How much does travel insurance for Canada cost?
The average cost of travel insurance is around 5% to 6% of your travel costs to Canada. Your age, trip cost and other factors determine how much you'll pay for travel insurance.
It's important to purchase travel medical insurance in case you suffer an injury or fall ill while in Canada. We all know Canada draws winter sports enthusiasts. If you are snowboarding and collide with a tree, or another person, this could be quite an accident.
Travel insurance typically costs 5 to 10 percent of your total trip cost, though that amount can be influenced by several factors, including: Your age. How much you're spending on your trip. The amount of coverage you're choosing.
As Canada is a part of North America, you'll need worldwide travel insurance to protect you against: Loss, damage, or theft of your belongings - If your luggage goes missing or is damaged in transit, your insurance will help cover the costs of replacing your things.
Despite having a robust public health system, there is no free health insurance in Canada for visitors, and most US health insurance will not work in Canada. You'll have to pay out of pocket for any medical treatment you receive while in Canada unless you have a travel insurance policy.
Why is travel insurance to Canada so expensive? Medical care and treatment in Canada is of high quality, however, it is also very expensive. As a result, travel insurance for Canada often costs more as insurers will take the higher cost of healthcare into consideration if you have to make a claim.
If during your visit to Canada you get sick or injured, the Canadian government won't pay for any hospitalization or emergency medical services for visitors. Also, if you don't have proper medical insurance coverage, you will be liable to pay for any medical service out of your own pocket.
Canadian residents without valid provincial or federal health insurance plan, considered uninsured residents of Canada, and non-residents of Canada are responsible for all Hospital fees. Hospital fees are in addition to attending physician fees as billed by the physician.
Is travel insurance essential for visitors to Canada? You don't have to have travel insurance when visiting Canada, unless you are applying for a super visa. But health care is expensive in Canada if you don't have coverage.
In general, you can buy coverage any time before the date of your trip. That said, it's always best to buy coverage as soon as you make your reservations.
What travel insurance is best for seniors?
- Seven Corners Travel Insurance: Best for visitors to the USA.
- HTH Travel Insurance: Best for group travel.
- WorldTrips Travel Insurance: Most affordable comprehensive coverage.
- Allianz: Best for concierge services.
- International Medical Group: Best for medical coverage.
Unlike other aspects of your travel experience like airfares or hotel-room rates, the price of travel insurance doesn't increase the closer you get to your travel date. There's no financial penalty if you wait to buy travel insurance (except for those bonus coverages, of course).

Coverage Type | Average Cost (CAD) |
---|---|
Basic (Trip Cancellation & Interruption) | 50-100 |
Comprehensive (Including Medical Expenses) | 120-250 |
Medical Only | 70-150 |
CFAR (Cancel for Any Reason) Add-on | Additional 40-60% on Base Premium |
Any visitor traveling to Canada should purchase visitors health insurance. Most domestic policies will only cover you in your home country and have little to no coverage once you are traveling abroad. We offer plans for foreign students, travelers from other countries, business travel, international workers and more.
Visitors to Canada travel insurance is highly recommended to prevent you from paying out-of-pocket for expensive health care services in case of a health emergency. Purchasing visitors to Canada travel insurance is mandatory if you are applying for super visa for parents and grandparents.
Canada provides excellent healthcare services to both residents and non-residents residing in the country. But public healthcare sites only offer essential services to those covered by the local health insurance plan.
In most situations, Medicare won't pay for health care or supplies you get outside the U.S. The term “outside the U.S.” means anywhere other than the 50 states of the U.S., the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, and the Northern Mariana Islands.
Not all Medical Expenses are Covered by OHIP
The fact is provincial health insurance plans will only cover some medical expenses. Therefore, you should always protect yourself by purchasing medical insurance when travelling within Canada.
How much travel medical insurance do you need? Squaremouth, a travel insurance comparison site, recommends buying at least $50,000 in emergency medical coverage for international travel. For travelers going on a cruise or to a remote destination, the site recommends at least $100,000 in coverage.
Travel insurance is not a requirement to travel to Canada. However, travel insurance will provide travel medical insurance and emergency medical evacuation coverage, as well as benefits for lost or delayed baggage, trip delay, cancellation or interruption and sometimes missed connections.
Can I travel to Canada without travel insurance?
Is travel insurance mandatory for Canada? You don't have to have travel insurance for Canada but it's a good idea to make sure you're covered if you fall ill or have an accident when travelling there.
Uninsured resident of Canada | Non-resident of Canada | |
---|---|---|
Outpatient visit (Hospital appointments), each | $386 | $1,158 |
Emergency visit, each | $386 | $1,158 |
U.S. health insurance plans typically do not cover regular and routine medical care required overseas. This means your health insurance won't pay for care if you need to visit a doctor for a prescription medicine, or if you need treatment for a condition that is not considered an emergency.
Unlike Canadian residents with healthcare coverage for physician care and hospital care, visitors to Canada will receive a bill for any medical services they need. The cost for medical care in Canada can be high. A stay at a Canadian hospital can cost up to $4,000 a day, for example.
People who don't have health insurance must be given the same priority as those who have insurance. Your immigration status doesn't matter. If treatment for your health condition is not medically necessary right now but you still need to see a doctor, you can call your local Community Health Centre (CHCs).