Visiting Canada
Travel insurance for visitors to Canada
Emergency medical coverage for every visitor to Canada — from city breaks to backcountry. Add adventure-sports protection only if you need it.
You came for the mountains. Not the fine print.
Whether you're here on a working holiday visa chasing powder in Whistler, climbing in the Rockies, or committed to eating poutine in every single province — welcome. You came to Canada to do bold things, and standard travel insurance quietly excludes most of them.
That's the part we fix. Add the Sports & Activities coverage and the fun stuff is covered too — backcountry skiing, mountaineering, white-water, the works. Go be gloriously, responsibly reckless. We'll handle the boring part.
Which one are you?
Visitors to Canada, in four flavours
Different visa, different reasons, different length of stay — but the same truth: Canada's healthcare isn't free for you, and one bad day can cost more than a year of rent. Here's who buys, why, and when.
IEC Working Holiday · 18–35
The Adventure Year
The working-holiday program for 18–35-year-olds from 30+ countries. You're here to ski pow, climb, ride singletrack, and work between adventures. Canada requires insurance for your whole stay — border officers ask for proof at landing. Arrive covered for the full 24 months, or your work permit gets clipped to your policy's expiry.
- Stay: 12–24 months
- Proof at border: yes
- Buy before you fly
- Adventure: built for it
Super Visa · Parents & Grandparents
The Family Reunion
Bringing parents or grandparents over for a long stay? A Super Visa needs proof of insurance from a Canadian insurer — at least $100,000 covering healthcare, hospitalization, and repatriation, valid a full year — before the visa is even approved. We make that part easy.
- Stay: up to 5 yrs / entry
- Proof with visa app
- Canadian insurer required
- $100k minimum
New Immigrant / PR
The Landing Gap
You've landed. Welcome home. But most provincial health plans have a waiting period before your coverage kicks in — up to three months. One bridge policy closes the gap so a broken arm in week one doesn't become a five-figure bill.
- Covers 3-month gap
- Buy on arrival
- Until provincial kicks in
- Adventure: your call
Tourist · Short Visit
The Holiday
Here for the poutine, the peaks, and a couple of weeks of pure fun. Insurance isn't mandatory, but the Canadian government recommends at least $100,000 in coverage — because a single ER visit can cost more than your whole trip. Add adventure sports if skiing or anything gnarly is on the list.
- Stay: up to 6 months
- Recommended $100k
- Buy before you fly
- Adventure: add it on
Proof of coverage, sorted.
Buy before you fly and your proof lives in the TuGo Wallet app — ready to show at the border or visa check. No paperwork mountain.
High-risk sports covered
Backcountry skiing, rock climbing, mountain biking, scuba & more — add the Sports & Activities rider.
Cover your full stay
Up to 24 months for IEC working holidays, or 1-year renewable for Super Visa — match your permit.
Pre-existing conditions
Stability periods from 120 to 365 days by age — we'll help you check eligibility.
Coast to coast to coast
The Canada you'll actually move through
From the powder of the west coast to the lighthouses of the Atlantic — hover any marker for elevation, population and IEC share. Below the map, the regions broken down.
West Coast
British Columbia
Where most working-holiday makers land first — big peaks meet the Pacific, and the city is a basecamp for the backcountry.
- WhistlerBackcountry skiDownhill bike
- TofinoSurfSea kayakOld-growth
- VancouverCity basecampNorth Shore trails
The Rockies
Alberta & BC
The postcard Canada — turquoise lakes, big walls, and some of the deepest powder on the continent.
- BanffMountaineeringIce climbing
- Lake LouiseSki touringGlacier hikes
- RevelstokeHeli-skiBig-mountain lines
- JasperBackcountryWhitewater
Central Canada
Ontario & Quebec
Old-world streets, French flair, and Laurentian ski hills an hour from downtown.
- MontrealFood & festivalsTremblant nearby
- Quebec CityOld townIce hotel
- TorontoBlue MountainCity life
Atlantic Coast
Maritimes & Newfoundland
The friendly east — jellybean houses, the Cabot Trail, and the warmest welcome in Canada.
- HalifaxSailingSea cliffs
- Cape BretonCabot Trail hiking
- St. John'sIceberg watchingSea stacks
Adventure sports + these places = no nasty surprises.
A heli-evac from a backcountry ridge can run five figures. Add the Sports & Activities rider and roam with a clear head.
The reality check
What it actually costs without coverage
Canada's healthcare is excellent — but if you're not a resident, you pay out of pocket, usually upfront. Costs have climbed sharply since 2020. Here's what visitors actually get billed in 2025–2026.
from $800
Emergency Room Visit
per visit
from $250
X-ray
+ hospital fee
$240–$1,000
Ground Ambulance
per trip
from $2,800/hr
Air Ambulance
helicopter
from $1,776
MRI
+ hospital fee
from $2,400
Day Surgery
up to $30k+
from $3,760
Hospital Ward
per day
from $14,535
Intensive Care
per day
from $240
Physician
per hour
Based on 2025–2026 published non-resident hospital rates (e.g., Vancouver General, PEI, Quebec). Costs vary by province and facility.
One night in ICU can top $14,000.
A full year of coverage costs a fraction of a single night — and it covers the whole adventure.
Adventure & extreme sports add-on
TuGo's Sports & Activities Coverage fills the gap standard travel insurance leaves — backcountry skiing, mountaineering, skydiving, white-water rafting, and more. Add it at quote time.
Emergency air ambulance
Up to $100,000 in pre-approved medical air transport — critical for remote mountain and backcountry emergencies.
24/7 emergency assistance
Real humans, real help — anytime, anywhere, in English and French. Tap the chat (bottom-right) to reach us.
Super Visa ready
Plans that satisfy Super Visa insurance requirements for parents and grandparents visiting Canada.
The eligibility game
Qualifying you for coverage
Whether you're visiting Canada for a short trip, here long-term on a work visa, or an international student, we have comprehensive coverage for all your travel needs. You can upgrade to include adventure and extreme sports — but let's get you qualified first. At the time of application, you are eligible for coverage if:
Tap each one that's true for you — clear all 10 for a little surprise. 🎉
Canada has a great healthcare system, but you won't be covered if you're not a resident — and medical costs are expensive. The Canadian government recommends all visitors buy a minimum of $100,000 in travel insurance coverage before arriving in Canada.
In your plan
What's covered
Your best coverage anywhere in Canada — available for all ages, and worldwide as long as the majority of your trip is in Canada.
- Hospital care and treatment for injuries and illnesses, including COVID-19
- Doctor's services, ambulance services, x-rays and diagnostic laboratory procedures
- Prescription drugs and essential medical supplies such as crutches and fracture treatment
- Professional medical services (physio, etc.) to relieve an acute emergency
- Emergency dental service
- Maternity/prenatal care, delivery and/or complications
- Hospital allowance for incidental charges like TV rental
- Emergency air transportation (pre-approved and arranged by us)
- Airfare to return home for treatment; return of travelling companion and dependent children
- Family transportation and out-of-pocket expenses for accommodation and meals
- Return of vehicle and 24-hour accident insurance up to $25,000
- Up to 5 follow-up visits within 14 days of the initial emergency medical treatment
Add-on coverage
Choose your adventure 🎿🧗♂️🪂
Standard travel insurance quietly excludes most of the bold stuff. Add Sports & Activities Coverage and the fun is covered too — up to your full Emergency Medical policy limit, for the entire length of your base policy.
Full policy limit
No separate sub-limit — covered up to your Emergency Medical maximum.
One surcharge
Pay only the highest-rated activity; every declared sport is included.
Training & competition
Covered while participating, training, or practising.
Whole-policy duration
Runs the full length of your base policy — buy longer, don't pay twice.
Estimate your sports add-on
Pick your stay and a sample sport — see why matching your term matters.
Estimated sports surcharge
$75
30 days · standard adventure
Illustrative estimate only — your exact price is confirmed at quote time. You only pay the surcharge for the highest-rated activity; every other declared sport is included.
Charged per policy term. Buy your full stay now and it's one surcharge. Extend later and the surcharge is charged again on the extension — so match your term to your trip.
Cut your trip short? You can request a refund (less an admin fee) within 90 days of expiry — so going longer is low-risk.
Buying the longer term up front means one surcharge — not two.
Get my exact priceIf a sport isn't shown here and isn't in the exclusions, it's already covered under your Emergency Medical plan — no add-on needed. Heli-skiing and cat-skiing with a licensed guide are included automatically.
What you can add
Swipe through the list — tap a card to see the detail. Hover the map above for where each one lives.
Backcountry skiing & snowboarding
Unmarked, unpatrolled areas where public access is permitted — slack-country, side-country, off-piste.
Freestyle ski & snowboard comps
Aerials, moguls, half-pipe, slopestyle, rails, jumps & terrain park features.
Downhill mountain biking
Mountain trails with jumps, drops, rock gardens & obstacles — often via mechanical lifts.
Mountaineering
Climbing/descending with pickaxes, ice axes, anchors, crampons, carabiners, rope systems.
Rock climbing
Bouldering, trad, free solo, top-rope, sport climbing, canyoning — not indoor wall climbing.
Ice climbing
Vertical ice formations — ice falls, frozen waterfalls — using ice axes, crampons, ice screws.
High-risk snowmobiling
Racing, endurance events, high-marking, or unguided backcountry riding.
Motorized speed contests
Any motorized vehicle race or timed event by land, air, or water.
Skydiving & paragliding
Parachuting, skydiving, tandem skydiving, BASE jumping, hang gliding, paragliding.
White water — Class VI
Rafting extreme rapids or waterfalls deemed unnavigable by safety authorities.
Ice hockey & rugby (21+)
Organized team, league, or tournament play for players 21 and over.
Football, MMA & boxing
Organized contact football, mixed martial arts, and boxing for adults.
Scuba / free-diving over 40m
Diving beyond 40 meters requires the Sports & Activities add-on.
Deep-dive activity guides
Why standard insurance excludes each sport — and what the Sports & Activities top-up actually covers.
Optional add-on
Cancellation vs. interruption — what's the difference?
Two words that sound the same but cover different moments. Here's the whole thing in one breath.
Trip cancellation
You cancel before you leave. Something covered happens — an illness, injury, a grounded flight, a denied visa — and you can't go. You get back the non-refundable flights, hotels, and tours you already paid for.
Think: "I can't go at all."
Trip interruption
You're already on the trip and have to cut it short. A covered emergency sends you home early. You're reimbursed for the part of the trip you missed, plus the extra costs to get home.
Think: "I have to go home now."
Good to know: Both are optional add-ons you choose at quote time — not everyone needs them. Already booked non-refundable flights? Probably worth it. Staying with family for free? Maybe skip it.
When you need us
How to make a claim
Real humans, real help — anytime, anywhere. Here's the fastest path to getting your claim paid.
Call emergency assistance first
Contact TuGo's 24/7 emergency assistance line before incurring major expenses wherever possible — they'll coordinate and pre-approve your care.
Get pre-approval
For hospitalization, surgery, medical evacuation, or air ambulance, always call for pre-approval so the costs are covered directly.
Keep all your receipts
Save every receipt, invoice, and medical report — you'll need them as proof of your expenses when you file.
Submit your claim
File your claim through TuGo's online portal with your supporting documents. Keep copies until it's resolved.
Share with a friend
Know someone heading to Canada? Drop your details and pass the link along.
We'll only use your details to follow up about your trip and send the occasional tip. No spam, ever.
TuGo — proudly Canadian and trusted by travellers since 1964. Your policy is backed by one of Canada's original travel insurers.
$5M
Medical limit
24/7
Assistance
120–365d
Stability by age
10-day
Money-back
Ready to get covered?
Add the Sports & Activities Coverage at quote time and travel with confidence — even off-piste.