Travel insurance is arguably more important for those spending longer periods overseas. Here’s how to use travel insurance to ensure adequate protection for long-term travel.
Best Travel Insurance in Singapore
Starr TraveLead Travel Insurance | Allianz Partners Travel Insurance | HLAS CovidSafe Travel Protect 360 | AIG Travel Guard® Direct | FWD Travel Insurance | Singlife Travel Insurance | Sompo Travel Insurance | MSIG TravelEasy | Etiqa (TIQ) Travel Insurance | Tokio Marine TM Xplora Plus | Ergo Travel Protect
Let’s get one thing out of the way: You absolutely need travel insurance if you’re going on a long-term overseas trip.
This is because your Medishield Life and/or Medishield IP only cover you for hospitalisation and medical treatment when you’re in Singapore. Which means, the longer you are away from home, the more you’re running around without medical insurance coverage.
Also, if you’re taking a 6-month sabbatical to, uhm, run with the horses or something, the chances of you breaking a foot is much higher than if you were simply sitting at your desk bound job.
So now that we’ve established that you’re going to need travel insurance for that long-awaited odyssey around the world, let’s take a closer look at your options.
SingSaver's Best Price Travel Campaign: All successful applicants of participating Travel Insurance products will receive 1x (single trip) or 3x (annual trip) draw chance to enter our weekly lucky draw, where 1 lucky winner will stand to have their flight ticket reimbursed (up to a maximum of $2,000) and 12 lucky winners will receive a Samsonite Volant Spinner 68/25 EXP worth S$480. Valid till 31 December 2023. T&Cs apply.
| Travel Insurance | Premium for Individual Cover | Covid-19 Coverage | Promotion |
|
Starr TraveLead Travel Insurance
|
from S$11.05 (for 1 week in ASEAN)
|
Yes
|
Get up to $50 Grab Vouchers (min. Premium $30) and get 35% off when you use promo code SSVTL35. Valid till 10 Dec 2023. T&Cs apply. Plus, till 31 December, every applicant will also score an Apple AirTag — perfect for keeping tabs on your luggage on your next trip — or a ReboundTag. T&Cs apply.
Enjoy 1x chance (Single Trip) or 3x chances (Annual Trip) to enter our weekly lucky draw. 1 lucky winner will stand to have their flight ticket reimbursed and 12 lucky winners will receive a Samsonite Volant Spinner 68/25 EXP worth S$480. Promotion ends on 31 December 2023. T&Cs apply.
Additionally, enjoy 1x chance to win your share your share of up to S$200,000 in prizes in our epic 101! Milestone Giveaway, including S$5,000 bonus cash each week on top of ongoing promotions! T&Cs apply.
|
|
MSIG Travel Easy
|
from S$34.10 (for 1 week in ASEAN)
|
Yes
|
Enjoy 40% off when you apply for Single Trips and 20% off for Annual Plan plus get up to $38 Grab Vouchers when you purchase now!! Valid till 17 December 2023. T&Cs apply. Plus, till 31 December, every applicant will also score an Apple AirTag — perfect for keeping tabs on your luggage on your next trip — or a ReboundTag. T&Cs apply.
Enjoy up to 3x chances to enter our Weekly Lucky Draw, where 1 lucky winner will stand to have their flight ticket reimbursed and 12 lucky winners will receive a Samsonite Volant Spinner 68/25 EXP worth S$480. T&Cs apply.
Additionally, enjoy 1x chance to win your share your share of up to S$200,000 in prizes in our epic 101! Milestone Giveaway, including S$5,000 bonus cash each week on top of ongoing promotions! T&Cs apply. |
|
Allianz Travel Insurance
|
from S$34.10 (for 1 week in Asean)
|
Yes
|
Use promo code SSV50 to get 50% discount, up to $35 Grab Vouchers, and 1x Airalo eSim with up to 3GB data (minimum premium of $60) when you apply NOW! Valid till 8 December 2023. T&Cs apply.
Additionally, enjoy 1x chance (Single Trip) or 3x chances (Annual Trip) to enter our weekly lucky draw, where 1 lucky winner will stand to have their flight ticket reimbursed and 12 lucky winners will receive a Samsonite Volant Spinner 68/25 EXP worth S$480. Promotion ends on 31 December 2023. T&Cs apply. |
|
FWD Travel Insurance
|
from S$22.50 (for 1 week in Asean)
|
Yes
|
Use the promo code 12TWELVE to get a 35% discount on Single Trip and 30% discount on Annual Trip plans! Valid till 5 Dec 2023. T&Cs apply. Also receive: 1x Apple AirTag (worth $45) for the first 3,800 applicants. Valid till 5 January 2024. T&Cs apply. Additionally, be included in the following draws below: Best Price TI weekly draw: Enjoy 3x chances to enter our Weekly Lucky Draw, where 1 lucky winner will stand to have their flight ticket reimbursed and 12 lucky winners will receive a Samsonite Volant Spinner 68/25 EXP worth S$480. T&Cs apply.
101! Milestone Giveaway: Enjoy 1x chance to win your share your share of up to S$200,000 in prizes in our epic 101! Milestone Giveaway, including S$5,000 bonus cash each week on top of ongoing promotions! T&Cs apply.
|
|
Etiqa (TIQ) Travel Insurance |
from S$39 (for 1 week in Asean)
|
Yes
|
Single Trip: Use the promo code TIQSINGSAVER to get 40% off. Valid till 31 Dec 2023. T&Cs apply.
Annual Trip: Use promo code TIQSINGSAVER to get 60% off COVID-19 add-on. Valid till 31 Dec 2023. T&Cs apply.
Enjoy 1x chance (Single Trip) or 3x chances (Annual Trip) to enter our weekly lucky draw, where 1 lucky winner will stand to have their flight ticket reimbursed and 12 lucky winners will receive a Samsonite Volant Spinner 68/25 EXP worth S$480. Promotion ends on 31 December 2023. T&Cs apply.
Additionally, stand to win S$3,000 in TIQ Travel Insurance Monthly Lucky Draw Campaign 2023 (Fulfillment by TIQ). Valid till 31 Dec 2023. T&Cs apply. |
|
Singlife Travel Insurance
|
from S$46.20 (for 1 week in ASEAN)
|
Yes
|
Score an Airalo eSIM with up to 3GB data and receive it before you fly when you apply now! Valid till 31 December 2023. T&Cs apply.
Additionally, enjoy 1x chance (Single Trip) or 3x chances (Annual Trip) to enter our weekly lucky draw, where 1 lucky winner will stand to have their flight ticket reimbursed and 12 lucky winners will receive a Samsonite Volant Spinner 68/25 EXP worth S$480. Promotion ends on 31 December 2023. T&Cs apply.
|
|
Allied World Travel Insurance
|
from S$45 (for one week in Asean)
|
Yes
|
Enjoy a 45% discount for Single Trip and 15% discount for Annual Trip when you apply now! Valid till 31 Dec 2023. T&Cs apply.
Enjoy 1x chance (Single Trip) or 3x chances (Annual Trip) to enter our weekly lucky draw, where 1 lucky winner will stand to have their flight ticket reimbursed and 12 lucky winners will receive a Samsonite Volant Spinner 68/25 EXP worth S$480. Promotion ends on 31 December 2023. T&Cs apply |
|
AIG Travel Guard® Direct
|
from S$30 (for 1 week in Asean)
|
Yes
|
Single Trip: Enjoy 20% off with promo code SS20OFF. Valid till 12 Dec 2023. Additionally get $20 PayNow! (minimum premium of $80). Plus, every 12th customer gets an additional $45 Paynow. Valid till 31 Dec. T&Cs apply.
Annual Trip: Apply promo code SSTGD to receive $200 PayNow! Plus, every 12th customer gets an additional $45 Paynow. Valid till 31 Dec 2023. T&Cs apply.
Additionally, enjoy 1x chance (Single Trip) or 3x chances (Annual Trip) to enter our weekly lucky draw, where 1 lucky winner will stand to have their flight ticket reimbursed and 12 lucky winners will receive a Samsonite Volant Spinner 68/25 EXP worth S$480. Promotion ends on 31 December 2023. T&Cs apply. |
|
Great Eastern Travel Insurance
|
from S$52 (for one week in Asean)
|
Yes
|
Single Trip: Get an 30% discount when you use the promo code TSP30S. Valid till 31 Dec 2023. T&Cs apply.
Annual Trip: Get an 10% discount when you use the promo code TSP10A. Valid till 31 Dec 2023. T&Cs apply. Discount is only valid for Elite and Classic plans.
Enjoy 1x chance (Single Trip) or 3x chances (Annual Trip) to enter our weekly lucky draw, where 1 lucky winner will stand to have their flight ticket reimbursed and 12 lucky winners will receive a Samsonite Volant Spinner 68/25 EXP worth S$480. T&Cs apply. Promotion ends on 31 December 2023. T&Cs apply. |
|
Seedly Travel Insurance
|
from S$49.80 (for 1 week in Asean)
|
No
|
Receive 25% off and 1x Airalo eSIM worth up to 3GB data when you apply NOW! Valid till 31 December 2023. T&Cs apply. Win the equivalent of a return flight for 2 to Bali (via S$600 Klook voucher). T&Cs apply. |
What are your options for long-term overseas insurance coverage?
Global healthcare insurance plans (aka expat plans)
Global healthcare insurance plans are simply medical insurance plans that offer coverage no matter where you are in the world.
Coverage is offered on a persistent basis, as long as the policy remains in force. There are no restrictions in terms of duration; you’ll get the same level of coverage whether you’re holidaying in Bangkok for a week, visiting home for a month in Australia, or working at your investment banking job in Singapore for the next five years.
However, there may be restrictions in terms of geographical region (such territories at war), and you may have lower coverage – or even none – in certain countries, such as the U.S.
Nonetheless, global healthcare plans offer convenience and versatility to expatriates or those who find themselves spending a fair amount of time living in different countries.
But on the other hand, such plans do not offer a well-rounded solution to travellers.
This is because global insurance plans mainly cater to healthcare and medical needs. They do not generally cover travel risks, such as travel delays, missed flights, damaged or missing luggage and personal items, etc.
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SingSaver Exclusive Offer: Enjoy 2x chances to win your share of up to S$200,000 in prizes in our epic 101! Milestone Giveaway, including S$5,000 bonus cash each week on top of ongoing promotions. Valid till 20 December 2023. T&Cs apply. Click here to check out our past Lucky Draw winners!
Receive S$50 cash upon starting a Citi Plus relationship and get another S$100 cash (total S$150) or an Apple Airpods (3rd Gen) With Magsafe Charging Case (worth S$271.50) or a Sony WF-C700N (worth S$199) when you fund a min. deposit of S$20,000 within 2 months of account opening and maintain it for 4 months. Valid till 7 January 2024. T&Cs apply.
Boost your returns with up to 2% cash back with minimum S$500 qualifying spend (capped at S$2,000) on your Citi Cash Back+ Mastercard Credit Card when you spend for a period of 12 months. In addition, enjoy up to S$699 worth of exciting gifts. T&Cs apply.
Also, stand a chance to win a pair of Singapore Airlines tickets to Hong Kong in Citi Plus 1st Year Anniversary Lucky Draw! T&Cs apply.
Long-term travel insurance
Long-term travel insurance is designed for those taking trips that last a long duration, typically several months to a few years. They are suitable for parties such as digital nomads, gap-year backpackers, overseas exchange students, those wishing to work overseas for a year or two, etc.
Long-term travel insurance is highly similar to conventional travel insurance plans. They usually offer overseas medical cover, including benefits for emergency evacuation, personal accident and such; travel curtailment cover, including for missed flights or trip cancellation; and personal belongings benefits, covering delayed luggage, and theft or damage of your items, etc.
One core difference is that long-term travel insurance is less restrictive than some travel insurance policies may be, in regards to the maximum duration of your trip. For instance, you may be able to insure a trip that lasts 24 months via a long-term travel insurance plan, whereas most conventional travel insurance plans only allow a maximum coverage of 6 months.
SingSaver Exclusive Offer: Enjoy 2x chances to win your share of up to S$200,000 in prizes in our epic 101! Milestone Giveaway, including S$5,000 bonus cash each week on top of ongoing promotions. Valid till 20 December 2023. T&Cs apply. Click here to check out our past Lucky Draw winners!
Receive S$50 cash upon starting a Citi Plus relationship and get another S$100 cash (total S$150) or an Apple Airpods (3rd Gen) With Magsafe Charging Case (worth S$271.50) or a Sony WF-C700N (worth S$199) when you fund a min. deposit of S$20,000 within 2 months of account opening and maintain it for 4 months. Valid till 7 January 2024. T&Cs apply.
Boost your returns with up to 2% cash back with minimum S$500 qualifying spend (capped at S$2,000) on your Citi Cash Back+ Mastercard Credit Card when you spend for a period of 12 months. In addition, enjoy up to S$699 worth of exciting gifts. T&Cs apply.
Also, stand a chance to win a pair of Singapore Airlines tickets to Hong Kong in Citi Plus 1st Year Anniversary Lucky Draw! T&Cs apply.
SingSaver Exclusive Offer: Enjoy 2x chances to win your share of up to S$200,000 in prizes in our epic 101! Milestone Giveaway, including S$5,000 bonus cash each week on top of ongoing promotions. Valid till 20 December 2023. T&Cs apply. Click here to check out our past Lucky Draw winners!
Receive S$50 cash upon starting a Citi Plus relationship and get another S$100 cash (total S$150) or an Apple Airpods (3rd Gen) With Magsafe Charging Case (worth S$271.50) or a Sony WF-C700N (worth S$199) when you fund a min. deposit of S$20,000 within 2 months of account opening and maintain it for 4 months. Valid till 7 January 2024. T&Cs apply.
Boost your returns with up to 2% cash back with minimum S$500 qualifying spend (capped at S$2,000) on your Citi Cash Back+ Mastercard Credit Card when you spend for a period of 12 months. In addition, enjoy up to S$699 worth of exciting gifts. T&Cs apply.
Also, stand a chance to win a pair of Singapore Airlines tickets to Hong Kong in Citi Plus 1st Year Anniversary Lucky Draw! T&Cs apply.
Travel insurance
And then of course, there’s also good ole travel insurance, which comes in two flavours – single-trip plans and annual plans.
Counterintuitively, it is single-trip plans (and not annual plans) that make for the better choice for multi-month holidays.
This is because most single-trip plans cover you for up to 180 days overseas, even if you travel to several different countries during your trip.
In comparison, annual plans cover all overseas trips taken within a 12-month span, but each individual trip will only be covered for between 30 days to 90 days – depending on your insurer.
What’s the implication of this? Well, let’s say you’re planning to stay at least two months in Japan at one go. Your annual plan only covers each trip for 30 days. If you come to require medical attention on Day 33 of your holiday, your insurer has the right to reject your medical bill claim.
In such a scenario, you’d be better off with a single-trip plan with two months of coverage. Or, you should purchase an additional single-trip plan to cover the second half of your trip.
SingSaver Exclusive Offer: Enjoy 2x chances to win your share of up to S$200,000 in prizes in our epic 101! Milestone Giveaway, including S$5,000 bonus cash each week on top of ongoing promotions. Valid till 20 December 2023. T&Cs apply. Click here to check out our past Lucky Draw winners!
Receive S$50 cash upon starting a Citi Plus relationship and get another S$100 cash (total S$150) or an Apple Airpods (3rd Gen) With Magsafe Charging Case (worth S$271.50) or a Sony WF-C700N (worth S$199) when you fund a min. deposit of S$20,000 within 2 months of account opening and maintain it for 4 months. Valid till 7 January 2024. T&Cs apply.
Boost your returns with up to 2% cash back with minimum S$500 qualifying spend (capped at S$2,000) on your Citi Cash Back+ Mastercard Credit Card when you spend for a period of 12 months. In addition, enjoy up to S$699 worth of exciting gifts. T&Cs apply.
Also, stand a chance to win a pair of Singapore Airlines tickets to Hong Kong in Citi Plus 1st Year Anniversary Lucky Draw! T&Cs apply.
SingSaver Exclusive Offer: Enjoy 2x chances to win your share of up to S$200,000 in prizes in our epic 101! Milestone Giveaway, including S$5,000 bonus cash each week on top of ongoing promotions. Valid till 20 December 2023. T&Cs apply. Click here to check out our past Lucky Draw winners!
Receive S$50 cash upon starting a Citi Plus relationship and get another S$100 cash (total S$150) or an Apple Airpods (3rd Gen) With Magsafe Charging Case (worth S$271.50) or a Sony WF-C700N (worth S$199) when you fund a min. deposit of S$20,000 within 2 months of account opening and maintain it for 4 months. Valid till 7 January 2024. T&Cs apply.
Boost your returns with up to 2% cash back with minimum S$500 qualifying spend (capped at S$2,000) on your Citi Cash Back+ Mastercard Credit Card when you spend for a period of 12 months. In addition, enjoy up to S$699 worth of exciting gifts. T&Cs apply.
Also, stand a chance to win a pair of Singapore Airlines tickets to Hong Kong in Citi Plus 1st Year Anniversary Lucky Draw! T&Cs apply.
Which type of travel insurance should long-term travellers choose?
Well, it all boils down to two factors: the length of your trip, and how many trips you’re taking. But generally speaking, conventional travel insurance should adequately serve the needs of most long-term travellers.
If you plan on taking two or more trips, in a year, and don’t expect each trip to last longer than three months each, you may find the best value with an annual travel plan that covers up to 90 days per trip.
Note that your premiums will be affected by the region you travel to, so you should organise your itinerary accordingly to keep costs low.
If, however, you prefer to travel with as little restrictions as possible, getting a single-trip plan will be the most fuss-free option for you. You can purchase the coverage you need, and add on or alter your coverage as you go along.
So for instance, you can start by buying a single-trip plan for two months in Southeast Asia. Then, if you want to continue your holiday for another month in Japan, you can contact your insurer to extend your coverage, or simply purchase another travel policy to cover the next leg of your trip.
SingSaver Exclusive Offer: Enjoy 2x chances to win your share of up to S$200,000 in prizes in our epic 101! Milestone Giveaway, including S$5,000 bonus cash each week on top of ongoing promotions. Valid till 20 December 2023. T&Cs apply. Click here to check out our past Lucky Draw winners!
Receive S$50 cash upon starting a Citi Plus relationship and get another S$100 cash (total S$150) or an Apple Airpods (3rd Gen) With Magsafe Charging Case (worth S$271.50) or a Sony WF-C700N (worth S$199) when you fund a min. deposit of S$20,000 within 2 months of account opening and maintain it for 4 months. Valid till 7 January 2024. T&Cs apply.
Boost your returns with up to 2% cash back with minimum S$500 qualifying spend (capped at S$2,000) on your Citi Cash Back+ Mastercard Credit Card when you spend for a period of 12 months. In addition, enjoy up to S$699 worth of exciting gifts. T&Cs apply.
Also, stand a chance to win a pair of Singapore Airlines tickets to Hong Kong in Citi Plus 1st Year Anniversary Lucky Draw! T&Cs apply.
SingSaver Exclusive Offer: Enjoy 2x chances to win your share of up to S$200,000 in prizes in our epic 101! Milestone Giveaway, including S$5,000 bonus cash each week on top of ongoing promotions. Valid till 20 December 2023. T&Cs apply. Click here to check out our past Lucky Draw winners!
Receive S$50 cash upon starting a Citi Plus relationship and get another S$100 cash (total S$150) or an Apple Airpods (3rd Gen) With Magsafe Charging Case (worth S$271.50) or a Sony WF-C700N (worth S$199) when you fund a min. deposit of S$20,000 within 2 months of account opening and maintain it for 4 months. Valid till 7 January 2024. T&Cs apply.
Boost your returns with up to 2% cash back with minimum S$500 qualifying spend (capped at S$2,000) on your Citi Cash Back+ Mastercard Credit Card when you spend for a period of 12 months. In addition, enjoy up to S$699 worth of exciting gifts. T&Cs apply.
Also, stand a chance to win a pair of Singapore Airlines tickets to Hong Kong in Citi Plus 1st Year Anniversary Lucky Draw! T&Cs apply.
One thing to note though is that insurers may impose a limit on the maximum number of days they will cover you within a specific period – such as 180 days out of 365.
This means that you will not be able to purchase a second single-trip policy to continue covering your travels if you’ve already spent more than 180 days overseas, and will have to approach another insurer instead.
As such, if you plan to be overseas for a considerable period of time, and don’t want to deal with multiple travel insurance providers, you might want to look into long-term travel insurance plans. You’ll have less uncertainty about your coverage, and may even be able to achieve some savings.
And as for global healthcare insurance, as explained, that is really more for expatriates or those moving to another country. That, combined with the lack of travel benefits, mean such plans should not be your first choice for long-term travel coverage.
SingSaver Exclusive Offer: Enjoy 2x chances to win your share of up to S$200,000 in prizes in our epic 101! Milestone Giveaway, including S$5,000 bonus cash each week on top of ongoing promotions. Valid till 20 December 2023. T&Cs apply. Click here to check out our past Lucky Draw winners!
Receive S$50 cash upon starting a Citi Plus relationship and get another S$100 cash (total S$150) or an Apple Airpods (3rd Gen) With Magsafe Charging Case (worth S$271.50) or a Sony WF-C700N (worth S$199) when you fund a min. deposit of S$20,000 within 2 months of account opening and maintain it for 4 months. Valid till 7 January 2024. T&Cs apply.
Boost your returns with up to 2% cash back with minimum S$500 qualifying spend (capped at S$2,000) on your Citi Cash Back+ Mastercard Credit Card when you spend for a period of 12 months. In addition, enjoy up to S$699 worth of exciting gifts. T&Cs apply.
Also, stand a chance to win a pair of Singapore Airlines tickets to Hong Kong in Citi Plus 1st Year Anniversary Lucky Draw! T&Cs apply.
SingSaver Exclusive Offer: Enjoy 2x chances to win your share of up to S$200,000 in prizes in our epic 101! Milestone Giveaway, including S$5,000 bonus cash each week on top of ongoing promotions. Valid till 20 December 2023. T&Cs apply. Click here to check out our past Lucky Draw winners!
Receive S$50 cash upon starting a Citi Plus relationship and get another S$100 cash (total S$150) or an Apple Airpods (3rd Gen) With Magsafe Charging Case (worth S$271.50) or a Sony WF-C700N (worth S$199) when you fund a min. deposit of S$20,000 within 2 months of account opening and maintain it for 4 months. Valid till 7 January 2024. T&Cs apply.
Boost your returns with up to 2% cash back with minimum S$500 qualifying spend (capped at S$2,000) on your Citi Cash Back+ Mastercard Credit Card when you spend for a period of 12 months. In addition, enjoy up to S$699 worth of exciting gifts. T&Cs apply.
Also, stand a chance to win a pair of Singapore Airlines tickets to Hong Kong in Citi Plus 1st Year Anniversary Lucky Draw! T&Cs apply.
Read these next:
Best Travel Insurance Plans And Promotions In Singapore (March 2023)
Best Annual Travel Insurance Plans In Singapore (2023)
Travel Insurance Guide: Five Things All Travellers Must Know
Travel Insurance Policies that Cover up to S$3,000 for your Jewellery
Best Travel Insurance for Travellers with Pre-Existing Conditions (2023)
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