than their more premium ‘Native’ policies.
With Genki, Dave would be covered for all sports & activities apart from alligator wrestling, BASE jumping, bull riding, hunting, running of the bulls, train surfing, and wingsuit flying, which is certainly pretty laissez-faire when it comes to adventure sports coverage!
The total price with Genki Traveler comes to 315 EUR for his 6-month backpacking adventure, which came out the cheapest of all four insurance providers! As he pays 52.50 EUR each month on a subscription, Dave also has the flexibility to cancel his policy after the first month at any time, just in case he’s forced to cut short his trip for any reason.
On this policy, he pays a €50 deductible on any claim made.
The Verdict: For Dave Heymondo makes the most sense if he wants medical and trip protection in one policy...
This was a close one between Heymondo and Genki, with Genki Traveler even coming out as the cheapest option for Dave, and with a significantly lower deductible than Heymondo!
However, for just a few bucks more, the Heymondo policy, which included the adventure sports addon, also offered personal belongings coverage and trip cancellation etc. That’s what clinched it for Dave, and more importantly, his Mum – who’s actually gonna be the one paying for this policy!
If you’re a Dave, or you know one, then get a quote with Heymondo above. As a Travel Tortoise reader you’ll get an additional 5% discount on the cost of your policy.
Digital Nomad Tracey: Indefinite Europe Trip (Health & Flexibility)
Tracey has been building her online travel advisory business for years now, and it’s finally making her enough that she can go fully remote, move to Europe and become a full-time digital nomad.
She plans to base herself in Lisbon, Portugal, and then decide from there where the wind takes her (I’m jealous, Trace!). She’s doing well financially, and is willing and able to spend more for the right level of cover.
Being in her early 30’s, she’s also thinking about starting a family with her boyfriend Dean (who’ll be joining her in Portugal), because – as Tracey’s mum keeps reminding her – she’s not getting any younger!
With no end date in sight for her stint living abroad, Tracey wants comprehensive medical cover, which will not only meet her needs in an emergency, but also offer her preventative care.
Must haves: preventative medical care. Ideally: maternity cover.
Safetywing’s best policy for Tracey is their Nomad Insurance Complete, as it includes wellness therapies & mental health support (US$60 per visit), and maternity (US$2,500 limit).
This would cost her $181.50 per month.
Unfortunately, Heymondo’s policies do not provide cover for either preventative care, not maternity cover, so in this instance it was not deemed a viable option for Tracey.
Genki’s best policy for Tracey is Genki Native, which can then be further split between the Basic and Premium versions.
The main benefits of Genki Native Premium over Genki Native Basic is that it also covers preventive care/check-ups, plus dental, vision, maternity, and mental health. It also has no total limit for medical costs and also includes full cover in Tracey’s country of citizenship.
Prices start at $180 per month per person (ages 20-34), but will only be finalised after she fills out a detailed questionnaire on her health status.
The Verdict: For Tracey this came down to a head-to-head between the big global health plans: Genki Native and SafetyWing Nomad Complete...
While both are streets ahead of standard travel policies, Genki Native edged it for Tracey. Its high annual coverage limit, zero deductible for inpatient care, and strict EU regulatory backing gave her total peace of mind. Plus, the flexibility of full home-country coverage means she doesn’t have to worry about losing protection when visiting family.
Gadget-Lover Barry: 1-Year Sabbatical (High-Value Tech Cover)
Ah look, Barry is a fairdinkum middle-aged bloke in his mid-40’s from Bendigo, Australia, looking to get out and see a bit of the world after a rough divorce. He’s just flogged his house and ute, and decided to take a year’s sabbatical abroad while he’s still fit enough to enjoy it.
He mostly plans to spend the year in Europe and Asia. He has no pre-existing medical conditions, is in good health, and feels pretty relaxed about all that. He does think he should probably have a decent amount of emergency medical cover though.
More importantly for Barry – he loves his gadgets, including top of the line electronics and camera. He works full-time as a digital nomad, so he has some pretty fancy kit which he needs cover for (i.e. laptops, smartphones, SLR cameras etc.).
He also plans to stay pretty mobile over the next year, so is a little concerned about taking all those flights and connections. He also plans to visit home regularly in between longer spells abroad this year, so home country coverage is also important to him.
Must haves: decent electronics protection, traditional travel cover, and home country cover. Ideally: good levels of emergency medical protection.
Barry’s belated gap year in Europe and Asia will cost him $112.76 per month in his age bracket (40-49) with the Nomad Insurance Essential plan plus the electronics theft addon. As this is only paid on a rolling 28-day basis, if he decides he’s had enough at any point, he’s not stuck with an unused bill for travel insurance for the entire year.
With Safetywing he’d also be covered back in his home country for up to 30 days per stay for every 90 days of coverage he takes out (but only if he doesn’t cancel his policy!).
The Essential policy offers decent level of travel coverage aside from just the medical basics, with cover against theft, lost luggage and travel delays.
With Heymondo, Barry would not be covered on any return trips back to his home country. Notwithstanding, they offer two different options for him:
Heymondo Long-Stay Travel Insurance (minimum trip duration 90 days, then renewable) returned a price of $161.53 for the first 90 days, then renewable for the remaining 275 days at $491. In total this makes $652.53 for Barry’s gap year adventure.
If Barry makes multiple trips of less than 60 days each, instead of longer ones, then Heymondo’s annual multi-trip insurance came out at just $255.55! However, this policy has a medical deductible of $250, which is payable for any treatment received.
Genki returned two different prices. Its Genki Native Basic policy came in at 242 EUR per month (including 182 days of cover back home), while Genki Native Premium, which also includes maternity, dental, and preventative care, as well as full cover back home in Australia for Barry, came to 358 EUR per month (depending on the results of his medical questionnaire).
Both policies also offer 182 days of coverage in the USA and Canada.
However, as Genki is almost exclusively focused on providing international medical cover, he’s not insured for trip cancellation, flight delays, lost luggage, nor loss due to theft or burglary. This makes it far less appealing than either Safetywing or Heymondo considering how reliant Barry is on his digital accessories.
The Verdict: For Barry SafetyWing Nomad Essential makes the most sense if he wants a low-friction subscription plan with built-in flexibility for trips back home...
This came down to a head-to-head between SafetyWing and Heymondo. While Heymondo offered strong medical limits, SafetyWing’s monthly, auto-renewing setup, paired with its allowance for incidental visits to your home country (up to 30 days per 90 days), proved to be the deciding factor for Barry’s open-ended travel style. It gave him complete freedom to drop back home without having to pause or re-evaluate his coverage.
If you’re a Barry, or travelling on an open-ended schedule with occasional trips back home like him, get a quote with SafetyWing below. As a Travel Tortoise reader, you’ll get the added bonus of…
How to choose in under 60 seconds
Is medical cover your main concern, and you’re happy to self-insure your stuff? → Genki
Do you want one policy covering medical and baggage/cancellation? → SafetyWing or Heymondo
Are your travel dates open-ended or likely to change? → SafetyWing or Genki (both roll monthly; Heymondo needs a defined period)
Do you have expensive electronics or camera gear? → Heymondo, or SafetyWing with the electronics add-on
Do you need maternity or preventive care cover? → Genki Native Premium or SafetyWing Nomad Complete
Website & Claiming Experience
In researching and writing this article, and over the years of searching for and using travel insurance for myself, what I’ve come to appreciate most is user experience. What I find important is how quick and easy it is to get quotes and information specific to your planned trip. It shouldn’t be hard to find a price for your number of travelers, trip duration, and destination!
Equally, ploughing though painfully boring and often confusing insurance policy documents isn’t sexy, nor is it gonna get you pumped for your upcoming trip, so the more details a website gives on what’s covered and what’s not can make all the difference.
This is especially important as many people might be using a website’s booking pages as their only frame of reference for their coverage. Indeed, when it comes to buying travel insurance, most people have found to barely even skim read their policies.
That’s actually what I really liked about Safetywing. While I had my issues with their individual pricing model (no, YOU do the math!), I did rather like the overall simplicity of their plans, and the repeat messaging found all over their website. With either the Nomad Essential or the Nomad Complete coverage to choose from, Safetywing made it pretty clear exactly what was included in my policy.
Of all the websites I’ve used, it is very fast and easy to return a price from the Safetywing website – it is extremely intuitive!
Also, I contacted the help departments for all companies at the quote stage, and only Safetywing and Genki (via Whatsapp) had a human-led live chat function, which meant I got my answers almost immediately. Heymondo was more AI-bot led, so I suspect that they will lose a fair few customers due to that.
The Fine Print: 2 Things Most Travelers Miss
Let’s be honest. Nobody in the history of mankind has ever poured themselves a glass of wine and settled in for a cozy evening reading insurance policy wording. The companies know this, and they actively bank on you missing the tricky stuff.
Having worked in the industry, I know exactly what catches travellers out when things go tits up. If you’re comparing Genki, SafetyWing, and Heymondo, here are the two massive “elephants in the room” you absolutely need to consider before handing over your cash…
Home Country Coverage (Or: Popping back for your mate's wedding)
Being a digital nomad is brilliant right up until you need to fly home for Christmas, a family emergency, or a wedding. And then what happens if you get hit by a bus while you’re briefly back in your home country? With most standard policies, the moment you cross your own border, your coverage immediately vanishes.
If you plan on bouncing back and forth, you need a policy that tolerates home visits:
SafetyWing (Nomad Essential): They are actually pretty solid here. You keep your medical coverage for up to 15 days out of every 90 days you are back home (or 30 days if you’re from the US).
Genki (Traveler): Genki is even more generous. You get up to 42 days of home country cover per 180 days. If you like to spend a month back home over the summer getting your washing done for you while mooching off your parents’ WiFi, Genki is a winner.
Heymondo: As a traditional travel insurance provider, Heymondo assumes you are away. If your trip officially ends and you go home, your policy generally stops.
The Southeast Asia Moped Meat-Grinder
We all know that our mate Dave (from the scenario above) is going to rent a 125cc scooter in Thailand. He’s going to drive it in a tank top and flip-flops, and there’s a very high statistical probability he is going to bin it into a rice paddy.
Renting a scooter without a proper license is a backpacker rite of passage, and it’s an absolute wet dream for insurance claims adjusters looking for an excuse not to pay out.
The Golden Rule for all three (SafetyWing, Genki, Heymondo): You are not covered for scooter or motorbike accidents unless you hold a valid motorcycle license in both your home country and the country you are riding in (which usually means holding an International Driving Permit).
If Dave crashes his scooter and he only has a standard UK car driving license, his insurance provider is going to laugh him right out of the hospital billing department. Do not assume you are covered just because the local rental guy gave you the keys!
A Note on SafetyWing vs World Nomads
World Nomads is one of the best-known names in travel insurance, but for long-stay and digital nomad travel, it tends to fall short of Safetywing on three fronts: higher pricing for extended trips, a 12-month coverage cap, and lower maximum age limits. That’s why it didn’t make the main comparison above — Safetywing’s rolling subscription model is simply built for longer, more open-ended trips in a way World Nomads isn’t. The same goes for Genki and even Heymondo in fact!
The Verdict: Which One Should You Buy?
There’s much to like about all three of the companies that I put to the test here, and there isn’t a single winner because these three products aren’t really solving the same problem…
Choose Genki if…
- Medical cover is your top priority
- You’re fine handling baggage/cancellation risk yourself
- You’re traveling long-term and want strong limits
- A €50 deductible doesn’t bother you
Genki Native coverage enables long-term travelers to have genuine peace of mind that all their needs will be covered, albeit at a pretty hefty price tag in some cases.
Choose SafetyWing if…
- You’re a digital nomad who moves around a lot
- You want rolling, cancel-anytime cover
- You want medical and some trip protection in one place
- Occasional home-country visits matter to you
Safetywing’s Nomad Complete policy also includes maternity care, ongoing coverage for new conditions, mental health care, and no coverage restrictions at all while back in your home country, making it a solid choice for digital nomads.
Choose Heymondo if…
- You want conventional, comprehensive travel insurance
- Baggage, gadgets and cancellation cover all matter
- You have a defined (even if long) trip length
- You want an easy app-based claims process
So match the product to your risk, not to whichever one scores best on a generic checklist. Most importantly, always double-check current pricing and policy wording before you buy.
This was a fantastic deep dive—super useful, especially for those of us who aren’t insurance-savvy! I really appreciated the real-world comparisons like Dave’s shark cage antics and the Griswalds’ electronics dilemma. It’s refreshing to see someone break down something as dull as travel insurance in such an engaging and relatable way. Definitely bookmarking this before my next trip!
Thanks very much for the lovely feedback – I’m glad it helped you!