1-888-601-9980
- Destination Canada travel insurance offers two plans: the Leisure Plan and the Expat Essential Plan to cover eligible medical emergencies while travelling outside your home province or territory
- The Leisure Plan is available as both a single-trip and an annual multi-trip policy, giving you the flexibility based on how often you travel
- Destination Canada's Leisure and Expat Essential plans cover eligible pre-existing medical conditions, provided they meet the required stability period: 90 or 180 days for the Leisure Plan (depending on age), and 180 days before the effective date for the Expat plan
Destination Canada’s travel insurance offers two plans tailored to different travel needs: the Leisure Plan for Canadians travelling outside their home province or internationally, and the Expat Essential Plan for Canadians living or working abroad. The Leisure Plan provides up to $5 million in emergency medical coverage and is available as both single-trip and annual multi-trip plans, while the Expat Essential Plan offers up to $1 million in emergency medical coverage.
Quick review
- PolicyAdvisor ratings: 4/5
- Best for: Travellers who want strong emergency medical coverage with up to $5 million in benefits, plus an option for Canadians living or working abroad
- Skip if: You need coverage beyond medical emergencies, such as trip cancellation or baggage
What is Destination Canada travel insurance?
Destination Canada travel insurance is an emergency medical travel insurance plan that helps protect Canadians against unexpected medical expenses while travelling. The policy covers eligible emergency medical expenses caused by sudden illnesses or injuries, including hospitalization, physician services, emergency medical transportation, prescription medications, and medical evacuation.
Travellers also receive access to 24/7 Zurich Assistance, which helps coordinate emergency medical treatment, hospital admissions, emergency evacuations, and claims administration worldwide.
Key features of Destination Canada travel insurance:
| Plan types |
|
| Minimum entry age | 15 days old for both plans |
| Maximum entry age |
|
| Maximum emergency medical coverage |
|
| Pre-existing condition stability period |
|
| Waiting period |
|
| Maximum coverage duration |
|
| Automatic policy extensions |
|
| Underwritten by | Zurich Insurance Company Ltd (Canadian Branch) |
| Claims administered by | Global Excel Management, operating as Zurich Assistance |
| Managed by | The Destination: Travel Group Inc. |
Who is eligible for Destination Canada travel insurance?
To be eligible for Destination Canada travel insurance, you must be:
- Age eligibility depends on the plan selected: Leisure (15 days to under 80 years) or Expat Essential (15 days to under 65 years)
- Covered by your provincial or territorial Government Health Insurance Plan (GHIP) for the entire duration of your trip
- Medically fit to travel and not travel against a physician’s advice
Who is not eligible for Destination Canada travel insurance?
You may not be eligible for Destination Canada travel insurance if you:
- Have been diagnosed with a terminal illness
- Have been diagnosed with or treated for pancreatic, liver, bone, or metastatic cancer
- Have used or been prescribed home oxygen within the past 12 months
- Have undergone a major organ, bone marrow, or stem cell transplant
- Have kidney disease requiring dialysis
- Have an unrepaired aneurysm measuring 4 cm or larger
- Have been advised by a physician not to travel
Types of Destination Canada travel insurance plans
Destination Canada offers its travel insurance for Canadians through the Leisure Plan and Expat Essential Plan. Both plans provide almost the same coverage, except that the maximum limits can differ.
Leisure Plan
It is available for Canadian residents travelling outside their home province or internationally for vacations, business trips, or other temporary travel. Offered as single-trip and annual multi-trip coverage, it provides up to $5 million in emergency medical coverage.
Expat Essential
This plan is available for Canadians living, working, or studying abroad who require long-term emergency medical coverage outside Canada. It provides up to $1 million in emergency medical coverage and includes hospitalization, outpatient physician services, prescription drugs, ambulance transportation, emergency medical evacuation, home nursing, emergency dental treatment, and more.
What is covered under Destination Canada travel insurance?
Here’s what will be broadly covered under Destination Canada travel insurance:
- Emergency medical expenses: Covers eligible emergency medical treatment if you become unexpectedly sick or injured while travelling outside your home province or Canada
- Emergency medical transportation and evacuation: Covers medically necessary transportation to the nearest appropriate medical facility or, when medically necessary and approved, transportation back to Canada
- Emergency dental treatment: Covers eligible emergency dental expenses to relieve acute pain or repair accidental damage to natural teeth, subject to your plan’s terms and limits
- Meals and accommodation: Covers eligible meals and accommodation expenses when a covered medical emergency results in an unexpected delay or requires additional travel arrangements, subject to your plan’s limits.
- Hospital allowance: Reimburses eligible incidental expenses, such as telephone calls and television rentals, if you are hospitalized for 48 hours or more due to a covered medical emergency. This is not included in the Expat Essential Plan
- Paramedical practitioner services: Covers eligible outpatient treatment provided by licensed paramedical practitioners, such as chiropractors, physiotherapists, osteopaths, and podiatrists, up to the limits specified under your plan
- Emergency return home: This provides coverage for economy transportation back to your home province or territory if a covered medical emergency requires you to end your trip early
In the table below, we have provided a closer look at the coverage amount offered under Destination Canada travel insurance.
Destination Canada travel insurance coverage details:
| Features | Leisure | Expat Essential |
| Emergency medical expenses | Up to $5,000,000 per insured | Up to $1,000,000 per injury or sickness |
| Emergency hospital | Eligible hospital accommodation up to the sum insured | Semi-private hospital accommodation up to the sum insured |
| Private duty nurse | Private duty nurse up to $5,000 | Nursing at home for up to 12 weeks, maximum $10,000 |
| Paramedical practitioner | Up to $350 per practitioner for outpatient
treatment |
Up to $500 per profession, per injury or sickness |
| Drugs or medications | 30-day supply up to $1,000 | Included under Outpatient Services (combined maximum $10,000 per sickness or injury) |
| Dental emergencies | Accidental dental injury up to $3,000; emergency dental pain up to $500 | Accidental dental injury up to $5,000 |
| Meals and accommodation | Up to $150 per day to a maximum of $1,500 | – |
| Hospital accommodation | Up to sum insured (semi-private / private) | Semi-private accommodation |
| Hospital allowance | Up to $50/day to a max of $250 | – |
| Emergency evacuation/repatriation | Up to $5,000 (Eligible expense when medically necessary and approved) | Evacuation 80% up to $25,000; repatriation / local burial $10,000 |
| Compassionate emergency travel / Bedside companion | Bedside companion: Up to $150 per day to a maximum of $1,500 | Round-trip economy airfare plus meals & accommodation up to $150/day, maximum $3,000 |
| Complicated maternity |
|
Up to $5,000 |
What is not covered under Destination Canada travel insurance?
Here are some of the exclusions of Destination Canada travel insurance:
- Unstable pre-existing medical conditions
- Non-emergency medical treatment or elective procedures
- Travelling against medical advice
- Injury due to high-risk or hazardous activities
- Alcohol or drug-related incidents
- Self-inflicted injuries or injuries sustained while committing a criminal offence, acts of war, or military service (subject to policy terms)
- Any rehabilitation or convalescent care
Pros and cons of Destination Canada travel insurance
| Pros | Cons |
| Offers two travel insurance plans: Leisure for short-term travellers and Expat Essential for Canadians living or working abroad | Does not include trip cancellation or trip interruption benefits |
| Up to $5 million in emergency medical coverage under the Leisure Plan | Expat Essential has a lower $1 million coverage limit |
| Covers eligible pre-existing medical conditions, subject to the applicable stability period | Requires continuous provincial GHIP coverage throughout your trip |
| Covers a wide range of emergency medical benefits, including hospitalization, medical evacuation, emergency transportation, and dental emergencies | Hospital allowance is available only under the Leisure Plan, not the Expat Essential Plan |
| Provides 24/7 Zurich Assistance for emergency medical coordination and claims support worldwide |
How much does Destination Canada travel insurance cost?
The cost of Destination Canada travel insurance ranges from $116.10 to $240.60. The exact premium depends on factors such as your age, destination, trip duration, coverage amount, chosen plan type, and more.
Destination Canada travel insurance cost (2026):
| Age (in years) | Leisure Plan: Single-trip | Leisure Plan: Multi-trip (16-day trip) |
| 25 | $116.10 | $113.00 |
| 35 | $116.10 | $113.00 |
| 45 | $136.20 | $124.00 |
| 55 | $153.60 | $121.00 |
| 65 | $240.60 | $226.00 |
Disclaimer: Illustrative rates for a non-smoking traveller, the actual premiums may vary based on age, destination, trip duration, health, deductible, and other factors.
How much does Travel Insurance cost?
Get instant quotes from Canada's top travel insurance providers and find the perfect coverage for your trip.
Powered by
How to make a claim with Destination Canada travel insurance?
If you experience a medical emergency while travelling, seek medical attention immediately. For hospitalizations or other serious emergencies, you or someone acting on your behalf should contact Zurich Assistance within 24 hours of hospital admission.
To file a claim, follow these steps:
- Seek emergency medical care and visit the nearest hospital or medical facility if you require immediate treatment
- Contact Zurich Assistance as soon as possible, as the team will coordinate your medical care and advise you on the next steps
- Keep all supporting documents and submit your claim along with the completed claim form to Zurich Assistance
- Cooperate with the claims process by providing any additional information or documentation requested by the claims administrator, and track the claim status
Please note that if you don’t contact Zurich Assistance before seeking medical treatment without a reasonable cause, you will be responsible for 20% of the eligible medical expenses that would otherwise be covered under your policy.
Documents required for the claim process
- A completed claim form
- Original itemized medical bills and invoices
- Proof of payment for all claimed expenses
- Proof of payment from any other insurance or benefit plan, if applicable
- Medical records, including the physician’s diagnosis, hospital records, and confirmation that treatment couldn’t safely be delayed until you returned home
- A referral letter from the attending physician, if specialist treatment was recommended
- Proof of the accident for claims involving accidental dental treatment
- Proof of travel, such as your itinerary, boarding passes, or travel tickets
Can you cancel or get a refund on Destination Canada travel insurance?
Yes, Destination Canada travel insurance allows policy cancellations and premium refunds in certain situations. A full refund is available if you cancel your policy within 10 days of purchase, as long as your coverage has not started.
| Refund scenario | Leisure Plan | Expat Essential Plan |
| 10-day free look period | Full refund if cancelled within 10 days of purchase, provided coverage has not started | |
| Trip cancelled before departure | Eligible for a full refund if the trip is cancelled before the policy’s effective date | |
| Early return from your trip | A partial refund may be available for the unused portion of your coverage | |
| Annual Multi-Trip Plan cancellation | Can be cancelled before the policy’s effective date only | Not applicable |
| Administration fee | $25 deducted from eligible refunds | |
| Minimum refund amount | $15 | $50 |
| Refund after a claim | Not available if a claim has been incurred, paid, or is pending | |
| Deadline to request a refund | Refund requests must generally be submitted within 90 days after the policy expires | Refer to the policy terms for applicable refund conditions* |
Does Destination Canada travel insurance allow automatic extensions?
Yes, Destination Canada travel insurance automatically extends your coverage in certain situations when circumstances beyond your control prevent you from returning home as planned.
Coverage is automatically extended in the following situations:
- Travel delays: Your coverage is automatically extended for up to 72 hours if your scheduled airline, train, bus, ferry, or other mode of transportation is delayed for reasons beyond your control, provided the delay occurs before your policy expires
- Medical emergency: If you are medically unfit to travel because of a covered illness or injury on or before your policy’s expiry date, your coverage is automatically extended for up to 5 days.
- Hospitalization: If you are hospitalized due to a covered medical emergency when your policy expires, your coverage continues for the duration of your hospital stay and for 72 hours after you are discharged to allow you to return home. This extension also applies to one insured travelling companion who remains with you if necessary
How does Destination Canada compare to other travel insurance providers?
Destination Canada focuses primarily on emergency medical protection, making it a strong option for travellers who want high medical coverage and emergency assistance. With separate plans for short-term travellers and Canadians living or working abroad, it offers flexibility for different travel needs while also covering eligible pre-existing medical conditions.
However, unlike some travel insurance providers, these plans do not include benefits such as trip cancellation, trip interruption, baggage protection, or flight delay coverage. Before purchasing, it is worth comparing its benefits, exclusions, and premiums with other best travel insurance companies in Canada to ensure you are getting the protection that best fits your destination and travel plans.
Our advisor’s take on Destination Canada travel insurance
At PolicyAdvisor, we help travellers compare travel insurance plans based on their destination, trip duration, age, medical history, and budget. We recently helped a 58-year-old Canadian planning a one-month trip to the United States who wanted comprehensive emergency medical coverage while ensuring their stable pre-existing medical condition would be covered.
Client profile:
- Age: 58-year-old Canadian
- Trip duration and type: One-month vacation to the United States
- Primary concern: High emergency medical coverage with protection for a stable pre-existing medical condition
- Our comparison: After comparing several travel insurance providers, we recommended Destination Canada’s Leisure Plan because it aligned well with the traveller’s priorities. It offered up to $5 million in emergency medical coverage, coverage for eligible pre-existing conditions that met the required stability period, and valuable travel assistance benefits at a competitive premium
Why we recommended Destination Canada:
Beyond its high emergency medical coverage, here’s what made Destination Canada stand out:
- Coverage for stable pre-existing conditions: Eligible pre-existing medical conditions are covered if they meet the required 90-day (ages 59 and under) or 180-day (ages 60-79) stability period before departure
- Strong travel assistance benefits: Includes emergency return home, meals and accommodation, hospital allowance, vehicle return, pet return, search and rescue, and 24/7 Zurich Assistance to coordinate medical care and emergency support while travelling
How to buy Destination Canada travel insurance with PolicyAdvisor?
Choosing the right travel insurance depends on factors such as your destination, trip length, age, existing medical conditions, and the level of coverage you need. A licensed PolicyAdvisor advisor can compare Destination Canada with other leading travel insurance providers to help you select the most suitable plan.
With PolicyAdvisor, you can:
- Compare Destination Canada with multiple Canadian travel insurance providers
- Find the most suitable coverage based on your destination, travel duration, and medical history
- Get guidance on pre-existing medical condition eligibility and stability requirements
Book a free consultation with a licensed PolicyAdvisor advisor to compare quotes and find the travel insurance plan that best fits your needs. Schedule a call now!
Call 1-888-601-9980 to speak to our licensed advisors right away, or book some time with them below.
Frequently asked questions
What travel insurance plans does Destination Canada offer?
Destination Canada offers two travel insurance plans: the Leisure Plan and the Expat Essential Plan. The Leisure Plan is designed for Canadians travelling outside their home province or internationally, while the Expat Essential Plan is intended for Canadians living or working abroad who need long-term emergency medical coverage.
Does Destination Canada travel insurance cover pre-existing medical conditions?
Yes, both the Leisure Plan and Expat Essential Plan cover eligible pre-existing medical conditions, provided they meet the required stability period. The Leisure Plan requires a 90-day or 180-day stability period, depending on your age, while the Expat Essential Plan requires a 180-day stability period before the effective date, subject to policy terms.
Who underwrites Destination Canada travel insurance?
Destination Canada travel insurance is underwritten by Zurich Insurance Company Ltd. (Canadian Branch). Emergency assistance and claims are administered by Global Excel Management, operating as Zurich Assistance.
Does Destination Canada travel insurance cover trip cancellation?
No, Destination Canada travel insurance does not cover trip cancellation. It is primarily an emergency medical travel insurance policy. Hence, travellers looking for those benefits may need to purchase a separate travel insurance policy with a different insurer.
Does Destination Canada travel insurance include emergency medical evacuation?
Yes, both plans offered by Destination Canada include emergency medical evacuation when it is medically necessary and approved. Coverage includes transportation to the nearest appropriate medical facility and, when medically required, repatriation in accordance with the policy terms.
Destination Canada travel insurance offers two plans: the Leisure Plan and the Expat Essential Plan. The Leisure Plan provides up to $5 million in emergency medical coverage for Canadian travellers, while the Expat Essential Plan offers up to $1 million CAD in medical expense coverage for eligible expatriates.
