International student insurance
Studying in Canada? Your health is covered.
International students aren't covered by most provincial health plans. Get up to $2 million in emergency medical, plus the everyday care students actually use: dental, counselling, check-ups and eye exams.
Check this first
Does your school or province already cover you?
Some schools enrol students in their own plan, and some provinces cover students after a waiting period. Here's how to know where you stand.
No school or provincial plan
- You need your own coverage for your whole program
- Buy before you leave home so you're covered when you land
- Choose 180+ days to unlock check-ups and eye exams
Waiting for a provincial plan
- Some provinces make students wait before coverage starts
- Cover the gap from arrival until your provincial plan begins
- Keep coverage going until your card is active
Your school enrols you
- Check what it covers and when it starts and ends
- Arriving early or staying after term? Cover those dates
- Ask us to compare your school plan with our picks
Bringing a partner or children
- Family members living with you can be covered too
- Partners and children have their own age limits
- Add them on the same quote
Compare, then quote
Compare international student insurance, then quote.
Real prices for a 20-year-old student spending 12 months in BC. Switch to "Canadians abroad" to see the other way around.
Real quotes, side by side. Prices checked November 6–11, 2026
International student, age 20, 12 months studying in BC.
Illustrative prices from each insurer's public quote tool, checked November 6–11, 2026, for one healthy non-smoking traveller on the trip described above. Plans differ in what they cover, so check the plan details before you buy. Travellers 60 and over answer health questions, which can change the price. Rates change often and are not an offer of insurance. We are paid by the insurers you can buy through us: GMS, TuGo and Allianz.
Who to quote with, and why
Allianz
- Student Plan: about $894 for 12 months at age 20
- $5 million emergency medical
- Dental up to $5,000
TuGo
- Counselling up to $1,000, plus dental and physio
- Check-up, STI testing and eye exam on 180+ day policies
- Add a partner or children, and a Sports & Activities add-on
Prices from each insurer's public quote page, November 2026. GMS has no student plan; its visitor plan (up to $150,000) cost more at $1,507. Your price depends on your age, dates and options.
What's included
What's covered.
Emergency medical anywhere in the world, as long as you spend most of your time in Canada. Visits home are allowed, but costs in your home country aren't covered.
- Hospital stays, doctors, ambulance and prescription drugs
- Counselling and mental health care, up to $1,000 per emergency
- Accidental dental up to $6,000, and dental pain relief up to $600
- Physio, chiropractor and other practitioners, up to $600 each
- Maternity care up to $25,000 (excludes delivery)
- An annual check-up, STI testing and an eye exam on 180+ day policies
- Fracture treatment, follow-up visits and private nursing
- A family member flown to your bedside if you're hospitalized
- Glasses, contacts or hearing aids damaged in an accident, up to $200
- Return home or repatriation if the worst happens
Worth adding when you quote
Choices you'll make on the quote screen.
Here's what each one means for a student.
Match your program
Choose your exact dates, up to 365 days. Pick 180 days or more to unlock the annual check-up, STI testing and eye exam.
Deductible
A higher deductible lowers your premium but means you pay the first part of each claim. $0 is simplest on a student budget.
Sports & Activities
Skiing, snowboarding and hiking on marked trails are normally covered. Add this for higher-risk activities like backcountry skiing.
Add family
A partner or children living with you can go on the same policy.
Renew each year
Policies run up to 365 days. Renew before yours ends so there's no gap between years.
Pre-existing conditions
Covered if they've been stable for 90 days before your coverage starts.
Before you buy
Can you apply?
At the time of application, you're eligible if all of these are true.
- You're 69 or younger.
- You're enrolled full-time or part-time at a school in Canada.
- You're not enrolled only in a language program for immigration purposes.
- You're not travelling against a doctor's advice.
- You haven't been diagnosed with a terminal illness and aren't receiving palliative care.
Your quote, step by step
Every screen you'll see, in order.
Most insurers' quote forms ask much the same things, in about this order. Here's what to choose.
- 1
Trip details
Your home country, the province you'll study in, your arrival date, coverage dates and birthdate. Answer Yes when asked if you're a student — that gives you the student plan.
Tip: Buy before you leave home. Bought after you arrive, you lose the 10-day refund.
- 2
Pick your plan and deductible
Choose the student plan, then your deductible.
- 3
Sports & Activities
Only if you'll do higher-risk activities. Type the activity, pick it from the list, and tick your name.
- 4
Add family
Add a partner or children living with you, if any.
- 5
Review and pay
Check your name and birthdate exactly as they appear on your passport, then pay. Quotes are saved for 30 days.
What happens after you buy
One email. Everything you need.
Minutes after you pay, your insurer emails your policy. Here's what you'll get, and what to do with it.
Policy confirmation
Your policy number, dates, who's covered, the plan and options you chose, and what you paid. Keep it; it's also your receipt.
Wallet card
Your insurer's 24/7 emergency number and policy number. Save it to your phone before you leave.
Policy Wording
The full contract. Read it before you travel — especially the exclusions and the pre-existing condition rules.
Included free
- An online account to change, extend or claim
- 24/7 emergency assistance
- Extras vary by insurer: TuGo adds an eSIM and flight-delay perks
Short free-look period. Change your mind? Most insurers refund in full if you cancel soon after buying (often 10 days), as long as you haven't travelled or claimed.
Save the emergency number now. It's on your wallet card. Call before you're treated whenever you can.
Check every detail. Names, birthdates and dates must be right. Call your insurer (numbers in our footer) if anything needs fixing.
Good to know
Common questions
Does my school require a specific insurance plan?
Can I go home during breaks?
Is counselling covered?
Can I extend or renew?
What do I do in an emergency?
Researched. Proven. Trusted.
Focus on your studies.
Compare Allianz and TuGo above and get your price in minutes. Questions? We can help, in English or French.