Travel insurance for visitors to Canada, also sold as visitors to Canada medical insurance or simply visitor insurance, is private emergency medical cover for people who have no provincial health plan: tourists, visiting parents and grandparents, and newcomers waiting for a health card. Government rules on this page come from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) on Canada.ca and from provincial health ministries. Insurer features come from each company’s own visitors-to-Canada page, checked October 11, 2026. This page is general education, not insurance or immigration advice, and the policy wording always decides what a claim pays. The guide to travel insurance for Canadian residents covers trips out of the province or country.
Do visitors to Canada need health insurance?
IRCC words insurance for ordinary visitors as something they should have, and it is clear that Canada does not pick up the bill. IRCC’s own words: “Canada does not pay for hospital or medical services for visitors. You should get health insurance to cover any medical costs before you come to Canada.”
How to read this table: Paraphrased closely from IRCC's pages; the quoted wording is in the source record. The super visa has its own mandatory insurance rule, covered further down.
| Topic | What IRCC says | Where it says it |
|---|---|---|
| Who pays for a visitor's medical care | Canada does not pay for hospital or medical services for visitors. | IRCC Help Centre |
| What IRCC tells visitors to do | Get health insurance to cover any medical costs before coming to Canada. | IRCC Help Centre |
| How long most visitors can stay | Up to 6 months. A border services officer may limit or extend the time, depending on the purpose of the visit. | Canada.ca, Prepare for your arrival |
| No stamp in the passport | The stay lasts until the earliest of 6 months from the entry date, the passport's expiry date or the biometrics' expiry date. | Canada.ca, Prepare for your arrival |
| Staying longer as a visitor | Apply for a visitor record. A visitor record is not a visa. | Canada.ca, Extend your stay in Canada |
Source: If I get sick or have an accident while visiting Canada, will the Government of Canada pay for my medical treatment? - IRCC Help Centre; Prepare for your arrival: Visit Canada - Canada.ca (how long you can stay); Prepare for your arrival: Visit Canada - Canada.ca (no stamp in the passport); Prepare for your arrival: Visit Canada - Canada.ca (officer may limit or extend); Extend your stay in Canada (visitor record) - Canada.ca. In effect from October 11, 2026; checked October 11, 2026.
Two details in that table bear on an insurance purchase. First, the timing: IRCC’s guidance is to arrange cover before coming, and GMS waives its waiting period for plans applied for before arrival, as the waiting-period section below shows. Second, the length: most visitors can stay up to 6 months, which is the period a policy for an ordinary visit has to span unless the stay is extended.
Provincial health plans do not fill the gap. Ontario says visitors from other provinces or from outside Canada do not qualify for OHIP, and Manitoba lists tourists, transients and visitors as not eligible for its plan.
What a medical emergency can cost a visitor
Two insurers publish figures that give a sense of scale. Desjardins says the average cost of a hospital stay in Canada ranges from $8,000 to $12,000, and that a stay including intensive care can cost over $50,000. TuGo publishes a claim story about a visitor whose abdominal pain turned out to be appendicitis: a CT scan, surgery and discharge the next day, for which its insurance covered $11,851.47. Both are the insurers’ own statements on sales pages, not official statistics, and one claim story is not an average.
What does visitor insurance in Canada cover?
Visitor insurance covers sudden, unexpected illness or injury during the stay: hospital care, doctors, tests, emergency prescriptions, ambulance and, on most plans, emergency dental care and a return home when medically needed. The seven insurers describe the core benefits in similar terms.
- Hospital and doctors. GMS lists hospital room and board up to semi-private, treatment by a physician or surgeon, outpatient emergency room charges, and x-rays and other diagnostic tests. Ontario Blue Cross and Travelance also specify semi-private hospitalization.
- Prescription drugs for the emergency. Travelance covers a 30-day supply, up to $1,000 on the Essential Plan and up to $10,000 on the Premier Plan. Ontario Blue Cross covers new prescriptions needed for emergency treatment, but not medications for chronic conditions.
- Emergency dental. Allianz lists $4,000 of dental coverage on the three online visitor plans. Ontario Blue Cross says dental care may be covered in certain circumstances, such as accidents during the coverage period.
- Ambulance and repatriation. Desjardins lists transportation costs for an ambulance or repatriation, and Ontario Blue Cross covers repatriation to the country of permanent residence if the medical condition requires it.
- Follow-up care. TuGo’s main plan includes up to 5 follow-up visits within 14 days of the first emergency treatment, plus 24-hour accident insurance of up to $25,000.
- Side trips. Manulife covers side trips that start and end in Canada, up to the lesser of 30 days per policy or 49% of the coverage days, and not to the country of origin. Desjardins covers trips outside Canada that start from Canada, are not to the country of residence and total no more than half the stay.
- Assistance line. Six of the seven describe a round-the-clock assistance service on the pages checked, and TuGo lists 24/7 telemedicine access to doctors. Allianz adds a Telehealth service and says any deductible is waived for treatment obtained through its Telehealth service.
What does visitor insurance not cover?
Visitor insurance does not cover routine or planned care, and most plans limit or exclude medical conditions that existed before the policy started. The exclusions the insurers state on their own pages:
- Checkups and non-emergency care. GMS says its plans are for emergency medical treatments only, not regular or annual checkups. Travelance says coverage is only for emergencies and does not include routine check-ups.
- Pregnancy and childbirth, on most plans. GMS states no coverage for expenses related to pregnancy, abortion, miscarriage, childbirth or their complications. TuGo’s Visitors to Canada Emergency Medical Insurance is the exception among the pages checked: it shows maternity (pre-natal care, delivery and complications) listed as a benefit, with limits in the policy wording.
- Medication for ongoing conditions. Ontario Blue Cross says it does not cover medications for chronic conditions.
- Pre-existing conditions, depending on the plan. Manulife’s Basic plan has no coverage for pre-existing medical conditions. GMS says certain exclusions may apply to anyone who received medical treatment or had symptoms before buying.
- Care in the home country. Manulife, Desjardins, Ontario Blue Cross and GMS each exclude the visitor’s own country from side-trip cover, and Ontario Blue Cross says no coverage is valid during a trip break at home.
- Late notice. TuGo’s Basic plan requires notice within 48 hours of a hospitalization, or the amount payable could be reduced to 80% of covered expenses. Desjardins asks for a call to its assistance service within 24 hours of the accident or onset of illness; its page does not state what happens when the call comes later.
Visitors to Canada medical insurance: 7 insurers compared
| Feature | Coverage amounts offered | Age limit | Pre-existing conditions | Buying after arrival and waiting period | Refund and cancellation terms stated |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Allianz Global Assistance | $50,000, $100,000 or $500,000 online, plus a $25,000 plan through its call centre | travellers aged up to 89, without a medical questionnaire | Not stated on the plan page; see the policy wording | Not stated on the plan page | Not stated on the plan page |
| Desjardins | $100,000, $150,000 or $300,000 | age 84 or younger, and at least 15 days old | Not stated on the plan page; see the policy | Not stated on the plan page | Not stated; the premium paid in a single payment |
| Manulife CoverMe | a limit the buyer selects, up to a maximum of $200,000 | Basic: no age limit. Standard: apply up to age 85. Enhanced: applications up to age 85, with a medical questionnaire from age 55 | Basic: no coverage for pre-existing medical conditions. Standard: no coverage for pre-existing medical conditions that existed within 180 days before the effective date. Enhanced: coverage for pre-existing medical conditions that have been stable for at least 180 days | Not stated on the plan page | a 10-day free look period to review the policy and return it |
| GMS | $25,000, $50,000, $100,000 or $150,000 | under age 80 on the policy effective date | Exclusions may apply where treatment or symptoms came before purchase | Within 30 days of arrival without insurance: illness cover starts two days after the effective date for medical conditions other than injury. After 30 days: 7 days after the effective date for medical conditions other than injury | a full refund when GMS is contacted before the effective date; a refund calculated from the day of departure when no claim has been made, with proof of departure |
| Ontario Blue Cross | $50,000, $100,000 or $150,000 per traveller | individuals aged 79 and under | Not stated on the plan page; medications for chronic conditions are not covered | purchase within 30 days of arrival; waiting period not stated | No premium refund for days spent at home on a trip break; other terms not stated |
| Travelance | $25,000, $50,000, $100,000 or $150,000 | ages 15 days to 85 years | Essential Plan: none. Premier Plan: pre-existing conditions that have been stable for 180 days on the Premier Plan, with heart, brain and lung conditions excluded from ages 70 to 79 and no pre-existing coverage from ages 80 to 85 | Waiting period not stated; coverage that begins once the insured person leaves the home country, when bought before departure | a refund of premium for an early return; no charge to cancel a policy because of a visa denial; a 10-day right to examine the policy |
| TuGo | Not printed on the plan pages; shown during the quote | Main plan: available for all ages. Basic plan: available up to age 79 | pre-existing medical condition coverage, subject to stability period requirements | Not stated on the plan pages | Not stated on the plan pages |
Sources: each company's own visitors-to-Canada page, checked October 11, 2026. 'Not stated' means the page checked did not give the term; it is set in the policy wording. No premiums are shown because none of the seven prints one on the pages checked.
The table in sentences, company by company.
Allianz Global Assistance sells $50,000, $100,000 or $500,000 online, plus a $25,000 plan through its call centre. Its top plan gives emergency medical coverage of up to $500,000, the highest maximum published by the seven. Plans are open to travellers aged up to 89, without a medical questionnaire, for trips of up to 365 days. The insurance is underwritten by CUMIS General Insurance Company, a member of The Co-operators Group of Companies.
Desjardins sells insurance amounts of $100,000, $150,000 or $300,000. Eligibility is age 84 or younger, and at least 15 days old, for a stay in Canada of no longer than 365 days, with the premium paid in a single payment. Its facts were read on the default Quebec version of the page.
Manulife CoverMe has three plans, Basic, Standard and Enhanced, each covering a limit the buyer selects, up to a maximum of $200,000. The difference is pre-existing conditions: Basic has no coverage for pre-existing medical conditions, Standard has no coverage for pre-existing medical conditions that existed within 180 days before the effective date, and Enhanced gives coverage for pre-existing medical conditions that have been stable for at least 180 days. Basic has no age limit; Enhanced takes applications up to age 85, with a medical questionnaire from age 55. Every plan has a 10-day free look period to review the policy and return it.
GMS sells $25,000, $50,000, $100,000 or $150,000 with deductibles as low as $0, and asks no medical questions for visitors under 55. Everyone covered must be under age 80 on the policy effective date. Its products are not available in Quebec, Nunavut or New Brunswick.
Ontario Blue Cross sells $50,000, $100,000 or $150,000 per traveller to individuals aged 79 and under, and allows purchase within 30 days of arrival. Its distinctive feature is a trip break: a return to the country of residence and back to Canada without ending the policy, with no coverage and no premium refund for the days away.
Travelance offers an Essential Plan and a Premier Plan, both in amounts of $25,000, $50,000, $100,000 or $150,000, for ages 15 days to 85 years and for 7 days to 18 months, the longest policy term published by the seven. The Premier Plan adds pre-existing conditions that have been stable for 180 days on the Premier Plan, with heart, brain and lung conditions excluded from ages 70 to 79 and no pre-existing coverage from ages 80 to 85. Both plans are underwritten by Old Republic Insurance Company of Canada.
TuGo sells two visitor plans through partner brokers. Visitors to Canada Emergency Medical Insurance is available for all ages and includes pre-existing medical condition coverage, subject to stability period requirements. Its Basic Visitors to Canada plan is available up to age 79 and has a shorter benefit list. Coverage maximums are not printed on either plan page.
Can you buy visitor insurance after arriving in Canada?
Yes, at some insurers: GMS and Ontario Blue Cross both say so on their pages, but a policy bought after arrival can start with a waiting period for illness. GMS is the only one of the seven that publishes the full rule on the pages checked.
| When the GMS plan is bought | When illness coverage starts |
|---|---|
| Before arriving in Canada, or when switching from another Canadian insurer with no gap | On the effective date: the waiting period is waived |
| Within 30 days of arriving, with no existing insurance | two days after the effective date for medical conditions other than injury |
| More than 30 days after arriving, with no existing insurance | 7 days after the effective date for medical conditions other than injury |
GMS adds that coverage for injuries needing emergency care starts on the effective date in every case. Ontario Blue Cross sets a purchase window instead: purchase within 30 days of arrival, and anyone switching from another provider is asked to contact it before the existing coverage ends. Travelance describes the opposite situation, a policy bought before departure, as coverage that begins once the insured person leaves the home country, when bought before departure.
GMS’s rule lines up with IRCC’s guidance to arrange insurance before coming: at GMS, a plan applied for before arrival has no waiting period, and a plan bought later without existing insurance leaves the first days without illness cover.
How is visitor insurance different from super visa insurance?
Visitor insurance is optional and flexible; super visa insurance is a condition of the visa with fixed minimums. A parent or grandparent applying for a super visa has to show proof of private health insurance that meets IRCC’s rules.
How to read this table: These rules apply to the super visa only. An ordinary visitor visa or eTA has no insurance requirement.
| Requirement | What IRCC requires |
|---|---|
| Who issues it | A Canadian insurance company, or an insurance company outside Canada that is authorized by the Office of the Superintendent of Financial Institutions (OSFI) to provide accident and sickness insurance, appears on OSFI's list of federally regulated financial institutions and issued the policy while doing insurance business in Canada. |
| Minimum term | Valid for a minimum of 1 year from the date of entry. |
| Minimum emergency coverage | $100,000. |
| What it covers | Health care, hospitalization and repatriation. |
| Payment | Paid in full or in instalments with a deposit; quotes are not accepted. |
| Entries | Valid for each entry to Canada and available for review by border services officers on request. |
| Policy wording | Names the insurance company that issued the policy; a foreign insurer's policy must state it was issued or made while the company was doing insurance business in Canada. |
Source: Super visa for parents and grandparents: Proof of financial support - Canada.ca; Super visa: Proof of financial support - Canada.ca (who counts in the family size); Super visa: Proof of financial support - Canada.ca (option 1); Super visa: Proof of financial support - Canada.ca (option 2); Super visa for parents and grandparents: Who can apply - Canada.ca; Super visa for parents and grandparents: Forms and documents - Canada.ca (health insurance); Super visa for parents and grandparents: Forms and documents - Canada.ca (co-signer); Super visa for parents and grandparents: Submit your application - Canada.ca (fees); Super visa for parents and grandparents: How long you can stay in Canada - Canada.ca; Super visa for parents and grandparents - Canada.ca (overview); Super visa for parents and grandparents: After you apply - Canada.ca. In effect from July 29, 2025; checked October 8, 2026.
The practical difference is the floor. IRCC requires a minimum of $100,000 in emergency coverage, valid for at least 1 year from the date of entry. Visitor plans are sold in smaller amounts too: the $25,000 and $50,000 options on this page sit below that minimum, and a policy written for a six-month visit is shorter than the required term. Several insurers say their plans can be bought to meet the super visa rules. Manulife says all three plans meet the super visa requirement, according to Manulife, and Travelance says its plans are eligible when purchased according to Canadian government requirements.
The super visa income requirement guide covers what the host child or grandchild has to earn.
Do newcomers need visitor insurance while waiting for provincial coverage?
Only where there is a gap between arriving and provincial coverage starting, and that depends on the province and the person’s status. Insurers sell visitor plans for exactly this gap: Desjardins lists newcomers waiting for provincial health insurance as eligible, and GMS says a Canadian citizen moving back can buy a plan to cover the time until provincial coverage begins.
In Ontario there is no waiting period for OHIP: an eligible applicant has immediate coverage, though eligibility depends on status and residence. The OHIP health card guide lists who qualifies. In Manitoba, a permanent resident arriving from outside Canada is covered from the date of arrival, while someone moving from another province waits until the first day of the third month. The Manitoba Health card guide has the full list. Study permit holders are a different case in Manitoba, where they are not eligible for provincial coverage at all.
GMS notes one refund that matters here: once a customer sends proof of provincial coverage, it calculates a refund from the date the government plan starts, minus an administration fee.
How much is visitor insurance in Canada?
No insurer on this page prints a premium on the page checked, so an honest answer is a list of what moves the price. Desjardins says the premium varies with the age of each insured person, the length of the stay and the insurance amount selected. Allianz says rates vary by product type, age and trip length.
The deductible is the one pricing lever with published numbers. Travelance offers deductibles from $0 to $10,000, with published premium reductions of 10% at $250, 15% at $500 and 45% at $10,000. As a hypothetical example, a quote of $1,000 with no deductible would become $900 with a deductible of $250, in exchange for paying the first $250 of a claim. GMS offers deductibles as low as $0.
A deductible is paid out of pocket at the worst moment, so it belongs in the same conversation as savings. The emergency fund calculator shows how many months of costs a cash cushion covers. A credit card’s travel insurance is a separate product: who it covers is set out in that card’s insurance certificate, and the travel credit card comparison covers those cards.
Quote checklist: what to line up before buying
Comparing two quotes only works when the terms match. A checklist built from the terms these seven insurers publish:
- Same coverage amount on every quote. Amounts on this page run from $25,000 to up to $500,000.
- Same deductible. A lower premium with a higher deductible is not the same policy.
- Start date and waiting period. When illness coverage begins matters most if the visitor is already in Canada.
- Pre-existing conditions. Whether they are covered, how long a condition must be stable, and how the policy defines stable. Manulife’s page lists seven conditions that must all be true.
- Age band and medical questions. Manulife’s Enhanced plan takes applications up to age 85, with a medical questionnaire from age 55; Allianz’s plan options are open to travellers aged up to 89, without a medical questionnaire.
- Maximum length and extensions. Allianz covers trips of up to 365 days, and Desjardins requires a stay in Canada of no longer than 365 days. GMS asks for contact at least 48 hours before the plan expires to extend, if no medical treatment was needed and the plan has run less than one year.
- Side trips. The day limit, and whether the trip has to start and end in Canada.
- Refunds. What is refunded for a denied visa, a cancelled trip or an early return, and whether a claim cancels the refund.
- Notice rules. The assistance phone number, and how quickly the insurer must be told about a hospitalization.
- Who the insurer is. For a super visa, IRCC requires a Canadian insurance company or a foreign insurer authorized by OSFI.
- Where it is sold. GMS products are not available in Quebec, Nunavut or New Brunswick; TuGo is sold through partner brokers chosen by province.
Common mistakes with visitor insurance
- Buying after landing and assuming day-one illness cover. GMS’s published waiting periods show how a late purchase delays illness coverage.
- Treating a visitor plan as a health plan. These policies pay for emergencies. GMS and Travelance both say routine checkups are not covered.
- Not declaring medical history. Pre-existing condition terms differ by plan and age, and each policy sets its own definition of stable.
- Using a small visitor policy for a super visa. The super visa minimum is $100,000 for at least 1 year.
- Missing the notice deadline. TuGo’s Basic plan can reduce payment when it is not told about a hospitalization in time.
- Letting the policy lapse before extending. GMS wants notice before expiry, and only extends when no medical treatment was needed.
Where visitor insurance fits for a family hosting relatives
A host family usually arranges several things at once: the invitation, the insurance and day-to-day money for the visit. Super visa hosts also face an income test. For newcomers settling permanently, the best bank accounts for newcomers guide covers the first account, and the newcomer money guides cover health cards, the SIN application and the Canadian tax system. Renters setting up a first home can also see how tenant insurance in Canada works, since a lease can require it.
How this list was put together
YieldMaple read each company’s own visitors-to-Canada page on October 11, 2026 and recorded only the coverage amounts, age limits, pre-existing condition terms, waiting periods and refund rules stated there, with the exact wording saved for each fact. No company supplied information or paid to be listed, and there are no affiliate links on this page. The list is ordered by the highest published coverage maximum, with ties in alphabetical order, not by price or quality, and it is not exhaustive: other insurers and brokers also sell visitors to Canada medical insurance, and leaving one out is not a judgment about it. TuGo’s plan pages do not print coverage maximums, and several insurers leave waiting periods and refund terms to the policy wording; those cells say so instead of guessing. Desjardins’ page was read on its default Quebec version. Terms change, and the policy wording for the visitor’s own age, dates and province is the only version that applies.