1IEC Insurance Requirements: What IRCC Asks For
IEC is the program behind the Working Holiday, Young Professionals and International Co-op work permits. IRCC says it "gives international youth the opportunity to travel and work in Canada for up to 2 years", and the home page puts the age range at "18 to 35 (18 to 30 in some countries)". Every country and category carries the same condition: "have health insurance for the duration of your stay".
IRCC's arrival page spells out what that insurance has to do. "Your insurance must cover:"
- "medical care,"
- "hospitalization"
- "repatriation (returning you to your country in the event of severe illness, injury or death)"
The application page adds what repatriation includes: the cost of "getting you to a medical facility", "returning you to your home country" or "returning your remains to your home country". It also says: "Before purchasing your policy, ask your provider what medical coverage is included."
The IRCC pages we read set no minimum dollar amount and do not say the insurer has to be Canadian. IRCC's Help Centre says: "We can't recommend specific insurance companies or plans". What it checks is the three kinds of cover and the dates.
| Question | What IRCC says |
|---|---|
| Do I need insurance to apply? | "You don't need to have health insurance when you apply. You do need to have it before you arrive in Canada." |
| For how long? | "Your health insurance must cover the entire time you're here." |
| Is a provincial health card enough? | "Having a valid provincial health card is not enough. Repatriation isn't covered by provincial health insurance." |
| One policy or two? | "You should purchase 1 policy to cover the entire length of your work permit. If this isn't possible, you can get 2 consecutive policies instead." |
| When should I buy it? | "We strongly recommend you wait to get your health insurance until after you get your port of entry letter of introduction." |
2What Happens at the Border Without Enough Insurance
The check happens when you land. IRCC: "The border services officer may ask you for proof of health insurance." Two things can go wrong.
- No insurance. "You may be refused entry if you don't have insurance." The application page says the same about weak cover: "If you don't have sufficient coverage, you may be denied entry into Canada."
- Insurance that ends too soon. "If your insurance policy is valid for less than your expected stay, we'll issue you a work permit that expires at the same time as your insurance."
The second one cannot be repaired afterwards. "If this happens, you won't be able to apply to extend your work permit at a later date." IRCC repeats it on its page about changing a permit: "you can't apply to change your work permit, even if you extend your health insurance after entering Canada." And: "It's your responsibility to make sure you have adequate health insurance for the entire length of your stay in Canada before arriving in the country."
Put plainly: if your country's agreement gives you 24 months and you land with a 12-month policy, you can leave the airport with a 12-month work permit. Buying a second year later does not bring the other 12 months back.
Book a call with a licensed advisor
Pick a time. Tell us your country, your arrival date and whether your stay is 12 or 24 months, and we check which plans cover the whole permit.
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3When to Buy IEC Health Insurance
IRCC recommends buying after the port of entry (POE) letter of introduction arrives, so that you are not paying for a policy before you know you are approved. The letter then sets your window. The Help Centre says: "Your POE Letter will normally be valid for 12 months", and "You cannot extend the validity date on your POE Letter."
Buy before you leave home, with the policy starting on your arrival date. That is what IRCC requires, and it also avoids the waiting period that visitors plans apply to people who buy after they are already in Canada.
| Plan | If you buy after arriving | If you buy before arriving |
|---|---|---|
| TuGo Visitors to Canada | Within 60 days of arrival: no cover for illness "in the first 48 hours". 61 days or more: "in the first 7 days" | "The waiting period is not applicable when insurance is purchased before arrival in Canada." |
| GMS Immigrants & Visitors to Canada | Within 30 days of arrival: "a 2 day waiting period" for conditions other than injury. Later: "a 7 day waiting period" | "coverage begins on the effective date with no wait period" |
| JF Royal Visitor Plan | Within 30 days: sickness within "48 hours of the effective date" is not covered. Later: "within 7 days" | No waiting period when cover starts on arrival |
| Travelance Visitors to Canada | "24 hours for an injury"; "48 hours for a sickness" within 30 days of departure, "7 days" after that | No waiting period when the start date is your departure date |
4A 12-Month or 24-Month Stay: One Policy or Two?
IRCC says an IEC stay is "either a 12- or 24-month participation", depending on your country. A 12-month stay fits inside one visitors to Canada policy. A 24-month stay is where people get caught, because most wordings stop at one year.
| Plan (version read) | Longest cover | The words |
|---|---|---|
| GMS Immigrants & Visitors to Canada (October 25, 2024) | 365 days, then a new application | "The maximum number of days that may be purchased per policy is 365 days. For additional coverage you must reapply and meet all eligibility conditions." |
| TuGo Visitors to Canada (July 2026) | Extensions up to 2 years from the first day | "Extensions are not available if total trip length exceeds 2 years from the effective date of the original Policy." |
| JF Royal Visitor Plan (March 1, 2026) | 365 days, including extensions | "The maximum period of coverage under this plan (including any extension(s)) is 365 days per policy." |
| Destination: Canada Visitors Plan (September 2026) | One year, then a new coverage period | "The maximum Coverage Period per Trip cannot exceed one (1) year." |
| Travelance Visitors to Canada (January 2026) | 558 days | "Coverage cannot be extended beyond 558 days from your original start date." |
IRCC allows "2 consecutive policies" when one policy cannot cover the whole permit. The point is that both have to be in your hand when you land, with no gap between the end of the first and the start of the second. Travelance says the same on its own site: for a stay of up to two years, "you can purchase two policies to cover the full duration of your stay".
Do not plan on extending later. An extension is not guaranteed: TuGo extends when "You have not submitted a claim" and "You have not seen a physician or other registered medical practitioner since the effective date of the Policy", and otherwise only "at our discretion". GMS extends only if "you have not required medical treatment". And as the section above shows, an extension bought after you enter Canada does not lengthen the work permit.
Ask us before you buy for 24 months. We check with the insurer whether the full period can be issued up front, and how a second policy is dated so the two join without a gap.
5Repatriation: The Part People Miss
Repatriation is the reason a provincial health card does not satisfy IRCC, and it is the benefit to look for by name. It has two halves: bringing you home for treatment when you are seriously ill or hurt, and returning your remains if you die. All five wordings we read have both, under different names and with different limits.
| Plan | Return home for treatment | Return of remains |
|---|---|---|
| GMS | "Repatriation to Country of Origin by Commercial Airline": "to a maximum of $5,000" without a medical attendant; with an attendant or by air ambulance when arranged by GMS | "to a maximum of $10,000 per person", or cremation or burial where you died "to a maximum of $4,000" |
| TuGo | "Emergency Air Transportation": "up to the maximum sum insured selected for medical air transfer for return to your country of permanent residence" | "Up to the maximum sum insured selected for the preparation and return of your body", or "Up to a maximum of $6,000" for burial or cremation here |
| JF Royal | "Repatriation": "up to the cost of a one-way economy airfare to return you to your country of origin", or extra seats "to accommodate a stretcher or medical attendant" | "up to a maximum of $10,000", or "up to a maximum of $4,000 for cremation and/or burial at the place of death" |
| Destination: Canada | With a medical escort, up to the sum insured. Without one, "up to $3,000" for one-way economy transport | "$10,000 for the costs incurred to prepare and return Your remains", or "$4,000 for cremation or burial at the place of death" |
| Travelance | "Emergency return home", paid "up to the maximum benefit amount", including "air ambulance if medically necessary" | Essential: "up to a maximum of $10,000". Premier: "up to a maximum of $16,000" |
Every one of these is arranged by the insurer, not by you. TuGo's benefit "is payable only when pre-approved and arranged by us". Call the assistance number on the policy before anyone books a flight.
When you show proof at the border, bring the confirmation of coverage with your name and dates, and the policy wording that shows medical care, hospitalization and repatriation.
6Can You Get a Provincial Health Card on a Working Holiday?
Sometimes, and only after you have a job and have been here a while. Each province sets its own rule, and none of them covers repatriation. IRCC also says "Canada does not pay for hospital or medical services for visitors."
| Province | Who qualifies on a work permit | Waiting period |
|---|---|---|
| Ontario (OHIP) | People who "are in Ontario on a valid work permit and are working full-time in Ontario, for an Ontario employer, for at least 6 months". The employer letter must say it "intends to employ the employee for a minimum of six (6) months" | "There is no waiting period for OHIP." |
| British Columbia (MSP) | On a working holiday through IEC, you "may be eligible" if you stay "six consecutive months or more", hold "a work permit valid for six consecutive months or more", "are employed for six consecutive months or more" and work "a minimum of 18 hours per week" | "The rest of the month you become a resident of British Columbia" "Plus two more months" |
| Alberta (AHCIP) | "The work permit must state an Alberta employer with Alberta as the location or the permit is open. The permit cannot expire in less than 6 months." You must also "intend to stay in Alberta for 12 months or longer" | Not stated on the page |
| Quebec (RAMQ) | The list of people who are not eligible includes a "Person holding an open work permit (with some exceptions)". A Working Holiday permit is an open work permit | "a maximum of 3 months" |
A working holiday often means seasonal or part-time jobs, and those may not meet a six-month full-time test. Plan as if the private policy is your only cover for the whole stay.
If you do get a provincial card, read your policy before you cancel anything. Visitors plans are written to stop when public cover begins. GMS's plan ends on "the date you are eligible and covered under a government health plan". TuGo's ends when "you become insured under a provincial or territorial government health care plan". Most refund the unused premium from that date. Destination: Canada refunds only "as long as You are not required to maintain coverage for work permit or other immigration purposes". For Quebec, IRCC says: "If you use the Quebec Health Insurance Plan, you must get additional insurance that covers repatriation." Ask us how to keep the repatriation part in place.
More on waiting periods by province in our guide to provincial health waiting periods for newcomers.
7Working, Skiing and Sports: What the Plans Exclude
Visitors to Canada plans are emergency medical plans. They pay for a sudden illness or injury, not for check-ups or ongoing care. For someone who will be working, three questions come up.
- Does it cover an injury at work? None of the five wordings we read excludes an injury because it happened at work. Each pays after any other cover you have: TuGo says its insurance "is excess to all other valid insurance". Workers' compensation, where your job has it, is separate from this insurance.
- Does the insurer treat workers differently? TuGo's eligibility names "A foreign worker" "with valid legal status in Canada". JF names "a person with a Canadian work visa". GMS adds a condition: "Foreign workers are required to provide valid proof of active work from their employer for the period of coverage."
- What about skiing and snowboarding? Many working holidaymakers spend a winter at a resort. TuGo covers ordinary skiing on its base plan, but "Backcountry skiing/snowboarding" needs its Sports & Activities add-on, and areas "closed off to public access" are excluded outright. Destination: Canada excludes "heliskiing, ski jumping". Travelance excludes "adventure activities", which include heli-skiing. GMS and JF do not mention skiing; both exclude professional sport.
TuGo says that if you are "coaching and/or officiating as a referee or sports official", the add-on is not needed. No wording we read mentions ski or snowboard instructors by name, so ask in writing if that will be your job.
8Trips Home and Side Trips to the United States
A year or two is a long time, and most people travel during it. The wordings treat a side trip and a visit home very differently.
| Plan | Side trip outside Canada | Visit to your home country |
|---|---|---|
| GMS | Covered for "side trips up to 30 days or less" that "originate and terminate in Canada" | The plan ends on "the date you depart from Canada" except for side trips. "Expenses incurred in your country of origin are not covered." |
| TuGo | Travel worldwide "is valid as long as the majority of the period of coverage is spent in Canada" | "Visits to your country of permanent residence are permitted; your Policy will not terminate, however, expenses will not be covered while in your country of permanent residence." |
| JF Royal | Must "Originate or terminate in Canada" and "Not exceed 49% of your covered trip's duration" | "coverage ceases and then resumes when you return to Canada provided you are still eligible for coverage" |
| Destination: Canada | Covered when "the majority of the Coverage Period is spent in Canada" | A temporary return is allowed with no cover there, and a condition treated at home "will also not be covered for the remaining Coverage Period" |
| Travelance | "Each side trip is restricted to a maximum of 45 days." | "A temporary return to your home country suspends coverage until you return to Canada." |
If you expect to fly home for a wedding or the holidays, pick a plan that keeps running, and tell us before you go.
9Before You Fly: Seven Checks
- Wait for the POE letter, then buy. Set the start date to the day you land.
- Cover the whole permit. 12 months for a 12-month stay. For 24 months, have the full period arranged before you travel, in one policy or two back to back.
- Find the word repatriation. Check both halves: return home for treatment and return of remains.
- Print the proof. Carry the confirmation of coverage and the wording with your passport and POE letter.
- Check your sports. Tell us if you will ski off marked runs, play in a league or work as an instructor.
- Know what a visit home does. Some plans pause, one ends.
- Do not cancel when a provincial card arrives until you know how repatriation stays covered.
An advisor at EGE Insurance can go through these with you.
10Where This Comes From
Every quote on this page was read at the source on November 13, 2026. Program rules, provincial rules and policy wordings change, so check the current version before you buy.
- IRCC: IEC: Prepare for arrival, Submit your work permit application, Make changes to your work permit, About the program, eligibility by country; Help Centre answers on IEC insurance and the POE letter.
- Ontario: Apply for OHIP and get a health card and documents needed.
- British Columbia: Working Holiday Programs and MSP coverage wait period.
- Alberta: Health care coverage for temporary residents. Quebec: RAMQ eligibility conditions.
- Policy wordings: GMS Immigrants & Visitors to Canada (effective October 25, 2024); TuGo Visitors to Canada (edition 2026-07); JF Royal Visitor Plan (March 1, 2026); Destination: Canada Visitors Plan (September 2026); Travelance Visitors to Canada Essential and Premier (January 2026).
We could not read the visitors wordings of Manulife, TruStone, 21st Century or Secure Travel from their own public sites, so this page says nothing about them. Ask us and we will get the clause for you.
11Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need health insurance for IEC in Canada?
Yes. IRCC requires health insurance for the duration of your stay, and a border services officer may ask for proof when you arrive. You may be refused entry if you do not have it.
What must IEC insurance cover?
Medical care, hospitalization and repatriation. IRCC defines repatriation as returning you to your country in the event of severe illness, injury or death.
What happens if my insurance is shorter than my IEC work permit?
IRCC says it will issue a work permit that expires at the same time as your insurance, and you will not be able to extend it later, even if you extend the insurance after entering Canada.
Is a provincial health card enough for IEC?
No. IRCC says having a valid provincial health card is not enough, because repatriation is not covered by provincial health insurance.
Can I buy IEC insurance after I arrive in Canada?
IRCC says you need it before you arrive, and it is checked at the port of entry. Visitors plans bought after arrival also apply a waiting period for illness, from 48 hours to 7 days in the wordings we read.
How do I insure a 24-month working holiday?
IRCC says to buy one policy for the whole permit or, if that is not possible, two consecutive policies. Most visitors wordings we read stop at 365 days per policy, TuGo allows extensions up to 2 years, and Travelance stops at 558 days.
Can I get OHIP on a working holiday visa?
Only if you are working full-time in Ontario for an Ontario employer for at least 6 months, with a letter from the employer. OHIP has no waiting period, and it does not cover repatriation.
How much does IEC insurance cost?
It depends on your age, the length of the stay and the coverage amount you choose. The price box near the top of this page shows the range from our partner insurers for your age and length of stay.
Cover the Whole Permit Before You Fly
Compare visitors to Canada plans for your age and stay, or book a time and a licensed EGE Insurance advisor will check the dates and the repatriation benefit with you. Call (416) 477-1516 or email cs@egeinsure.ca. Advisors available in 8 languages.