Super Visa Insurance Requirements (2026): What It Must Cover

A Super Visa lets parents and grandparents stay in Canada for up to 5 years at a time, with multiple entries over a period of up to 10 years. One thing a normal visitor visa does not ask for is private medical insurance, bought before you apply and meeting a precise set of rules.

A policy can look right and still fail one detail: the wrong kind of company, a quote instead of a paid policy, or dates that do not fit your entry. Everything below comes from official Government of Canada pages and was checked on 22 October 2026. Rules can change, so check the IRCC page again before you buy and before you apply.

The short version

IRCC says your Super Visa health insurance policy should:

• come from a Canadian insurance company, or from an insurance company outside Canada that meets the conditions below
• be valid for at least 1 year from the date of entry
• cover health care, hospitalization and repatriation
• provide at least $100,000 of emergency coverage
• be paid in full, or in instalments with a deposit. Quotes are not accepted
• name the insurance company that issued the policy
• be valid for each entry to Canada
• be available for review by a border services officer on request

How much coverage: the $100,000 minimum

The policy must provide a minimum of $100,000 in emergency coverage. IRCC's instructions for its officers say this is per applicant.

So if both parents apply, each must be covered for at least $100,000. IRCC's pages do not say whether two people need separate policies or can share one, so make sure the documents show each applicant's own $100,000.

What the policy must cover

IRCC lists three things the policy must cover:

• Health care: medical treatment while you are in Canada
• Hospitalization: a stay in hospital
• Repatriation: returning you to your home country

If any of the three is missing, the policy does not meet the rule, whatever the coverage amount.

How long it must be valid

The policy must be valid for at least 1 year from the date of entry to Canada. It must also be valid for each entry.

In practice this means:

• Your first trip. Cover must run at least 1 year from the day you arrive, not the day you apply.
• Later trips on the same visa. A Super Visa allows multiple entries. IRCC's officer instructions say the officer should be satisfied that you have coverage for a full year on each entry, the first one and every later one. So if you leave Canada and come back, you need a policy covering at least 1 year from that new entry.
• Staying past your policy's end date. IRCC says that if your health insurance will expire before you leave Canada, you should renew your policy to keep coverage during your stay.

Which insurance companies are accepted

There are two kinds of acceptable insurer.

A Canadian insurance company

A health insurance policy from a Canadian insurance company is accepted, as long as the policy meets all the other rules above.

An insurance company outside Canada

Since 28 January 2025, IRCC also accepts policies from companies outside Canada. The 2026 Ministerial Instructions describe this as an insurance company outside Canada that is approved by the Minister. IRCC's Super Visa documents page explains what that means. The company must:

• be authorized by the Office of the Superintendent of Financial Institutions (OSFI) under the Insurance Companies Act to provide accident and sickness insurance
• appear on OSFI's publicly available list of federally regulated financial institutions
• have issued or made the policy while doing insurance business in Canada

Every policy issued by a foreign insurance company must include a statement that the document was issued or made while the company was doing insurance business in Canada.

What this means if you are buying from India or another country

IRCC's rules do not name any country. A company based outside Canada qualifies only if it meets all three conditions above. IRCC also points out that OSFI does not keep a list of foreign insurance companies that are outside Canada, unless they are registered with OSFI as branches or subsidiaries in Canada. So an ordinary travel policy from a company at home does not qualify just because it says "Canada" or shows $100,000. Before you buy, check:

1. that the company is on OSFI's list (IRCC links to it from the health insurance section of its Super Visa forms and documents page), and
2. that the policy includes the "issued or made while doing insurance business in Canada" statement.

Brokers and claims administrators are not insurers

IRCC says insurance brokers and insurance claims administrators are not insurance companies and will not appear on the OSFI list.

Your proof may show a broker's or claims administrator's name. But the policy must also name the insurance company that issued it, sometimes called "the insurer" or "the underwriter". That is the company whose status counts.

Paying for the policy: in full or in instalments

IRCC accepts a policy that is paid in full or paid in instalments with a deposit.

For monthly payments, two points matter:

• A deposit must already be paid. An unpaid policy, or a quote, is not accepted. IRCC states this plainly: quotes are not accepted.
• The full year still has to be covered. IRCC's officer instructions say the officer should be satisfied that you have a full year of coverage on each entry, whatever the payment method. Paying by instalments changes how you pay, not how long you must be covered.

Whether instalments are offered, and on what terms, is up to the insurance company.

What proof to upload

IRCC asks for proof of a health insurance policy that is paid in full or in instalments with a deposit, and says to be ready to show proof of paid health insurance at the border. A practical set is:

• the full policy document, naming the issuing insurance company
• proof of payment: a receipt for full payment, or the deposit receipt and instalment schedule
• for a foreign insurer, a policy that includes the "issued or made while doing insurance business in Canada" statement

Use this table as a final check before you pay:

At the border

Your insurance is checked again when you travel. IRCC says to be prepared to show your proof of paid health insurance to a border services officer when you enter Canada, and that proof of valid health insurance will be required on re-entry.

Keep the policy and payment proof in your hand luggage. IRCC also notes that a valid Super Visa does not guarantee that you can enter Canada. The border officer must be satisfied that you meet the entry requirements, and adequate insurance is one of them.

Insurance is one part of the decision

Meeting the insurance rules does not mean a visa will be issued. Your host must also meet the minimum income, explained in the Super Visa income requirement. You must also complete an immigration medical exam, and an IRCC officer looks at the usual visitor factors. Decisions are made by IRCC, and nobody can promise the outcome.

Get the full Super Visa guide

The full Super Visa guide covers the whole application in order: a step-by-step plan from the medical exam to your passport, an insurance part with a policy checklist and questions to ask before you pay, document checklists for you, your host and any co-signer, letter templates, the income worksheet, and what to carry at the border.