It can cover medical expenses caused by injuries and accidents, unless it's from an excluded activity.
It can pay for transport to hospital by helicopter or ambulance, as well as medical evacuations back to Australia.
If you're renting a car in Canada, make sure you have car rental excess cover.
Theft and petty crime can occur in Canada. Travel insurance can cover you for lost or stolen valuables. This could include rings, necklaces, phones and watches.
Terrorism is a risk in Canada. A few insurers provide cover for medical and hospital expenses caused by an act of terrorism, including the cost of bringing you back home.
Looking for the best travel insurance for Canada? Check out our award winners in 2023
This survey was conducted by Dynata, where 95% of respondents said they would recommend Tick to a friend, and it scored the highest in the 'value for money' category.
Want the bells and whistles?
Southern Cross Travel Insurance has taken the top position in the 'Travel insurance - Comprehensive' category for the 2023 Finder Awards. Why? It's got to do with its wide COVID-19 coverage and how it handles cancellations due to unexpected events.
Adding to that, its average pricing was pretty affordable compared to other brands who offer less coverage for a higher price.
Show me the money!
Fast Cover is the winner of the 2023 Finder Awards for the 'Travel insurance - Value' category. How? We compared the average prices of 28 international travel insurance policies, and Fast Cover came out on top.
But what does 'value' mean? It means we looked at more than just price. Fast Cover doesn't include everything on its policies, but it offers good value.
The best for your backyard
InsureandGo has taken the top place for the 'Travel insurance - Domestic' category in the 2023 Finder Awards.
Why? We analysed 23 domestic policies and found that InsureandGo were generous with their benefit limits for things like cancellation and rental car excess insurance.
This one's for the seniors
Southern Cross Travel Insurance is the winner of the 'Travel insurance - Seniors' category in the 2023 Finder Awards. Why? It has higher age limits and generous benefits.
We also appreciated SCTI's easy-to-read product disclosure statement. This means that customers can easily understand their policies, and travel with confidence.
Insurance Innovation Finalist
Fast Cover Travel Insurance's COVID-19 Benefits & Refund Policy earned it a place among the finalists in the Insurance Innovation category of this year's Finder Innovation Awards.
It goes further than many other insurers, covering COVID medical expenses and evacuation, up to $5,000 for COVID-related cancellations and additional expenses.
Every travel insurance policy has things you won't be covered for. Common exclusions include:
If you purchase cover after the incident has occurred. For example, if you take cover out after you've been injured and need medical attention.
Pre-existing medical conditions. If you have any major medical conditions, make sure you let your insurer know before taking out a policy. Otherwise you won't be covered for claims related to that condition.
You travel despite government travel advice. For example, if you travel to areas that have a warning from Smartraveller, travel insurance may not cover you.
Incidents that occur while you're under the influence of drugs or alcohol. For example, if you go out drinking in Toronto, get injured and need medical attention, travel insurance won't cover you.
Driving vehicles without a licence. Like Australia, you won't be covered for medical costs or personal liability expenses if you drive without a licence in Canada.
If you're travelling for the snow, you might not be automatically covered for snow sports such as skiing. You might need to add this cover on.
Did you know?
Natural disasters such as bushfires, earthquakes and tsunamis can occur in Canada.
Will I be covered for COVID-19?
Travel insurance can cover you for COVID-19 in Canada. A policy can cover you for the following:
Rearrangement costs if you catch the virus and need to change your plans. Lots of comprehensive travel insurance policies let you claim up to $5,000 towards these expenses.
Medical costs due to COVID-19. This can include hospital expenses and RATs if you catch COVID-19 while overseas (but you won't be covered for mandatory PCRs).
Expenses if you need to isolate. For example, if you catch COVID while you're overseas and need to push back your flight and stay in your accommodation longer.
How do I get cheap travel insurance for Canada?
Medical only or basic policies will generally be the cheaper policies on the market.
Use exclusive deals or promo codes to get a discount.
Opt for a higher excess. This will make your policy cheaper but more expensive if you have to claim.
Compare across a handful of travel insurers – they're not all the same.
Get the most value by buying your policy early. It means you're covered for longer while paying the same price.
"When I travel, I don't want to fork out a lot for travel insurance. I always get something above the bare minimum though which usually only covers medical-only expenses. Flight disruptions and delayed luggage are really common, so look for a cheap policy that covers me for these things."
For emergencies: call 911 (police), 911 (ambulance) or 911 (fire).
In a medical emergency, call for help and then contact your insurer on their emergency assistance line.
Our expert says
"Civil unrest, security risks, threat of terrorist attack and crime are a concern in Canada, but you should still be eligible for travel insurance. It won't cover all of these situations but it can help cover medical costs, stolen belongings and much much more."
Why you can trust Finder's travel insurance experts
You pay nothing. Finder is free to use. And you pay the same as going direct. No markups, no hidden fees.
You save time. We spend 100s of hours researching travel insurance so you can sort the gold from the junk faster.
You can trust us. We say it like it is. We aren't owned by an insurer and our opinions are our own.
FAQs about Canada
The cheapest policy will usually only cover you for medical expenses. However, flight disruptions and petty crime are fairly common in Canada so it may be worth getting comprehensive travel insurance. This can cover you for medical expenses, trip rearrangement costs, theft, luggage delay and more.
The Australian government's smartraveller site recommends that you take out cover when travelling to Canada. If you can't afford travel insurance, you can't afford to travel.
Lots of travel insurers cover COVID-related expenses now. You can find a full table of the policies that cover COVID expenses on our homepage.
Gary Ross Hunter was an editor at Finder, specialising in insurance. He’s been writing about life, travel, home, car, pet and health insurance for over 6 years and regularly appears as an insurance expert in publications including The Sydney Morning Herald, The Guardian and news.com.au. Gary holds a Kaplan Tier 2 General Advice General Insurance certification which meets the requirements of ASIC Regulatory Guide 146 (RG146). See full bio
Gary Ross's expertise
Gary Ross has written 654 Finder guides across topics including:
Better late than never! Compare up to 20 Australian travel insurance brands in 10 seconds. Use our free and easy comparison tool to find the right policy for you. Cover is just a few clicks away.
Long term travel insurance is designed to meet the specific needs of travellers planning extended trips away, including backpackers and business travellers.
Domestic travel insurance can provide cover for trip cancellation (domestic flights), loss or damage to luggage and expensive items, car rental excess charges and much more. Find out why domestic travel insurance is worth getting and compare policies from Australian insurers.
We are looking for exemptions regarding alcohol consumption. Some policies indicate that more than one drink can make the policy null and void.
Finder
RichardApril 7, 2015Finder
Hi Patti,
Thanks for your question. Unfortunately, finder.com.au is a comparison service and not an insurer. Generally, if the alcohol lead to the event for which you’re making a claim, the claim will not be paid. Conditions vary from insurer to insurer, so check your PDS.
I hope this was helpful,
Richard
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We are looking for exemptions regarding alcohol consumption. Some policies indicate that more than one drink can make the policy null and void.
Hi Patti,
Thanks for your question. Unfortunately, finder.com.au is a comparison service and not an insurer. Generally, if the alcohol lead to the event for which you’re making a claim, the claim will not be paid. Conditions vary from insurer to insurer, so check your PDS.
I hope this was helpful,
Richard