Super visa insurance for parents from Nigeria

Parents applying from Nigeria need a super visa policy with at least $100,000 of emergency medical coverage, valid one year from the date of entry, from a Canadian insurer, paid before the application is filed. IRCC’s September 2026 processing estimate for Nigeria is about 44 days, the fastest of the main source countries. At age 65 a $100,000 policy with stable pre-existing conditions covered costs about $2,051 to $3,095 a year, roughly ₦1.9 million to ₦2.9 million.

Who buys the insurance: the parent in Lagos or the child in Calgary?

The child in Canada should buy it. Your parent is the insured person on the certificate, but the purchaser and payer can be you. A $2,000 to $4,000 card payment from Nigeria runs into monthly foreign-currency limits and bank holds; from Canada it clears in a minute.

The search usually starts in Nigeria. A parent in Lagos, Abuja or Enugu hears about the super visa at church or from a travel agent, searches “super visa insurance”, and finds a Nigerian travel policy priced for a Schengen trip. If that policy goes into the file, the application is refused for the reason in the next section.

If you are the parent reading this, do not pay anything in naira yet. Send this page to your child in Canada, who can buy the correct policy and email you the certificate to upload.

Why Leadway, AIICO and AXA Mansard policies are refused

IRCC accepts a Canadian insurance company, or a foreign insurer authorized by OSFI for accident and sickness insurance and listed on OSFI’s public register. Nigerian insurers are licensed by NAICOM in Abuja, not OSFI, and none has a Canadian branch. There is no “IRCC-approved list”; OSFI’s register is the only test.

The officer instructions also require a foreign insurer’s policy to state that it was issued in the course of its insurance business in Canada. Brokers and claims administrators do not count as insurers. Quotes are not accepted; the policy must be paid in full or in instalments with a deposit.

AXA Mansard trips people up because AXA is a global brand. The Canadian test is the entity on the certificate, and AXA Mansard Insurance plc is a Nigerian company. A refusal forfeits the $100 visa fee, the $85 biometrics fee and the medical exam fee. The full rules are on our super visa insurance hub.

What does super visa insurance cost in naira?

At age 60, rates seen in October 2026 run $1,621 to $2,741 a year for $100,000 of cover with stable pre-existing conditions. At 65 the range is $2,051 to $3,095, and at 70 it is $3,380 to $4,683. At about 937 naira to the dollar, that is roughly ₦1.5 million to ₦4.4 million depending on age and carrier.

Annual premium, $100,000 coverage, $0 deductible, stable pre-existing conditions covered, rates seen Oct 2026 — verify at quote time. Naira figures are approximate conversions at 1 CAD = 937.46 NGN (exchange-rates.org, 17 Oct 2026), labelled “approximate, Oct 2026”. The naira moves fast; recheck on the day.

Source tables: BestQuote and PolicyAdvisor. Lowest of the six carriers compared on 17 October 2026 for a 65-year-old with stable pre-existing conditions: Secure Travel at $2,051. A $500 deductible cuts roughly 15% off the Manulife premium. IRCC accepts monthly instalments with a deposit; a missed instalment lapses the cover, so pay from a Canadian account.

How long does a super visa take from Nigeria, and when should the policy start?

IRCC’s estimate for Nigeria was about 44 days on 22 September 2026, against a service standard of 112 days. Biometrics time is not included. That is the shortest of the main source countries, which cuts the other way: the policy start date needs to be close to the submission date, not months out.

Buy a policy whose effective date can be moved before coverage begins. Set it to the planned flight, then change it when the passport comes back. Your parent then has the full year from the date of entry that IRCC requires on each entry. Note that ordinary visitor visa issuance to Nigerians fell 30% in the first seven months of 2026 (Go Far Global); the super visa route, with its 75-81% approval rate, is the stronger file for a parent.

Source: Immigration.ca, 22 Sep 2026.

Timing tips for Lagos and Abuja applicants

Book the medical exam the week the application is submitted and the biometrics the day the instruction letter arrives. With a 44-day estimate, a slow medical or biometrics booking is the main thing that delays a Nigerian file. The insurance certificate must already be in the file at submission.

Immigration medical exam. Only an IRCC panel physician can perform it. Search Nigeria on the IRCC tool; panel clinics are concentrated in Lagos and Abuja, with some in Port Harcourt. The exam includes a chest X-ray and urine test, and the clinic sets the fee. Bring the medical request letter with the IME number and the international passport. Results are valid for 12 months.

Biometrics. Canada’s visa application centres in Nigeria are in Lagos and Abuja, per IRCC’s VAC finder. VFS Global runs them from Sterling Bank Plaza in Abuja’s Central Business District and in Lagos. Booking the biometrics appointment is free. Optional VFS services are extra (ICAO photo ₦33,330, one-way courier ₦44,700, premium lounge ₦110,000) and new charges start 1 November 2026. Do not pay anyone outside VFS for an appointment.

Documents. Nigerian birth certificates and NPC attestations are in English, so most files need no translation. Sworn declarations of age are accepted as proof of relationship only where a birth certificate is unavailable; attach an explanation.

Share this with your son or daughter in Canada. They need to check their income against the LICO table for their household size, sign the letter of invitation, and buy the insurance in Canadian dollars. Send them this link and ask them to get a quote before anyone pays for anything in Nigeria.

The exact IRCC document checklist

IRCC’s document list is short, and each item is checked. The insurance certificate must name the insurer, the insured parent, the coverage amount and dates, and show that it is paid. A missing item turns a 44-day file into a refusal or a request for more documents.

1. The online super visa application and the $100 fee plus $85 biometrics fee (family cap $170).
2. A letter of invitation signed by the host child or grandchild in Canada, listing everyone in the household with name and date of birth, and showing the host meets the minimum necessary income. A spouse or common-law partner may co-sign; a sibling cannot.
3. Proof of the host’s income (notice of assessment, pay stubs or T4s).
4. Proof of the host’s status: Canadian citizenship document, permanent resident card, or Certificate of Indian Status.
5. Proof of relationship: the host’s birth certificate or another official document naming the applicant as parent or grandparent.
6. Proof of paid medical insurance: $100,000 minimum per applicant, health care, hospitalization and repatriation, valid one year from the date of entry, from a Canadian insurer or an OSFI-listed foreign insurer. Quotes are not accepted.
7. Proof of a completed immigration medical exam with an IRCC panel physician.
8. Form IMM 5476 if a representative is used.
9. Certified translations of any document not in English or French.
10. Any extra documents required by the visa office handling Nigeria, shown when you select Nigeria on the IRCC page.

The policy must also be shown to the border services officer at the airport. Print it and keep it with the passport.

Pre-existing conditions and the questionnaire

Hypertension is widespread in the 60-75 group, and a parent on medication should buy a plan with a questionnaire that covers stable conditions. No-questionnaire plans are cheaper because the insurer reviews the medical history only at claim time, which is how a family in Hamilton faced a $96,311 bill in 2024. Stability periods run from 90 days at Secure Travel (to age 69) to 180 days at Manulife, GMS and 21st Century. Compare them on our cost page, then get a quote.