Is travel insurance mandatory to travel to certain countries?

Before your trip, check to see if there are current travel alerts for your destination – you can also view the latest government advice.

Some countries require visitors to buy travel or medical insurance before they can enter. These requirements change frequently, so it’s best to check with your tour operator or the country’s Ministry of Tourism to determine the current status and requirements before you go.

Why should I get travel insurance?

Regardless of any mandatory travel insurance requirements in place, it’s still a very good idea to consider travel insurance for your trip because:

  • Your personal health insurance may not cover you overseas. Travel insurance can help cover your emergency medical expenses if you become seriously ill or are injured during your trip.
  • Travel insurance plans offered through the local government may have limited medical coverage and may have no coverage at all for other circumstances such as trip cancellation, trip interruption, lost bags, or damaged gear. So even if you are purchasing (or required to purchase) a local plan, additional coverage through a company like World Nomads will help protect all aspects of your trip.

What do World Nomads policies cover me for?

Depending on your Country of Residence and which plan you’ve purchased, our policies may cover you, up to policy limits, for:

We offer two plans – Standard and Explorer – each of which offers different levels of coverage depending on your Country of Residence. It is up to you to choose what plan has the right level of coverage to meet your travel needs.

What countries do I need to have travel insurance for?

Please note that this is not a comprehensive list, and travel rules change frequently so be sure to confirm entry requirements for your destination(s) before you travel.

Bhutan

All visitors to Bhutan are required to have valid travel insurance for the duration of their trip. For more information see here.

Galapagos Islands

Whilst at this time travel insurance is not required to enter Ecuador, it is required to visit the Galapagos Islands. We suggest checking with the Ecuador Ministry of Tourism before you travel to determine the latest status of this requirement as the situation is under review.

Iran

Travel insurance that is specifically valid for travel in Iran is mandatory in order to obtain a visa. Unfortunately, most World Nomads policies do not provide cover for Iran.

All Schengen Countries

If you are required to obtain a Schengen visa in order to enter any member country of the Schengen area, you will be required to provide proof of medical insurance. Your insurance policy must:

  • Include minimum coverage of medical costs: at least 30,000 EUR
  • Cover all member states of the Schengen Area.
  • Cover any expenses that might arise with repatriation for medical reasons, urgent health attention and/or emergency hospital treatment or death

See here for more information.

Always Check the Requirements

Keep in mind that entry requirements are always changing and may depend on your Country of Residence so make sure to check the requirements before you travel.

Got Questions? Contact us. With World Nomads you can get an instant quote anytime, anywhere, before you leave home or while you’re on the road.

Note: all travel insurance plans are different, and cover will vary, depending on what's happened, your Country of Residence, the plan you choose and any options or upgrades you buy.

Travel insurance doesn’t cover everything. All of the information we provide is a brief summary. It does not include all terms, conditions, limitations, exclusions and termination provisions of the plans described. Coverage may not be the same or available for residents of all countries, states or provinces. Please carefully read your policy wording for a full description of coverage. If you have any questions, please contact us.


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We’re here to help if you have a question about travel insurance. We’re available:

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For policies purchase on or after 2 December 2018:


+353 21 237 8007

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For policies purchased before 2 December 2018:


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