RAMQ, Quebec’s public health plan, usually starts covering someone arriving from another country after a waiting period of up to three months from the date of registration. Children under 18 are exempt. Care received during the wait is not reimbursed, and RAMQ “strongly recommends” private insurance from the day you arrive. Super Visa Direct Insurance Services is licensed in Ontario and does not serve Quebec residents; this page explains the rule for Ontario families with relatives landing in Montreal.
How does the RAMQ waiting period work?
RAMQ defines the waiting period as “the period before the date on which you become eligible for health insurance.” On its eligibility page for arrivals from abroad it states: “When you register for health insurance, your coverage usually begins after a maximum of 3 months.” The period “begins on the date of your registration if you are in Québec” and you have all the required documents.
That last clause matters. Most provinces count from the arrival date; Quebec counts from registration. A newcomer who lands on 1 September and registers on 1 October is not covered until around 1 January. You have 12 months after registering to submit any missing documents, but the wait does not start until the file is complete.
| Arrival in Quebec | Registration date | Latest RAMQ start |
|---|---|---|
| 1 September | 1 September | About 1 December |
| 1 September | 1 October | About 1 January |
| 15 January | 20 January | About 20 April |
Who is exempt?
RAMQ lists several groups whose coverage starts without the wait.
| Group | Waiting period? |
|---|---|
| Children under 18 arriving from another country | Exempt |
| Arrivals from a country with a social security agreement with Quebec | Exempt |
| Refugees and protected persons in Canada | Exempt |
| Repatriated Canadians, last-resort assistance recipients, certain fellowship recipients | Exempt |
| Seasonal agricultural workers from Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras or El Salvador | Exempt |
| Everyone else arriving from another country, including returning Canadian citizens | Up to 3 months |
| Arrivals from another province or territory | Up to 3 months; home plan covers them meanwhile |
Source: RAMQ waiting period definition and eligibility page. France is the best-known social security agreement country; check RAMQ’s list for yours.
Who is eligible at all?
For a temporary stay, RAMQ requires an authorization such as a work permit “valid for more than 6 months.” Students and interns qualify only if they hold a permit from a country with a social security agreement. Children under 18 staying more than six months, and accompanying spouses or dependants aged 18 to 25, can be covered with the principal. To be treated as settled, you must have your main residence in Quebec and be present at least 183 days per calendar year.
RAMQ’s ineligible list is as important as its eligible list. It names tourists, students from countries without an agreement, people staying under six months, “most open work permit holders,” Canadian citizens working for less than six months and refugee claimants. A spouse on an open work permit is often excluded even where the principal worker is covered, and needs private cover for the whole stay rather than just the wait.
What is free during the wait?
Three things: care for victims of violence or assault, pregnancy-related care, and treatment of certain infectious diseases. Everything else is billed to the patient. RAMQ states that it does not reimburse care received during the waiting period by people arriving from another country, which is why the province’s own advice is to take out private insurance “as soon as you arrive in Québec.”
Moving from another province
People arriving from another Canadian province or territory also face the up-to-three-month rule, but RAMQ says they “remain covered under the health insurance plan” of their home province, which pays under interprovincial agreements. An Ontario resident moving to Gatineau keeps OHIP for the wait. The reverse move is easier: Ontario has no waiting period for eligible new residents, as our Ontario page explains.
What a Quebec newcomer should buy, and from whom
A private emergency medical plan from the arrival date to the RAMQ start date plus two weeks, bought before the flight. SuperVisaDirect does not sell in Quebec. National carriers that sell visitors-to-Canada plans in Quebec, and Quebec-licensed carriers such as Blue Cross and Desjardins, offer the equivalent; a Quebec newcomer should confirm at quote time that the plan is issued for a Quebec resident.
For an Ontario family, the practical cases are a parent or sibling landing in Montreal before moving to Ontario, or a relative on a Quebec work permit visiting Ottawa. In both, the person needs cover that is valid in Quebec for the wait, and separately needs to understand that OHIP eligibility begins only once they make Ontario their primary residence.
SuperVisaDirect is operated by Super Visa Direct Insurance Services, an independent Ontario life and accident-and-sickness insurance agency licensed by FSRA (licence [FSRA-LICENCE]), serving Ontario residents. Quebec is not served. For a relative who will live in Ontario, see the work permit and dependants pages.
Questions people ask
How long is the RAMQ waiting period?
Up to three months. RAMQ says that when you register, coverage usually begins after a maximum of three months, and the period begins on the date of your registration if you are in Quebec and have all required documents. Registering late therefore pushes the start date back, unlike provinces that count from arrival.
Who is exempt from the RAMQ waiting period?
Children under 18 arriving from another country, people arriving from a country with a social security agreement with Quebec, refugees and protected persons, repatriated Canadians, last-resort assistance recipients and seasonal agricultural workers from Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras or El Salvador. Everyone else waits.
Can a work permit holder register for RAMQ?
Yes if the permit is valid for more than six months and the holder settles in Quebec. RAMQ lists most open work permit holders and refugee claimants among those who are not eligible, so a spouse on an open permit may be excluded even when the principal worker is covered. Check RAMQ's eligibility page for your permit type.
What is covered for free during the waiting period?
RAMQ lists care for victims of violence or assault, pregnancy-related care and treatment of certain infectious diseases as free during the wait. Everything else, including emergency and hospital care, is billed to you and not reimbursed later.
Does my old province cover me if I move to Quebec?
Yes. RAMQ says people arriving from another province or territory remain covered under their home plan during the wait, which pays for covered care under interprovincial agreements. The private-insurance recommendation is directed at people arriving from another country.
Does SuperVisaDirect sell waiting-period insurance in Quebec?
No. Super Visa Direct Insurance Services is licensed in Ontario and does not serve Quebec residents. This page explains the rule because Ontario families often have relatives landing in Montreal. A Quebec newcomer should buy from a carrier licensed in Quebec, such as Blue Cross or Desjardins, or from a national carrier that sells in Quebec.