The brochure version of nomad life is simple: fly, work from a laptop, repeat. The insurance version is messier. Most travel policies are built for a two-week holiday, so the things that define your life on the road — earning money remotely, carrying gear you depend on, staying away for months, needing real medical care far from home — sit in the small print under exclusions. None of it is hidden on purpose; it simply doesn't match how you travel. Here are the mistakes that come up again and again, and how to sidestep them.
Buying cover for a holiday you aren't taking
Standard travel insurance assumes you are on holiday, not working. Teach English online from a café in Lisbon, help at a hostel in exchange for a free bed, pick fruit for a few weeks, or take on freelance design work, and you may have crossed a line the policy draws but never advertised.
The tricky part is that insurers define "work" differently. One policy means any paid activity. Another excludes only manual work. A third treats remote work for an overseas client as ordinary travel. If you sprain an ankle carrying crates in exchange for accommodation, a claims assessor will ask exactly what you were doing and why.
Look for policies described as long-stay, backpacker, working-holiday or nomad-friendly, and read the definition of "work" before anything else. If the wording is vague, email the insurer with your actual plans and keep the reply. Being honest at purchase is far cheaper than being declined at claim.
Treating medical cover as an afterthought
Emergency medical treatment and evacuation are the real reason to buy cover at all. The rest is useful, but this is the part that can run into serious money. Check the limit per trip and per condition, the excess you pay, and whether you must ring the assistance line before non-emergency treatment. Turning up at a clinic and claiming later is a common way to lose a claim.
Routine check-ups, vaccinations, dental work and ongoing prescriptions are usually excluded. Some policies cover emergency stabilisation abroad but want you flown home for anything further. If you live with a long-term condition, the policy must know about it: undeclared pre-existing conditions are one of the most frequent reasons for refusal. Long-term nomads often need something closer to an international health plan than a holiday policy, which is a different product with different rules. For anything medical, speak to a doctor and your insurer before you travel rather than relying on general guidance.
Forgetting that your gear is your office
Laptops, cameras, drones and audio kit are the tools of the trade, and baggage cover is rarely generous with them. Read the numbers carefully: a total baggage limit, a per-item cap, and often a lower sub-limit for valuables where laptops and cameras sit. New-for-old replacement is not universal; some policies pay out depreciated value. There is usually an excess per claim, and proof of ownership is expected.
Before you leave, photograph every item, note serial numbers and keep receipts in cloud storage. Check what happens when gear is in a checked bag, left in a vehicle, or unattended in a dorm. If one item is worth more than the per-item cap, ask whether it can be listed separately, and expect to pay extra.
Skimming past the word "repatriation"
Repatriation covers two different things, and both matter. Medical repatriation is about getting you to suitable care, or home, if you are badly hurt or ill. Repatriation of remains covers the cost of returning a body or ashes, and sometimes a relative's travel to be with you.
Ask who decides. Some insurers move you to a larger hospital in the region; others fly you home once you are stable. A few give you a say. Find out whether a companion's travel and accommodation are included, and whether the assistance line must authorise everything in advance. Save the emergency number offline, because the moment you need it is rarely the moment you have signal.
Letting cover lapse, expire or start in the wrong place
Many policies require your trip to begin in the UK, and most cap how long a single trip can last. Buying cover after you have already left can void it or leave you with restrictions you did not expect. Extensions normally have to be arranged before the current policy expires, not after.
Watch the smaller gaps too. A quick trip home for a wedding can end cover if it isn't declared. Scooters, diving, climbing and skiing usually need activity add-ons. A UK GHIC or EHIC card can help with state-provided care in some countries, but it is not a substitute for insurance and won't cover evacuation, gear or most private treatment. Set a reminder a fortnight before expiry so you are renewing early, not begging.
Questions to ask before you pay
Comparison sites are good at showing price and bad at showing fit. Put these to the insurer directly, in writing:
- Does the policy cover the work I will actually be doing, including unpaid, voluntary and remote work?
- What is the medical limit, what excess applies, and must I call before treatment?
- Have my pre-existing conditions been declared and accepted in writing?
- What are the per-item and total limits for gear, and can I list high-value items separately?
- How does repatriation work, who decides, and where would I be taken?
- How long can one trip last, and how do extensions work if I stay longer?
- Does cover stop if I return home, or if I take a gap between countries?
- Which activities are excluded, and what add-ons are available?
- Is there a 24/7 emergency line, and what number do I call from abroad?
A short routine for the day you buy
Reading the small print is dull. Doing it once, properly, saves an argument later when you are tired, unwell and far from home. Before you close the laptop:
- Read the exclusions and definitions first, then the benefits table.
- Save the policy, certificate and emergency number in an offline folder on your phone.
- Write a one-page summary: main exclusions, what to do in an emergency, who to call.
- Tell someone at home which insurer you are with, your policy number and where the documents live.
- Diary the expiry date and any extension deadlines.
If an insurer won't answer your questions clearly before you buy, take that as your answer. Cover that's cheap because it excludes your actual life isn't good value; it's just a document you'll be arguing with from a hospital bed. And where money, health or legal questions get complicated, a qualified adviser is worth the conversation.
Photo: webandi / Pixabay
