Travel Insurance and Visitor to Canada Insurance: The Complete Checklist for 2026

A single day in a US hospital can cost more than $50,000. A helicopter evacuation can reach $250,000. And your provincial health card pays exactly $0 of it: AHCIP and OHIP cover little or nothing outside Canada. The reverse is just as harsh. A visitor to Canada without coverage pays $2,000 to $5,000 or more for one emergency room visit.

This guide covers both directions: what Canadians need in a travel policy before leaving the country, and what visitors, new immigrants, and Super Visa applicants need while they are here. It ends with the exact steps to follow if something goes wrong abroad, because most denied claims fail on procedure, not coverage.

Part 1: Travel Insurance for Canadians Leaving the Country

What your policy must include

• Emergency medical coverage, minimum $5 million CAD for US trips. Hospitalization, ambulance, surgery, lab tests, and prescriptions abroad. This is the line that protects you from financial ruin, so never underinsure it.
• Medical evacuation and repatriation, listed separately with its own limit. Transport back to a Canadian hospital when your condition is critical. Basic plans often exclude it, so verify explicitly.
• Trip cancellation and interruption. Refunds non-refundable flights and hotels if you cancel for illness, a death in the family, or natural disaster. It only covers events that happen after you buy, so purchase it the day you book, not the week you fly.
• Baggage coverage. Check the sub-limits: laptops, cameras, and jewellery are almost always capped below the headline amount.
• Flight delay coverage, typically $500 to $2,000 per person, triggered after 4 to 6 hours depending on the plan.
• Third-party liability, essential if you rent a scooter, car, or ATV, or do any activity where you could injure someone or damage property.

The four traps that get claims denied

1. Pre-existing conditions. The number one reason claims are refused. Most policies require chronic conditions like diabetes, heart disease, or high blood pressure to be stable for 90 to 180 days before departure: no new symptoms, no medication changes, no new diagnosis, no hospitalization. When in doubt, declare everything. Non-disclosure lets the insurer deny the entire claim.
2. Alcohol, drugs, and adventure sports exclusions. Accidents under the influence are excluded in most standard policies, and so are motorcycles, off-piste skiing, scuba, kitesurfing, and rock climbing. If your trip includes any of these, buy the adventure add-on.
3. Government travel advisories. A Level 3 or Level 4 advisory from Canada voids most policies for that destination. Check travel.gc.ca before booking and again before departure.
4. Waiting periods and effective dates. Your coverage starts on the policy date, not the payment date, and cancellation coverage can have a 48 to 72 hour waiting period after purchase.

How to pay less without cutting coverage

• Annual multi-trip plan if you travel twice a year or more. It covers each trip up to 30 to 60 days and usually beats buying separate policies.
• Family plan. One policy covering everyone costs less than individual policies for each family member.
• Take a deductible. A $250 to $500 deductible can cut the premium by 20 to 40%.
• Do not rely on airline or credit card insurance. The limits are low and the exclusion lists are long. Verify what your card actually covers before trusting it.

Part 2: Visitor to Canada Insurance

Anyone in Canada without a provincial health card needs private coverage. That includes:

• Parents and grandparents visiting from abroad, including Super Visa applicants, who must carry at least $100,000 in coverage from a Canadian insurer as an IRCC requirement
• Friends and relatives visiting on a regular visitor visa
• New permanent residents during the wait for provincial coverage, which is 3 months in Alberta
• International students without provincial health coverage
• Temporary foreign workers in their first months before provincial coverage begins

Visitor plans typically include hospitalization, emergency ambulance, doctor visits, lab tests and imaging, and prescription drugs for emergency conditions. Enhanced plans can add coverage for stable pre-existing conditions, which matters for older parents: ask for it specifically, because not every plan offers it.

The rules that matter for visitors

• Buy before or on arrival day. Coverage cannot be backdated, and a policy bought after symptoms appear will not cover them.
• Set the start date to the actual arrival date, including the day of arrival itself.
• Choose at least $100,000 in coverage. Required for Super Visa, and sensible for everyone given Canadian hospital costs.
• Declare chronic conditions and medications honestly, and confirm in writing whether stable pre-existing conditions are covered.
• Watch the expiry date. Extending a policy while the visitor is still in Canada is usually easy online. After expiry it is much harder.

One instruction to give every visitor on day one: if you need medical care, call the insurer’s emergency hotline before going to a doctor or ER. The insurer can pre-authorize treatment and often bills the hospital directly, which spares the family a large upfront payment.

If Something Goes Wrong: Five Steps That Protect Your Claim

1. Call the insurer’s emergency hotline first, before going to the hospital if at all possible. Unapproved treatment may not be reimbursed. Save the number in your phone before you travel.
2. Photograph every document immediately: hospital bills, doctor’s notes, pharmacy receipts, ambulance invoices. Claims without documentation get delayed or denied.
3. For lost or damaged baggage, file a Property Irregularity Report at the airport before you leave it, and get the reference number. For theft, add a police report.
4. For flight delays, keep every receipt for meals, accommodation, and transport from the moment the delay is announced.
5. Submit the claim within 30 days of returning to Canada. Most policies enforce this deadline strictly.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does my provincial health card cover me in the US?

Effectively no. AHCIP and OHIP reimburse only a small fraction of foreign emergency costs, at Canadian rates, and pay nothing toward evacuation. Even travel between provinces can leave gaps.

How much coverage does a Super Visa require?

IRCC requires at least $100,000 in medical coverage from a Canadian insurance company, valid for one year from entry. Proof is part of the application.

Can I buy visitor insurance after my parents have already arrived?

You can, but a waiting period may apply and anything that started before purchase will not be covered. Buying before or on arrival day is the safe pattern.

Are pregnant travellers covered?

Routine childbirth is generally excluded, and most policies limit or exclude coverage in the weeks before the due date. If you are pregnant and planning travel, have a broker check the specific policy wording before you book.

Is travel insurance worth it for a short trip to the US?

A weekend in Montana carries the same hospital prices as a month in Florida. Short-trip policies for healthy travellers often cost less than a tank of gas, so the question answers itself.

---

Get the Right Policy Before the Trip, Not After the Bill

I compare travel and visitor plans from multiple Canadian insurers, check the pre-existing condition wording against your actual health history, and handle Super Visa requirements routinely. The first consultation is free.

Larisa Belikova, Independent Insurance Broker, Calgary AB
Call or text 587-892-4103, or book a free consultation. I work with clients in English, Ukrainian, and Russian. You can also read more about my travel insurance services here.

This guide is for general education only. Coverage terms, conditions, exclusions, and premiums vary by insurer and plan. Read your policy documents and verify travel advisories at travel.gc.ca before every trip.