Country guide — Americas
Expat insurance and health insurance in Canada
In short
In Canada, private health insurance is not mandatory once you're enrolled in the public provincial plan, but it effectively is during the waiting period imposed by several provinces (up to 3 months in Quebec and British Columbia; Ontario has removed it for eligible newcomers). Holders of a working holiday visa (International Experience Canada) must present private insurance valid for the entire length of stay as soon as they apply for the permit (IRCC requirement). No minimum amount is set for the working holiday visa, but coverage must include medical care, hospitalisation and repatriation. Without insurance during a waiting period or on a working holiday visa: possible refusal of entry or costs borne by the traveller, potentially several thousand Canadian dollars per day of hospitalisation.
Key figures
- 119,545 French nationals registered with the consular register in 2025 (119,256 in 2024, +0.24%).
- Life expectancy at birth: 81.7 years in 2023 (79.5 men, 83.9 women).
- Health spending: ≈12.7% of GDP in 2025, ≈9,626 CAD per capita.
- Distribution of registered French nationals (2022): Montreal 65,231, Quebec City 17,500, Toronto 14,715, Vancouver 11,438.
Local healthcare system
Canada has no single national plan: healthcare is a provincial and territorial responsibility, each administering its own public plan (RAMQ in Quebec, OHIP in Ontario, MSP in British Columbia), within the framework of the Canada Health Act. These plans cover medically necessary care by a doctor or in hospital, but leave out dental, optical, ambulance services (billed separately almost everywhere, even for insured residents) and medication outside hospital. A foreign resident’s eligibility for their province’s plan is never immediate: a waiting period applies almost everywhere between arrival and the effective start of coverage, hence the importance of bridging private insurance. Tourists and temporary visitors are, in most cases, never eligible for the provincial plans.
Legal and visa obligations
- Working holiday visa / International Experience Canada: medical insurance valid for the entire length of stay, an entry condition set by IRCC (medical care, hospitalisation, repatriation). If the insurance term is shorter than the requested stay, the permit issued is limited to the insurance’s expiry date. Working holiday visa holders do not benefit from the waiting-period exemption under the France-Quebec agreement, even when settling in Quebec.
- Students: requirements vary by province and institution; student insurance is sometimes required in addition to the provincial plan.
- Seconded employees / permanent residents: subject to the provincial waiting period, except for an exemption (form SE 401 Q 207 in Quebec).
- Provincial waiting periods: Quebec (RAMQ) up to 3 months from the first day of the month following arrival (minor children exempt); British Columbia (MSP) remainder of the month of arrival plus 2 full months (≈3 months); Ontario (OHIP): no more waiting period for eligible newcomers as of the verification date.
No fine as such, but lacking coverage during the waiting period or on a working holiday visa means bearing the full cost of medical care, with no help from the French embassy.
Cost of some medical procedures
Orders of magnitude from specialised sources, not official fee schedules.
| Procedure | Public sector | Private sector |
|---|---|---|
| Family medicine consultation (uninsured public rate) | 62.27 CAD | — |
| Private clinic / walk-in consultation | — | ≈80-150 CAD |
| Emergency room visit (minimum payment) | 715.72 CAD | — |
| Night of hospitalisation (uninsured daily rate) | 2,431 CAD/day | — |
| Ground ambulance (non-resident, Quebec) | 400 CAD + 1.75 CAD/km | — |
| Delivery with hospitalisation (Quebec) | ≈7,000 to 21,000+ CAD | — |
| Specialist consultation outside the public plan | — | ≈150 to 350 CAD (rate set freely by clinic; e.g. first consultation ≈200-325 CAD) |
Social security agreements with France
There is no general bilateral social security agreement between France and federal Canada. However, a France-Quebec social security agreement (version in force: December 2017) coordinates the schemes for sickness-maternity insurance, pensions, family benefits and work accidents — excluding unemployment insurance.
For a permanent resident settling in Quebec with prior French health cover, form SE 401 Q 207 (issued by the French fund before departure, handed to RAMQ on arrival) removes the 3-month waiting period. Without this form, the full waiting period applies.
- The agreement only applies to Quebec: it has no effect in the other provinces.
- It does not exempt anyone from registering with RAMQ, only from the wait.
- It covers neither dental, nor optical, nor most medication, nor unemployment.
Which insurance for my profile
General matrix — does not recommend any specific product or insurer.
| Profile | Regulatory constraint | Points of attention |
|---|---|---|
| Working holiday visa (International Experience Canada) | Private insurance mandatory from the permit application, for the entire length of stay | Medical cover + hospitalisation + repatriation required; insurance term must match the permit's length |
| Student | Rules vary by province and institution | Check whether the university requires student insurance in addition to the provincial plan |
| Seconded employee / intra-group mobility | Provincial waiting period unless exempted (SE 401 Q 207 in Quebec) | Plan for coverage during the waiting period, up to 3 months depending on the province |
| Retiree | Same residency criteria as other newcomers, waiting period applies | Dental, optical and part of medication remain a lasting out-of-pocket cost, beyond the waiting period |
| Family with minor children | Children covered with no waiting period in Quebec from arrival | Check each member's eligibility separately based on their own immigration status |
Hospitals and care network
- Montreal: McGill University Health Centre (MUHC) and Centre hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal (CHUM).
- Toronto: University Health Network, including Toronto General Hospital.
- Vancouver: Vancouver General Hospital, main centre for emergencies and hospitalisation.
Practical steps
- Before departure: request form SE 401 Q 207 from your French fund for the Quebec waiting-period exemption.
- Before applying for a working holiday visa: check that the insurance covers the entire length of stay, hospitalisation and repatriation, before submitting the application to IRCC.
- On arrival in Quebec: apply for RAMQ registration, with form SE 401 Q 207 if applicable.
- On arrival in Ontario: ServiceOntario centre with three original documents for the OHIP card, as soon as you arrive.
- On arrival in British Columbia: apply for MSP registration as soon as you arrive (the waiting period runs during processing).
- Within 6 months, any province: register with the roll of French nationals living abroad (free, 5 years, recommended).
Frequently asked questions
Does the Canadian public plan cover a French national from arrival?
Not in the vast majority of provinces: a waiting period applies almost everywhere, except for a specific exemption (France-Quebec agreement for certain statuses) or, in Ontario, the general removal of the waiting period for eligible newcomers.
Does a working holiday visa give access to the provincial health plan?
Not automatically. Eligibility depends on status and province, and in all cases IRCC requires private insurance valid for the entire length of stay as a condition of the permit.
Does the France-Quebec agreement fully remove the need for private insurance?
No. It can remove RAMQ's waiting period for certain profiles, but it covers neither care excluded from the public plan, nor unemployment insurance, nor provinces other than Quebec.
What happens if you're hospitalised without coverage?
Payment is generally required before leaving the hospital; uninsured rates can reach several thousand Canadian dollars per day, with no possible support from the embassy.
Are children subject to the same waiting period as adults?
In Quebec, no: minor children are covered by RAMQ from arrival, without waiting for the period applicable to their parents to end.
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Written by Expavy
Sources
- France Diplomatie — Canada, Health
- France Diplomatie — Register of French nationals living abroad (2025 data)
- CLEISS — France-Quebec social security agreement
- IRCC — Medical insurance, International Experience Canada
- RAMQ — Billing during the waiting period
- Government of British Columbia — MSP, waiting period
- Government of Ontario — Apply for OHIP card
- CIUSSS Centre-Sud-de-l'Île-de-Montréal — Uninsured rates
- 2MD Opinion — How Much Is a Private Medical Consultation (Canada)