The thrill of going on holiday often renders most of us guilty of leaving travel insurance at the bottom of our to-do list, upon confirming the holiday plans. However, as Dr. Ian Malcolm in Jurassic Park famously said: ‘Life finds a way’. Unexpected family emergencies can disrupt even the best-laid plans. It’s always wise to prioritise travel insurance to ensure a worry-free trip.
Singlife Travel Insurance, a relatively new travel insurance provider in Singapore, is offering competitive coverage and worthy consideration among travellers seeking a no-frills, affordable protection option.
In this review, check out how Singlife’s coverage can keep your family safe on vacation.
Learn more about our travel insurance rating system.
Singlife Travel Insurance—MoneySmart Review 2024
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- Singlife travel insurance—what tiers do they offer?
- How does Singlife set their travel insurance prices?
- How Singlife’s coverages compare to other affordable travel insurers (DirectAsia & FWD)
- Singlife’s pandemic and volatile weather coverage
- Extreme sports & outdoor adventure coverage
- What categories are excluded?
- Do Singlife offer promotions for travel insurance?
- Who’s eligible for Singlife travel insurance?
- How to claim for payout under Singlife travel insurance?
- Final thoughts
1. Singlife travel insurance—what tiers do they offer?
Singlife travel insurance comes in 3 tiers, applicable for annual multi-trip and single-trip plans:
- Travel Lite: Up to $250,000 of overseas medical expenses
- Travel Plus: Up to $2,000,000 of overseas medical expenses
- Travel Prestige: Unlimited overseas medical expenses
You can buy single-trip insurance for trips of up to 182 days, or an annual, unlimited multi-trip insurance within a year of up to 90 days per trip. If you are planning to cancel your trip but have already made deposit for hotels, airlines, or travel-related services ie. car rentals, you might want to purchase Singlife’s insurance immediately to offset any cancellation fee / penalty that may incur.
2. How does Singlife set their travel insurance prices?
Singlife’s insurance packages are primarily determined by your destination. Here’s how they categorise their regional zones:
| ASEAN | Asia | Worldwide |
| Brunei Cambodia Indonesia Laos Malaysia Myanmar Philippines Thailand Vietnam |
Australia Bhutan Hong Kong India Japan Macau Maldives Mongolia Nepal New Zealand China (incl. Taiwan & Tibet) South Korea Sri Lanka |
All countries except: Afghanistan DR Congo Iran Iraq Liberia Sudan Syria |
Source: Singlife FAQ
3. How Singlife’s coverages compare to other affordable travel insurers (DirectAsia & FWD)
Whether you’re a seasoned traveller or planning your first overseas adventure, it’s always good to know the value of travel insurance. Here’s a list of Singlife’s comprehensive coverage, and how they are fared to its competitors—DirectAsia and FWD:
| Singlife | DirectAsia | FWD | |
| Price (ASEAN) | $41-$88/week | $35-$40/week | $33-$57/week |
| Price (Asia) | $54-$117/week | $42-$60/week | $35-$68/week |
| Price (Global) | $81-$174/week | $73-$98/week | $55-$93/week |
| Overseas Medical Expenses | $250,000 – Unlimited | $150,000 – $500,000 | $200,000 – $1,000,000 |
| Emergency Medical Evacuation | $250,000 – Unlimited | $1,500,000 | Unlimited |
| Personal Accident (Death/Total Permanent Disability) | $50,000 – $500,000 | $100,000 – $500,000 | $300 – $1,000 |
| Trip Cancellation | $5,000-$20,000 | $3,000 – $15,000 | $7,500 – $15,000 |
| Travel Delay | $500-$2,000 | $1,000-5,000 | $300-$1,000 |
| Baggage Lost/Damaged | $3,000-$8,000 | $1,000 – $5,000 | $3,000 – $7,500 |
| Adventure activities | Yes (Add on) | Yes (Add on) | Yes |
| Covid-19 | Yes (several perks excluded for Lite) | Yes (Add on) | Yes (Add on) |
Source: MoneySmart
Overseas medical expenses & emergency medical evacuation
When it comes to overseas medical expenses and emergency evacuation coverage, Singlife excels. With its lowest tier Lite plan, it offers $250,000 coverage for both overseas medical expenses and emergency evacuation (shared). This is already higher than the lowest coverage values offered by DirectAsia and FWD.
For its Plus and Prestige plans, Singlife’s overseas medical expenses and emergency medical evacuation coverage skyrockets to $2,000,000 and a generous unlimited coverage respectively.
Trip cancellation & delay
If your trip is cancelled for any reason (except for last-minute decisions), Singlife offers some of the most generous compensation. With Singlife Plus and Prestige, you receive up to $20,000 in compensation and coverage for 50% of all your travel expenses, entertainment, and accommodations.
Meanwhile, if your vacation is postponed within 30 days of your scheduled departure, you are entitled to up to $2,000 in compensation. It’s a much higher payout than FWD, but slightly lower than what DirectAsia offers.
Baggage loss & damage
Out of the 3 insurers, Singlife offers the largest coverage payout at $3,000 to $8,000 in baggage loss and damage. Here’s how the payout for your valuables will look like should something unfortunate occur:
Note: Cash, jewelries, or bonds are not subject to payout claim for the usual plans. Animals are also not covered for, along with golfing, water sports and winter sports equipment (unless you include the additional coverage).
Overall, Singlife offers hefty compensation for trip cancellations, delays, and lost baggage, especially when upgraded to the Plus or Prestige tier. Moreover, when you consider the COVID-19 coverage add-ons from FWD and Direct Asia, you will find Singlife’s mid-to-high tier prices are competitive and value-for-money.
Example: For a week-long trip in Southeast Asia, the middle tier from FWD or Direct Asia would actually cost:
- FWD Business: $54 + $10 (COVID-19 add-on) = $64
- Direct Asia Voyager 250: $54 + $14 (COVID-19 add-on) = $68
For the $60 price range, you can opt for Singlife Plus. It includes COVID-19 coverage, offers an emergency medical evacuation coverage of $2,000,000 (higher than that by Direct Asia), and includes COVID-19 hospitalisation and daily cash allowance for quarantine.
Check out our latest price guide on all travel insurances in Singapore to explore more options.
4. Singlife’s pandemic and volatile weather coverage
As mentioned above, no add-on fees for Covid-19
Not all travel insurance plans include Covid-19 coverage. Even for FWD and DirectAsia, it’s an add-on cost. Fortunately, Singlife provides a comprehensive protection right from the get-go:
| Lite | Plus | Prestige | |
| Overseas Medical Expenses due to COVID-19 | $50,000 | S$100,000 | SS$200,000 |
| Emergency Medical Evacuation due to COVID-19 | S$250,000 | S$2,000,000 | Unlimited |
| Repatriation due to COVID-19 | S$30,000 | S$500,000 | Unlimited |
| Medical Expenses in Singapore due to COVID-19 | Not Covered | S$2,000 | S$4,000 |
| Overseas Quarantine Allowance Due to COVID-19 | Not Covered | S$1,000 (S$50 for every 24 hours) | S$2,000 (S$100 for every 24 hours) |
| Overseas Hospital Income due to COVID-19 | Not Covered | S$1,000 (S$50 for every 24 hours) | S$2,000 (S$100 for every 24 hours) |
| Trip Cancellation / Postponement due to COVID-19 | S$500 | S$5,000 | S$7,500 |
| Trip Interruption due to COVID-19 – Back to Singapore | S$500 | S$5,000 | S$7,500 |
| Trip Interruption due to COVID-19 – Change of Trip itinerary | S$500 | S$1,000 | S$1,500 |
Note: If you purchase Singlife Lite and contract COVID-19 while travelling, you won’t be eligible for allowances during quarantine or hospitalisation. These perks are reserved for Singlife Plus and Prestige only.
It’s best to review Singlife’s guidelines (or any insurers’ for that matter) to fully understand their terms and conditions regarding payouts.
Heavy rainfall coverage
Currently, Singlife is the only major travel insurance provider in Singapore to offer the Rainfall Protection package for ongoing impact of climate change. Should 50% of your 1-week journey in Southeast Asia be affected by excessive rainfall over 6.4mm, you can claim up to $150 per day!
5. Extreme sports and outdoor adventure coverage
If you’re an adventure seeker, double-check your travel insurance plan’s coverage for sports and activities. Singlife’s insurance plans do not cover dangerous sports or leisure activities. You’ll have to include the Extreme Sports and Activities add-on to cover any other outdoor adventure and sports you want to participate in. Activities include:
Golf holidays
| Events covered by Singlife |
| Loss of golfing equipment |
| Hiring cost of golfing equipment |
| Food & beverages |
| Damage of buggy |
| Unused field fees |
Overseas wedding & photoshoot
| Events covered by Singlife |
| Loss of ceremonial attire & wedding accessories |
| Loss of marriage certificate |
| Financial failure of licensed Wedding Service Providers |
| Loss of wedding photos |
| Damage caused by invited wedding attendees |
Winter sports
Water sports/adventures
Note: If you’re into recreational diving, Singlife limits you to a dive up to a maximum depth of 30 metres under the supervision of a certified diving instructor. Only then will you be eligible for a payout if you get into an accident.
Need to crunch the numbers? Refer to Singlife’s travel insurance policy here to calculate the cost for add-on per category.
6. What categories are excluded?
Similar to other insurers, Singlife will not cover for events / procedures that are deemed non-life-threatening, caused by our own negligence, or minor inconveniences while travelling. Here’s the list of excluded categories:
| Medical Exclusions | Trip Inconvenience Exclusions |
| Medical expenses for pre-existing conditions | Engaging in sports in compensation |
| Pregnancy-related events (unless filing claim under pregnancy benefit) | Items taken by custom officials |
| Suicide and mental illness | Baggage sent separately or items left unattended |
| Cosmetic or elective surgery (unless necessitated by a physical injury) | Fragile articles |
| Travelling when medically unfit | Inability to travel due to business or contractual obligations |
| Metastatic or terminal illness | Bungee jumping, BASE jumping, potholing, marathons, rock climbing |
Source: Singlife
7. Do Singlife offer promotions for travel insurance?
Yes! Singlife has an ongoing promotion where you get 25% off all single trip plans. A week’s coverage in Asia will now only cost $21 for Singlife Lite.
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Total Premium
S$32.93
- Med. Coverage (Overseas)
- S$250,000
- Trip Cancellation
- S$5,000
- Loss/Damage of Baggage
- S$3,000
- Total PremiumTotal Premium
S$43.9025% Off - S$32.93
[GIVEAWAY | SmartRewards | Receive your rewards as fast as 30 days*]
Get over S$65 worth of rewards including:
• Up to 510 SmartPoints OR S$30 via PayNow with eligible premiums spent. T&Cs apply.
• S$30 Revolut cash reward
• Eskimo Global 1GB eSIM (worth S$9.50) with every policy purchased.
Use SmartPoints to redeem your favourite product from our Rewards Store today.
PLUS, score S$100 Revolut cash reward in our giveaway on top of existing rewards. T&Cs apply.
If you’re a bit kiasi (afraid you’ll die), you can upgrade to Singlife Plus for $33 to enjoy additional benefits, such as a payout spike for trip cancellation fee from $5,000 to $15,000, along with the full Covid-19 coverage.
Total Premium
S$50.01
- Med. Coverage (Overseas)
- S$2,000,000
- Trip Cancellation
- S$15,000
- Loss/Damage of Baggage
- S$5,000
- Total PremiumTotal Premium
S$66.6825% Off - S$50.01
[GIVEAWAY | SmartRewards | Receive your rewards as fast as 30 days*]
Get over S$65 worth of rewards including:
• Up to 510 SmartPoints OR S$30 via PayNow with eligible premiums spent. T&Cs apply.
• S$30 Revolut cash reward
• Eskimo Global 1GB eSIM (worth S$9.50) with every policy purchased.
Use SmartPoints to redeem your favourite product from our Rewards Store today.
PLUS, score S$100 Revolut cash reward in our giveaway on top of existing rewards. T&Cs apply.
8. Who’s eligible for Singlife travel insurance?
Most Singaporeans from age 16 to 74 can acquire Singlife Travel Insurance, as long as you:
- Hold a valid NRIC or FIN
- Engage in a round-trip journey originating and concluding in Singapore
- Adhere to travel recommendations, not going against the guidance of a qualified medical practitioner / travel advisory from Ministry of Foreign Affairs
- Not undertaken with the purpose of seeking medical treatment
- Insurance acquired prior to your departure from Singapore
9. How to claim for payout under Singlife travel insurance
It only gets more user-friendly from here. Singlife encourages claim submission via their online portal, or follow-up with additional claims through their email.
Should your claims involve reimbursements for upfront expenses (i.e physical medical receipts, purchase receipts…), you need to write down your policy number and submit these original documents via mailing:
Address:
Singlife Travel Insurance Claims
Singapore Life Ltd.
4 Shenton Way
#01-01 SGX Centre 2
Singapore 068807
24/7 hotline:
+65 6827 9933
Then, Singlife will contact you within 2-3 business days to acknowledge the claim. If they need further information, they’ll follow up within 30 business days.
After approval, you can expect to receive the payout within 3 business days. It will be directly wired to your registered PayNow account under your NRIC. Otherwise, they will mail you the physical cheque within 14 business days.
10. Final thoughts
In our opinion, Singlife is a solid bet for Singaporeans seeking travel insurance that doesn’t break the bank. It offers high coverage for overseas medical expenses and emergency evacuation, plus good coverage for trip cancellations, delays, and baggage issues.
Additionally, it provides protection against COVID-19 and remains the only provider in Singapore to safeguard you from volatile weather conditions. If you’re in search of reliable and cost-effective travel insurance, Singlife is definitely worth considering.
About our scale and rating system
- We compiled the prices and coverage limits for over 50 travel insurance plans from 18 different providers in Singapore in a massive spreadsheet.
- For each price/coverage category (e.g. trip cancellation, travel delay, etc.), we determined the minimum, median, and maximum values across all travel insurance plans. These values then form scales showing the lowest, highest, and average price/coverage amounts for different travel insurance plans in Singapore.
- Finally, we plotted where each travel insurance plan stands on those scales and assigned a star rating for the provider based on the results.
| Star rating and description | Visual example |
| ★☆☆☆☆ 1 star: All plans under that provider perform average or lower than average, and 1 or more plans is the worst performing. / If there is only 1 plan, it is the worst performing. |
1 star:
|
| ★★☆☆☆ 2 stars: All plans under that provider perform average or lower than average, but none of their plans is the worst performing. / If there is only one plan, it performs below average. OR see 3 star rating below for penalty star scenario. |
2 stars: 2 stars (3 stars – penalty star): |
| ★★★☆☆ 3 stars: All plans under that provider perform between the minimum and maximum. / If there is only one plan, it performs average. – Add a bonus star if one of the plans is the best in Singapore. – Deduct a penalty star if one of the plans is the worst in Singapore. |
3 stars:
|
| ★★★★☆ 4 stars: All plans under that provider perform average or above average, but none of their plans is the best performing. / If there is only 1 plan, it performs above average. OR see 3 star rating above for bonus star scenario. |
4 stars: 4 stars (3 stars + bonus star):  |
| ★★★★★ 5 stars: All plans under that provider perform average or above average, and 1 or more of their plans is the best performing. / If there is only 1 plan, it is the best performing. |
5 stars:
|
NOTE: These are flipped for the Price component—for this, the lower the better.
Planning on buying travel insurance? Compare the best travel insurance here.
About the author
Travelling the world and getting involved in cross-cultural works is Caleb’s passion. Freelance digital marketing and content writing is a way for him to express himself creatively while earning his keep. He unwinds by diving into a variety of music genres. Living in a digitally disrupted world, he’d like to offer a different perspective on finances to show people the possibilities of what goes beyond a typical “Singaporean life”.
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