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Buying Canada travel insurance is not an entry requirement for visiting Canada. However, travel insurance for Canada is still a worthwhile purchase because Canadian healthcare can be expensive without insurance coverage.
Travel Insurance for Canada – Best Insurance & Cost
In fact, visitors to Canada are not covered by Canada’s universal healthcare program, which only provides coverage to Canadian citizens and permanent residents. As a bare minimum, make sure you have health insurance to travel to Canada before you go.
After comparing the different Canadian medical travel insurance, Heymondo stands out as the best option for insurance for Canada travel. Their plans offer some of the best COVID-19 travel insurance coverage, and they are the only Canadian travel insurance provider that pays your medical bills directly, so you won’t have to file a claim.
Keep reading to find out more about travel insurance for Canada coverage and the best travel insurance companies to Canada.
Do I need travel insurance to visit Canada?
As I mentioned before, you won’t be denied entry to Canada if you don’t have Canadian travel insurance, but the Canadian government doesn’t cover visitors’ healthcare, so you will have to pay out of pocket if you need medical treatment and don’t have travel insurance for Canada.
On top of that, Canadian healthcare fees can be expensive. If you do have to pay for medical bills at your own expense, it may cost you quite a bit of money.
Do I need travel insurance to visit Canada?
If you’re an American citizen or resident, you may be wondering if your US health insurance will cover you while you’re in Canada. Unfortunately, American healthcare coverage does not generally extend to Canada; most domestic US health insurance does not cover American citizens or residents if they are outside the US.
Even if you get lucky and your American health insurance covers you while you’re in Canada, you will most likely get only partial or low coverage. Ultimately, if you’re an American citizen or resident, it’s safe to assume that you won’t be able to use your US health insurance in Canada, so make sure you buy Canadian travel insurance or health insurance to travel to Canada.
Even if you’re not American, having travel insurance to visit Canada is still a good idea if you want to avoid paying for healthcare fees at your own expense.
How much is travel insurance to Canada?
Your travel insurance Canada cost will depend on several factors, including your age, your home country/US state, the length of your trip, and the price of your trip. If you’re looking to get the lowest travel insurance Canada price, know that the shorter and less expensive your trip is, the more affordable your Canadian travel insurance will be.
To help you compare travel insurance for Canada prices, I used the example of a 30-year-old American citizen who lives in Pennsylvania and is traveling to Canada for two weeks with a trip cost of $2,500 USD.
Price | $70.75 | $75.49 | $77 | $55 | $78 |
COVID coverage | ✔️ | ✔️ | ✔️ | ✔️ | ✔️ |
Medical expenses paid upfront | ✔️ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ |
Emergency Medical Expenses | $250,000 | $100,000 | $150,000 | $50,000 | $25,000 |
Evacuation and Repatriation | $500,000 | $300,000 | $500,000 | $200,000 | $250,000 |
Trip Interruption | $2,500 | $2,500 | 150% of $2,500* | 100% of $2,500* | 100% of $2,500* |
Trip Cancellation | $3,500 | $2,500 | 100% of $2,500* | 100% of $2,500* | 100% of $2,500* |
Baggage Loss | $1,700 | $1,000 | $1,500 | $750 | $1,000 |
CANADIAN TRAVEL INSURANCE COMPARISON |
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*Price used for example.
What is the best travel insurance for Canada?
All of the companies I compared above have excellent Canada travel insurance plans, but as you can see from the chart, the best travel insurance for Canada is Heymondo, which stands out for its high amount of coverage in all categories.
Heymondo is also unique in that it is the only Canadian travel insurance provider to pay travelers’ medical expenses directly for them rather than requiring them to file a claim.
1. Heymondo, the best travel insurance for Canada
The best travel insurance for Canada is most definitely Heymondo. Even if you’re not impressed by the fact that the Heymondo Top plan is the only Canada travel insurance plan where your medical expenses get paid directly without your even having to file a claim, the Top plan also provides the highest amount of coverage for Emergency Medical Expenses, Trip Cancellation, and Baggage Loss.
Beyond that, the Top plan provides a high amount of coverage in all categories while still being affordable, giving it an excellent coverage-to-price ratio. You can even add Electronics or Adventure Sports coverage if you need it.
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We have been using Heymondo for the last couples of years and their assistance has been always superb. Right now, we have an annual travel insurance plan, that can be also a good option for you if you’re a frequent traveler.
Best of all, Heymondo offers a 5% discount on their plans to Capture the Atlas readers who use the link below.
2. World Nomads, an affordable insurance for Canada travel
World Nomads is one of the most affordable travel insurance for Canada plans I compared. It’s also the perfect plan if you’re planning an adventurous trip to the Rockies because the Standard plan includes coverage for activities like hiking, ice fishing, and scrambling.
World Nomads’ Standard plan provides a good amount of coverage in all medical- and travel-related categories. However, you can get twice as much Emergency Medical Expenses, Evacuation and Repatriation, and Baggage Loss coverage for slightly cheaper from Heymondo, so if you want to get the most value for money from your Canadian travel insurance, Heymondo is a better bet.
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3. IMG, the best Canadian travel insurance for seniors
Whether you’re a senior traveler or slightly younger, IMG is an excellent option for travel insurance to Canada. Their iTravelInsured Travel SE plan offers a high amount of Evacuation and Repatriation coverage as well as a good amount of coverage in all other categories.
The iTravelInsured Travel SE plan even includes Cancel for Work Reasons coverage, so you can get reimbursed if you’re forced to cancel your trip for a work-related reason, such as unexpected termination or transfer.
Plus, IMG’s GlobeHopper Senior Single Trip plan is by far the best travel insurance for seniors. This plan is geared toward travelers who are 65+ and offers a choice of deductibles from $0 to $2,500. You can also choose your maximum coverage limit and even extend your plan for up to 12 months, so it’s a very flexible plan for older travelers.
If you’re a traveler who is over the age of 65, IMG’s GlobeHopper Senior Single Trip plan will be the best choice for you, but if you’re a younger traveler who wants better coverage than the iTravelInsured Travel SE plan for a lower price, Heymondo will work best for you.
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4. Trawick, the best travel insurance Canada for students
If you’re a student on a budget who still wants to globetrot, Trawick’s Safe Travels Explorer plan is the ideal choice, since it’s the cheapest insurance for travel to Canada and therefore the best travel insurance for students.
Keep in mind that because the Safe Travels Explorer plan is so affordable, the coverage it offers is quite basic. The plan provides good Trip Interruption and Trip Cancellation coverage, but its Evacuation and Repatriation and Emergency Medical Expenses coverage are low, so if you want the security of more coverage at a slightly higher price, it might be worth shelling out for Heymondo.
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5. WorldTrips, the best travel insurance for visitors to Canada with pre-existing conditions
WorldTrips is another great choice for Canadian travel insurance, especially if you have a pre-existing condition. WorldTrips’ Journey Economy plan is one of the best pre-existing conditions travel insurance policies as long as you purchase that plan within 21 days of your initial trip payment date.
The Journey Economy plan provides relatively good Evacuation and Repatriation, Trip Interruption, Trip Cancellation, and Baggage Loss coverage. However, you can get ten times the amount of Emergency Medical Expenses coverage in the Journey Economy plan for a lower price with Heymondo, so if you don’t have a pre-existing condition and want more medical coverage, Heymondo might be best for you.
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What should my Canada travel insurance cover?
As I’ve already pointed out, as a bare minimum, your travel insurance to Canada should include health coverage. However, it can also be useful to have travel-related coverage for any travel mishaps that come up.
The best travel insurance for Canada should include coverage for:
- Emergency Medical Expenses – avoid paying expensive Canadian healthcare fees out of pocket if you break a leg while hiking or come down with a serious case of the flu. With coverage for emergency medical expenses, you won’t have to worry about paying for medical transportation, medical treatment, hospitalization, or prescription medication.
- Evacuation and Repatriation – you could be hiking in the Rockies and break a leg far from a hospital or contract an illness so severe that you need to return to your home country for treatment. Evacuation and repatriation coverage will be exactly what you need since it covers transportation from remote areas to the nearest hospital or from Canada to your home country if you fall seriously ill.
- Trip Cancellation/Interruption/Delay – travel doesn’t always go according to plan, but there’s no need to panic if you have to interrupt, cancel, or delay your trip. Trip cancellation, interruption, and delay coverage will reimburse you for any pre-paid travel costs, so you won’t need to lose out on a bunch of money for a trip you don’t take.
- Baggage Loss – if your luggage goes missing and you lose your favorite clothes, you may not be able to find exact replacements, but with baggage loss coverage, at least you’ll get reimbursed for the value of your clothing and be able to buy something similar.
Is Canada travel insurance worth it?
Ultimately, yes, purchasing travel insurance for Canada is worthwhile because, without it, you won’t have any medical coverage as a visitor. It just takes one illness or sprained ankle for travel health insurance to Canada to pay for itself, especially since Canadian travel insurance can save you a lot of money on medical bills and treatment.
Speaking of saving money on medical bills, remember that the best travel insurance for Canada, Heymondo, is the only Canada travel insurance provider that will pay your medical expenses directly so you don’t have to pay a cent out of your own pocket. You can even save 5% on Heymondo policies just for being our reader.
