Frequently Asked Questions

This type of plan offers specialized coverage for:

• Visitors to Canada – who are here on vacation, for business purposes, or to stay with friends or relatives.
• Landed Immigrants – New immigrants to Canada who are waiting for their government health coverage.
• Grandparent/Parent Super Visa visitors – Parents and Grandparents of permanent residents or Canadian Citizens who are visiting on a Super Visa .
• International Students – International students residing in Canada .
• Returning Canadians/Inpatriates – Canadians who are returning, or who have returned, to Canada and are not covered under a Provincial Health Care Plan; and foreigners living in Canada on a work visa.

Healthcare costs can be very expensive in Canada and, without emergency medical insurance, something that starts out as a minor accident or simple case of the flu could end up costing you many thousands of dollars.
One day spent in a Canadian hospital could easily cost up to $3,500, with intensive care climbing as high as $11,000, and additional services such as MRI and CAT scan adding more thousands to the bill. Paying these fees out of pocket could be a heavy impact on a person’s financial stability. Read more about Emergency Medical Costs in Canada

Nobody can control when an accident or illness occurs, and these facts added together can place a lot of financial stress on the visitor.
Visitors to Canada insurance will ensure that you are covered for the emergency hospital treatment you need, bring a family member or friend to your bedside, fly you home if necessary, and some policies will even cover the child care costs for any accompanying children.

In addition, Canadian residents have a legal obligation to provide support for visiting relatives and friends. Both hospitals and doctors have a legal right to collect payment for medical bills from the person who sponsored them.

Specialized Visitors Insurance plans offering some extended benefits beyond emergency care only are also available for Inpatriates/Returning Canadians, and International Students.

Yes, you can buy Visitors Insurance for families.
Most insurance companies offer special family rates. However, the definition of family is different depending on the company. For example, some specify the main applicant must be under a certain age and others specify a minimum number of family members.

Please check the insurance company policies before you order – a copy of the policy is available for download on each company page. Click here to go to the company pages.

Yes, you can purchase Visitors Insurance on behalf of any family members or friends. However, if you are filling out the insurance application on their behalf, you should be absolutely sure that you are fully informed of their medical history and any pre-existing health conditions as any incorrect information could impact their benefits negatively or result in claims being denied.

Many credit cards and home owner’s policies do provide basic travel insurance. However, the coverage is often limited, and credit cards frequently require you to use your card to pay for the trip.

Yes, you can purchase emergency medical insurance at any time. However, we recommend buying your insurance before you leave your country of residence to avoid waiting periods for sickness benefits, and to ensure your entire trip is covered, including the day you leave, the period of your stay in Canada, and the day you return home.
You can check the waiting period requirements for each company on the individual Company Pages .

It is preferable to buy a policy from a Canadian Insurance Company as direct billing is available between Canadian hospitals and Canadian insurers. This means you won’t have to pay for your treatment up-front.

Visitors Insurance is intended to cover your hospital and medical costs in the event of an unforeseen medical emergency. For more detailed information, please visit the individual Company Pages .

The list of exclusions is unique to each insurance provider. Generally, they may exclude coverage for such things as pre-existing health conditions, non-emergency health care, injuries sustained while participating in risky sports, or routine doctor’s visits.
For full details of exclusions please download a copy of the policy wording from the company pages. Click here for the company pages .

Sports-related injuries are only covered under the Visitors policy when sustained while the person insured is involved in recreational sports.
Professional athletes, or those wishing to participate in extreme sports while in Canada, may be able to purchase an optional “Sports Rider”.

Visitors to Canada Insurance is designed to cover emergency medical costs and therefore does not cover routine doctor’s visits. However, there are specialised plans available for International Students, those visiting on a Super Visa, and Inpatriates.

Most companies offer plans that cover stable, controlled health conditions. Such policies will not generally cover the regular expenses related to maintenance of that condition. However, complications that arise requiring hospitalization or emergency medical care, or that result in the death of the insured, may be covered.

If you choose a policy that excludes pre-existing conditions, you would be covered for new injuries and illnesses only.

No, you don’t need any kind of examinations or tests before purchasing. Although, you may be required to fill out a medical questionnaire.
Note: If you fail to answer the questions truthfully, any claims may be denied or subject to thousands of dollars of extra deductible.

Most basic Visitors to Canada Insurance plans don’t cover pregnancy. However, there are specialised plans available for International Students and Inpatriates that offer maternity benefits. Please check the insurance company policies before you order – a copy of the policy is available for download on each company page .

Visitors Insurance companies each set their own minimum age for coverage which varies from 15 to 30 days old.

There are also specialized plans available for International Students and Inpatriates that offer maternity benefits and/or coverage for newborns.

Please check the insurance company policies before you buy – a copy of the policy is available for download on each company page. Click here to go to the company pages.

Yes, visitors insurance is available for older individuals.
Some Visitors to Canada plans do have a cut-off age, and each company has exclusions and limitations that apply at certain ages.
For example, many will not cover pre-existing conditions for anyone over the age of 69, and most insurers increase the deductible and waiting periods at certain ages.
You can find out more about age-related restrictions on the Company Pages .

Yes, as long as the majority of your coverage period is spent in Canada. Each company has it’s own limits on the period of time allowed for travelling outside of Canada, and any costs incurred in your country of origin are not covered.

Most policies do offer coverage for the flight to/from Canada provided you purchase the policy before leaving your country of origin, and you do not leave the airport during any stop-overs.

You can buy a policy that provides coverage for as little as 5 days and up to 12 months. If you need longer than 12 months, the policy can be renewed or extended.

As long as it’s before the expiry date of your current policy, and there hasn’t been any change in your health status, or any medical events since the effective date of the policy, most companies will extend the coverage on request. If you have a pending claim or medical condition, the policy extension will be subject to the review and approval of the Insurance Company.

Refunds are available with most plans if you cancel the policy before the effective date.
For those who have obtained Canadian government insurance or return to their country of origin sooner than planned, a refund for the unused portion of the trip may be available if no claims have been initiated and assistance services have not been provided.

Note: Administration fees or cancellation charges may apply.

When possible the insurance company will arrange direct billing with the hospital or medical services provider. However, it’s always a good idea to have a reserve of funds to cover emergencies where advanced payment may be required.

In the case of an emergency you can visit a hospital, family doctor or walk-in clinic without needing pre-approval. In all other cases, such as when you are prescribed services from other specialists or when you are travelling outside of Canada, you will need to get pre-approval from your insurer.

You must notify your insurance company as soon as possible if you have been hospitalized or have received any emergency medical treatment. If you are unable to do so, someone else should contact them on your behalf.

For details on how to make a claim, and for the contact information of your insurance company, please visit the Claims page .

Insurance policies are legal documents and insurance companies are obligated to follow the conditions of the contracts.
If you disagree with an insurance company’s claim decision, you may:

1. Request a review of your claim in writing;
2. If you are not satisfied with their decision in response to your written request, you have the right of arbitration in accordance with the law in the province in which your policy was issued.
3. You can email us at: [email protected] and we will try to help you. Please attach, or forward, a copy of the reply you received from your insurance company.
4. You can also submit a complaint to the Canadian Life and Health Insurance Association

This is the amount that you have to pay out-of-pocket before the insurance company pays towards your claim for medical expenses. For example, if your deductible is $500, and your expenses are $3,500, you will be responsible for paying the first $500.

There are two types of deductible – “per-policy period” and “per-claim”. “Per-policy period” deductible means you only have to cover the deductible once during the period covered by the policy, whereas “per-claim” means that you have to pay the deductible amount for each separate incident.

By choosing a higher deductible, you can lower the premium you pay for the policy.

A pre-existing condition is a medical condition, sickness or injury that has caused symptoms, for which a physician has been consulted, medication has been prescribed, or for which you have been hospitalized.

Many insurance companies will insure a person with a pre-existing condition that has been “stable” for a certain amount of time, while others will not cover a person with a pre-existing condition. Each company treats pre-existing conditions differently and it is a major cause of medical claims being denied.

For more information see the individual Company Pages .

The waiting period is the amount of time that must pass before your benefits begin under the plan. Waiting periods differ between companies, can vary from no waiting period up to 15 Days, and are based on the following three factors:

• Your age – most policies have a waiting period for insured persons age 85 and older.
• Whether or not your policy came into effect before your date of arrival – usually there is no waiting period if you are under 85 and purchased your policy before leaving your country of origin.
• The length of time between your arrival in Canada and the effective date of your policy if you purchased a policy after arriving.

The policy period is the length of time between the effective date of your policy and the expiry date. You can purchase a Visitors to Canada Insurance policy for periods from 5 days up to 365 days.

Should you wish to extend your policy, you can renew it for an additional period as long as it’s before the expiry date of your current policy, and there hasn’t been any change in your health status, or any events since the effective date. If you have a pending claim or medical condition, the policy extension will be subject to review and approval.

Currently, the majority of visitors to Canada may stay for up to six months. Anyone who wishes to stay longer must apply for an extension, and pay a new fee.
With the parent and grandparent super visa, eligible parents and grandparents can visit family in Canada for up to two years without the need to renew their status.
The Super Visa is a multi-entry visa that provides multiple entries for a period of up to 10 years.

There are specific requirements that you must meet to be able to get a super visa. See the CIC website for Who can apply for a grandparent/parent super visa or Who is eligible for a parent and grandparent super visa .

There are a couple of considerations that apply to Visitors Insurance when buying a policy to cover someone visiting Canada on a Super Visa…

1. The Sum Insured (the benefit you choose) must be at least $100,000
2. Usually the Canadian Government requires that you buy insurance to cover the full period of your Super Visa – We are able to offer a monthly payment option to help spread the cost out over that period. If you’d like us to arrange this option, please email us at: [email protected]

We recommend that you read and understand the full policy wording before making making a decision on which insurance to order, as the company pages on this website provide a “summary” only.

A copy of each company’s policy wording is available for download on their respective page. Click here to go to the company pages.

At InsureYourStay.ca we have a wide range of companies who offer Visitors to Canada Insurance. To help you choose a plan that’s right for you, we provide in-depth summaries for each company, as well as the full policy for download, on our Insurance Company Pages . Should you have questions, or would like help in finding the right insurance for your needs, we are only an email or phone call away.
Phone: 1-888-997-1687
Email: [email protected]

Yes – Please contact us via our contact form or by sending an email to: [email protected]. Please provide us with your date of birth, your departure/arrival dates and the name of the school/college/university where you will be studying, and we’ll reply with details of suitable International Student Plans.

Most insurance companies offer Family Discounts. When you fill out our quote form you will be given the price including the family discount.

Yes – Please use our contact form or send an email to: [email protected] providing us with your travel destination, your date of birth and the departure/arrival dates for your trip, and we will send you quotes.

Online – You can purchase your Visitors to Canada Insurance by placing your order through our  website.
Simply fill out the quote form on the home page , choose the insurance policy you wish to order, and make your payment securely through PayPal. You will receive an immediate email confirmation of your order from us, followed by an email from the Insurance Company with your receipt and policy.

By Appointment – If you are local to the GTA area you can visit us in person by appointment. Please email or phone if you would like to book an appointment:
[email protected]
Phone: 1-888-997-1687

For online purchases we accept payments using PayPal Payments – this allows you to use either your PayPal account or your credit card through PayPal Payments.
For appointments in person, we accept cash only at this time.

After ordering insurance through our website, you will receive an immediate order confirmation email with all the details. This email will serve as proof until you receive your policy by email directly from the insurance company.

Please notify us immediately with the details of your mistake via our contact form or by sending an email to: [email protected]

Please send your inquiry via our contact form or send an email to: [email protected] and we will reply as soon as possible.