Student health insurance policies in Canada vary from province to province. Every student wishing to study in Canada must collect information about the type of student health insurance in their chosen state. All students studying in Canada must have student health insurance for this period. Some provinces offer provincial student health insurance to specific international students for free or on a premium basis; to use these insurances, students typically have to apply for the province of their choice.
If provincial student health insurance isn’t available, most students will be required to purchase private insurance. Students can often apply through their university in Canada. The table below compares student health insurance across provinces.
State |
Do they have Student Health Insurance? |
preliminary Conditions |
More Data |
| Alberta | Yes |
Study Permit for at least 12 months Lived in Alberta for at least 12 months |
Holders of a study permit for more than three months and less than 12 months are eligible if they can prove they will reside in Alberta for at least 12 months. Students under the age of 18 must use their parent or guardian insurance. You must apply within 90 days of arriving in Alberta. |
| British Columbia | Yes | Study Permit for at least six months |
Student health insurance coverage begins after three months of residence. Students are encouraged to submit their applications upon arrival in Canada. For example, if a student arrives on August 25, their student health insurance coverage begins on November 1. International students must look for other insurance in those three months. |
| Manitoba | Yes |
Study Permit for at least six months At least six months of residence |
|
| New Brunswick | Yes | Residence for at least six months |
International students are required to submit the following documents: -Certificate of enrollment for full-time study at the New Brunswick Institute for Graduate Studies; -Valid study permit; and -Date of arrival in New Brunswick. |
| Newfoundland and Labrador | Yes | Study Permit for at least 12 months | |
| Northwest Areas | Yes | Study Permit for at least 12 months | |
| Nova Scotia | Yes | Study Permit for at least 12 months |
Students who have been in Nova Scotia for eleven months can apply for student health insurance on the first day after the 13th month The students must not have been out of the province for more than 31 consecutive days If students arrive in Nova Scotia in July, they will not be able to apply until August next year. If applying for continuing student health insurance, the students must submit a copy of each MSI Nova Scotia Medical Services Insurance License and sign an application each year. |
| Ontario | No | Most Ontario universities participate in the University Health Insurance Plan (UHIP); therefore, international students should enroll in the scheme unless they are exempt. | |
| Prince Edward Island | No |
The international students must receive private Student Health Insurance. International students must receive their Student Health Insurance voluntarily or compulsorily from institutions. |
|
| Quebec | No |
Students from Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Greece, Luxembourg, Norway, Portugal, and Sweden may be eligible for bilateral agreements between Quebec and their home countries. Some student scholarships in Quebec also include Student Health Insurance. Otherwise, international students are required to obtain private Student Health Insurance. |
|
| Saskatchewan | Yes | Full-time Study Permit and Registration | |
| Yukon | No |