After traveling in India for 6 months, my travel insurance was expiring and eek! I wasn’t sure what to do. I needed to extend my insurance for another 6 months, did I have to go back to the US to buy it? Could I renew the travel insurance I already had? Or would I have to go without…?
Can foreigners buy travel insurance in India? Many travel insurance companies do NOT let you buy or renew your policy once you depart for your trip. There are some companies that let you buy a policy while you are traveling though. For example, I use and am happy with World Nomads.
When I started researching travel insurance, I was overwhelmed with details… Weird costs? Did I have pre-existing medical conditions? Loss of life and limb? This brought on a legit medical condition where I wanted a strong drink… spicy chai latte anyone? 😋There are so many details, so many situations and questions to consider:
- How soon do you need to buy the policy?
- Does it cover your laptop and camera?
- Do you need health insurance on top of travel insurance?
- What exactly does it cover?
- Do you actually need travel insurance or can you risk it, save some money and go without?
If you’re already traveling, I hope this article will save you some time and a few headaches. After finding insurance that I feel secure in, it’s so nice to know when I go to sleep that if something happens… I’m covered.
And I was able to renew my travel insurance in ~5 minutes after 6 months of traveling. I hope this article helps you make a decision you’re happy with and takes a load off your mind, so you can focus on the reason you are traveling to India in the first place… ☕️
Everything You Need to Consider When Buying Travel Insurance if You’re Already in India
If you are going to buy travel insurance when you’re already traveling in India, here is what you need to know. I looked at World Nomads because that is the company I used when I first came to India.
True Traveller is another company that allows you to buy travel insurance if you are already traveling. It is for UK and EU residents. It also gets good reviews.
Globelink is another company that I know of but can not personally recommend. It allows you to buy insurance if you are already traveling abroad. It is for UK and EU residents.
What Variables Affect the Price of your Travel Insurance?
The information below was generated by plugging in a number of variables into the quote generator you will find on the World Nomads website. It’s not meant to cover every situation and will change in time. It’s just meant to you give you an idea what to expect.
What countries are you traveling to?
In general, the more countries you travel to, the more you may pay, especially if you are going to a more dangerous country… but it’s not as much as you would think. When I did the research, I generated 4 quotes and found that unless you were traveling to 5 countries, the price was the same.
- The price for traveling to India for a US Citizen is $493 for the Standard Plan.
- The price for traveling to India and Sri Lanka (which recently had a terrible terrorist attack) is $493.
- The price for traveling to India and Pakistan is $493.
- The price for traveling to India, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Vietnam and Dubai is $513.
Therefore, you will pay just $20 more, even though you’re exploring more countries (some that might be considered dangerous). That’s pretty cool!
Where are you from?
The country you are from did have a significant impact on the price of your insurance using the World Nomads quote generator.
- The price for a US Citizen to travel for 180 days to India is: $493 for the Standard Plan
- The price for a German Citizen to travel for 180 days to India is: $514 USD for the Standard Plan
- The price for a Russian Citizen to travel for 180 days to India is: $569 USD for the Standard Plan
- The price for a French Citizen to travel for 180 days to India is: $558 USD for the Standard Plan
- The price for a British Citizen to travel for 180 days to India is: $285 USD for the Standard Plan
Therefore, a British citizen will pay less than half the price of what a Russian citizen will pay. However, a US, German, French, and Russian citizen will pay within $70 USD of each other. If you’re British, you’re in luck… not to mention you have that debonair accent 😎
What is your age?
I have read that age is a significant factor when considering the price of insurance. However, using World Nomads… an 18-year-old will pay the exact same as a 69-year-old, and so will everyone in between.
However, World Nomads does NOT cover someone 70 years old and above. For that, you would need to use a separate offering through the World Nomads website named Silver Nomads.
How long are you traveling for?
The longer you buy a policy for the better daily rate you will get.
- A 30-day Standard Plan to travel India is: $118 USD or $3.93 a day.
- A 90-day Standard Plan to travel India is: $320 USD or $3.55 a day.
- A 180-day Standard Plan to travel India is: $493 USD or $2.73 a day.
Therefore, if you buy a 180-day plan, you can save $214 or 30% of your total cost, then if you buy six 30-day plans.
Is there a waiting period?
It is common for an insurance company to have a mandatory waiting period when you buy a policy. This helps ensure someone isn’t buying insurance after something has happened.
The waiting period for World Nomads is 3 days (72 hours).
The waiting period for True Traveler is 2 days (48 hours).
Do you have a pre-existing medical condition?
You will NOT be covered for medical expenses or travel expenses that have occurred before you purchased your policy.
For example, if my MacBook was stolen on Tuesday and if I purchased insurance on Wednesday, the price would not be covered.
Another example, if I broke my foot before I was traveling and while I was traveling the pain came back, then I would NOT be covered for any medical expenses that I incurred.
What activities does the policy cover?
This is where things get more difficult and will vary widely based on your specific insurance policy. I purchased the World Nomad Explorer Plan, a step up from the Standard Plan, because it covered a wider range of adventurous activities and gave me more money if my Macbook was stolen.
I’ll read through my policy and we can see what activities are covered…
A List of Activities and Expenses Covered by World Nomads Explorer Plan
I used to run an adventure travel blog and while now I’m focused on my career and making that money, haha, I do like to do some adventurous activities. I like to take long rides on my scooter, I like to hike up the local mountain, and I like to do street photography in the city, which means I’m rubbing elbows with hundreds of people.
I also have an expensive MacBook Pro, a DSLR Canon camera, and other costly tools that I use for my full-time digital nomad job. If they were stolen or lost or broken, I would be in a less-than-advantageous position so I needed travel insurance in case the worst happened.
I’ve been happy with World Nomads and have a 28-page policy in a PDF on my phone with the details of the coverage… Keep in mind this is specific to World Nomads, being a US Citizen and a Texas resident. Your policy will be different and it is IMPORTANT to read it (even though it will bore you to tears). Have another strong chai!
- Adventurous stuff like riding my scooter and hiking: COVERED
- Trip delay, interruption, and cancellation: COVERED
- Baggage loss and personal effect loss: COVERED
- Will my MacBook be covered if stolen: There is a $500 max per item for Standard Plan. $1500 max per item for Explorer Plan. This is why I went with the Explorer plan. $1500 can get me a great new computer. $500 not so much.
- Collision damage: COVERED ONLY ON EXPLORER
- Emergency hospitalization and evacuation: COVERED. This is essential. I wanted to know that I would be covered if I had to be flown back to the US for treatment. The Standard Plan covers $300,000 and the Explorer Plan covers $500,000. It is totally worth the extra money to know I will not be ruined financially for the rest of my life if something terrible happens.
Related Questions:
What is the Best Travel Insurance for Canadian Citizens to India?
I did some research and found these companies were recommended.
- Travelex Insurance Services — Great for Families.
- John Hancock Insurance Agency — Great for Solo Backpackers.
- IMG — Great for Adventurous Travelers.
- Allianz Global Assistance — Great for Extended Trips.
Is there Good Health Insurance for Foreign Nationals in India?
A foreigner is able to buy Mediclaim or other health insurance in India. You will need a valid long-term travel visa and work permit.
