picktheinsurance
Kinds of trip

Long-term travel insurance for gap years and extended trips

The short answer

Standard plans often cap how long a single trip can last. For months away, look at long-stay plans or a rolling subscription: SafetyWing sells long-term travel medical cover monthly; VisitorsCoverage and EKTA sell trip-based plans. Check the maximum trip length and whether you can extend while away.

What to check

  • The maximum length of one trip.
  • Whether you can extend or renew while you’re away.
  • Medical cover and evacuation in every country on your route.
  • Cancellation and baggage cover, which long-stay medical plans may not include.

Read the policy wording before you buy: what’s covered, the limits, the excess and the exclusions.

Each insurer’s own page for this

VisitorsCoverageTheir page: International Travel Insurance
Open their page ↗
EKTATheir page: Travel Insurance for Expats
Open their page ↗
SafetyWingTheir page: Nomad Insurance
Open their page ↗

We earn a commission if you buy after following these links. It never changes what this page says, and we don’t give advice. Who each insurer is.

Questions

How long can travel insurance last?

It varies: many single-trip plans have a maximum length; long-stay plans and subscriptions run longer.

Can I extend travel insurance while abroad?

Some insurers allow it. Check before you leave.

Is a monthly subscription the same as annual multi-trip cover?

No. A subscription renews monthly; annual multi-trip covers several shorter trips in a year.

Keep reading

Updated 2026-10-24.

Find cover for your trip →