What to know about travel insurance for your working holiday abroad

Chapter 3 of 7

Canada takes insurance requirements very seriously, and rightly so. It is one of the destinations where proof of insurance will have to be shown upon arrival—have it ready or else your IEC permit won’t be issued! This is the case for all three IEC categories.

Canada keeps a close eye on the duration of your coverage. If you applied for a 12- or 24-month Working Holiday permit, buy coverage for the entire duration of your stay, i.e. one or two years. Otherwise, you will be issued a Working Holiday permit that expires when your insurance coverage expires.

For instance, if you buy travel insurance for six months, you will be issued a six-month Working Holiday permit, regardless of how long you were entitled to under the eligibility rules for your citizenship.

“I was planning to renew my insurance coverage during my trip!” isn’t a valid excuse to get a longer permit, and you will not be able to extend your permit.

The Government of Canada is very clear when it comes to insurance requirements:

For International Experience Canada, you must have health insurance for the entire time you are in Canada. The health insurance must cover

• medical care
• hospitalisation
• repatriation

We recommend you buy this insurance only after you receive your permit approval via the port of entry (POE) letter.

The border services officer asks you for proof of health insurance as part of the arrivals process. You will be refused entry if you don’t have any insurance. If your insurance policy is valid for less time than your planned stay in Canada, expect to be issued a work permit that expires at the same time as your insurance, with no possibility of extension.

Having a valid provincial health card is not enough, as repatriation is not covered by provincial health insurance.

(See What type of insurance do I need for International Experience Canada? for more info.)

If you’re not sure how long you will stay in Canada, buy insurance coverage for the maximum duration of your Working Holiday permit and look for an insurance company that offers the option to refund the remaining months on your policy if you return home early (Globe WHV does!).