1What an Emergency Costs a Visitor, Province by Province
Canadian residents with a provincial health card pay nothing at the hospital. Anyone without that coverage, a visiting parent, a tourist, a newly arrived family member, is billed directly, and non-residents of Canada are billed at a separate, higher rate. These are the published 2026 rates from three provinces, read at the source in September and October 2026.
| Service | Ontario (Scarborough Health Network, Toronto) | Ontario (Niagara Health) | British Columbia (same rate province-wide) | Quebec (Montreal region) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Emergency room visit | $794 facility fee | $850 | $1,015, basic tests included | $1,635 minimum |
| Hospital ward, per day | $3,058 | $3,750 | $4,690 | $7,293 (single daily rate) |
| Intensive care, per day | $7,814 | $4,500 | $13,110 | Not listed separately |
| Ground ambulance | $240 per trip | $450, listed with an ER surcharge | $848 per trip | Not in this source |
| Doctors' fees | Billed separately | Billed separately | Billed separately | Billed separately |
| Rates in effect | Current published rates | Since July 1, 2026 | Since April 1, 2026 | Since April 1, 2026 |
Ontario hospitals each set their own rates for uninsured patients, so the two Ontario columns are two hospitals' own schedules, and they differ: Niagara Health charges more for an ER visit and a ward day than Scarborough, but less for intensive care. In BC, the health authorities and the Ministry of Health agreed on one non-resident rate for the whole province. Quebec's figures are those published for the Centre-Sud-de-l'Ile-de-Montreal region, and other Quebec institutions can differ. Every source is linked at the end of this page.
Other provinces. We list only provinces where we found a current official schedule. We did not find a 2026 non-resident rate schedule published by Alberta Health Services or the Government of Alberta, so this page gives no Alberta figures; a visitor treated in Alberta, or in any province not listed here, should ask the hospital's patient billing office for its rates. National averages quoted elsewhere online, including broad estimates on insurance websites, are estimates rather than published hospital rates, which is why they can differ from the figures above.
2Which Rate Applies to You: Tourists, Super Visa Parents, Students and Newcomers
Hospitals bill two groups of people without provincial coverage differently. Niagara Health's 2026 schedule defines them plainly: a non-resident of Canada has no Canadian citizenship or permanent resident card, and an uninsured resident has no valid OHIP coverage. BC's schedule uses the same two groups. The rates in the table above are the non-resident rates.
| Who you are | Rate usually applied | What to check |
|---|---|---|
| Tourist or visiting family member | Non-resident of Canada | Visitors insurance for the length of the stay |
| Parent or grandparent on a Super Visa | Non-resident of Canada | The Super Visa policy, which must carry at least $100,000 |
| Foreign worker or international student | Depends on the province and the permit | Whether your permit qualifies you for the provincial plan; if not, your school or private plan |
| New permanent resident waiting for a health card | Uninsured resident (at hospitals that use the PR card test) | Your province's waiting period and private coverage until the card arrives |
| Canadian without current provincial coverage | Uninsured resident | Why coverage lapsed, and your home plan if you are visiting from another province |
Rules differ by province and hospital, so treat this table as a guide to what to ask, not a ruling on your case. For international students, see our international student insurance page; for Super Visa parents, our Super Visa insurance page; for newcomers, the provincial health waiting period guide.
3Can You Go to the ER in Canada Without Insurance?
In a medical emergency, call 911 or go to the nearest emergency department. Being uninsured does not change where to go. What changes is the bill, and when the hospital asks for it.
We did not find any published rule that Canadian hospitals treat visitors free of charge, and none of the hospitals whose fee schedules we read say they waive charges for people who cannot pay. Here is what their own pages say about payment:
- Scarborough Health Network (Toronto): uninsured and out-of-country patients are required to provide a prepayment before services are provided, and a bill is due on receipt.
- Niagara Health: for non-residents of Canada, hospital charges and physician fees are due before treatment.
- Montreal, Centre-Sud: payment is required before care, with some exceptions. To be seen in emergency, a non-resident pays a minimum of $1,635, including triage, and that amount is deducted from the final bill. Cash, debit, Visa, Mastercard and pre-authorized debit are accepted.
If you have visitors insurance, call the assistance number on your policy as soon as you can, before treatment when possible. The insurer may be able to deal with the hospital directly; if you pay yourself, keep every itemized bill and receipt for the claim. If you have no insurance, ask the hospital's billing office what it needs from you and when; none of the schedules we read publishes a payment plan, so do not assume one.
4What a Four-Day Admission Actually Adds Up To
Take a common scenario for a visiting parent: chest pain, an ambulance to the nearest hospital, an emergency assessment, one night in intensive care and three more days on a ward. Using only the published Scarborough, BC and Montreal rates above:
| Ontario | British Columbia | Quebec | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ambulance | $240 | $848 | Not included |
| 1 day intensive care | $7,814 | $13,110 | $7,293 (daily rate) |
| 3 days on a ward | $9,174 | $14,070 | $21,879 |
| Total before doctors' bills | $17,228 | $28,028 | $29,172 |
| Emergency visit, if also billed | +$794 | +$1,015 | $1,635 paid up front, deducted from the final bill |
These totals are the hospital's charges only. Physicians bill separately, and imaging, medication and any surgery come on top: in BC, a CT scan for a non-resident is $2,215, an MRI $2,445, and the first two hours of inpatient surgery $3,030. A serious illness or an operation turns a four-day stay into a bill in the tens of thousands.
It is also why coverage amounts matter. At BC's non-resident rate, seven days in intensive care cost $91,770 before a single doctor's bill, which is nearly all of the $100,000 minimum a Super Visa policy has to carry.
Why the emergency visit sits below the total: each schedule lists the emergency visit as an outpatient charge, and none of them says whether it is charged again when the patient is admitted. Montreal's page says the emergency payment is deducted from the final bill. Ask the hospital's billing office how it treats an admission through emergency.
This example is arithmetic on the published rates for illustration. Real bills depend on the hospital, the diagnosis and every test and treatment given.
5Why Visitors Pay More Than Canadians Do
Provinces charge three different groups three different ways: residents with a provincial card pay nothing, uninsured Canadians pay one rate, and non-residents of Canada pay the highest. BC's 2026 schedule shows the gap clearly:
| Uninsured Canadian resident | Non-resident of Canada | |
|---|---|---|
| Hospital ward, per day | $2,134 at most BC hospitals | $4,690 |
| Emergency visit | $484 | $1,015 |
| CT scan | $844 | $2,215 |
No provincial plan pays anything toward a non-resident's care, so the hospital recovers the full cost from the patient, and it usually wants that money before or at the time of treatment. Scarborough Health Network requires prepayment from uninsured and out-of-country patients, Niagara Health wants payment before treatment, and in Montreal's Centre-Sud region a non-resident pays at least $1,635 before being seen in emergency.
Canadians travelling from another province are a separate case: their home plan normally pays the hospital, but not the ambulance. Our travel insurance within Canada guide covers that. Newly arrived permanent residents waiting for their provincial card are covered in our provincial health waiting period guide.
6Surgery, Scans and Other Charges on Top of the Hospital Rate
The daily and emergency rates above are only part of a bill. Surgery and imaging are charged separately, and these are the published 2026 non-resident facility charges, before the surgeon's, anesthetist's or radiologist's fees:
| Service | Ontario (Scarborough) | Ontario (Niagara Health) | British Columbia | Quebec (Montreal region) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Day surgery | $3,700 plus supplies and implants | $3,300 | $4,040, $5,343 or $16,430 by procedure class | $7,743.63 |
| Inpatient surgery | Not listed separately | Not listed separately | $3,030 for the first 2 hours, then $1,535 an hour | Not listed separately |
| CT scan | $1,575 per image | $1,850 per image | $2,215 | Unit prices, not listed |
| MRI | $1,500 per image | $1,800 per image | $2,445 | Unit prices, not listed |
Surgery done during an admission is added to the daily ward or intensive care rate. In BC, a caesarean section is listed at $4,475 and a vaginal delivery at $2,685 for non-residents of Canada. Costs for a specific diagnosis, such as a broken bone or appendicitis, depend on the tests, procedure and length of stay, so we do not quote a single figure for them.
- Doctors' fees. Every hospital above bills physician care separately. Our doctor visit cost guide shows what an uninsured assessment costs on its own.
- Imaging and tests. BC's emergency rate includes the basic diagnostics but not CT or MRI; Scarborough's emergency rate is a facility fee only, with diagnostics extra.
- Surgeons and anesthetists. The surgery charges above are the hospital's; the physicians who operate bill separately.
- Medication and supplies. Take-home supplies and prescriptions are charged in addition to the visit.
7Ambulance Bills Visitors Do Not Expect
Ambulance fees are set by each province and are separate from the hospital bill.
- Ontario: $240 per trip. The province charges $240 when the patient does not have a valid OHIP card or is not a resident of Ontario or Canada. Ontario residents with OHIP pay a $45 co-payment for a medically necessary trip.
- British Columbia: $848 per ground trip. Anyone outside BC's Medical Services Plan, including visitors from other countries, pays $848. Air ambulance is billed at $4,394 per hour by helicopter or $6.94 per kilometre by plane.
- Air ambulance adds up fastest. A two-hour helicopter transfer in BC is $8,788 before the hospital bill begins.
8How Visitors Insurance Handles These Bills
Visitors insurance exists to take these exact costs off the family. An emergency medical plan can cover eligible hospital, doctor and ambulance costs for a covered emergency, up to the policy limit you choose and subject to the policy's deductible, conditions and exclusions.
- Call the insurer's assistance line first when you can. Many plans can arrange payment with the hospital directly, and some reduce what they pay if you do not call before treatment when it was possible to.
- Choose a limit that fits these numbers. A few days in intensive care can use most of $100,000, which is why many families choose more than the minimum. The table below shows how far each common limit goes.
- Understand what is excluded. Pre-existing conditions that are not stable, and anything in a waiting period, may not be covered; see our visitors insurance and pre-existing conditions guide.
- Know what kind of plan you bought. Our emergency-only vs comprehensive visitors insurance guide explains the difference.
How Far $50,000, $100,000, $150,000 and $300,000 Go
Full days of hospital charges each limit would pay for at British Columbia's 2026 non-resident rates, the highest published rates on this page:
| Policy limit | Days in intensive care ($13,110 a day) | Days on a ward ($4,690 a day) | Four-day BC example ($28,028) |
|---|---|---|---|
| $50,000 | 3 | 10 | Covered, $21,972 left |
| $100,000 | 7 | 21 | Covered, $71,972 left |
| $150,000 | 11 | 31 | Covered, $121,972 left |
| $300,000 | 22 | 63 | Covered, $271,972 left |
This is arithmetic on the hospital's rates only. Doctors' fees, imaging, surgery, the ambulance and any deductible come out of the same limit, and the policy pays only for what it covers, so no limit guarantees enough for every emergency. Compare limits, deductibles and exclusions side by side on our visitors insurance quote page.
For plan options, prices and how coverage works in practice, see our visitors to Canada insurance guide, or compare plans from 15+ Canadian insurers on our quote form.
9Where These Numbers Come From
Every figure on this page was read at the official source in September or October 2026. Rates change, usually every April, so check the source before relying on a number.
- Scarborough Health Network, Hospital Fees: rates for uninsured and out-of-country patients.
- Humber River Health, Ambulance Fees: Ontario ambulance fees, revised June 2026.
- Niagara Health, Patient Rate Schedule: Ontario rates for non-residents of Canada and uninsured residents, effective July 1, 2026.
- Interior Health, Acute Care Billing schedule: BC non-resident rates, effective April 1, 2026.
- BC Emergency Health Services, Ambulance Fees: BC ambulance fees for people outside BC's Medical Services Plan.
- Sante Quebec, Centre-Sud-de-l'Ile-de-Montreal: fees and payment rules for people not insured by RAMQ, effective April 1, 2026.
Key Takeaways
Summary: Hospital and ER Costs
- An ER visit costs a visitor $794 to $1,635 in the provinces checked, before doctors
- A hospital ward costs $3,058 to $7,293 a day for non-residents
- Intensive care reaches $13,110 a day at BC's non-resident rate
- Ambulance: $240 in Ontario, $848 in BC for non-residents
- Doctors bill separately, and hospitals usually want payment up front
- Seven ICU days in BC cost $91,770, close to a $100,000 policy limit
- Non-residents pay roughly double the rate uninsured Canadians pay in BC
10Frequently Asked Questions
How much does an emergency room visit cost in Canada without insurance?
For a visitor from outside Canada, the published 2026 rates for an emergency room visit are $794 at Scarborough Health Network in Toronto (facility fee only), $1,015 anywhere in British Columbia (including basic tests but not CT or MRI), $850 at Niagara Health in Ontario, and a minimum of $1,635 in Montreal. Doctors' fees are billed separately on top of these amounts.
How much does a hospital stay cost per day in Canada for a visitor?
A day on a hospital ward costs a non-resident of Canada $3,058 at Scarborough Health Network in Toronto, $3,750 at Niagara Health, $4,690 in British Columbia, and $7,293 in Montreal under 2026 rates. These daily rates do not include doctors' fees, imaging, surgery or medication.
How much does intensive care cost in Canada for non-residents?
Intensive care costs a non-resident of Canada $7,814 a day at Scarborough Health Network in Toronto and $13,110 a day in British Columbia under 2026 rates, before doctors' fees. At BC's rate, seven days in intensive care cost $91,770.
How much does an ambulance cost in Canada for visitors?
In Ontario, the province charges $240 per ambulance trip to anyone who does not have a valid OHIP card or is not a resident of Ontario or Canada. In British Columbia, a ground ambulance costs $848 per trip for anyone outside BC's Medical Services Plan, and air ambulance is billed at $4,394 per hour by helicopter or $6.94 per kilometre by plane.
Are doctors' fees included in the hospital bill in Canada?
No. Hospitals bill their own facility charges, such as the emergency visit fee and the daily room rate, and physicians bill separately for their care. A visitor should expect at least two bills for the same emergency, plus separate charges for imaging such as CT or MRI in most cases.
Can I go to the ER in Canada without insurance?
Yes. In an emergency, call 911 or go to the nearest emergency department. Without provincial or private coverage you will be billed, often before or at the time of treatment: Scarborough Health Network requires prepayment from uninsured patients, and Niagara Health says payment is due before treatment. We found no published rule that hospitals treat visitors free of charge.
What happens if you cannot pay a hospital bill in Canada?
The hospital bills you directly. Scarborough Health Network, for example, says a bill is due on receipt and sends invoices every 30 days. None of the hospital schedules we read publishes a payment plan, so speak to the hospital's billing office as early as possible. If you have visitors insurance, send the itemized bills to the insurer; eligible costs may be paid under the policy's terms.
Do visitors have to pay upfront at a Canadian hospital?
Often, yes. Scarborough Health Network requires prepayment from uninsured and out-of-country patients, Niagara Health says hospital and physician fees are due before treatment, and in Montreal's Centre-Sud region a non-resident pays a minimum of $1,635 to be seen in emergency, deducted from the final bill. With visitors insurance, calling the insurer's assistance line first may let the insurer deal with the hospital directly, depending on the policy.
Why are hospital rates higher for non-residents of Canada?
No provincial health plan pays anything toward a non-resident's care, so hospitals charge non-residents a separate, higher rate. In British Columbia's 2026 schedule, a ward day costs an uninsured Canadian resident $2,134 at most hospitals but a non-resident of Canada $4,690, and an emergency visit costs $484 versus $1,015.
How much does surgery cost in Canada without insurance?
The hospital's own charge for day surgery for a non-resident of Canada is $3,300 at Niagara Health, $3,700 plus supplies at Scarborough Health Network, $4,040 to $16,430 in British Columbia depending on the procedure, and $7,743.63 in Montreal under 2026 rates. In BC, inpatient surgery is $3,030 for the first two hours plus $1,535 for each extra hour, on top of the daily room rate. Surgeons and anesthetists bill separately.
Is $100,000 of visitors insurance enough in Canada?
It covers most emergencies, but serious ones use it quickly. Seven days of intensive care at British Columbia's 2026 non-resident rate cost $91,770 before doctors' fees, imaging or surgery. $100,000 is the minimum a Super Visa policy must carry; many visiting families choose a higher limit.
One Policy Instead of a Hospital Bill
Visitors insurance quotes from our partner insurers. Licensed Toronto brokerage, advisors in 8 languages. If you would rather talk it through, an advisor who speaks your language will help you read the policy, at no cost.