Compare & Buy Visitors and Travel Insurance

International travel medical insurance is short-term health coverage specifically designed for medical emergencies that happen while you are outside of your home country. Because most domestic health plans (including Medicare) offer limited or no international coverage, this insurance is a vital safety net for several groups, including:

• Tourists & Vacationers: For unexpected illnesses or injuries during a trip.
• Expats & Digital Nomads: To provide coverage while waiting to get domestic healthcare.
• International Students: To meet mandatory university or school waiver requirements.
• Visa Applicants: For countries (such as the Schengen Area) that require proof of insurance for entry.

Travel Medical Insurance (also called Visitors Insurance) primarily covers health and accident-related expenses while you are abroad, such as hospital stays, doctor visits, and emergency medical evacuation.

Travel Insurance (often called Trip Insurance or trip protection) mainly protects your prepaid travel costs, such as trip cancellations, interruptions, delays, and lost baggage. While it may include some limited medical coverage, its primary focus is on protecting your trip expenses rather than major medical bills. If medical coverage is your priority, a travel medical plan is the better option for you.

No, travel insurance is not required to enter the United States for most visitors. With the notoriously high cost of U.S. healthcare, securing a strong travel health insurance plan is the smart way to protect yourself from unexpected and potentially enormous medical bills, ensuring peace of mind throughout your trip.

One of the best plans available is CoverAmerica-Gold, known for its high policy maximum, urgent care coverage, and broad PPO network. Other strong options include Patriot America Plus, and Safe Travels USA Comprehensive. For those looking for pre-existing condition coverage, INF Elite X stands out as a top choice amongst many customers.

You can compare these top-rated plans to determine which best suits your needs and budget.

For visitors to the US with pre-existing conditions, the most popular plans are INF Elite X, INF Premier X, and VisitorsProtect. These three plans offer some of the strongest coverage available for pre-existing conditions.

If you have a health history that has been stable for a long time or you haven’t received any recent treatment, consider a plan with “acute onset of pre-existing condition” coverage. This coverage protects you if an old injury or condition unexpectedly flares up, without requiring the extensive coverage of a full pre-existing condition plan. CoverAmerica Gold and Atlas America are the most popular plans offering acute onset coverage.

*Coverage is highly dependent on the traveler's age and the medical condition's "stability period" (typically 60–180 days prior to travel).

Standard travel insurance policies typically exclude coverage for war and war-related events, such as declared and undeclared wars, civil wars, invasions, and military coups. Therefore, standard insurance will not cover cancellation, interruption, or medical expenses if your travel is disrupted or canceled due to an ongoing war or conflict.

However, if you purchased travel insurance and/or were actively traveling before recent events and official warnings were issued, your travel plans might be covered if affected (e.g., flight grounding, cancellation, or rerouting). Always review your policy and contact your insurance provider to confirm.

Visitors insurance cost varies by factors such as the traveler’s age, the selected coverage limits, the deductible, and the length of the stay. A basic, limited-coverage policy can be as little as $1 a day. For a stronger, comprehensive policy, a 3-month stay can average $200 to a few hundred dollars or more, with the final premium increasing for older travelers or those choosing higher benefit limits.

Claim processing times vary case by case, but typically, straightforward claims with all necessary documentation (medical reports, receipts, treatment notes) are processed within a few weeks to a couple of months. Claims can take longer if they are complex or if documentation is missing.

US citizens who live or work abroad and are visiting the US for a short duration can purchase a short-term travel medical insurance policy to cover their stay. If you already have a global expat health insurance policy, it may also provide the necessary coverage. Learn more about the best health insurance for US citizens visiting the US.

No, Medicare generally does not cover healthcare outside the United States. The best thing to do is get strong travel medical insurance for seniors on Medicare. There are specialized plans for seniors currently on Medicare so it can blend seamlessly into the healthcare coverage you are used to. So when you’re traveling, you continue to get strong coverage even while you’re outside of Medicare’s coverage.

Cancel For Any Reason (CFAR) is an optional upgrade available with many travel insurance plans. It allows you to cancel your trip for a reason not typically covered by a standard policy and still get back a portion (usually 50–75%) of your non-refundable prepaid trip costs that you would otherwise lose. CFAR generally must be purchased soon after your initial trip deposit, often within 14–20 days, and has specific timing requirements that must be met.

Non-US passport holders looking for the best travel medical policy that meets the requirements for a Schengen Visa can easily purchase one online. VisitorsCoverage simplifies the process by automatically filtering for visa-compliant policies, saving you research time. Immediately after purchase, a visa letter can be downloaded as instant proof of coverage to include with your Schengen visa application.

Schengen visa travel insurance is actually very budget-friendly, starting as low as $1 a day. The final price is tailored to your specific trip, factoring in the traveler's age, the length of the journey, and the level of coverage you choose. For instance, a basic, week-long plan that fully complies with Schengen requirements typically ranges between $8 and $20 per week. Selecting higher coverage limits will increase your premium.

Green card holders have several health insurance options, which often depend on their state of residence, age, and employment status. Green card holders may enroll in the U.S. Marketplace health insurance, employer plans, or get temporary health insurance coverage. You can discuss your situation with a licensed health insurance expert to find suitable coverage options. Take some time to review the best health insurance options for green card holders so you can understand what you qualify for.

A comparison platform like VisitorsCoverage is the best place to get travel insurance. It allows you to quickly and unbiasedly compare the best travel insurance plans, all in one place. You’ll see honest prices and coverage details, making it easy to pick the plan that best suits your needs and budget. With the lowest prices guaranteed, you can see all the top plans without having to jump from provider to provider.