Travel Insurance Philippines: My Favorite Insurance for Traveling the Philippines 2025

I know, usually I’m talking about more fun stuff when it comes to the Philippines. But today, I want to take a moment to talk about something super important that has honestly become a non-negotiable for me when I travel.

Whether it’s a quick 2-week vacation, a 6-month backpacking trip, or even living in Bali as a digital nomad, travel insurance (especially travel medical insurance) is a must. No debate.

Over the years, loads of you have asked me what travel insurance I use, so I figured I’d finally put together a quick guide on Travel Insurance Philippines to share my experience traveling in the Philippines with health insurance and explain why I think it’s so important.

My Experience Traveling the Philippines with Insurance

I traveled around the Philippines for about three months at the beginning of this year, and honestly, I had the best time. I spent almost two months in Siargao, living my best island life, trying out surfing, and just enjoying that laid-back vibe in Siargao. I loved it. After that, I hopped around to Malapascua, Bohol, Siquijor, Cebu, and Palawan. The Philippines definitely gets a huge thumbs up from me and it’s 100% worth visiting.

But I also realized there were so many moments where I thought, thank god I have health insurance. Having good travel medical insurance gave me that peace of mind to fully enjoy everything without stressing.

From island hopping to scuba diving, surfing, and canyoneering, I felt safe knowing I was covered if something went wrong. Totally worth it.

Why I Use Travel Insurance in the Philippines (The Honest Reality of Things)

Do I Need Travel Insurance? Yes!

Alright, so this is probably the most important thing to understand: why travel medical insurance is so important. And honestly, this isn’t just for the Philippines, this applies to so many places around the world, especially in Southeast Asia.

First of all, scooters. I reckon scooters are death traps. And yes, I ride a scooter pretty much every day here in Bali, but I know exactly how dangerous they are. Please, please always wear a helmet. It’s just not worth skipping it.

I’ve seen so many people covered in road rash, broken arms, bandages everywhere because of scooter accidents. I don’t want to scare you, but when I was in Siargao, there was a girl in town who got into a scooter accident (it wasn’t even her fault). She wasn’t wearing a helmet, ended up in a coma with severe brain damage, and didn’t have insurance, so people were trying to fundraise for her hospital bills on Instagram.

And it’s not just scooters. Surfing can be dangerous too, people get smashed into reefs or take boards to the head. Same with snorkeling, scuba diving, canyoneering… there are just so many activities in the Philippines where things can go south quickly.

I’m not trying to scare you, but this is the reality. It’s just not worth risking it without travel insurance.

👉 Join SafetyWing here

Why SafetyWing is My Favorite Travel Insurance

For over two years now, I’ve been using SafetyWing while traveling long-term around the world and working remotely  and honestly, I couldn’t be happier (I’m not even getting paid to say this, by the way).

I’ve had a few claims over the past years, and I never had any issues filing them or getting my bills paid. Before I joined SafetyWing, I was with a couple of other travel insurance companies, many of them more conservative or “old school,” and it always felt like everything (especially communication) was just more difficult (email and phone calls).

SafetyWing is totally different. It’s a modern company, built by travelers and digital nomads, for travelers. All the communication I’ve had was online via their chat, and the people there were always super helpful and switched on. All claims are filed online, and honestly, dealing with SafetyWing has always been easy and never a headache.

One huge thing for me: I love how flexible it is. You can sign up anytime, from anywhere and you don’t need to be in your home country (which I always found super annoying with other insurance companies).

You can also cancel anytime, add features, or even add extra countries to your existing policy. I did that when I went on a family snowboard trip to Colorado, I just added the USA to my policy for five days, which cost me like $10 extra, and that was it. Super easy.

What SafetyWing Actually Covers

SafetyWing basically has two different options for travelers.

First, there’s Nomad Insurance Essential, which is your classic travel medical insurance. This covers you for accidents, hospital stays, surgery – basically, if something unexpected happens and you end up needing medical help while traveling.

Then they have Nomad Insurance Complete, which I recommend for full-time digital nomads and remote workers. This is more like a full travel health insurance. It not only covers medical emergencies but also regular doctor visits and more traditional travel insurance things like lost luggage, travel delays, and so on.

Is SafetyWing / Travel Insurance Good for the Philippines?

In my opinion, yes 100%. When I was in the Philippines I went on so many adventures: island hopping, surfing, motorbikes, diving… all the fun (and sometimes risky) stuff.

It is perfect for that because it covers unexpected accidents and emergencies, which are honestly the most important things you want covered when traveling around the islands.

Plus, a lot of the Philippines is pretty remote. If you get hurt, you might need to be evacuated or transferred to a bigger hospital in Cebu or even Manila and that can get expensive really fast. Having travel medical insurance like SafetyWing makes a huge difference.

How to Join SafetyWing for the Philippines

Joining SafetyWing is super easy. You just sign up online, you don’t even need to be in your home country to start it (which is a huge plus if you’re already traveling).

👉 Join SafetyWing here

Once you set it up, it renews automatically every 28 days, so you don’t have to stress about keeping track or extending it manually. You can also cancel anytime. Honestly, it’s the most hassle-free insurance I’ve ever used.

My Travel Insurance Cost

SafetyWing is actually surprisingly affordable. The plan I have, Nomad Insurance Essential, is only around €50 a month (about $56 USD), which I think is super fair. There might be cheaper options out there, but in my experience, it’s worth paying this price because the quality and service are great.

If you go for the bigger plan, Nomad Insurance Complete, you’ll be looking at around $150 USD a month. But keep in mind, this is basically a full health insurance, not just emergency coverage. And honestly, I’m sure most people are paying way more than that for health insurance back home anyway.

Final Thoughts on Travel Insurance Philippines

The Philippines is one of my favorite places in the world and it’s also one of the countries where I think having travel insurance is absolutely essential.

Scooter accidents, reef cuts, food poisoning, random tropical bugs… you name it. I’ve seen it all, and it’s just not worth taking the risk.

For me, SafetyWing has been the easiest and most reliable option out there. It gives me peace of mind so I can actually enjoy my trip instead of worrying about what might happen.

Check out all my Siargao Island Guides