Compare Insurance Plans for visitors to Canada insurance
Yes, it's absolutely necessary.
Health insurance is mandatory for everyone coming to Canada - whether tourists, students, temporary workers, or new immigrants. Government healthcare is free only for citizens and permanent residents. For others, medical services can be extremely expensive. For example, hospitalization can cost $5,000 to $8,000 per day, and intensive care unit stays cost more than $15,000 per day.
Additionally, in some provinces, new immigrants must wait up to 3 months before receiving government insurance. Therefore, it is recommended to arrange private health insurance in advance to avoid financial risks.
The cost of health insurance for visitors to Canada depends on age, coverage amount, presence of chronic diseases, and length of stay. The price does not depend on smoking status. On average, insurance for visitors to Canada costs approximately $60–150 per month for a young and relatively healthy person, but for older people the price will be significantly higher. However, even one emergency visit or several days in a hospital without insurance will cost thousands, and sometimes tens of thousands of dollars. Therefore, insurance is considered essential protection against large and unpredictable medical expenses during your trip, including flights to and from Canada.
Visitor insurance in Canada typically covers emergency medical care, including emergency medical treatment, hospitalization, doctor visits, ambulance services, and necessary prescription medications during treatment. Many policies also cover diagnostic tests, X-rays, and emergency surgeries if needed due to sudden illness or injury.
It's important to note that chronic diseases (pre-existing conditions) often have limitations: they may not be covered at all, or may only be covered if the condition was stable for a certain period before the trip. Therefore, always check the stability conditions and exclusions in your policy. Some policies also cover flights to and from Canada as well as planned trips to other countries for short periods.
Yes, you can arrange health insurance after arriving in Canada if you didn't purchase a policy in advance. Many insurance companies offer insurance-after-arrival options, but in such cases a waiting period of approximately 48–72 hours is often applied, during which illness coverage does not apply. However, accidents are usually covered immediately after purchasing the policy. Therefore, if possible, it's still recommended to arrange insurance before your trip to avoid temporary coverage restrictions.
For parents and Super Visa applicants, special health insurance is required that meets Canadian immigration requirements. The policy must:
Yes. If there is proof that the person received a visa refusal, insurance companies will refund the insurance premium. There are some exceptions where the insurance company may keep a small amount as an administrative fee.
This is the amount the insured person pays each time a claim occurs.For example, if the deductible is $100 and there are 3 claims, you pay the first $100 for each claim separately.
This is the amount the insured person pays once for the entire policy period, regardless of how many claims occur.For example, if the deductible is $100 and there are 3 claims, you pay $100 only once, and after that the insurance covers eligible expenses according to the policy terms.