Understanding Canadian Healthcare as a Visitor

Canada's publicly funded healthcare system is one of the best in the world, but it is only available to Canadian residents and citizens. International visitors face the full cost of medical services, which can be extremely high without proper insurance coverage.

How to Ensure You Are Covered

Visitors should purchase a comprehensive travel or visitor health insurance plan before arriving in Canada. Hospital stays, emergency surgery and ambulance services are among the most expensive healthcare services and can result in bills in the tens of thousands of dollars.

  • Purchase visitor health insurance before arriving in Canada
  • Choose a plan with a minimum $1M emergency medical coverage limit
  • Confirm your plan covers pre-existing conditions if relevant
  • Keep your insurance documents accessible at all times during your stay