Navigation Menu
Use this menu to navigate through the main sections of the LUMA website.
If you are comparing LUMA Travel and SafetyWing, you are looking at two different approaches to travel insurance.
SafetyWing is a low-cost subscription-style plan built for digital nomads and long-stay travelers who want flexibility. LUMA Travel is built for travelers who want stronger medical guidance and regional support, especially across Southeast Asia. Built on the medical expertise of LUMA Health, founded in Bangkok in 2012, LUMA combines travel insurance with Medipro medical guidance, on-ground coordination, and hospital relationships in key destinations.
Both providers can cover eligible medical emergencies. The difference is the support experience. SafetyWing is useful if you want flexible, budget-friendly coverage. LUMA is better suited to travelers who want help understanding care options, coordinating with hospitals, and accessing direct billing support at top private hospitals.
For travelers who want more than a reimbursement-only experience, LUMA is the stronger choice for international trips.
Get to know LUMA
LUMA Travel Insurance is a global travel insurance provider, headquartered in France and built on the medical expertise of LUMA Health, founded in Bangkok in 2012. LUMA combines global travel insurance with an in-house, English-speaking medical team led by a French physician and operating to European standards of care. Whether you are travelling for a family holiday, honeymoon, business trip, or long stay, LUMA gives you real people helping you navigate hospitals, treatment decisions, and trip disruptions with confidence.
LUMA has teams operating on the ground in Thailand and Vietnam, with offices in Bangkok and Ho Chi Minh City, along with regional support from Phnom Penh. LUMA also works with a strong hospital network across the region, so travellers are not relying only on a remote chat window when something goes wrong. LUMA's in-house medical team, Medipro, provides real-time doctor guidance during emergencies abroad, guides you to trusted hospitals, explains your treatment options, and supports direct billing where available, so you are never navigating a foreign healthcare system alone.
LUMA covers international travellers on multi-trips up to 180 consecutive days with multilingual support across its offices. Purchase is fully online and takes under five minutes. Your certificate is instant.
LUMA Travel Insurance covers eligible medical expenses up to $1,000,000 , with Medipro-guided hospital access and direct billing support at partner hospitals where applicable. Emergency evacuation is coordinated directly by Medipro, with transfer arranged and eligible costs managed as part of the support process.
Along with medical protection, LUMA includes cover for trip cancellation, trip interruption, baggage loss or delay, flight delays, missed connections, personal accident, and passport loss. Pre-existing conditions are not covered, which is a standard exclusion across the industry. Senior traveller coverage is available up to age 80.
SafetyWing is a San Francisco-based insurance provider founded in 2017, built primarily for digital nomads and long-term travellers who want low-cost, flexible coverage. Its flagship product, Nomad Insurance, runs on a 28-day rolling subscription and can be purchased after departure, which appeals to budget travellers with open-ended plans.
SafetyWing offers two plans. The Essential plan covers emergency medical expenses and limited travel disruptions. The Complete plan functions more like health insurance, covering routine care annually. The support model is fully remote: live chat and email only, with no on-ground offices, no in-house medical team, and no direct billing at hospitals. All claims are handled through digital reimbursement after you have already paid for treatment.
SafetyWing's Essential plan covers eligible medical expenses up to $250,000 per policy period, with emergency medical evacuation covered up to a $100,000 lifetime maximum, not per trip. Basic travel disruption coverage includes trip interruption, travel delay, and lost checked baggage. Adventure sports coverage, motorbike riding, electronics theft protection, and US coverage all require paid add-ons and are not included in the base plan.
Pre-existing conditions are not covered under either plan. The Essential plan is not available to travellers aged 70 and above.
SafetyWing covers travellers in 180+ countries, excluding sanctioned countries and, by default, the United States. US coverage requires a separate paid add-on and is not available to US residents or citizens.
SafetyWing's operations are fully remote. There are no on-ground offices at any international destination. All support is handled via chat or email from a central team.
Side by side
Medipro in-house medical team gives you real doctor guidance
In-house medical team led by a French physician operating to European standards of care
Direct billing at partner hospitals means no upfront payment at a foreign hospital counter
On-ground offices in Asia with teams who know local hospitals and how they operate
Motorbike accidents covered without a separate add-on
Multilingual support from teams who respond and follow through
Online purchase in under 5 minutes, instant certificate
Medical evacuation coordinated by local teams
Built on more than 10 years of medical expertise through LUMA Health
Must be purchased before departure. Coverage cannot be bought once you have already left your home country
Multi-trip up to 180 days only.
Pre-existing conditions not covered (industry-standard exclusion)
28-day rolling subscription suits travellers with no fixed return date
Can be purchased after departure
Accessible entry-level pricing
Available to travellers of all nationalities
No in-house medical team. No doctor guides you during an emergency
No direct billing. You pay the hospital first, then claim online and wait
Medical evacuation capped at $100,000 for life, across all policies and all trips. One serious evacuation can consume the entire limit
Motorbike riding, scuba diving, and adventure activities all require a paid add-on. Not covered on the base plan
Age cut-off at 69 on the Essential plan. Travellers aged 70 and above cannot purchase coverage
No on-ground offices anywhere in the world
Recurring complaints reference denied claims, excessive documentation requests, and reimbursement delays measured in months, not days
Pricing
LUMA's pricing depends on your departure country, destination, trip duration, and age. The value is not just in the premium: it is in the Medipro medical team, direct billing at partner hospitals, and on-ground support that comes with every plan.
SafetyWing's pricing runs as a 28-day subscription, with cost varying by age and plan. The Essential plan is among the cheaper options in the market. The trade-off is structural: lower price, reimbursement-only model, no direct billing, no on-ground support, and a lifetime evacuation cap that does not reset.
Add-ons for adventure sports, US coverage, and electronics theft push the effective cost higher for travellers who actually need them. Travellers aged 60 to 69 pay significantly more than younger age groups.
Real experiences
LUMA is consistently described by travellers as an insurer that shows up when something actually goes wrong. Not just at the purchase stage. During the emergency itself.
The feedback that stands out most is not about price or policy documents. It is about what happened in the hours that mattered: which hospital to go to, whether someone answered, and whether the bill was handled so the traveller could focus on getting better.
LUMA Travel combines international travel insurance with Medipro, an in-house medical team, and on-ground support across key destinations. For travellers, the difference is having real people involved when the situation needs quick medical and practical decisions.
A family holiday can change quickly when a child falls seriously ill. In one case, an 8-year-old woke up at night with intense stomach pain and was diagnosed with acute appendicitis, requiring immediate surgery. LUMA covered the bill in full, settled it directly with the hospital, and helped with admission and paperwork while the parents focused on their child’s recovery.
A lingering cough became a hospital admission. Several days as an inpatient for bacterial pneumonia is not something that resolves with rest. LUMA arranged direct billing with the hospital so the traveller was not handed a five-figure bill to pay before discharge. Medipro provided a second medical opinion to confirm the treatment plan was right.
Medipro medical team available 24/7: doctors who guide decisions during emergencies
On-ground offices in Bangkok, Ho Chi Minh City, and Phnom Penh with teams who know local hospitals
Fast coverage confirmation when time matters, not days later
Medical evacuation coordinated directly when the nearest facility is not the right one
Multilingual support from teams who respond and follow through
As of June 2026, LUMA’s Trustpilot profile shows a 4.3/5 rating, with travellers highlighting the support experience and ease of getting help during the trip.
SafetyWing has a large review base, reflecting its popularity among digital nomads. Positive reviews usually focus on the easy website, quick registration, and simple claim setup. Travellers with smaller claims also sometimes report a smooth experience.
However, critical reviews often focus on serious claims. Travellers mention long delays, repeated document requests, unclear communication, and claims being denied after months of follow-up. One company using SafetyWing Remote Health reported an average claim-to-payment time of 31 days, with one approved claim taking 189 days to reach the employee.
SafetyWing holds a 4.1 out of 5 rating on Trustpilot. A meaningful share of critical reviews describe the experience of making a serious claim, where delays, documentation disputes, and denials are recurring themes.
Overall, SafetyWing feels convenient at the purchase stage, but the claims experience can vary depending on the condition, documentation, and policy exclusions.
Pre-existing condition denials: Some travellers report new symptoms being treated as pre-existing conditions.
Repeated documentation requests: Reviewers mention being asked for the same records several times.
Long reimbursement delays: Claims may take weeks or months to be paid.
Lifetime evacuation cap: The $100,000 limit does not reset per trip or year.
Paid activity add-ons: Motorbike and adventure activity coverage may cost extra.
Remote-only support: Assistance is mainly provided through chat or online channels.
Age limit: The Essential plan is unavailable to travellers aged 70 and above.
SafetyWing holds a 4.1/5 rating on Trustpilot, though many critical reviews focus on serious claims and reimbursement delays.
The verdict
You want medical guidance for serious or unclear situations abroad, not only a reimbursement process after the trip
You want direct billing support
You are traveling internationally and want help with hospital coordination and care options
You are taking a multi-country trip
You want coverage that may include eligible activities such as scooter riding
You want human-led support backed by medical expertise and international assistance experience
You are a digital nomad or long-stay traveler with no fixed return date
You need flexible rolling coverage that can continue month to month
You need to buy coverage after you have already departed
Your main priority is keeping the plan simple, flexible, and low-cost
You are comfortable managing care decisions, upfront payments, and reimbursement steps more independently
Good to know
SafetyWing is designed mainly for digital nomads seeking flexible, subscription-based travel insurance. LUMA combines travel insurance with Medipro medical guidance, direct billing, and local operational support across the globe. LUMA is better suited to travellers who want help navigating medical situations abroad, while SafetyWing may appeal more to long-term travellers who prioritize flexibility.
Yes. SafetyWing can usually be purchased after your trip has started. LUMA must be purchased before leaving your country of departure. Travellers who are already overseas may therefore find SafetyWing more suitable, while LUMA is designed for trips arranged in advance.
LUMA provides international travel insurance for eligible trips across more than 190 destinations. The plan available depends on your departure country, destination, itinerary, and traveller eligibility.
SafetyWing’s Essential plan includes medical evacuation coverage up to a $100,000 lifetime maximum. This means the limit applies across eligible policies rather than resetting for every trip. LUMA coordinates eligible medical transfers and evacuation support through its assistance network, subject to the limits and terms of the selected plan.
Motorbike and scooter coverage may require SafetyWing’s adventure sports add-on. LUMA covers motorbike accidents under eligible plans without a separate activity add-on, subject to policy conditions such as licensing, helmet use, and local laws.
LUMA may be a better fit for families who want medical guidance and practical support during an emergency abroad. Medipro can advise travellers on whether to seek medical care, while LUMA can assist with hospital access and direct billing where available. SafetyWing may suit families who prioritize flexible, subscription-based coverage.
LUMA Travel Insurance is a strong SafetyWing alternative for travellers who want medical guidance, direct billing where available, and regional support. It is particularly relevant for travellers visiting destinations such as Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, and Indonesia.
Use the LUMA Travel Insurance Calculator to check eligibility, coverage, and pricing for your trip.
Enter your trip dates, departure location, and destination — the eligible LUMA product and pricing appear instantly.
We use cookies to enhance your user experience, provide personalised content and analyse traffic. Cookie Policy.
