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The cheapest travel insurance for visitors to Canada (2024)
Anyone coming to Canada should get travel insurance to protect their trip. It helps you avoid paying out of pocket for emergencies and lets you travel with peace of mind. The cost of this insurance varies based on unique factors like age, trip length, and more. Even if they’re travelling on a budget, there are many ways for visitors to Canada to get the lowest possible rates.
Travelling is a great way to make memories, but it can be expensive. It’s no surprise that most travellers look for any way they can keep costs down without losing out on value or safety. Travel insurance is a must if you’re planning a trip to Canada, and you don’t necessarily need an expensive plan with a lot of bells and whistles.
If you’re looking for the most affordable way you can get travel insurance to protect your trip to the Great White North, look no further than this article!
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What is the cheapest visitor insurance in Canada?
The cheapest visitors insurance for a trip to Canada really depends on you! The cost of travel insurance depends on factors like:
- What kind of travel insurance you buy
- How long your trip is
- How much coverage you need
- And more
What’s cheapest for you may not be the cheapest for the person next to you, or vice versa.
Having said that, we want you to know that travel insurance is extremely affordable for visitors to Canada. Coverage for a week-long trip can easily cost less than $20 for emergency health coverage!
To get a better idea of how little travel insurance will cost for your next trip to Canada, check out our chart showing some sample prices later on in this article.
Or click the button below to start checking out quotes right now so you can see for yourself how affordable it is. Browsing quotes is quick and simple on our website, and there’s no obligation to buy so you’re free to try out different options to get the best plan for your travels.
What is visitors insurance?
Visitors insurance is a catch-all phrase that can mean many different types of travel insurance for visitors to Canada. It helps pay for unexpected expenses that may happen before or during your trip.
Visitors insurance usually has these types of coverage:
- Emergency medical or visitors health insurance
- Trip cancellation or interruption insurance
- Accidental death & dismemberment insurance
- Comprehensive packages that include all
Most people get travel medical insurance, which is also called “travel health insurance” or visitors health insurance. It’s the type of plan that will help a visitor pay for emergency medical costs in the event of injury or illness while they are away from home.
What does visitors insurance cover?
Travel insurance for visitors to Canada can cover both medical and non-medical events related to your trip.
Canadian visitors insurance can cover…
| Emergency medical care | Trip cancellation |
| Emergency dental care | Trip interruption (ending a trip early) |
| Prescription drugs | Flight delays |
| Travel accident | Commercial accommodation (ex: if you need to stay extra nights in a hotel) |
| Ground or air ambulance rides | Extra meal expenses |
| Repatriation | Adventure sports (high-risk activities like rock climbing, bungee jumping, etc.) |
| Pre-existing medical conditions (like heart conditions, high blood pressure, etc.) | Super visa insurance |
| Other medical expenses | Multiple trips |
| Lost/stolen baggage | And more |
Check your policy details to find out exactly what you’re covered for. Or speak with one of our licensed insurance advisors to make sure you get the travel insurance plan that you need.
Can visitors to Canada get insurance?
Yes, visitors to Canada absolutely can — and should! — get travel insurance. It helps to make sure you don’t have to pay out of pocket for emergency medical expenses if you get hurt while in Canada, or if anything else goes wrong before or during your trip.
Many foreign countries have their own travel insurance providers, but visitors should get travel insurance from a Canadian company. Canadian companies are allowed to insure visitors this way, and they can usually give you better prices and better coverage options too!
How does visitors to Canada travel insurance work?
Canadian travel insurance for visitors is simple! It works like this:
1. You have an issue related to your trip to Canada
This could be before, during, or at the end of your trip, depending on what kind of plan you get.
For example:
You might have a family emergency that makes you cancel your trip to Toronto.
You might get a sudden illness while in Halifax and need medical assistance.
Your flight home from Montreal to India might be delayed for 2 days, leaving you with additional expenses for hotel and meals.
2. You pay a portion upfront
A deductible is the amount of money you agree to pay first before your insurance plan will jump in to cover the rest. It can be anywhere from $0, so you pay nothing at all upfront. Or it can be something like up to $10,000 if you want it to.
Deductible options matter a lot because it affects how much your visitors insurance will cost. The higher deductible you choose, the cheaper your Canadian visitors insurance will be! (More on that below)
3. Your insurance coverage kicks in
Once you’ve paid the deductible, if you had one, your insurance company will take care of the rest. They usually have limits on how much they’ll pay for different things. But they will cover it so you don’t have to!
Depending on your travel insurance provider, you may have to pay the doctor, hopsptial, or pharmacy, and then get paid back once you give your receipts to the travel insurance company later on. Some companies have direct billing, which means the insurance company pays for the bill directly without you having to take out your wallet. But you can rest assured either way that the emergency won’t affect your bottom line.
Check out our article on Health Insurance for Visitors to Canada for more details on how much a travel medical insurance policy typically covers for different medical services.
Do I need travel insurance to visit Canada?
No, most people don’t really need travel insurance to come to Canada. You won’t be denied a plane ticket or turned away at the border if you don’t have a travel insurance policy (except for people coming on a super visa). But you should get Canadian travel insurance before you arrive.
Why? Because Canada’s “free” medical care does not cover visitors. If a tourist needs to see a doctor or go to the hospital, they will have to pay for it.
According to the Canadian Institute for Health Information, the average cost of a Canadian hospital stay is upwards of $6,000. An out-of-pocket expense that high could severely cut into your personal savings. Even just going to a Canadian walk-in clinic could cost you a lot. Paying a mere $20 or $30 for travel insurance coverage is definitely worth the peace of mind of knowing that you won’t have to pay such high costs.
How much does Canadian visitors insurance cost?
The cost of visitors insurance depends on a number of factors. For example, a basic travel insurance plan with emergency travel medical coverage only, will be cheaper than a plan that also includes trip cancellation, trip interuptions, etc.
Check out the chart below to see how much a visitors health insurance plan could cost you, depending on different factors.
What are the cheapest rates for visitors to Canada insurance? – February 2024
| Age | $1K deductible | $500 deductible | $0 deductible |
|---|---|---|---|
| 25 | $14 | $15 | $17 |
| 35 | $17 | $18 | $21 |
| 45 | $19 | $20 | $24 |
| 55 | $21 | $22 | $26 |
| 65 | $25 | $27 | $31 |
| 75 | $45 | $48 | $56 |
*Quotes for $100K in emergency medical coverage for someone with no pre-existing conditions.
How can I make my visitors to Canada travel insurance even cheaper?
You can lower the cost of visitors insurance by adjusting your quote factors. Emergency travel medical is already very affordable, but here are five ways you can get even lower quotes:
- Choose a higher deductible
- Get basic coverage
- Bundle or combine coverage
- Get a family plan or companion discounts
- Talk to a travel insurance expert
Which type of travel insurance is best for visitors to Canada?
As a default, we strongly recommend travel medical insurance as the best kind of coverage for visitors to Canada. But there are other types of coverage that may be best, depending on your needs. This can vary from person to person.
For example, adventurous travelers who want to go mountain biking or international students studying in Canada might each need a special kind of travel insurance plan.
Who needs visitors to Canada health insurance?
Generally speaking, if you’re coming from another country to stay in Canada, you should get visitors health insurance. This includes people who may be staying for just one week, for a few months, or for years.
How to get the cheapest travel insurance for visitors to Canada?
You can find cheap travel insurance quotes for your trip to Canada by shopping around for the best deals online. And you can do that easily in less than a minute on PolicyAdvisor.com. The days of spending hours calling insurance providers are over! We work with more than 30 of the best Canadian insurance companies to bring you the best rates all in one place. You can also customize your options to try out different factors and compare costs of travel insurance plans. Plus, you can apply online and get approved instantly on our website.
Travel Insurance Tip
Connect with a travel insurance specialist
If you need help with finding the Canadian visitors health insurance that gives you the most bang for your buck, don’t hesitate to contact us! Our travel insurance specialists would be happy to help you assess your needs so you can get the best deals that work for your trip.
Happy travels!
- The cost of Visitors to Canada insurance depends on factors like trip length, coverage amount, and deductibles
- Deductibles are important in determining how much your travel insurance will cost
- You can get even cheaper rates by choosing a higher deductible, bundling coverage, and other strategies
