What is the best health and travel insurance for Digital Nomads in Brazil?

As a digital nomad, your lifestyle is adventurous, flexible, and often unpredictable. The freedom to work from anywhere opens up incredible opportunities, and Brazil has quickly become a growing hotspot for remote workers.

Thanks to the introduction of Brazil’s Digital Nomad Visa, remote workers can now stay in the country legally for up to a year while working online. Popular destinations like Florianópolis - popular for its tech-friendly vibe and beaches, Rio de Janeiro - known for its beach side nightlife, Pipa - a laid-back surf town in the Northeast, and Itacaré - a tropical Bahian paradise for nature lovers, are all buzzing with digital nomads.

Remote work has allowed me to explore so much of this amazing country. However, as a freelancer, I no longer get company benefits like healthcare. That's why a comprehensive health and travel insurance is an absolutely indispensable part of my nomadic life toolkit.

Surf on your lunch break in Northeast Brazil

Don't have time to read the whole article? > Visit SafetyWing to get a quote for Nomad Insurance Complete > Find cheap accommodation for your trip > Find cheap bus tickets around Brazil

The challenge of staying healthy as a Digital Nomad

One of the unique challenges of a location-independent life is maintaining the healthy lifestyle you would at home. Nomads often deal with disrupted routines, changes in diet, and navigating access to healthcare in a foreign language. It's easy to forget your regular check-ups when you don't know where you'll be living two weeks from now.

Things that are easy to do at home, like keeping a gym membership or joining sports teams, receiving reminders from your home doctor to come in for check-ups or follow-ups, or finding new reliable services providers, are all a challenging part of healthy living as a digital nomad.

Despite the challenges, maintaining good health while spending long periods abroad is absolutely essential to sustaining a digital nomad lifestyle. Planning ahead for your preventative healthcare needs helps avoid future health problems so you can live your travel dreams for longer.

Brazil’s healthcare system

Brazil has a public healthcare system known as the Sistema Único de Saúde (SUS), which provides free medical care to residents and visitors. However, SUS' services are mostly limited to emergency treatment in public hospitals, and some basic medical services. Non-emergency services like preventative healthcare, routine check-ups, and mental health are generally not covered.

While SUS is an important system ensuring all Brazilians have access to healthcare, it is unlikely to be sufficient for digital nomads living in Brazil. Public facilities can be crowded, and waiting times may be long, especially in large cities. Access to English-speaking doctors is limited.

Private healthcare in Brazil offers faster service and more specialised care, but it is expensive without insurance. For this reason, it is important to have comprehensive health and travel insurance that covers both emergency treatment and routine healthcare. Not only will you be protected financially in case of an emergency, but you can work to proactively maintain your health over time.

Insurance for Digital Nomads: What is Nomad Insurance Complete?

If you've been looking for borderless healthcare that actually fits your lifestyle - look no further. Nomad Insurance Complete is SafetyWing's health and travel insurance designed specifically for digital nomads. It provides worldwide coverage in over 175 countries, offering access to both private and public hospitals.

The global coverage gives me peace of mind, knowing I’ll be covered whether I’m staying put for a while to focus on a project, or if I decide to take a spontaneous trip to another country.

One of my favourite features of this plan is the freedom to choose any doctor. In addition to the emergency care you would expect from a travel insurance, this insurance is specifically designed to help you maintain your health while living abroad. It includes medical services such as checkups, screenings, maternity care, cancer treatment, mental health support for up to ten sessions a year, emergency evacuation, vaccinations, and complementary therapies.

Another unique feature of SafetyWing's combined health and travel insurance that it protects you against trip cancellations, delays, interruptions, lost luggage, stolen passports, and emergency travel home. This means I only need one policy for both health and travel coverage, saving me money in the long run.

Coverage is available up to USD 1.5 million, with eligibility for those aged up to 65, excluding pre-existing conditions before the policy begins. See the full policy for more details.

Disclaimer: This post was created in partnership with SafetyWing. Choosing the right insurance is a personal choice - contact SafetyWing and consider your personal situation to decide if this insurance is right for you.

More resources for planning your trip to Brazil

• Find cheap bus, ferry, and private transfer tickets on Bookaway, where you can make reservations ahead of time from abroad. Or, rent a car and give yourself the freedom to explore at your own pace.

• Find your perfect accommodation on Booking.com, with thousands of options ranging from luxury hotels to budget-friendly backpacker hostels

• You're not ready to travel until you have travel insurance. I recommend Safety Wing to my friends, family, and anyone travelling internationally. Get a free quote

• Forgetting something? Read my packing check-list for Brazil, and my list of 10 things you should do before you travel to Brazil