You will be able to familiarize yourself with the main aspects of the Canadian healthcare system and get advice on choosing and applying for health insurance to maximize your comfort and safety during your stay in the country.

Canada is a very popular destination among tourists and expats. The state is known worldwide for its vast unspoiled landscape, unique blend of cultures and multi-faceted history. Also, Canada is one of the most developed countries in the world, so many foreigners migrate here to study, work or start a business.

Traveling or moving to a new country is always an exciting adventure, which is often associated with some excitement. When preparing for a trip, it is not only necessary to buy tickets and find accommodation, it is also important to take care of health insurance to guarantee yourself a carefree stay abroad.

We talk about the specifics of health insurance for visitors to Canada below.

Do visitors to Canada need health insurance?

Canada's immigration laws require foreign nationals applying for a Super Visa, which allows relatives of Canadian residents to stay in the country for more than 6 months, to have travel health insurance.

If you are visiting Canada on a regular visitor visa or eTA (electronic travel authorization), you do not need visa health insurance as a condition of entry to Canada. That is, the border guard will not require proof of medical insurance before granting permission to enter.

However, visitors to Canada are not covered by the country's health plans, which provide free health care to residents. Therefore, you will have to pay for any medical services you need while in Canada. In some cases, it can be quite a large sum of money. Therefore, in order to protect yourself from unnecessary expenses before traveling to Canada, you should take out a health insurance policy.

What should you pay attention to when issuing a medical policy to Canada?

In Canada, there are no government requirements for what a health insurance policy should include for visitors to the country. Therefore, a foreigner can choose the components of the policy himself, but we advise you to pay attention to:

• Coverage amount - the maximum amount of payments you can receive in the event of an insured event.
• Deductible is the part of the loss that will not be reimbursed by the company when an insured event occurs.
• Components of insurance - what is covered by medical insurance: doctor's consultation, hospitalization, medication, dental care, emergency medical care, etc.

What insurance policy is required for a tourist trip to Canada?

For a tourist trip to Canada, a foreigner must take out a travel insurance policy. It usually includes coverage for emergency medical care, outpatient treatment, emergency evacuation, personal injury assistance, loss, damage and theft of your belongings, trip cancellation or curtailment, and more. You can purchase a travel insurance policy for a trip to Canada using the link.

Who needs travel insurance for visitor to Canada? 

Take out health insurance if you are moving to Canada for work, study or plan to spend most of your time in this country. International medical insurance is long-term and covers most medical expenses you may incur while abroad, but does not cover trip interruptions.

Medical tourism in Canada

Medical tourism is widespread in Canada. Citizens of other countries specially come to the country to have an operation or get rid of a complex disease. At the same time, there are special programs in Canada that promote the development of medical tourism.

Citizens of India, Turkey, Estonia and other countries of the world must obtain a medical visa for treatment in Canada.

Read about the pros and cons of living in Canada here. Popular programs for expats are collected at the link. Tourists will also be interested in learning about 10 popular tourist destinations in Canada that should be visited right now.

---

Products from Visit World for a comfortable trip:

Checklist for obtaining a visa and necessary documents in Canada;

Legal advice on business issues in Canada;

Travel and health insurance for foreigners in Canada;

Insurance for international students in Canada.

---

Read the top 15 myths about immigration to Canada here.

CRS system: how many points do you need to move to Canada under the Express Entry program read here.

Canadian Labor Law: 10 important rules for foreign employers.