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Yes yes, we know that when you are planning a trip or a vacation, you would prefer to focus on the exciting stuff. You know, the tantalising details like where you will go, what you will see, what delicious and strange foods you will try and how many locals you will manage to offend!
Choosing the right travel insurance for a trip is not only a bit boring, but it can be downright stressful and confusing. There are a lot of companies offering a lot of different products and making sure you get the right cover at a reasonable price can prove tough.
Well the good news is that I know all there is to know about travel insurance and am proper buzzed to share my insights and experiences with ya’ll.
This review will focus on an insurer who is quite new to me – Genki.
Over the course of the next few thousand words, I will break down Genki’s coverage, pricing, customer experience, pros and cons, and compare it to competitors like SafetyWing and World Nomads.
Sound like a good time? You know it does! Let’s get this party going!
The Broke Backpacker is supported by you. Clicking through our links may earn us a small affiliate commission, and that's what allows us to keep producing free content 🙂 Learn more.
What is Genki Travel Insurance?
Genki Travel Insurance is a flexible, comprehensive travel health insurance solution primarily designed for digital nomads, long-term travelers, and remote workers exploring the world.
Note that this product focuses on health and medical cover and does not offer much in the way of things like trip cover and lost luggage. Go elsewhere if this is what you are after.
Unlike traditional travel insurance, Genki operates a novel subscription-based model which can be activated or canceled monthly, making it ideal for people without a fixed return date. It offers global coverage (excluding a few countries), with benefits including emergency medical treatment, hospital stays, outpatient care, and even mental health support!
Powered by the Global Insurance Behemoth Allianz, Genki combines a solid backbone of reliability while maintaining a modern, user-friendly interface. Genki are also registered in Germany whose financial regulations are a lot more customer-friendly than those in the Oligarchic States of America.
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Genki Travel Insurance Plans & Coverage
Genki offers two main insurance plans (one of which is then split again….) and now we’re just going to dive right into it and take a look at each of them individually. Because what is a banging fiesta without a detailed breakdown of insurance plans!?
1. Genki Explorer (Temporary Health Cover For Travel)
Best for: Digital nomads and frequent travelers looking for medical coverage while on the move.
If you’re the kind of person who doesn’t know where they’ll be next month (let alone next Tuesday lunchtime), Genki Explorer is probably the plan you’re looking for. No judgement here, because I’m all about living out of my backpack, changing locations at the drop of a hat and generally being a bit of a chaos person.
But that’s exactly why I need at least something reliable in my life – insurance!
Genki Explorer is your go-to if you just need solid medical cover while gallivanting around the globe. No bells or whistles, just good cover where you need it.
Genki Explorer covers the following –
- Emergency medical treatment (no overall coverage limit)
- Doctor visits and prescriptions
- Hospitalization & surgeries
- Medical evacuation & repatriation
- Mental health coverage (up to €20,000)
- Adventure sports coverage
2. Genki Native (Complete Worldwide Health Cover)
Best for: Expats and long-term travelers needing full health insurance abroad.
If Genki Explorer is the dirtbag, freedom-loving traveler, then Genki Native is their slightly more responsible older sibling. It’s basically taking adulting international and it’s for those of us who have decided to slow down, stick around in one place for a bit longer and at least pretend to be a grow up! Basically, it’s full-on, proper health insurance, but abroad.
Genki Explorer covers the following –
- Full medical coverage, including chronic conditions
- Preventative care & routine checkups
- Dental & vision coverage
- Maternity coverage
- Mental health support
Genki Native comes in two flavours – “Basic” and “Premium”, these are designed to suit different needs and budgets. Both offer solid long term health cover for travelers and expats, but as the names suggests, the premium version offers a few extras that their basic policy doesn’t cover.
Here are the key differences
Genki Native Basic
- Covers essential medical needs: hospitalisation, outpatient care, surgeries
- Includes mental health support and some prescription drugs
- Good for generally healthy expats who just want solid core coverage
- More affordable monthly premium
Genki Native Premium
- Everything included in Basic, plus:
- Dental and vision coverage
- More extensive mental health support
- Higher coverage limits across the board
- Maternity coverage (after 8-month waiting period)
- Suitable for families, long-term expats, or anyone who wants the works
Important Notes On Coverage
Whilst both plans are perfect for travelers, digital nomads and ex-pats, it’s important to know that neither of them includes trip cancellation, lost luggage, or flight delays. This is more the realm of your classic travel insurance.
Equally, you should also note that except for specific emergency situations, Genki Explorer is not valid in your home country.
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Hide Yo’ Money!How Much Does Genki Travel Insurance Cost?
Let’s be honest, it’s all well and good talking a good talk about how good this insurance is, but we all wanna know how much it’s going to set us back.
As with all forms of Insurance, the exact price you need to pay will vary depending on a whole set of variables. Pricing particularly varies based on the traveler’s age, pre-existing conditions, destination, deductible level and location. Let’s take a closer look.
Here’s an approximate breakdown for Genki Explorer –
| Age | Excluding USA/Canada | Including USA/Canada |
|---|---|---|
| 18-29 | €39.30/month | €86.70/month |
| 30-39 | €54.60/month | €108.30/month |
| 40-49 | €60.00/month | €130.20/month |
| 50-59 | €78.00/month | €169.20/month |
| 60-69 | €116.70/month | €253.50/month |
Pros and Cons of Genki Travel Insurance
As you can see, there’s a lot of great features of Genki’s Travel Insurance plans which make them a solid choice, but alongside the pros, there are also a few cons to be aware of. Let’s take a look.
- Affordable pricing for young travelers.
- Easy online sign-up process.
- Monthly payments (cancel anytime!)
- Strong medical coverage (no limits on emergency care).
- No trip cancellation or baggage protection.
- Not available for travelers over 69.
- Premiums can increase over time (no shit!)
Genki Travel Insurance: Real User Reviews & Experiences
While we think Genki is great, don’t just take our word for it! We engaged with our readers and scoured the internet to get some genuine customer feedback from real Genki customers while compiling this review.
Generally, we found it to be very positive, highlighting Genki’s affordable pricing and hassle-free claims process. However, some users report premium increases after a year.
“I’ve had Genki for over a year and everything has been smooth. When I needed customer support, they responded quickly via WhatsApp.” – Trustpilot Review
“Be careful: my premium started at €50/month but increased to €120 after renewal. Not happy with that.” – Reddit User
So, while the customer on Trustpilot had a smooth run of things, it’s worth remembering that all insurance premiums can creep up overtime, including Genki’s, as this Reddit user found out.
However, this is both expected and we don’t know the specific circumstances surrounding this particular rise in renewal price. But with the ability to easily walk away whenever you choose with their monthly plans, it’s up to you to cut ties once you feel it’s no longer affordable or providing value.
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How to Buy & Claim with Genki Insurance
Right then, if you’re on board then let’s take a look at Genki’s sign up and claims process.
How to Purchase:
Signing up is as easy as it gets when it comes to taking out insurance.
Just pop on over to the Genki website, Select your plan (Explorer or Resident), tweak the coverage options, sign up, pay and boom – you’re insured!
It literally takes a matter of minutes and you’re all set.
How to File a Claim:
Filling a claim when things do go wrong is often where things fall apart from many a promising insurance provider. Thankfully, Genki keeps things consistent and offers an easy and pain-free way to claim.
Claims can be submitted either via the easy to use Genki app or using their website, which ever is easiest for you.
You just have a small number of obligations when claiming:
- Submit your claim as soon as you can
- Upload receipts and medical reports
The entire reimbursement process typically takes around 2-4 weeks, which is super speedy when it comes to most travel insurance providers.
Is Genki Travel Insurance Worth It?
Righio then, so the real question is whether Genki travel insurance is actually worth taking out. Well, there’s no hard and fast answer to that as it all depends on your individual needs and requirements from a providers.
So with that in mind, I’ll go through in more detail who exactly this insurance is for, and who it isn’t aimed at.
Whilst Genki travel insurance is suitable for a wide range of traveler, it’s not for everyone. Let’s take a look at who it is and isn’t for.
Who Should Get Genki?
- Digital nomads & remote workers who need global health coverage.
- Long-term travelers staying abroad for extended periods.
- Expats needing full health insurance instead of national coverage.
Who Should Avoid Genki?
- Short-term travelers needing trip protection.
- Older travelers (70+) since coverage is unavailable.
- People wanting trip cancellation insurance.
Genki vs Competitors: How It Stacks Up
Ok, let’s have a look at some other insurance providers and see how they all stack up side by side in this handy table I made earlier!
| Feature | Genki Explorer | SafetyWing | World Nomads |
|---|---|---|---|
| Medical Coverage | Unlimited | $250,000 max | $100,000 max |
| Trip Cancellation | ? No | ? No | ? Yes |
| Baggage Protection | ? No | ? Yes | ? Yes |
| Monthly Subscription | ? Yes | ? Yes | ? No |
| Adventure Sports | ? Yes | ? Yes | ? Yes |
| Mental Health | ? Yes | ? No | ? Yes |
Verdict: If you need affordable medical coverage with flexibility, Genki is one of the best options.
However, if you need trip or baggage protection, World Nomads might be a better fit.
Final Thoughts
So there we have it! Genki Travel Insurance is a solid choice for digital nomads, expats, and long-term travelers looking for medical coverage.
However, it is far from ideal for short-term trips or those who need full trip cancellation benefits – if this is you instead check out World Nomads.
Having said that, if you’re a nomad chasing solid Wifi, Acai bowls and crossfit classes all over the world, then Genki could be your ideal safety net. Just don’t expect them to come running when your suitcase is getting launched from pillar to post at Denpasar Airport!
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