Digital nomads have been warned to purchase the right type of insurance while travelling abroad, in order to avoid financial burdens for emergency medical treatments.
With an increasing number of digital nomads marked worldwide in 2024, experts are urging them to undertake the necessary precautions in order to be able to deal with any type of emergencies during their travels, in particular health emergencies.
According to Behar Sadiku, Global Travel, Tourism, & Hospitality Expert at VisaGuide.World, the best way digital nomads can protect themselves while roaming the world is by buying the right type of insurance, instead of travelling with the wrong one, or no insurance at all.
He also claims that many digital nomads still do not understand how risky it is to travel without insurance.
Without coverage, nomads not only face financial burdens for emergency medical treatments, but they often might be unable to receive the care they need, leaving them in limbo in a foreign country, the language of which, they usually do not even understand. Insurance is not simply a need but a must-have.
However, the costs one might encounter when in need of medical care in a foreign country, depend on the country where they are. According to Finder, a one-night stay in a hospital in Monaco is equal to 1,721 nights spent at a hospital in Nepal. This also equals to spending 313 weeks with travel insurance in the United Kingdom.
Selecting the Right Type of Insurance as a Digital Nomad
Commenting on the importance of selecting the right type of insurance as a digital nomad, Besart Bajrami, founder of VisaGuide.World has pointed out that a thorough evaluation of insurance options ensures adequate protection and peace of mind for digital nomads throughout their nomadic adventures.
This may seem like a messy and consuming task for many, but once a nomad understands what he or she needs to consider before purchasing the right insurance, they will look at the activities they engage in with a whole other eye and understanding.
Whereas Dion Pllana, Global Travel Trends Analyst highlights the fact that many digital nomads fail to understand the differences between Travel Insurance and International Health Insurance, and often purchase the wrong one.
Many digital nomads struggle to grasp the difference between travel health insurance and international health insurance, mainly due to their similar names. While both offer coverage during travel, they have some profound differences when it comes to benefits, costs, and coverage.
He also explains that since most digital nomads spend long times away from home, international health insurance is the ideal one for them, as the same offers extended coverage and numerous benefits.
Those planning short-term trips, in countries near their home, travel insurance could also work fine.
Number of Digital Nomads & Visas Offered to Them Worldwide Are on the Rise
Five percent of the United States’ citizens, or 12.3 million, were digital nomads in 2023, twice more than in 2019. Data by Statista show that one of the main reasons in this rise was the surge in remote work opportunities offered amid COVID-19 and later on.
The US, at the same time, is one of the top three favorite countries for many digital nomads, alongside with Thailand and Spain. They mostly work in industries like IT, creative services, education, as well as sales, marketing and PR.
Attracting digital nomads, has become an important mission for many countries worldwide, offering then benefits and easy access to their territory. As a result the number of digital nomad visas is one the rise, with Italy and Türkiye, amongst the most recent countries to establish such visas.
Applications for Italy’s Digital Nomad visa opened on April 5, 2024. The program is anticipated to lure US citizens, in particular. Türkiye, on the other hand, is offering its digital nomad visa to citizens aged from 21 to 55 from the EU, UK US, Canada, Ukraine, Russia, and Belarus.