The short answer: for most budget and long-term travellers in Southeast Asia, SafetyWing Essential (about $63 per 4 weeks, ages 18-39) or Genki Traveler (from about EUR 52 a month) is the cheapest solid medical cover. If you ride scooters without a motorbike licence, Genki is the only mainstream option here that still covers you on bikes up to 125cc. If you want trip cancellation, baggage and broad adventure cover, World Nomads or Heymondo cost more but do more. UK and European residents should also get a quote from True Traveller.
The fine print matters more in Southeast Asia than almost anywhere else, because the two things most likely to put you in hospital are scooter crashes and diving or adventure activities. Those are exactly the areas where policies differ most. This guide compares published cover, not marketing copy, as of September 2026.
Quick Comparison (as of September 2026)
| SafetyWing Essential | World Nomads | Heymondo | Genki Traveler | True Traveller | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Typical price | $62.72 per 4 weeks (age 18-39); roughly $90-200+ for 40-69 | about $4-8/day (US residents), GBP 3-4/day (UK) | about $65-120 per 30 days | EUR 52.50-63.90/month under 40; about EUR 80-170 aged 40-69 | Quote only |
| Medical limit | $250,000 | US: $125k-250k; UK: GBP 5m-10m; AU: A$5m to unlimited | Up to $10m (varies by plan and market) | EUR 1m | Varies by tier |
| Deductible / excess | $0 for most non-US residents | Varies by residence | $0 on single-trip policies | EUR 50 per case (none for inpatient) | Varies by tier |
| Scooters | 50cc only unless you buy the Adventure Sports add-on; licence required | Covered (injury only) with the correct licence and a helmet; UK plans need the motorbike add-on | Check the wording; not clearly published | Up to 125cc even without a licence (helmet required) | Licence and helmet required |
| Scuba diving | To your certified depth with the add-on | To 50 m (US) or 30 m (UK) | Under 20 m, add-on required | To 30 m if certified | 18 m standard, 40 m or 50 m with packs |
| Trip cancellation | No | Yes | Yes (Top and Premium) | No | Yes |
| Buy while travelling | Yes | Yes | Yes, with a 72-hour wait (not for every market) | Yes | Yes, conditions apply |
| Best for | Nomads, long-term backpackers | Adventure trips, AU and UK residents | Short trips needing high limits | Unlicensed scooter riders, long stays | UK/EU backpackers |
Prices depend on your age, country of residence, trip length and destination, so use these as starting points and get your own quote.
How We Compared These Policies
We are an editorial site, not a broker, and we earn no commission from any insurer on this page. The links below are plain links. In September 2026 we compared each provider's own plan pages and help-centre articles, and checked them against recent independent reviews. We have not made claims with every provider, so this is a comparison of what the policies say they cover, not of how quickly they pay.
A few honest limits of any comparison like this:
- Your residence changes the policy. World Nomads sells different products in the US, UK and Australia, with very different limits. Heymondo's limits also vary by market.
- Prices move. Several insurers adjusted prices and plan wording in 2026. SafetyWing, for example, revised its Essential plan in February 2026.
- The policy wording always wins. If a detail matters to you, such as a pre-existing condition, a dive depth or an engine size, read the policy document before you buy.
Why Southeast Asia Needs Proper Cover
Southeast Asia is cheap to travel in, but it is not cheap to be seriously ill or injured there. Private hospitals in tourist hubs are good, and they expect to be paid.
- Payment before treatment. The UK government's Thailand health advice warns that hospitals require a guarantee of payment before they treat you. Australia's Smartraveller gives the same warning about Indonesia, even in emergencies.
- Big bills are routine. Thailand's Ministry of Public Health says unpaid bills from foreign patients reach at least 100 million baht a year. In one 2026 case, a tourist's spinal injury cost more than 1 million baht. In 2025, a British man injured in a Phuket crash without valid insurance faced hospital charges of around GBP 10,000 a day.
- Evacuation is the budget-breaker. From remote islands such as Palawan, Flores or the Gili Islands, a medical flight to Bangkok, Singapore or home can cost tens of thousands of dollars. This is why the medical and evacuation limit matters more than the headline price.
Is travel insurance mandatory? Not for tourists in most of the region. For Thailand, as of September 2026, a mandatory tourist accident cover is under government consideration but not in force. Some long-stay visas, such as the Thai O-A and O-X retirement visas, do require medical insurance. See our Southeast Asia visa guide for current entry rules.
SafetyWing Nomad Insurance
SafetyWing is the default choice for digital nomads. It is a rolling subscription billed every 4 weeks that you can start before you leave or while you are already abroad.
Plans (as of September 2026):
| Essential | Complete | |
|---|---|---|
| Price (age 18-39) | $62.72 per 4 weeks | $177.50 per month |
| Medical limit | $250,000 | $1,500,000 per year |
| Deductible | $0 for most non-US residents | None; 10% co-pay on outpatient care |
| Adventure sports | Paid add-on (about $10 per 4 weeks) | Included (to $250,000) |
| Trip cancellation | No (interruption only) | Up to $300 per trip |
| Electronics | Paid theft add-on | Up to $2,000 per item |
What stands out:
- Scooter rules are strict on Essential. The base plan only covers motorbikes and scooters up to 50cc. Almost every rental scooter in Thailand, Vietnam or Bali is 110-160cc, so if you plan to ride, buy the Adventure Sports add-on at signup. It cannot be added to a plan that is already running. You also need to be properly licensed for the vehicle and wear a helmet. The same cc rule applies to passengers.
- Diving: with the add-on, scuba is covered to the depth you, or your instructor, are certified for. That makes it a good fit for Koh Tao or Komodo dive courses.
- Age: Essential prices rise steeply after 40. Third-party quotes from early 2026 put ages 40-69 at roughly $90-200 per 4 weeks, and current prices are likely a little higher. Complete can only be bought up to age 64.
- Pre-existing conditions are not covered.
Best for: long-term backpackers and remote workers who want cheap medical cover they can buy on the road and cancel any time. It is less suitable if you need cancellation cover, or if you are over 50.
World Nomads
World Nomads is the adventure traveller's brand. It covers hundreds of activities, and all plans include trip cancellation and baggage cover. The catch is that the policy you get depends on where you live.
| Residence | Plans | Medical limit | Trip cancellation |
|---|---|---|---|
| USA | Standard / Explorer / Epic | $125,000 / $150,000 / $250,000 (evacuation $400k-700k) | $2,500 / $10,000 / $15,000 |
| UK | Standard / Explorer | GBP 5m / GBP 10m | GBP 3,000 / GBP 5,000 |
| Australia | Standard / Explorer | A$5m / unlimited | A$5,000 / unlimited |
Prices: a mid-2026 sample quote for a 25-year-old on a 3-month Southeast Asia trip came to about $450 (Standard) or $700 (Explorer) for a US resident, and about GBP 300-315 for a UK resident. That works out at roughly $4-8 a day or GBP 3-4 a day.
What stands out:
- Activity cover is the widest here: 250-340+ activities depending on the plan. Scuba is covered to 50 m on US plans and 30 m on UK plans.
- Motorbikes: injuries are covered, but damage to the bike is not. You must hold the licence required both at home and in the country you are riding in, and wear a helmet. On UK plans, motorbiking under 125cc is an optional add-on activity, so tick it when you buy.
- US medical limits are modest. $125,000-250,000 is fine for most emergencies in Southeast Asia, but it is well below what UK and Australian residents get for similar money.
- You can buy or extend while travelling, though waiting periods may apply.
Best for: adventure-heavy trips such as trekking, diving and canyoning, and for travellers who want cancellation and gear cover in one policy. It is especially good value for UK and Australian residents.
Heymondo
Heymondo is a Spanish insurer with three single-trip plans. It offers very high medical limits, and no deductible on single-trip policies. Its app includes a 24/7 doctor chat, which is genuinely useful when you are sick in a small town and not sure you need a hospital.
| Medical | Top | Premium | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Medical limit | up to $10m | about $5m | up to $10m |
| Trip cancellation | No | about $3,500 | about $7,000 |
| Baggage | No | about $1,700 | about $2,500 |
Limits above are for the widely sold international version as of late 2025 to 2026. Some markets, including the US, get a different product, so check your quote.
Prices: roughly $27-37 for two weeks and $65-120 for 30 days, depending on the plan and your age.
What stands out:
- Diving is the weak spot. Even with the Adventure Sports add-on, scuba is only covered to less than 20 m. That rules out most Advanced Open Water dives on the Coron wrecks or at Sipadan.
- Age limits for long trips. Travellers up to 69 can buy trips of 29 days or less, but for trips of 30 days or more the limit is 49.
- Scooter rules: we could not find a clear, current published statement of Heymondo's motorbike conditions. Read the policy wording, or ask them in writing, before you ride.
- Pre-existing conditions are excluded. You can generally buy while already abroad, but a 72-hour waiting period applies, and this option is not available in every market.
Best for: one to three month trips where you want high medical limits, cancellation cover and no deductible. It is not the pick for serious divers or long-trippers over 49.
Genki Traveler and Genki Native
Genki policies are underwritten by Squarelife Insurance in Liechtenstein. It sells medical-only travel health insurance. Note that the Genki Explorer plan has been retired and replaced by Genki Traveler, so ignore older reviews that use the old name.
Genki Traveler (as of September 2026):
- Price: EUR 52.50/month for ages 0-29 and EUR 63.90 for ages 30-39. Third-party quotes put ages 40-69 at roughly EUR 80-170. Adding USA and Canada roughly doubles the price.
- Medical limit: EUR 1,000,000.
- Deductible: EUR 50 per case, and none for inpatient stays. You can pay extra for a EUR 0 deductible.
- Scooters: the standout feature. Light motorcycles up to 125cc / 11 kW with a top speed of 110 km/h or less are covered even without a motorbike licence, as long as the rider wears a helmet. Passengers are covered too. No other policy on this page does that.
- Sports: scuba to 30 m if you are certified, and trekking to 4,000 m on non-technical routes.
- What is not included: trip cancellation, baggage, electronics and flight delay. Genki covers your health, nothing else.
- Eligibility: open to people from any country, up to age 69 at signup, for up to 12 months. You can sign up at home or abroad. New illnesses in the first 14 days are only covered if they are emergencies, but accidents are covered from day one.
Genki Native is full international health insurance for expats and long-term nomads. It costs from around EUR 180-260 a month, depending on the tier and deductible. It is the only product here that may accept pre-existing conditions, which it assesses case by case through health questions.
Best for: anyone who will ride a scooter without a motorcycle licence (Traveler), and long-stayers who want real health insurance (Native). Pair Traveler with separate gadget cover if you carry an expensive laptop or camera.
True Traveller (UK and Europe)
True Traveller is only sold to residents of the UK and about 37 European countries. It is a long-standing backpacker favourite because you can build cover from a base tier and add activity packs.
- Tiers: True Value (under 40, budget), Traveller, and Traveller Plus (higher medical and cancellation limits).
- Diving: 18 m as standard, 40 m with the Adventure Pack, 50 m with the Extreme Pack.
- Trekking: to 4,600 m with the Adventure Pack.
- Motorbikes: a valid national motorcycle licence and a helmet are required.
- Buying abroad: allowed if your previous cover has expired and nothing has happened that could lead to a claim. A 48-hour waiting period applies, except for accidents.
- Ages: up to 75, or 65 for annual multi-trip policies.
We could not confirm the exact current medical limits and excess amounts from the public pages, so get a quote and check the policy summary.
Best for: UK and EU backpackers who want cancellation cover and flexible activity packs, and who hold a motorbike licence.
Scooters and Motorbikes: Read This Before You Ride
More travel insurance claims in Southeast Asia are refused over scooters than over anything else. Claims usually fail for the same few reasons:
- No motorcycle licence, or the wrong permit. In Thailand, you need your home licence with a motorcycle category and an International Driving Permit (IDP) that shows category A. A car-only IDP does not cover two-wheelers. In Bali, police check for an IDP with the motorcycle class alongside your original licence. A photo on your phone does not count.
- No helmet, for the rider or the passenger.
- Alcohol. Any trace is usually enough for a refusal.
- Engine size above the plan limit. SafetyWing Essential covers only 50cc without its add-on. Many other plans cap you at 125cc.
- Damage and liability. Almost no travel policy pays for damage to the rented bike or to other people's property. Take photos of the bike before you ride off, and never hand over your passport as a deposit.
Australia's Smartraveller puts it plainly: a claim is paid when the rider was correctly licensed, followed local law including helmet use, and met the policy conditions. If you do not have a motorcycle licence, either choose a policy that covers unlicensed riding on small bikes (Genki Traveler), or use Grab and Gojek bike taxis instead of renting.
Which Policy Should You Choose?
| If you are... | Consider |
|---|---|
| A digital nomad or backpacker on the road for months | SafetyWing Essential (add Adventure Sports if you ride or dive) or Genki Traveler |
| Planning to rent scooters without a motorcycle licence | Genki Traveler |
| On a 2-6 week trip with flights and hotels to protect | Heymondo Top or Premium, or World Nomads |
| Doing deep dives, liveaboards or serious treks | World Nomads, SafetyWing with Adventure Sports, or True Traveller with an activity pack |
| A UK or EU resident | Get quotes from True Traveller and World Nomads UK |
| Over 50 on a long trip | Compare Genki Traveler with World Nomads. Heymondo's cap for 30+ day trips is 49 |
| Living with a pre-existing condition | Genki Native, or a specialist insurer in your home country |
Budgeting: medical-only cover for a month typically costs $60-120 for travellers under 40 as of September 2026. Adding cancellation and gear cover pushes that to around $100-250. For the rest of your trip budget, see our Southeast Asia travel cost guide.
FAQ
What is the best travel insurance for Southeast Asia?
It depends on how you travel. SafetyWing Essential and Genki Traveler are the cheapest solid medical options for long trips. World Nomads and Heymondo add trip cancellation and baggage cover. Genki Traveler is the only one of these that covers unlicensed scooter riding, on bikes up to 125cc.
How much does travel insurance for Southeast Asia cost?
As of September 2026, expect about $60-120 a month for medical-focused cover if you are under 40, and $4-8 a day for fuller policies with cancellation, such as World Nomads for US residents. Prices rise sharply with age.
Does travel insurance cover scooter accidents in Thailand and Bali?
Only if you meet the policy conditions. Most policies require a motorcycle licence plus an International Driving Permit with the motorcycle category, a helmet and no alcohol. Many also cap the engine size. Genki Traveler covers bikes up to 125cc without a licence, and SafetyWing Essential covers only 50cc unless you buy its add-on.
Is travel insurance mandatory for Thailand?
Not for tourists as of September 2026. A mandatory accident cover for foreign visitors has been proposed but is not in force. Some long-stay visas, such as the O-A and O-X, do require health insurance.
Can I buy travel insurance after I have already left home?
Yes, with most of these providers. SafetyWing, World Nomads and Genki all let you buy while abroad. Heymondo and True Traveller allow it with a waiting period (72 and 48 hours respectively), and Heymondo does not offer this in every market.
Does travel insurance cover scuba diving in Southeast Asia?
Usually, but the depth limit varies. World Nomads covers 50 m (US plans) or 30 m (UK plans). Genki covers 30 m if you are certified. SafetyWing covers your certified depth with its add-on. Heymondo covers less than 20 m with its add-on. True Traveller covers 18 m as standard and up to 50 m with activity packs.
More Waddat guides for planning your trip:
- Southeast Asia Travel Cost Guide - daily budgets by country
- Southeast Asia Visa Requirements - entry rules by passport
- Best Time to Visit Southeast Asia - weather month by month
- Thailand Budget Travel Guide - costs, transport and tips
- El Nido to Coron Ferry Guide - Palawan's key sea crossing
- Southeast Asia 1-Month Itinerary - a full regional route
Last updated: September 2026. Insurance terms, prices and eligibility change often and depend on your country of residence. Always read the full policy wording before you buy. This page is general information, not financial advice.
