This guide compares the main travel insurance companies sold in Canada, what drives the price of a policy, and what each part of a policy covers. Whether you need a policy at all, and what your provincial health plan pays outside Canada, is covered in is travel insurance worth it. In short, provincial plans pay only a small daily amount for emergency care abroad, far less than a hospital bill in the United States can reach, so for most trips outside Canada the question is which policy rather than whether. All of our travel, pet and specialty insurance guides are listed in the travel, pet and other insurance hub.
Travel insurance companies in Canada
| Provider | What it sells |
|---|---|
| Manulife (CoverMe) | Travel medical and trip cancellation plans for Canadian residents |
| Blue Cross | Travel coverage sold through the provincial Blue Cross organizations |
| Allianz Global Assistance | Travel medical and trip cancellation plans for Canadian residents |
| TuGo | Plans for Canadian residents, seniors, students and visitors to Canada |
| World Nomads | Travel insurance aimed at adventure travel, sold to Canadian residents |
| GMS | Travel medical plans, including top-ups for limited credit card coverage |
| Destination Travel Group | Visitors to Canada, super visa and international student plans |
| CAA | Single-trip and multi-trip package plans, with savings for CAA members |
| Medipac | Plans for snowbirds and seniors, endorsed by the Canadian Snowbird Association and the Royal Canadian Legion |
Plan names, limits and prices change, so confirm the current coverage limits, deductibles and exclusions in each insurer’s policy wording before buying.
What drives the price
How much you pay depends on your age, trip length, destination and health history, and on what you choose to cover. Medical-only coverage is the cheapest option and can be enough if your flight and hotel are fully refundable. Comprehensive plans that add trip cancellation, interruption and baggage coverage cost more but protect the money you have already spent. A higher deductible lowers the premium, and for frequent travellers an annual multi-trip plan can cost less than buying a policy for each trip.
Age has the largest effect. The risk of a medical claim rises with age, so premiums rise too, and insurers price older travellers and pre-existing conditions differently enough that quotes for the same trip can differ widely between companies. Multi-month winter stays for older travellers are priced mainly on health history; how the stability clause works is covered in the guide to travel insurance for snowbirds.
Annual multi-trip plans
An annual plan covers every trip you take in the policy year, up to a maximum length per trip. CAA’s multi-trip emergency medical plans, for example, cover 4, 8, 15, 30 or 60 days per trip depending on the plan, with top-up coverage available for a longer trip. An annual plan suits several shorter trips; a single long stay needs a policy for its full length.
What travel insurance covers
Travel insurance broadly covers three categories: medical emergencies, trip disruptions and lost belongings. Emergency medical matters most: it covers hospital stays, surgery, ambulance transport, medical evacuation and repatriation. Trip cancellation protects the money you have already spent on flights and hotels if you cannot travel for a covered reason. Baggage coverage is usually the smallest part of a policy.
Emergency medical
Emergency medical coverage typically includes:
- hospital stays and emergency surgery,
- ground and air ambulance,
- prescription drugs needed for the emergency,
- emergency dental care after an accident,
- medical evacuation to Canada or to the nearest suitable hospital,
- return of remains, and
- travel costs for a family member to come to your bedside.
Each item can carry its own sub-limit, so check the maximums in the policy wording. Healthcare costs, and the distance an evacuation would cover, differ widely by destination; the United States is where care is most expensive, which is why many travellers choose a higher medical limit for trips there. Medical evacuation can be expensive on its own, especially from a remote destination.
Trip cancellation
Trip cancellation reimburses non-refundable prepaid costs, up to the amount insured, when you cancel for a reason the policy lists. Common covered reasons are:
- illness or injury of you, a travel companion or a family member,
- the death of a family member,
- jury duty or a subpoena,
- your home becoming uninhabitable (fire, flood), and
- sometimes, job loss or a Government of Canada travel advisory issued after you booked.
Trip interruption
Trip interruption covers the cost of getting home early for a covered reason (an emergency return flight, for example), unused prepaid arrangements, and extra accommodation and meals when a covered event delays you. Each has its own limit in the policy.
Baggage and personal effects
Baggage coverage pays for lost, stolen or damaged luggage and for essentials bought while bags are delayed, subject to an overall limit and a per-item limit. Electronics are often sub-limited.
What travel insurance does not cover
Exclusions are broadly similar across providers: pre-existing conditions that don’t meet the stability period, adventure sports without an add-on, travel against a Government of Canada advisory, alcohol- or drug-related incidents, pregnancy past a cut-off that varies by policy, changing your mind (unless you bought a cancel-for-any-reason add-on) and war zones. Where the companies differ most is the stability period they require, which is why that clause is worth comparing line by line. The full list of exclusions and how they interact with credit card coverage is on the travel insurance worth-it page.
Cancel for any reason (CFAR) add-on
Standard trip cancellation only covers specific listed reasons, such as illness, injury or the death of a family member. A cancel for any reason (CFAR) add-on lets you cancel for a reason the policy doesn’t list and get back part, not all, of your non-refundable costs. It adds to the premium and usually has to be bought within a set time after your first trip payment, so it tends to suit expensive trips booked far in advance. The reimbursement percentage, cost and purchase deadline vary by insurer.
Credit card travel insurance vs standalone
Card coverage often limits the number of days covered per trip, may stop at a certain age, and caps trip cancellation at a set amount, while a standalone policy lets you choose the trip length and limits. When a card is enough and what fills each gap is explained in whether travel insurance is worth it; cards themselves are compared in best travel credit cards.
Travel insurance by traveller type
The right policy depends on who you are and how you travel. Travellers spending months in the US or Mexico need long-stay coverage that handles pre-existing conditions (compared in our snowbird insurance guide). Adventure travellers need a policy that covers their activities, such as scuba diving or motorbike riding, either included or as an add-on. Parents and grandparents coming to Canada on a super visa need a policy that meets IRCC’s rules, compared in super visa insurance.
| Traveller type | What to look for |
|---|---|
| Budget traveller | Medical-only coverage, a higher deductible |
| Family vacation | Family plans that include cancellation coverage |
| Snowbird | Long-stay coverage and a stability period you can meet |
| Adventure traveller | Coverage for the specific activities you plan |
| Frequent traveller | An annual multi-trip plan with a per-trip limit that fits your trips |
| Pre-existing conditions | The stability period, or a plan that assesses conditions at application |
How to buy travel insurance
Buying soon after you book means trip cancellation coverage is in place for more of the time before you leave; an event that happens before you buy the policy isn’t covered. Comparing several providers and checking what your credit card already covers avoids paying twice for the same protection; buying through a broker is one way to compare several at once (see insurance broker vs buying direct).
| Step | Details |
|---|---|
| 1. Check credit card coverage | Know what you already have |
| 2. Assess gaps | Trip cancellation, medical limit, age, duration |
| 3. Compare several providers | Use comparison sites or direct quotes |
| 4. Buy soon after booking | Cancellation coverage starts earlier |
| 5. Disclose pre-existing conditions | Non-disclosure can void coverage |
| 6. Save policy documents | Store digitally and print copies |
| 7. Save emergency assistance number | Accessible offline while travelling |
Making a claim
Call the insurer’s emergency line before treatment where possible, since some policies reduce or deny claims for treatment sought without notice, and keep every receipt and medical record. The step-by-step process and documents by claim type are in how to file an insurance claim.
The bottom line
Medical coverage is the core of any policy for a trip outside Canada, and trip cancellation is worth adding when prepaid costs are large and non-refundable. Buying soon after booking starts cancellation coverage earlier, disclosing every pre-existing condition protects the whole policy, and checking your credit card first avoids overlap.