Visitor to Canada insurance: what to know before they land

Why visitor insurance is necessary

Provincial health insurance — OHIP in Ontario, and its equivalents elsewhere — generally does not cover visitors, tourists, or people on a temporary visa who aren't yet permanent residents. That gap is the entire reason visitor insurance exists. A single emergency room visit or hospital stay without coverage can cost tens of thousands of dollars out of pocket in Canada, which is the single biggest reason families buy a policy before a parent or grandparent's trip.

What it typically covers

Visitor insurance plans are built for emergencies, not routine care. Typical coverage includes emergency medical treatment, hospitalization, emergency doctor visits, prescription drugs tied to a covered emergency, and often emergency dental resulting from an accident.

Pre-existing conditions are the most common point of confusion. Most plans require a condition to be "stable" for a defined period before the trip — often somewhere in the range of 90 to 180 days, though this varies by insurer and policy. Always check the specific wording of the policy you're buying rather than assuming a number.

How much coverage to buy

Plans are usually sold in tiers — commonly $25,000, $50,000, $100,000, or $150,000+ of coverage. Higher coverage costs more, but it matters: a serious event like surgery or an ICU stay can easily exceed $50,000–$100,000 in Canada. Many advisors recommend not under-buying coverage just to shave a small amount off the premium — the gap between a $50,000 and $100,000 policy is usually much smaller in dollars than the gap in actual protection.

Deductibles: lower premium vs. more risk

Many visitor insurance plans let you choose a deductible — commonly $0, $500, $1,000, or $2,500. A higher deductible lowers the premium, but means more out-of-pocket cost if a claim actually happens. It's a trade-off worth thinking through against the traveller's own health history and how long the trip is.

Who should buy it

• Parents or grandparents visiting on a Visitor Visa or eTA.
• International students' visiting family.
• New immigrants in their initial waiting period before provincial health coverage kicks in — many provinces apply a waiting period (often around three months) before new permanent residents are covered.
• Anyone travelling to Canada from abroad without Canadian provincial coverage.

Visitor insurance vs. Super Visa insurance

Super Visa insurance is a specific, government-mandated type of visitor insurance tied to the Super Visa program for parents and grandparents, with its own minimum coverage rules. General visitor insurance, covered in this article, applies to any visitor and is more flexible on coverage amount and terms. If you're specifically bringing a parent or grandparent on a Super Visa, see our dedicated Super Visa insurance guide for the exact requirements.

Pre-existing conditions and stability clauses

Most visitor insurance policies exclude pre-existing conditions unless they've been "stable" for a defined period before the trip — commonly 90 to 180 days, depending on the insurer and plan. Stable generally means no new symptoms, no change in medication or dosage, and no new treatment or specialist referral in that window. If a condition hasn't been stable, it's typically excluded outright rather than covered at a higher premium — which is why disclosing accurately when buying the policy matters more than it might seem.

Filing a claim: what to keep along the way

• Keep every receipt and itemized bill from the clinic, hospital, or pharmacy — summaries alone are often not enough for a claim.
• Call the insurer's emergency line as soon as treatment begins — many policies require notification within a set number of hours or days.
• Keep a copy of the policy documents and exact travel dates — discrepancies between the trip dates and the policy term are a common reason claims get delayed.