Yes, within limits. Every carrier in our comparison covers a side trip to the US only if the majority of the policy period is spent in Canada and the trip is not to the home country. GMS allows trips of up to 30 days and not more than 50% of the coverage period. Manulife allows the lesser of 30 days or 49% of coverage days, and Travelance 45 days per trip. TuGo, Allianz and Destination require “the majority” of the term in Canada. A weekend at Niagara Falls, New York, is covered everywhere. A winter in Florida is not covered at GMS or Manulife, and US hospitals bill at US rates.
What does each carrier allow?
A short trip that starts and ends in Canada, after the parent has entered Canada, to any country except the home country, for less than half the policy period. The per-trip day limit is the figure to check first, because it bites before the percentage does on a long policy.
Side-trip rules, visitors to Canada plans, as published Oct 2026 — the certificate wording prevails; verify at quote time.
| Carrier (underwriter) | Per-trip limit | Share of policy period | Home country | Must start and end in Canada? | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GMS (Group Medical Services) | 30 days | Not greater than 50% of the coverage period | Excluded | Yes | GMS |
| Manulife CoverMe (Manufacturers Life) | 30 days per policy | Not more than 49% of coverage days | Excluded | Yes | Manulife |
| Travelance (Old Republic Insurance Company of Canada) | 45 days per trip | More than 50% of covered days in Canada at the time of the claim | Excluded | Yes | PolicyAdvisor |
| TuGo (iA Financial Group) | None stated | “The majority of the period of coverage is spent in Canada” | Permitted; expenses not covered; policy does not terminate | Must have travelled to Canada first | iA policy |
| Allianz Global Assistance (CUMIS General Insurance) | None stated | “Most insured days are spent in Canada”; 51% in our fact sheet | Cover pauses during the trip | Confirm at quote | PolicyAdvisor |
| Destination (Zurich Insurance Company Ltd, Canadian Branch) | None stated | Majority (51%) of the trip in Canada | No coverage | Confirm at quote | PolicyAdvisor |
| 21st Century (Manulife) | Confirm with the insurer at quote time | Confirm at quote | Excluded | Confirm at quote | Not published in the sources reviewed |
| Secure Travel (iA Financial Group, claims by MSH) | Confirm with the insurer at quote time | Confirm at quote | Excluded | Confirm at quote | Not published in the sources reviewed |
Manulife’s wording is the most specific: cover applies “while travelling outside Canada, excluding to your country of origin, if your side trip starts and ends in Canada” and “does not exceed the lesser of the following: 30 days per policy or 49% of your total number of coverage days.”
What is the majority-of-trip rule?
Side-trip cover applies only if more than half the coverage period is spent in Canada. The rule exists so the policy insures a visitor to Canada rather than a traveller using Canada as a base for a US holiday. The insurer applies it at claim time over the whole policy period, so keep boarding passes and passport stamps.
| Policy period | Days in Canada | Days in the US | Majority test | 30-day per-trip test (GMS, Manulife) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 14 days | 12 | 2 (Niagara Falls weekend) | Pass | Pass |
| 60 days | 50 | 10 (New York) | Pass | Pass |
| 183 days | 153 | 30 (one trip) | Pass | Pass, at the limit |
| 183 days | 123 | 60 (one trip) | Pass | Fail at GMS and Manulife; pass at Travelance only if split into two trips of 45 or fewer days |
| 183 days | 80 | 103 (Florida winter) | Fail | Fail |
| 365 days | 200 | 165 (several trips) | Pass, narrowly | Fail if any single trip exceeds 30 days |
Because the test is over the whole period, a long US trip early in the term can be cured by staying in Canada later, but the insurer decides at claim time. On a short policy the percentage rarely matters; on a six-month policy the per-trip limit matters more.
Is the home country ever a side trip?
No. Every carrier excludes the country of origin from side-trip cover. TuGo’s wording is the clearest: “Visits to home country are permitted; the Policy will not terminate but expenses will not be covered.” Allianz goes further and pauses cover for the duration, per PolicyAdvisor. The policy term keeps running either way.
| Visitor | Trip | Side trip? |
|---|---|---|
| Parent from India, policy bought in Canada | Weekend in Buffalo | Yes |
| Parent from India | Three weeks back in Delhi for a wedding | No; home country; expenses not covered |
| Parent from the UK | Week in New York | Yes |
| American citizen visiting grandchildren in Toronto | Drives home to Michigan for a week | No; the US is the home country |
| Parent from the Philippines | Visit to a sibling in California | Yes, within the limits |
A parent who goes home mid-stay should read trips home; the policy continues but pays nothing there. For an American, the practical consequence is that a policy bought for one visit does not cover the next; see US visitors.
Does the $100,000 limit go as far in the US?
No. The policy limit is unchanged, but US hospital charges exceed Ontario’s non-resident rates, so the same admission consumes more of the limit. A parent likely to cross the border should buy $150,000 or more and confirm with the insurer at quote time that the US is not excluded or sub-limited on the chosen plan.
| Question to ask at quote time | Why |
|---|---|
| Is the US covered as a side trip on this plan? | Some plans exclude or sub-limit the US; the sources we reviewed show none in our comparison doing so, but the wording governs |
| Does the full coverage amount apply outside Canada? | Confirm; a reduced limit abroad changes the decision |
| Does the carrier direct-bill US hospitals? | Usually not; the family may pay and claim back |
| Is repatriation to Canada covered from the US? | Emergency transport back to the Canadian host is normally covered; confirm |
| Does the 24-hour assistance notification apply abroad? | Yes; call before or as soon as possible after treatment |
The coverage amounts page explains why $150,000 is the recommended floor for parents over 65 even without US travel.
What should the parent carry across the border?
The certificate, the assistance line number, the host’s contact details and the passport with the Canadian entry stamp or eTA record. Call the assistance line before or within 24 hours of any treatment, wherever it happens, and keep every receipt.
- Confirm the trip is within the per-trip limit and the majority test for the carrier.
- Confirm the trip starts and ends in Canada and is not to the home country.
- Save the assistance number in the parent’s phone and the host’s phone.
- Print the certificate and keep it with the passport.
- In an emergency, call the assistance line first, then go to the nearest hospital.
- Keep boarding passes, bus tickets and receipts to prove the days in Canada.
The super visa version of these rules, which also matter at re-entry, is on the super visa side trips page. The general exclusions that apply on both sides of the border are on what is not covered.
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
Is a day trip to Niagara Falls, New York, or Buffalo covered?
Yes at every carrier in our comparison, provided the trip starts and ends in Canada and the parent has already entered Canada on the policy. A day or a weekend is well inside the 30-day and majority-of-trip limits. Carry the certificate and the assistance number; US hospitals do not direct-bill Canadian visitor plans as a rule, so the family may pay and claim back.
What is the majority-of-trip rule?
Side-trip cover applies only if more than half the coverage period is spent in Canada: over 50% at GMS and Travelance, 51% at Allianz and Destination, 'the majority' at TuGo, and at Manulife the side trip cannot exceed 49% of coverage days. The insurer assesses it at claim time, so keep boarding passes and passport stamps.
Can my parent spend a month in Florida in the middle of a six-month stay?
At GMS and Manulife no, because the per-trip limit is 30 days; at Travelance yes, up to 45 days; at TuGo, Allianz and Destination yes, as long as the Canadian days still exceed half the term. A 30-day trip inside a 183-day policy is 16% of the term, so the majority test is met everywhere. Check the per-trip limit, not just the percentage.
Is a trip to the home country covered?
No, at every carrier. The home country is excluded from side-trip cover; TuGo states the policy will not terminate but expenses will not be covered, and Allianz pauses cover for the duration. For an American visiting Canada, the US is the home country, so crossing back is not a side trip. The term keeps running during the absence.
Does the full $100,000 apply in the US?
The policy limit is the same, but US hospital charges are higher than Ontario non-resident rates, so the limit is consumed faster. A parent who may spend time in the US should buy $150,000 or more and confirm with the insurer at quote time that the US is not excluded or sub-limited on that plan. Repatriation to Canada is usually covered as emergency transport.
What if my parent leaves Canada and comes back during the policy?
The policy continues; days outside Canada count against the term, and the home-country exclusion applies to that trip. On return to Canada the policy resumes without a new waiting period at most carriers, because it never lapsed. If the absence is long, cancelling for a pro-rata refund and buying a new policy for the return may be cleaner.
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Sources
- GMS – Visitors to Canada travel insurance (side trips up to 30 days and not greater than 50% of the coverage period, excluding country of origin)
- Manulife CoverMe – Visitors to Canada Standard plan (side trips: lesser of 30 days per policy or 49% of coverage days; must start and end in Canada; excluding country of origin)
- iA Financial Group – TuGo Visitors to Canada (worldwide travel if the majority of the coverage period is in Canada; home-country visits not covered)
- PolicyAdvisor – Travelance visitor to Canada review (45 days per trip; more than 50% of covered days in Canada; not the home country)
- PolicyAdvisor – Allianz visitor to Canada review (side trips if most insured days are in Canada)
- PolicyAdvisor – Destination visitor to Canada review (majority 51% of the trip in Canada; no coverage in the home country)
- PolicyAdvisor – Super visa insurance cost tables (Allianz pauses cover during home-country trips)