Compare Travel Insurance for Visitors to Canada

Yes, foreign visitors to Canada need health insurance. The Canadian government does not offer free health care to visitors or tourists. In fact, healthcare in our country without coverage can be very expensive! One visit to a hospital can easily cost thousands of dollars.

Health insurance protects visitors and tourists from unexpected costs due to sudden illness, accidents, or other health and medical emergencies while travelling in and visiting Canada.

There are different types of insurance available to different types of travellers to Canada:

• If you are planning to stay in Canada for up to one year either for work or a vacation, visitors to Canada insurance is your best bet.
• If you are a recent immigrant but not yet eligible for a health card in your province, you should also get visitors to Canada insurance until your coverage kicks in.
• If you are a parent or grandparent of a Canadian citizen and staying for longer than six months, you should actually look into Super Visa insurance.
• If you coming to Canada to study, consider International Student insurance instead.

As with all travel insurance, your policy costs depend on your age, any pre-existing medical conditions, how long you plan to be insured for, and which provider you choose to become insured with. On average, if you're under the age of 30, for example, and:

• Travelling for 7 days, you can get $25,000 in coverage starting as low as $12 CAD
• Travelling for a month, you can get the same coverage for as low as $43 CAD
• Travelling for 6 months, you can get the same coverage for as low as $255 CAD

We show you quotes from a number of companies who offer travel medical insurance for visitors to Canada, so you can find the best rates. Compare coverages and find a policy specific to your needs on Rates.ca.

Policies vary from provider to provider, but standard coverage for medical emergencies includes:

• Emergency hospital accommodation and medical services
• Diagnostic services such as X-rays
• Emergency transportation
• Emergency dental work
• Prescription drugs needed as a result of a covered emergency

Visitors to Canada insurance plans available through our partners include:

• Up to $1 million coverage of the eligible emergency medical expenses that you incur while visiting Canada
• Coverage for trips lasting up to 365 days
• Extended Health Care Coverage for; Physician Fee's, X-rays, Physiotherapist, Chiropractor, Prescription Drugs, and more
• Dental Accidents Coverage, Emergency Hospital Services, Travel Accident Coverage, and more
• Coverage for trips outside of Canada
• Available as an individual, couple or family policy

If you are immigrating to Canada, or are a recent immigrant, you will find that most provinces have a waiting period before you are eligible for public health insurance. The length of time you have to wait will vary by province. To protect yourself, newcomers to Canada should get emergency medical health insurance coverage, to ensure you’re covered as you wait for your provincial coverage to kick in.

A visit to the hospital, even for a minor injury, could set you back thousands of dollars. Don’t gamble on your financial future in Canada. Compare visitors to Canada quotes today.