The 10 Best Visitors Insurance Plans In Canada - 2024 (2024)

Travel insurance is an important part of staying protected on any trip, and people visiting Canada have a lot of choice! When deciding what kind of travel plan you need, it can be tricky to know where to start. Which Canadian provider is reliable? Who has the best rates? Who has the most choice? How’s someone who’s never been to Canada supposed to know?

Worry not! Your trusty friends at PolicyAdvisor.com are experts in travel insurance and we put together a list of the 10 Best Travel Insurance For Visitors to Canada just for you! We rank the top choices, list the pros and cons of each, and provide some useful product information to help you choose the plan that would best cover you and your family.

Read on for more information or click here to skip straight to our travel insurance for visitors to Canada ratings!

What is visitors to Canada insurance?

Visitors to Canada insurance refers to travel insurance you can get for a trip to Canada. It helps to pay for unexpected costs that you might have before or during your trip. There are lots of different types of travel insurance, but most people get visitors health insurance or travel medical insurance to pay for health care costs if they need medical care while they’re in Canada.

What does visitors insurance cover?

Depending on what type of policy you choose, Canadian visitors insurance can cover:

✅ Medical expenses

• Emergency doctor or hospital visits
• Emergency dental care
• Prescription drugs
• Travel accident
• Ambulance transportation
• Repatriation
• And more

✅ Non-medical expenses

• Trip cancellation
• Trip interruption (ending a trip early)
• Flight delays
• Hotel/accommodation costs
• Extra meal costs
• Adventure sports
• And more

✅ Super visa

• Meets the requirements of the Canadian super visa program for parents and grandparents

Why do visitors to Canada need travel insurance?

Visitors to Canada should get travel insurance to avoid having to pay a lot of money if something unexpected happens on your trip. It helps you travel with peace of mind and enjoy your time up north without worrying about what would happen in an emergency.

Think of it this way: a flight delay could cost you hundreds in hotel fees and meal expenses that you didn’t expect to pay. One trip to the doctor in Canada could cost you thousands — Canada’s government health insurance plan won’t cover any bills for visitors, and insurance from your home country won’t cover you either. But visitors insurance doesn’t cost a lot, and can help make sure you don’t get stuck with any unexpected bills.

Most visitors to Canada aren’t required to get travel insurance to come to Canada, except for super visa holders. But we strongly recommend that you get visitors insurance for your trip — it’s well worth the peace of mind!

The best visitors insurance in Canada – February 2024

At PolicyAdvisor.com, we work closely with more than 30 of Canada’s best insurance companies to provide tailored travel insurance options for visitors. In this article, we did the work of searching the market for you to find out who has the best deals. Based on our in-house research, weput together this list of the Canadian providers who have the absolute best visitors insurance to offer.

The 10 best travel insurance companies for visitors to Canada in 2024 are:

1. Best travel insurance for comprehensive coverage: Manulife
2. Best travel insurance for pre-existing conditions: Tugo
3. Best travel insurance for international students: Allianz
4. Best travel insurance for super visa: GMS
5. Best travel insurance for monthly payment plans: Travelance
6. Best travel insurance for long stays: 21st Century
7. Best travel insurance for convenience: Destination Canada
8. Best travel insurance for side trips: MSH
9. Best travel insurance for companion discounts: 21st Century
10. Best for customizable deductibles: Secure Travel

Best Travel Insurance for Comprehensive Coverage: Manulife

Visitors who want a travel insurance plan that covers all their bases can trust that Manulife will be one of their best choices. Or, if you’re not sure exactly what you need and you just want to get general travel insurance coverage that has a little bit of everything, their comprehensive plan is well-rounded enough to do that for you too.

With Manulife, you can get travel medical insurance by itself or as part of a package with trip interruption protection. They’re one of the only Canadian insurance companies that lets visitors do this. You can also use their travel insurance for your super visa. Plus, all of their plans cover things like stable pre-existing health conditions, side trips, travel accidents, and more.

There’s a reason why Manulife usually gets high ratings from us. They’re one of Canada’s oldest and biggest insurance companies, and they have really good insurance plans to fit people’s needs!

Product Name: Emergency Medical Plan for Visitors to Canada

Types of Coverage: Emergency medical + super visa + optional trip interruption

Maximum Amount of Coverage: $150,000 CAD

Age Range: 30 days to 85 years

Pre-existing Conditions Covered: Yes, if stable

Deductible Range: $0 – $5,000 CAD

Free Look: Yes, 10-day

Family Plans: Yes

Best Travel Insurance for Pre-Existing Conditions: Tugo

If you’re coming to Canada and you already have a health condition, we strongly suggest that you get an insurance plan with Tugo. Like Manulife, Tugo is another well-known Canadian company that sells travel insurance. And they have the best plans for people who may have health concerns.

A pre-existing medical condition is a health issue that you already had before you got travel insurance. It refers to things like cancer, heart conditions, high blood pressure, obesity, and others. (Read our article about pre-existing medical conditions for a full list)

Some Canadian providers can cover pre-existing conditions as long as they’re stable. This means that it hasn’t gotten worse, needed a new diagnosis, or caused new symptoms in 90-180 days, depending on your insurance company’s rules. Tugo goes the extra mile. They have additional travel plans for visitors that can cover a pre-existing condition even if it’s not stable. This is an extremely rare insurance option for visitors to Canada.

Plus Tugo hassome of the best coverage options. They’re one of the few that let visitors get non-medical forms of insurance for things like trip cancellation insurance. And they have a unique MyFlyt service that can compensate you for flight delays.

Product Name: Visitors to Canada Emergency Medical Insurance, Visitors to Canada Trip Cancellation & Trip Interruption Insurance, Visitors to Canada Trip Interruption Insurance

Types of Coverage: Emergency medical + super visa + trip cancellation/interruption + trip interruption + optional sports & adventure activities, accidental death & dismemberment, and unstable pre-existing conditions

Maximum Amount of Coverage: $500,000 CAD or $2,000,000 CAD for international students

Age Range: 15 days to 90+ years

Pre-existing Conditions Covered: Yes + optional coverage for unstable conditions

Deductibles: $0 – $10,000 CAD

Free Look: Yes, 10-day

Family Plans: Yes

Best Travel Insurance for International Students: Allianz Global Assistance

Many international students in Canada get their own travel medical insurance policy to cover anything their school’s health plan doesn’t cover. This means things like covering them for winter and summer holidays, or for any side trips they take outside of the province or country too. And Allianz travel insurance is the best choice.

Allianz has the best plans for international students in Canada. They actually have a unique package just for international students. And they have the highest coverage amount for students too — they’ll cover up to $5 million for medical emergencies. Their plans can be a little pricey, but they’re a reputable company and their plans are worth it.

Product Name: Visitors to Canada Plan, International Students to Canada Travel Insurance

Types of Coverage: Emergency medical + super visa

Maximum Amount of Coverage: $100,000 CAD or $5,000,000 CAD (international students)

Age Range: 15 days to 84 years

Pre-existing Conditions Covered: Limited; up to age 59 only, if stable

Deductibles: $0 CAD

Free Look: Yes, 10-day

Family Plans: No

Best Travel Insurance for Super Visa: Group Medical Services (GMS)

GMS is our top recommendation for people who are travelling to Canada on a super visa. (Read our Guide to Canadian Super Visa Insurance to learn more about the program.) Its plans meet the requirements of the program, andit has well-rounded coverage options.

Their Immigrants & Visitors to Canada Insurance covers stable pre-existing conditions and has excellent coverage for seniors. It also has a fair range of deductible options and decent coverage amounts if you need something a bit more than the $100,000 limit. And their rates are affordable too!

Product Name: Immigrants & Visitors to Canada Insurance

Types of Coverage: Emergency medical + super visa

Maximum Amount of Coverage: $150,000 CAD

Age Range: 0 to 80 years

Pre-existing Conditions Covered: Yes, if stable

Deductibles: $0 – $1,000 CAD

Free Look: Yes, 10-day

Family Plans: No

Best Travel Insurance for Monthly Payment Plans: Travelance

Travelance is one of the few Canadian companies that lets you pay for super visa insurance monthly instead of paying for everything at once. And, as far as we’re concerned, it’s the best if you want a plan specifically to pay monthly.

The reason we recommend Travelance so highly is in the details. It lets you get 3 follow-up doctor visits within a 30-day period, covering up to $3,000 worth of related costs. Most providers don’t cover follow-up visits this much. It also has great coverage for prescription drugs and really high deductible options. This is fantastic health insurance for visitors to Canada if you do end up needing medical attention during your trip. And you don’t even have to pay for the entire thing upfront!

Product Name: Visitors to Canada Emergency Medical Insurance (VTC) Essential Plan or Premier Plan, International Student Travel Insurance (ISP) Smart Plan or Smart-Plus Plan

Types of Coverage: Emergency medical + super visa

Maximum Amount of Coverage: $150,000 CAD (visitors) or $2,000,000 CAD (international students)

Age Range: 14 days to 86 years

Pre-existing Conditions Covered: Limited; up to age 69 and only with premium plans, if stable

Deductibles: $0 – $10,000 CAD

Free Look: Yes, 10-day

Family Plans: Yes

Best Travel Insurance for Long Stays: 21st Century

If you plan to stay in Canada for long periods of time, we recommend that you get a visitors insurance plan with 21st Century. They have a rare upgrade feature that lets you extend your insurance plan for up to 2 years while keeping the exact same price. This makes it a great deal if you have long-term travel plans.

Their 2-year extension is perfect for people who apply for the 2-year extension for their super visa. Plus, 21st Century is another one of the few providers who lets you pay for super visa insurance monthly. They offer different levels of insurance to cover your trip, and you can choose higher or lower deductibles.

Product Name: Visitors to Canada Insurance Basic Plan, Standard Plan, or Enhanced Plan

Types of Coverage: Emergency medical + super visa

Maximum Amount of Coverage: $200,000 CAD

Age Range: 0 to 111 years

Pre-existing Conditions Covered: Yes, if stable (Enhanced Plan only)

Deductibles: $0 – $10,000 CAD

Free Look: No

Family Plans: Yes

Best Travel Insurance for Convenience: Destination Canada

Destination Canada is a nice and simple option for visitors to Canada insurance. It’s the kind of insurance plan you can buy quickly without worrying too much. It will cover the basics for emergency medical — stable pre-existing conditions, super visa insurance, etc. And it can give you a lot more coverage than normal.It can even cover travellers who are over 86 years old. So, it’s a good click-and-buy choice.

On the downside, it doesn’t have the most comprehensive travel insurance policies. So, if you’re looking for things like trip cancellation insurance or coverage for extreme sports, this isn’t the best choice for you. It also has fairly low deductible options, only going up to $500 — and that matters because deductibles affect the price of travel insurance.

Product Name: Canada Visitors to Canada Plan, International Student Insurance

Types of Coverage: Emergency medical + super visa

Maximum Amount of Coverage: $300,000 CAD

Age Range: 0 to 86+ years

Pre-existing Conditions Covered: Limited; up to age 79 only, if stable

Deductibles: $0 – $500 CAD

Free Look: Yes, 10-day

Family Plans: Yes

Best Travel Insurance for Side Trips: MSH

An MSH plan is the perfect travel insurance for international frequent flyers. Many Canadian insurance companiescover side trips once most of your time is spent in Canada. But they won’t cover trips outside of Canada more than 30 days at most. MSH doesn’t have this limit.

MSH doesn’t have restrictions on outside trips, so even if you spend an extended period of time in countries outside of Canada, you can still get coverage. Its plan also gives you a LOT of coverage and some of the highest deductible options around.

Product Name: Discover Canada Insurance, Patriot Travel Plan

Types of Coverage: Emergency medical + super visa

Maximum Amount of Coverage: $1,000,000 CAD

Age Range: 15 days to 90 years

Pre-existing Conditions Covered: Limited; up to age 80 only, if stable

Deductibles: $0 – $25,000 CAD

Free Look: No

Family Plans: Yes

Best Travel Insurance for Companion Discounts: 21st Century

The 21st Century travel insurance is a good choice if you’re not travelling alone. In Canada, many insurance companies have plans for families, which means you can get lower prices if you’re going on a trip with your close family or other dependents. 21st Century does that too, but it also gives discounts if your travel companion might not be in your family. So, if you and a few friends want to visit Canada and save money while making sure you’re protected, this insurance plan would be a smart option.

Product Name: Visitors to Canada Insurance Basic Plan, Standard Plan, or Enhanced Plan

Types of Coverage: Emergency medical + super visa

Maximum Amount of Coverage: $200,000 CAD

Age Range: 0 to 111 years

Pre-existing Conditions Covered: Yes, if stable (Enhanced Plan only)

Deductibles: $0 – $10,000 CAD

Free Look: No

Family Plans: Yes

Best Travel Insurance for Customizable Deductibles: Secure Travel

Visitors to Canada who want more deductible choices should think about getting a travel insurance policy from Secure Travel. A deductible is the amount you pay upfront before insurance pays for the rest. A higher deductible makes your insurance premium cost less, and vice versa. Secure Travel lets you customize a deductible up to $3,000, and that can help if you’re looking to lower the cost of travel insurance.

They also have a high travel medical insurance coverage limit. And has 2 tiers of plans, so you can decide how enhanced or how basic you want your travel insurance to be. You can get all of this plus good standard coverage for things like super visa insurance, pre-existing conditions, side trips, travel accident, and more.

Product Name: Visitors to Canada Insurance Standard or Enhanced Plan, Super Visa Insurance, International Student Insurance Standard, Enhanced, or Premium Plan

Types of Coverage: Emergency medical + super visa

Maximum Amount of Coverage: $1,000,000 CAD or $2,000,000 CAD for international students

Age Range: 15 days to 89 years

Pre-existing Conditions Covered: Yes, if stable

Deductibles: $0 – $3,000 CAD

Free Look: Yes, 10-day

Family Plans: Yes

How to get the best Canadian visitors insurance?

If you’re looking for the best visitors insurance for your trip to Canada, you can easily find the perfect plan right here on PolicyAdvisor.com! You can get free travel insurance quotes online in minutes, so it’s super easy to compare plans from different travel insurance providers all in one click. Plus, we have a wonderful team of friendly, licensed insurance professionals who are happy to help if you’d rather talk to someone one-on-one.

Don’t risk your big trip! Check out our quoting tool or book a call with one of our representatives to get the best Canadian visitors insurance today!