Yes, you can buy visitors to Canada insurance after the parent has arrived, at every carrier in our comparison except RBC. The cost is a waiting period for illness: 48 hours to 8 days from the effective date, depending on the carrier and how many days the parent has already been in Canada. Injuries are covered from the effective date. Buy today rather than next week; the clock only starts when the policy does.
The waiting period exists because a visitor who falls ill on day three and then buys insurance is not a risk the insurer priced. Buying before the flight removes it entirely.
What is each carrier’s waiting period?
Two tiers at most carriers: a short wait if you buy soon after arrival, a 7-day wait if you buy later. The threshold is 30 days at GMS, Manulife, 21st Century, Travelance and Secure Travel, and 60 days at TuGo. Every carrier covers injuries from the effective date, except Travelance, which applies a 24-hour injury wait.
Illness waiting periods for policies bought after arrival, carrier pages as read 18 October 2026 — confirm with the insurer at quote time.
| Carrier (underwriter) | Bought within the threshold | Bought after the threshold | Threshold | Injuries |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GMS (Group Medical Services) | 2 days | 7 days | 30 days from arrival | Covered from effective date |
| TuGo (iA Financial Group) | 48 hours | 7 days | 60 days from arrival | Covered from effective date |
| Manulife CoverMe (Manufacturers Life) | 72 hours | 7 days | 30 days from arrival | Covered from effective date |
| 21st Century (Manulife) | 72 hours | 7 days; 15 days if over 85 | 30 days from arrival | Covered from effective date |
| Travelance (Old Republic Insurance Company of Canada) | 48 hours | 7 days | 30 days from leaving home | 24 hours |
| Secure Travel (iA Financial Group, claims by MSH) | 48 hours | 8 days | 30 days from arrival | Covered from effective date |
| Destination (Zurich Insurance Company Ltd, Canadian Branch) | 48 hours | 7 days (policy table; exclusions table says 10) | 30 days from departure | Covered from effective date |
| Allianz Global Assistance (CUMIS General Insurance) | 48 hours for sickness on any policy bought after leaving home | Same | Not tiered | Covered from effective date |
| RBC Insurance (not a SuperVisaDirect carrier) | Must buy within 5 days of arrival | Not sold | 5 days | Not applicable |
Destination’s own material gives two figures for the longer wait, 7 and 10 days; ask for the policy wording before relying on either.
When is the waiting period waived?
When there is no gap in coverage. GMS states that the wait “will be waived” if the plan is bought before arrival or if the visitor switches from another Canadian insurer with no gap. Travelance waives it when a Travelance policy is continued without a gap. Other carriers apply the wait only to new policies, not to extensions bought before expiry.
| Situation | Waiting period? |
|---|---|
| Bought before arrival, effective on the arrival date | No, at every carrier |
| Extended before the current policy expires, no claim | No; see extending coverage |
| Switched to GMS from another Canadian insurer, no gap | No |
| Switched to any other carrier, no gap | Confirm with the insurer at quote time |
| Bought after arrival with no prior cover | Yes, per the table above |
| Lapsed policy reinstated after a missed payment | Usually yes; treated as a new policy |
The practical lesson: a short policy bought before the flight protects the family’s options. It can be extended or replaced without a new wait, whereas a parent who arrives uninsured has no clean way back in.
What is still possible after arrival?
Everything except RBC and except cover for anything that has already started. The parent can still choose $25,000 to $300,000 of cover, a deductible, a term up to 365 days and, at the instalment carriers, monthly payments. The medical questionnaire applies as it would before the trip.
Three limits apply. First, any symptom since arrival is a pre-existing, unstable condition and is excluded. Second, the parent must be under the carrier’s maximum age on the effective date: 79 at GMS, 85 at Manulife, Travelance and 21st Century Enhanced, 89 at Allianz, 90 at Secure Travel and Destination, no limit at TuGo and 21st Century Basic. Third, the policy cannot be backdated.
What does the waiting period actually exclude?
Sickness that first shows symptoms during the wait, and treatment for it afterwards. A parent who develops chest pain on day two of a 72-hour wait is not covered for that episode or its follow-up, even if the hospital admission comes on day five. An injury on day two is covered.
| Event in the first week | Covered during a 72-hour wait? |
|---|---|
| Slip on ice, broken wrist, day 1 | Yes |
| Chest pain, day 2, admitted day 4 | No; symptoms began inside the wait |
| Flu with fever, day 5 | Yes, if no symptoms before the wait ended |
| Flare of a known condition, day 6 | Only if the condition was stable and disclosed |
| Dental pain from an accident, day 1 | Yes |
The exclusions page lists what is never covered regardless of timing.
What should I do today if my parent is here and uninsured?
Buy now, from a carrier whose threshold the parent is still inside. If they arrived 25 days ago, a 2-day wait at GMS or a 72-hour wait at Manulife is available for five more days; from day 31 the wait becomes 7 days. If they arrived 50 days ago, TuGo’s 48-hour tier is open until day 60.
Set the effective date to today, choose the coverage amount you would have chosen before the trip, and answer the questionnaire exactly. Then calendar the expiry date and read the extension rules so the next renewal carries no new wait. Work permit holders and new permanent residents in a provincial waiting period are covered on the provincial waiting period page.
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]). We serve Ontario residents; other provinces are planned for 2028. Email [email protected] or request a callback, Monday to Friday, 8:00am to 6:00pm Eastern Time.
Questions people ask
What is the waiting period if I buy after my parent arrives?
It depends on the carrier and the days since arrival. GMS: 2 days within 30 days of arrival, 7 days after. TuGo: 48 hours within 60 days, 7 days from day 61. Manulife and 21st Century: 72 hours within 30 days, 7 days after. Secure Travel: 48 hours within 30 days, 8 days after. Injuries are covered from day one at all of them.
Is my parent covered for an accident during the waiting period?
Yes at every carrier in our comparison. The waiting period applies to sickness only; a fall, a cut or a car accident is covered from the effective date. Travelance is the one carrier with a short injury wait of 24 hours. Heart attacks, strokes and infections are illnesses and fall inside the wait.
Can I avoid the waiting period by switching insurers?
At GMS, yes. GMS waives its waiting period if the visitor switches from another Canadian insurer with no gap in coverage. Travelance waives it when continuing an existing Travelance policy without a gap. This is why buying a short policy before the flight and extending or replacing it later works better than buying nothing until needed.
Which carrier will not sell after arrival?
RBC Insurance: its visitor plans must be bought before arrival or within 5 days of it. Allianz treats any policy bought after leaving the home country as subject to a 48-hour sickness wait. Every other carrier in our comparison sells after arrival with a waiting period, provided the parent is under its maximum age and has no claim in progress.
My parent has been in Canada for three months uninsured. What can they get?
A policy with the longer waiting period: 7 days at GMS, TuGo, Manulife and 21st Century, 8 days at Secure Travel. The medical questionnaire still applies and any symptom that appeared since arrival is a pre-existing condition. Buy today; the waiting period runs from the effective date, so each day of delay extends the uninsured window.
What if my parent is already sick when I buy?
The condition is pre-existing and unstable, and no visitor plan in our comparison will cover it. The policy will still cover unrelated emergencies after the waiting period. Do not answer the questionnaire as if the parent were well; the insurer reviews the medical file at claim time and will deny the claim and may void the policy.
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Sources
- GMS – Visitors to Canada travel insurance (2-day and 7-day waits; waiver on switch)
- TuGo – Visitors to Canada insurance (48 hours within 60 days; 7 days from day 61)
- Manulife CoverMe – Visitors to Canada Standard plan (72 hours within 30 days; 7 days after)
- PolicyAdvisor – 21st Century visitor to Canada review (72 hours / 7 days; 15 days over 85)
- PolicyAdvisor – Travelance visitor to Canada review (24-hour injury, 48-hour / 7-day sickness)
- PolicyAdvisor – Secure Travel (RIMI) visitor to Canada review (48 hours / 8 days)
- PolicyAdvisor – Destination visitor to Canada review (48 hours within 30 days of departure)
- PolicyAdvisor – Allianz visitor to Canada review (48-hour sickness wait after leaving home)
- RBC Insurance – Compare visitors to Canada plans (buy before arrival or within 5 days)