Visitors to Canada

Visitors aren’t covered by any provincial health plan, so without insurance they pay the full bill. With visitors to Canada insurance, your visitor calls the assistance line on the policy before getting treatment, or as soon as they can. The assistance team directs them to a suitable facility and often pays the hospital directly. If they don’t call, many plans pay less.

Not for a regular visit, but it’s strongly recommended, because visitors aren’t covered by any provincial health plan. It is required for a Super Visa. Buy it before your visitor leaves home: if they buy after arriving, a waiting period usually applies.

It’s visitors to Canada insurance that meets the Super Visa rules. The policy must:

• come from a Canadian insurance company, or a foreign insurer authorized to do insurance business in Canada;
• provide at least $100,000 of emergency coverage;
• cover health care, hospitalization and repatriation;
• be valid for at least a year from the date of entry, and for each entry;
• be paid in full, or in instalments with a deposit (a quote isn’t accepted).

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada sets these rules and can change them, so check the current requirements before applying.

Often, yes. Provincial coverage for new residents, and for Canadians moving back, may not start right away, and waits vary: in British Columbia, for example, coverage starts after the rest of the month you arrive plus two months, while in Alberta it can start the day you become a resident, if you apply within three months. The same plans that cover visitors can cover your emergency medical costs while you wait for it to start. When it starts depends on your province or territory, so check with yours.

It covers emergency medical costs for people visiting Canada, such as family or friends from abroad, who aren’t covered by any provincial health plan. It can cover the whole stay, from a few days to a year, and can meet the Super Visa insurance requirements. Some plans cover stable pre-existing conditions, but if a condition changes during the stability period before the trip, it may not be covered.