Expatriate Insurance and Travel Insurance for Backpackers

Global expats fall into three categories:

Returning Canadians
Expatriates that have left their own country for a lengthy period of time, and are no longer covered by their provincial health care plan, need to reapply for coverage. These 'repatriates' will have to wait for their application to be approved and for the mandatory waiting period to pass until they become covered under the provincial plan (usually 90 days depending on the province, but it may take longer). Three months is a long time to have no medical coverage in Canada, because accidents and illnesses happen. And Canadian hospitals are not inexpensive.

Fortunately, returning Canadians can purchase a Visitors to Canada policy from any one of the six companies we offer in order to bridge the gap in coverage they face during their waiting period. Simply choose Global Expats and then Returning Expats in the top left corner of this page to get a quote and look at the coverage available. We'll start off showing you the $150,000 plans, but you can change coverage levels on your quote page. We recommend having a plan of no less than $100,000 although lesser options do exist.

Departing Canadians
Had enough? Off to greener pastures for a while? International experience can be invaluable, and may require more than just a short term sojourn abroad. Studying or working overseas might take longer than a year. For some people, 'backpacking' or other forms of travel 'research' can take years. If so, expatriate hospital & medical insurance is a good way to insure against financial loss associated with unexpectedly high medical expenses. For backpackers, it may actually prove less expensive than regular travel medical insurance.

Your provincial health care provider usually won't allow you to be absent for more than 182-183 days (212 in Ontario and Newfoundland) per year and still continue to be covered under their health care plan. However, It may be possible, if you speak to them and get their approval, for you to have one extended absence (see our links page for contact numbers).

All Canadian travel insurance providers require you to be covered under a provincial plan for your entire trip in order to be covered under one of their travel medical insurance plans. So if you are travelling longer than six months, it may be appropriate for you to cancel your provincial health coverage by notifying them that you will be leaving the country on an extended absence. Then, you would need to purchase an expatriate health insurance plan in order to have yourself and your family's finances protected against the possibility of accident or illness abroad. You may only need this coverage in place for a certain waiting period before becoming covered under a plan provided to you in the country that you are going to. If that is not the case, you may have this expatriate coverage for as long as necessary, but you must reapply after each year.

How does expatriate coverage compare (price-wise) to regular travel medical insurance? Generally, it's more expensive and the coverage is less because the insurance company cannot easily minimize their risk exposure by returning you to your province for further care. But for younger travelers, it can actually be less expensive than travle medical insurance (which offers more coverage).

Let's take an example of someone age 43 from BC travelling outside the U.S., purchasing one year of ($500,000) expatriate health coverage. They stop their provincial coverage, so that saves the person $60.50 per month or $726.00 per year. The TIC expatriate plan would cost $1689.60 (including a 12% pre-payment discount). If they received special permission (from provincial health provider) to allow them to remain on their provincial plan, they would be able to obtain a TIC travel medical policy ($5,000,000) that would cost $1040.25 but they would also have to pay the $726 for provincial coverage. So in this example, expat coverage is not overly expensive (it's actually $76.65 cheaper) but the coverage is less and the process is more cumbersome (a person would need to cancel provincial coverage and then re-apply when they return.

In the same example, if the person is 58 years old, the same expatriate plan would be $3263.04, which is quite a bit more expensive than the $726 provincial coverage plus $1109.60 for the travel medical policy. For a 23 year old, the expatriate plan would only be $1182.72, which compares to the same $726 provincial coverage plus $872.35 for a 365 day travel medical plan. So it would be $415.63 cheaper to have the smaller $500,000 expatriate plan. While that's something a backpacker might enjoy, we don't recommend using an expatriate plan with less than $500,000 coverage (TIC has a $100,000 maximum limit plan) because the critical role travel insurance provides is to protect against catastophic loss due to sudden, dramatic and severe injury or illness. There is no point in having insurance if it only covers half of what you need when you actually need to have it. 

You can get a quote for expatriate travel medical insurance by going to the top left corner of this page and clicking on Global Expats and then Canadian Expats. We have a few plans to look at, but for a complete search of all your options from Candian and international suppliers, please call us toll-free at 1-855-237-8808. We'll help find a plan that works for you. 

Your other insurance option is to obtain permission from your provincial plan provider for a one time extended absence (worthwhile if you are over 50 and your employer is not paying for your coverage), and then you can continue your provincial coverage for a longer period which enables you to buy coverage under a Canadian provider's travel health insurance policy (which comes with a higher maximum limit). TIC will let you obtain a quote for up to 365 days. Other companies may also allow you to have coverage for longer than the usual 182 day restriction. For trips longer than one year, we need to speak directly to the insurance company on your behalf, so please call us toll free for assistance, 1-888-888-0150.

International Expats
The other category of expats might have nothing to do with Canada! International travelers leaving their country of residence (not Canada) who may need travel insurance while they travel (majority of time outside Canada) can obtain a quote and purchase with the following links, but please call us at 1-888-888-0150 for assistance.

Atlas Series
Whether you are traveling for business or pleasure, the Atlas plan may be just what you're looking for. Plans are available from a minimum of 5 days up to a maximum of one year. At no additional cost, the Atlas Series adds coverage for Emergency Medical Evacuation, Acts of Terrorism and Complications of Pregnancy. Get Quote.

Citizen Secure
CitizenSecureSM is available to individuals in locations around the world. The plan is annually renewable and offers comprehensive medical coverage worldwide. An option to exclude coverage within the US and Canada is available. Optional Dental, Term Life and AD&D are also available. Get Quote.

Citizen Secure Economy
CitizenSecureSM Economy is available to individuals in locations around the world and offers affordable worldwide coverage. With scheduled benefits, this plan is appropriate for those who need comprehensive coverage at a price to fit their budget’s needs. Optional Dental, Term Life and AD&D are also available. Get Quote.