Digital nomad health insurance (2026)
Digital nomad health insurance comes in two kinds: travel medical plans for emergencies while you move, and international health insurance for routine and ongoing care. For a 32-year-old, international cover typically costs £181 to £512 a month across 14 nomad bases, with medians from £237 in Croatia to £368 in the UAE, from real quotes by 14 insurers taken 24 September 2026. Travel medical plans cost less: for example, Genki Traveler starts from €52.50 a month for ages 18 to 29.
The three kinds of cover nomads use
See travel insurance vs health insurance.
- Travel medical insurance
- Emergencies and unexpected illness while you travel, bought per trip, per day or as a monthly subscription. Cheapest, but usually no routine or ongoing care.
- International health insurance
- Annual cover for people living abroad: hospital, outpatient and optional dental or maternity, renewable each year. Best if you settle in one base for months.
- Local health insurance
- A policy from an insurer in your base country. Sometimes required by a visa (Spain, for example) but usually only covers that country.
What international health insurance costs in popular nomad bases
typical range median
| Base | Typical price | Median | Cheapest | Nomad visa insurance rule |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thailand | £219 to £324 | £275 | £161 | Not listed officially |
| Indonesia | £198 to £321 | £269 | £157 | Not listed officially |
| Portugal | £181 to £335 | £259 | £156 | Required |
| Spain | £215 to £321 | £275 | £164 | Required |
| Mexico | £291 to £512 | £336 | £181 | Not listed officially |
| Colombia | £229 to £315 | £278 | £181 | Required |
| Vietnam | £198 to £291 | £247 | £164 | No nomad visa |
| Malaysia | £198 to £288 | £247 | £118 | Required |
| Georgia | £219 to £285 | £251 | £163 | Programme suspended |
| Costa Rica | £241 to £334 | £263 | £181 | Required, min USD 50,000 |
| Greece | £215 to £321 | £271 | £157 | Required |
| Croatia | £181 to £276 | £237 | £118 | Required |
| UAE | £279 to £463 | £368 | £144 | Required |
| Japan | £251 to £398 | £291 | £181 | Required, min JPY 10 million for medical treatment |
Indicative: inpatient and outpatient, mid-level plan, worldwide excluding the USA, typical = 25th to 75th percentile of the quotes. Your price depends on age, health, plan and deductible. More countries on the cost map.
Travel medical plans for nomads
These are the travel plans our travel matcher checks against your age, trip and residence. Starting prices come from each insurer's published rates.
| Plan | From | Price basis | Good for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Genki Traveler | €52.50 a month | under 30, worldwide excluding the USA and Canada | Monthly subscription while you move between countries |
| IMG Patriot International | $1.33 a day | Patriot Lite, age 30 | Non-US citizens, can be bought after you arrive |
| Auras Insurance | $1.50 a day | smallest package, before age loading | Non-US and non-EU citizens, budget cover |
| VUMI Travel VIP | $5.27 a day | under 40, single trip | Higher limits, USA and Canada included |
| Expatriate Group TravelCare | $126.50 for 30 days | Basic, age 30, single trip, worldwide | Three cover levels, for European and worldwide residents |
| Optimum Global | £117.48 for 30 days | under 50, worldwide excluding the USA, before tax | Short trips, cancellation included |
Moving between countries with no fixed home
The most common question we get: you split the year between three or four countries and don't really live anywhere. Here is how insurance works for you.
Nomad travel medical plan
No fixed home needed. Buy it abroad, cover wherever you are.
- Best if you move often and mainly want emergency cover
- Lower monthly price
- Home country visits and the USA are limited
- Most have a maximum length, so check how long you can stay on it
International health insurance
You name a main country of residence, then you're covered across your chosen area.
- Best if you spend months in one base, or travel with family
- Covers routine and ongoing care, not just emergencies
- Renews every year, so it suits nomads in it for the long run
- Price depends on the country you name
I live in three or four countries a year and have no fixed home. Can I still get health insurance?
Yes. You have two routes. Nomad travel medical plans are built for people on the move: you can usually buy them while already abroad, they cover emergencies and unexpected illness wherever you are, and they do not need a permanent address. International health insurance asks for a country of residence, but once you have chosen one it covers you anywhere in the area of cover you pick, including routine and ongoing care.
What do I put as my country of residence if I don't really have one?
Ask the insurer how it defines country of residence and which country fits your pattern, and get the answer in writing before you buy. The country you give affects the price, your area of cover, how you're covered in your home country and whether you can buy the plan at all. Definitions differ between insurers, so read the one in the policy wording. Give an answer that is accurate under that definition: a wrong answer can lead the insurer to refuse a claim or cancel the policy. If no country fits, explain your pattern to the insurer or a broker before you buy.
Does the country I choose change the price?
Yes, often a lot. For the same 32-year-old on the same kind of plan, the median quote was £275 a month in Thailand, £259 in Portugal and £545 in Hong Kong (quotes taken 2026-09-24). If your time is split evenly the gap matters: Vietnam's median was £247 against £545 in Hong Kong. That's why the insurer's definition matters. Check with the insurer which country applies to you rather than picking one by price.
Will one policy cover me in all the countries I spend time in?
With international health insurance, yes, as long as every country is inside the area of cover you choose. Worldwide excluding the USA is the usual choice and costs much less than worldwide including the USA. If you spend any real time in the USA, include it. Travel medical plans cover you outside your home country, and most exclude or limit the USA unless you pay for it.
Am I covered when I go back to my home country?
It depends on the plan. International health insurance normally covers your home country if it is inside your area of cover. Nomad travel plans limit it: IMG Patriot covers up to 14 consecutive days as incidental travel, Genki covers emergencies in the first six weeks of a home visit after four weeks abroad, and SafetyWing covers 30 days in every 90 (15 for US residents).
One of the countries I spend time in needs insurance for my visa. Will my plan count?
Check the visa rule before you buy. Some visas accept travel insurance, for example Portugal's remote work visa. Others do not: Spain's digital nomad visa needs cover from an insurer authorised to operate in Spain, equivalent to the Spanish national health system. If one of your countries has a rule like that, you may need a local policy there as well as your international one.
What if my plans change halfway through the year?
With international health insurance, tell the insurer if your country of residence changes. The price may change, and cover based on out-of-date information can cause problems at claim time. Travel medical plans do not tie you to one country, so moving between trips usually changes nothing.
Is my country of residence for insurance the same as my tax residence?
Not necessarily. The insurance question is about where you actually live for the policy's purposes. Tax residence follows each country's tax rules and can be different. Answer the insurer's question on its own terms, and take tax advice separately if you need it.
How long can I stay on a nomad plan?
Nomad travel plans have limits. SafetyWing renews every four weeks for up to 364 days per period, Genki runs month by month for up to 12 months, and IMG Patriot Lite lasts up to 24 months. International health insurance renews every year, so it suits people who expect to keep moving for several years or want cover that does not end.
So which should I choose?
If you are healthy, move often and mainly want protection against emergencies, a nomad travel medical plan is usually enough and costs less. If you spend months at a time in one base, want check-ups and ongoing care covered, have a family with you, or plan to do this for years, international health insurance is the better fit. Many long-term nomads start on a travel plan and move to international health insurance once they settle into a main base.
General information, not advice. Policy wordings differ, so check the definitions of country of residence and area of cover before you buy.
Visa rules
15 of the 21 nomad visas we checked require health insurance. See every rule, with the official source, in our digital nomad visa insurance requirements table.
Common questions
- How much does health insurance cost for a digital nomad?
- Full international health insurance for a 32-year-old living in a popular nomad base (inpatient and outpatient, worldwide excluding the USA) typically costs £181 to £512 a month, based on real quotes from international insurers taken 2026-09-24. Travel medical plans built for nomads cost less, for example Genki Traveler from €52.50 a month under age 30.
- Is travel insurance enough for a digital nomad?
- Travel medical insurance covers emergencies and unexpected illness abroad, usually not routine care, check-ups or ongoing treatment, and often not your home country. If you stay in one base for months, or a visa asks for health insurance valid in the country, full international health insurance is usually the better fit. Some visas accept travel insurance (Portugal, Croatia) and some do not (Spain).
- Do digital nomad visas require health insurance?
- Most do. Of the 21 nomad and remote work visas in our table, 15 require health insurance, and only a few set a minimum amount (Costa Rica, Japan and South Korea).
- Which is cheaper for nomads, travel medical or international health insurance?
- Travel medical plans are cheaper per month but cover less. International health insurance costs more but covers routine and ongoing care, and usually renews every year regardless of claims. Compare both on price and on what they exclude.
- Can I buy health insurance after I have already left home?
- Many travel medical plans can be bought while you are abroad, sometimes with a short waiting period, for example IMG Patriot International. Our travel matcher checks this rule for each insurer.
- What is the best health insurance for digital nomads?
- There is no single best plan for every digital nomad. Compare plans on: every country you will be in, including transit countries and your home country; cover in the USA, which usually costs much more to include; trip length limits or annual renewal; routine care or emergencies only; pre-existing conditions; whether you can buy once abroad and any waiting period; evacuation, 24-hour assistance and direct billing; and whether the policy meets your visa's insurance rule.
- How do digital nomads get healthcare abroad?
- Usually as a paying patient. Public health systems do not necessarily cover non-residents, and many private hospitals ask for a deposit or an insurer's guarantee of payment before treatment; in Thailand, for example, the UK government says all hospitals require one. Your insurer may settle the bill directly at hospitals in its network, or you pay and claim it back. See what care costs in each country in our cost guides.
- Is nomad health insurance the same as travel insurance?
- Not always. Nomad travel medical plans cover emergencies and unexpected illness while you travel; international health insurance also covers routine and ongoing care and renews each year. Many nomads start on a travel plan and move to international health insurance once they settle in a main base. Travel insurance vs health insurance.