Travel health insurance will cover the costs of getting medical attention in case of an emergency abroad. Plans also include medical evacuation, repatriation, trip interruption, and more. It is necessary when you are going outside your country for periods of up to a year, or more. But even if you have local travel insurance, there is no guarantee that it will be accepted abroad.
Learn more about travelers' medical insurance policies in this article and get to know which medical insurance plans for traveling abroad best fit your needs.
Travelers' Medical Insurance
Travel health insurance plans combine the benefits of travel insurance plans with additional health and medical coverage. Whenever you travel to another country, it is a necessity to have the right international travel health insurance plan that will cover you in case the unexpected happens.
Here is a guide that will give you a general overview of the best international travel medical insurance plans, as well as recommendations for your trip.
Pro Tip: Visit our Plan Picker to find the best plan for your situation.
What is International Travel Health Insurance?
When you are traveling outside your home country, it is vital to buy international travel medical insurance to cover yourself against accidents or illnesses. Even if you have private medical insurance issued in your home country, it will most likely not cover you on your travel abroad. And if it does, its coverage will most likely be insufficient to provide safety and confidence during your trip.
What Does Travelers' Medical Insurance Cover?
- Freedom to seek treatment with a hospital or doctor of your choice
- Maximum limits from $50,000 to $2,000,000
- 24/7 access to an emergency assistance medical hotline to speak with medical experts
- Deductible options from $0 to $2,500
- Renewable for up to 24 months
- Travel delay and baggage delay benefits
- Universal Rx pharmacy discount savings
- Repatriation and emergency evacuation
- Consider a plan with coverage for Covid-19 (or Coronavirus)
Recommended Medical Travel Insurance Plans
Below are great options to cover you and your family during travel abroad. The Atlas plan is an affordable option for travelers from most countries. GeoBlue's Voyager plan is a comprehensive plan tailored to US citizens. The Seven Corners Travel Medical Plus plan includes coverage for COVID-19. The plan is a little more expensive but is worth considering if you would like this level of cover.
Best Insurance for US Citizens Traveling Abroad
A great plan for U.S. citizens traveling abroad is the Voyager Plan from GeoBlue, a partner of Blue Cross.

GeoBlue Voyager Plan
- For U.S. citizens up to age 95
- Coverage for COVID and pre-existing conditions
- 24/7/365 service and assistance
Best Insurance for International Travelers
An excellent option for international travelers traveling outside of their home country.

Safe Travels International
- Desinged for non-U.S. citizens traveling outside their home country (excluding the U.S.)
- Coverage for an unexpected recurrence of a Pre-Existing Condition
- Coverage from 5 days to 364 days - extensions are available
Best Insurance for International Visitors to the US
Safe Travels USA from Trawick is the best plan option for international citizens visiting the U.S.

Safe Travels USA
- Coverage for non-U.S. citizens traveling to the U.S.
- Coverage for an unexpected recurrence of a Pre-Existing Condition
- Coverage from 5 days to 364 days - extensions are available
Affordable Plans with Great Coverage and Benefits
Our best overall plan based on affordability, benefits, and service would be the Atlas Travel Insurance Plan.

Atlas Travel Insurance
- Emergency medical, evacuation, repatriation benefits
- Choose between the basic and more extensive coverage
- Meets Schengen visa insurance requirements
- 24/7 worldwide travel and emergency medical assistance
Or You Can Compare: Compare Travel Medical Insurance Plans
Frequently Asked Questions
Here at International Citizens Insurance, we provide a wide range of travel health insurance plans from some of the leading insurance providers today. Among our most popular plans is Seven Corners Travel Medical Insurance, which allows travelers to customize their coverage with different medical maximums and deductibles.
Atlas Travel Insurance is a comprehensive travelers' medical insurance policy that includes hospitalization and doctor coverage. It can also include insurance on lost luggage. You can customize the policy to include optional coverage for extreme sports.
With Patriot Platinum Insurance, you get the same coverage for extra riders and extreme sports. This is one of the best medical insurance for traveling abroad because it provides world-class coverage and access to the best service and assistance for traveling outside your home country.
You can review the list we made of the Best Travel Insurance Companies to get a better idea of which provider to choose.
For long-term travelers, expats, or individuals moving abroad for a year or longer, an international medical insurance plan might be a better option. These plans provide more comprehensive medical benefits but lack some of the coverage offered in travel health plans, such as trip interruption.
Medical insurance for travelers is surprisingly affordable. The average cost of an international travel medical insurance plan is $2 per day. It is very affordable compared to the high cost of medical care should something go wrong on your trip.
You can see in the table below that plans can cost from as low as $0.80 per day to as high as $5 a day, sometimes more. Monthly rates, ranging from $40 to $60, are also available, sometimes providing better value.
How much an international travel health insurance plan costs will depend on the length of the trip, your age, medical limits, and complications, and the deductible you choose by the time you purchase the plan.
Plans are often of a sort duration, within the travel period you have indicated, so the risks are less for insurance providers. As a result, medical insurance costs for traveling abroad are also significantly lower. Travel health insurance plans also do not cover trip cancellations, so their premiums are lower than usual.
Costs and Benefits of a Travel Medical Insurance Plan
The cost of your travel health insurance plan will cover several benefits, all under one policy. For the low price listed here, you get emergency medical coverage abroad, trip interruption benefits, repatriation, medical evacuation, 24/7 travel assistance, and coverage for lost or stolen items. Some plans include personal liability coverage, natural disaster, political evacuation, and more.
How Optional Coverage Adds to the Cost of Your Policy
Many plans offer additional optional benefits for an additional cost. For example, you can add coverage for adventure trips, mountaineering, or Accidental Death and Disability (AD&D). Each additional benefit will increase the price of your plan. In general, the increase in premiums is affordable and worth the added expense if you feel you need that additional coverage.
We offer a variety of medical insurance plans for traveling abroad, and they come at a range of different price points.
For reference, an affordable travel health insurance plan covers specific benefits that you need at a reasonable price you can pay for. Some inexpensive plans do not cover the most important benefits or cover them with limited value. Other low-cost policies provide considerable travelers' medical insurance coverage, but their service is not as good, so it will be frustrating to use it in emergencies.
International Citizens Insurance has filtered the best insurance providers that offer affordable plans with good coverage and excellent service. For the most affordable and reliable plans, we recommend the following options:
Applying for a travel health insurance plan is easy. Just answer a few questions about yourself and the planned trip to get the initial quote. From there, you can refine the plan and see how much the travelers' medical insurance will cost by selecting and deselecting different benefits and their maximum coverage amounts. You can also tweak the deductibles, optional add-on features, and other portions of the policy, if possible.
Use our Plan Picker to get started!
When you are satisfied with the quotation after adjusting the cost and benefits of the plan, you can proceed with the online application and pay for the plan using your credit card. A confirmation email will be sent along with insurance documentation and relevant contact details should you need emergency medical assistance on your next trip.
We have listed the best medical insurance for traveling abroad. Just follow the links on each one to learn more about the plan.
In most cases, they do. The travel medical insurance plans we offer are designed to meet, and even exceed, most visa requirements of most countries. We also have plans that can meet Schengen Visa insurance requirements.
Before traveling to a country, check the visa requirements to ensure you purchase the maximum benefit and deductible amounts required. Most countries require at least $50,000 of coverage in medical benefits, along with a specific deductible amount.
Read More: Insurance for Your Travel Visa
Check the visa requirements for the country you are traveling to, and then when purchasing your policy, you can select the level and benefits that meet those requirements.
Yes, definitely.
International travel medical insurance plans are designed to cover emergency medical expenses should you get sick or injured while traveling abroad. Suppose you are in an accident and need medical care. In that case, these plans are designed to help you find a doctor, get you treated in the best facilities available, cover necessary medical prescriptions, and provide continuous care.
These travel health insurance plans will typically not cover any pre-existing conditions you might have. Before you sign up for a policy, check the part pertaining to pre-existing conditions to clarify any questions or concerns regarding that portion.
Your medical insurance may not cover treatment for accidents or illnesses that occur while participating in certain dangerous activities. Some plans offer adventure sports cover as an optional add-on coverage. If you plan to partake in hazardous activities or sports events that pose a high risk of getting injured, it is best to get this add-on on top of your travelers' medical insurance.
Some policies, known as trip cancellation plans, also cover the cost of your trip if you have to cancel, and are typically more expensive. If you only want coverage for medical emergencies, a travel medical plan is right for you.
Not sure where to start? Use our Pick a Plan tool.
With the wide variety in names and coverage of travel, trip, and medical insurance plans, it can be very confusing to select which one is the most appropriate for your needs. Different service providers offer several levels of cover, so a travel health insurance plan provided by one insurer could be completely different from those offered by competitors.
Here is a short description of the two types of insurance plan to help you distinguish one from the other.
Trip insurance is a short-term solution that covers trip cancellation, protection, and limited emergency medical coverage. This type of policy is usually available only for up to 62 days.
A travel health insurance plan is more comprehensive. It provides increased medical coverage from what a regular trip or travel insurance policy does. This type of policy is best for travel periods lasting from 5 days up to a year.
If you are considering longer-term coverage or more comprehensive medical benefits, read these guides to help you see the available options:
Not sure where to start? Use our Pick a Plan tool.
Travel health insurance is a short-term solution for those who are traveling outside their home country anywhere between 5 days to a year. Whether it is for business or pleasure purposes, getting travelers' medical insurance is an essential part of ensuring safe travels.
Having health insurance at home will not guarantee you coverage when you travel to other countries. And usually, if it does provide coverage, it will be very limited and will not cover the most important areas that need to be addressed.
The plans we offer can be very beneficial to a broad range of traveling individuals including international vacationers, immigrants, relatives visiting from overseas, and foreign au pairs and nannies, among others.
The best part about global travel health insurance policies is that they are available to all nationalities traveling abroad.
As of August 24, 2022, the following countries require some or all visitors to carry their own travel medical insurance with COVID-19 coverage. (Get more specific detail on the latest travel insurance requirements.) Double-check all requirements before booking your travel insurance.
- Argentina
- Cayman Islands
- Cuba
- Fiji
- Israel
- Saudi Arabia
- Schengen zone countries (for those who require a visa):
- Austria
- Belgium
- the Czech Republic
- Denmark
- Estonia
- Finland
- France
- Germany
- Greece
- Hungary
- Iceland
- Italy
- Latvia
- Liechtenstein
- Lithuania
- Luxembourg
- Malta
- the Netherlands
- Norway
- Poland
- Portugal
- Slovakia
- Slovenia
- Spain
- Sweden
- Switzerland
- Seychelles
- Singapore
- Sint Maarten
- Turkey
- Ukraine
- Uruguay
- Vietnam
Example Costs for Travel Health Insurance Plans
The costs of the travel medical plans outlined below will give you a good indication of what you will pay when purchasing your policy. As mentioned above, these costs will vary depending on a variety of factors, including your age, the benefits selected, and optional benefits you select, and the specific plan you choose. When selecting a plan, the premiums should be a consideration but also consider the coverage and customer service of the provider you choose to buy your plan from. We have put together our list of the best travel insurance companies to help you find the best overall value.
The rates in the tables below were calculated with a $250 deductible.
Rates were last updated in April 2023.
Recommended Travel Medical Plan Options for US Citizens
The following rate tables below show the cost per day for U.S. citizens traveling outside of the U.S.
Recommended Travel Medical Plan Options for Visitors to the US
The following rate tables below show the cost per day for non-U.S. citizens traveling to the U.S.
The plans, IMG Patriot America, WorldTrips Atlas America and Seven Corners Travel Medical Plus, provide coverage inside the U.S. and outside the U.S.
Trawick Safe Travels USA only provides coverage inside the U.S.
Pro Tip: Visit our Plan Picker to find the best plan at the right price for your trip.
Different Levels of Plans for Travelers
Here at International Citizens Insurance, we provide a wide range of travel health insurance plans from some of the leading insurance providers today. Among our most popular plans are the Patriot Plans with different levels to choose from, each designed to suit the needs of various travelers.
Atlas Travel Insurance is a comprehensive policy that includes hospitalization and doctor coverage. It can also include insurance on lost luggage. You can customize the policy to include optional coverage for extreme sports.
With Patriot Platinum Insurance, you get the same coverage for extra riders and extreme sports. This is one of the best medical insurance for traveling abroad because it provides world-class coverage and access to the best service and assistance for traveling outside your home country.
You can review the list we made of the Best Travel Insurance Companies to get a better idea of which provider to choose.
Annual (Multi-Trip) Plans for Frequent Travelers
International travel medical insurance is available as a single-trip plan that covers a specific trip for a specified number of days.
An annual travel insurance plan can cover all trips outside your home country during the year. This is usually valid for a year and up to a certain number of days per trip. This is the more cost-effective medical insurance for traveling abroad, especially if you are a frequent traveler.
If you are looking for one of the best travel health insurance policies we offer, consider the GeoBlue Trekker annual travel health insurance plan. See the link below for more details on the policy and how you can get a quote before your purchase online.

Trekker MultiTrip Travel Insurance
- Up to $500,000 for sickness and accidents
- $500,000 medical evacuation benefit
- Covers Covid-19 and pre-existing conditions
Buy One of Our Recommended Travel Medical Plans
Atlas Travel Insurance: Learn More | Free Quote / Apply (Best for All Nationalities Traveling Abroad)

Atlas Travel Insurance
- Emergency medical, evacuation, repatriation benefits
- Choose between the basic and more extensive coverage
- Meets Schengen visa insurance requirements
- 24/7 worldwide travel and emergency medical assistance
GeoBlue Travel Insurance: Learn More | Free Quote / Apply (Best for US Citizens Abroad)

GeoBlue Voyager Plan
- For U.S. citizens up to age 95
- Coverage for COVID and pre-existing conditions
- 24/7/365 service and assistance
A message from the Center for Disease Control: Severe illness or injury abroad may result in a financial burden on you and your family. Although planning for every possible contingency is impossible, travelers can reduce the cost of a medical emergency by considering the purchase of 3 types of insurance for their trip: trip insurance, travel health insurance, and medical evacuation insurance. These insurance policies can be purchased before a trip to provide coverage in the event of an illness or injury and may be of particular importance to individuals with chronic medical conditions. Basic accident or travel insurance may even be required for travelers to certain destinations.
Author: Joe Cronin, Founder and President of International Citizens Insurance. Mr. Cronin, a former expat, is an authority in the areas of international travel, and global health, life, and travel insurance, with expertise in advising individuals and groups on benefits for today's global workforce. Follow him on LinkedIn or Twitter.