TuGo Visitors Insurance

TuGo^® Visitors to Canada Insurance provides emergency medical coverage for people visiting Canada who are not covered by a provincial or territorial health care plan. Whether you're welcoming parents from abroad, arriving as a new immigrant awaiting provincial coverage, or visiting as a tourist or worker, TuGo Visitors Insurance ensures unexpected medical costs don't become a financial crisis. Two plans are available: the lower-cost Basic plan for healthy visitors who don't need pre-existing condition coverage, and the comprehensive Standard plan for those who need broader protection. Both plans are underwritten by Industrial Alliance Insurance and Financial Services Inc.

Who Is TuGo Visitors Insurance For?

This plan is designed for:

• Parents and grandparents visiting from outside Canada
• New immigrants and permanent residents waiting for provincial health coverage (typically a 3-month waiting period)
• International tourists, foreign workers, and other visitors not enrolled in a Canadian government health plan
• Returning Canadians not yet re-enrolled in provincial coverage
• Super Visa applicants — parents and grandparents of Canadian citizens and permanent residents (minimum $100,000 coverage for at least one year is required by IRCC)

Plan Comparison: Basic vs Standard

Waiting Period

Purchase before your visitor arrives in Canada to avoid any waiting period.

Travel Coverage

Direct travel from the insured traveller's home country to Canada is covered on both plans, including stopovers and layovers up to 48 hours each way. Visits to the home country are permitted on both plans but medical expenses incurred there are not covered. Side-trips outside Canada are covered on the Standard plan only — the Basic plan does not cover medical expenses incurred outside Canada.

Emergency Medical Benefits — Basic Plan

The Basic plan includes a focused set of emergency benefits:

• Emergency medical treatment — up to the sum insured (in-patient/out-patient, physician, private duty nursing, x-rays, essential medical appliances)
• Ambulance — up to the sum insured for ground, air or sea ambulance, or taxi in lieu
• Follow-up visits — up to 1 follow-up visit within 14 days of initial emergency treatment
• Prescription drugs — up to a 30-day supply or $100, whichever comes first
• Fracture treatment — up to $1,000 (x-rays, re-examination, casting, re-casting, cast removal)
• Emergency air transportation — up to the sum insured to a maximum of $100,000, including medical attendant and seat upgrade if required
• Expenses related to death — up to the sum insured for preparation and return of the body; up to $3,000 for burial or cremation at place of death
• Family transportation — round-trip economy airfare for one family member; up to $400/day, max $2,000 for meals and accommodation
• Family & Friends rate — available for up to two travellers aged 59 and under plus up to six children

Benefits not included in the Basic plan: dental accident, maternity, hospital allowance, professional medical services, return of travelling companion, return of dependent children, out-of-pocket expenses, child care, return of vehicle, 24-hour accident insurance, and side-trip coverage. For full coverage, choose the Standard plan.

Emergency Medical Benefits — Standard Plan

• Emergency medical treatment (up to the sum insured):
  • In-patient or out-patient care
  • Services of a physician
  • Private duty nursing
  • X-rays and laboratory services
  • Rental or purchase of essential medical appliances
• Ambulance — up to the sum insured for ground, air or sea ambulance, or taxi in lieu
• Follow-up visits — up to 5 follow-up visits within 14 days of initial emergency treatment
• Prescription drugs — up to a 30-day supply following an emergency
• Professional medical services — up to $600 per incident per practitioner for: physiotherapists, chiropractors, chiropodists, osteopaths, podiatrists, optometrists, acupuncturists
• Fracture treatment — up to $1,000 (includes x-rays, re-examination visits, casting, re-casting, and cast removal)
• Dental accidents — up to $6,000; up to $600 for other dental emergencies
• Maternity — up to $6,000 for pre-natal care, delivery and/or complications
• Hospital allowance — up to $100/day for incidental hospital charges
• Emergency air transportation — up to the sum insured for medical air transfer, including a qualified medical attendant and airline seat upgrade if medically required
• Airfare to return home for treatment — up to one-way economy airfare (treatment must be required within 10 days)
• Return of travelling companion — one-way economy airfare (companion does not have to be insured)
• Return of dependent children — one-way economy airfare plus cost of a qualified chaperone (applies to children up to age 21, or 25 if full-time students)
• Expenses related to death — up to the sum insured for preparation and return of the body; up to $6,000 for burial or cremation at the place of death
• Family transportation — round-trip economy airfare for a family member to be at bedside; up to $400/day to a maximum of $2,000 for out-of-pocket expenses
• Out-of-pocket expenses — up to $500/day to a maximum of $5,000 for accommodation, meals, telephone, internet, taxi, parking, bus fare and rental car
• Child care — up to $500/day to a maximum of $5,000 (insured children 18 and under)
• Return of vehicle — up to $2,500 for a commercial agency, or one-way economy airfare plus expenses for a family member to return the vehicle
• 24-hour accident insurance — up to $25,000

Pre-Existing Medical Conditions

Basic plan: Pre-existing medical conditions are not covered under the Basic plan. Choose the Standard plan if pre-existing condition coverage is needed.

Standard plan: Stable pre-existing conditions are automatically covered, subject to stability periods that vary by age:

A condition is considered stable when there have been no new symptoms, no deterioration, no change in treatment, and no pending test results.

Optional Add-On Coverages

• Unstable Pre-existing Medical Condition Coverage — Available for visitors 79 years and under. Covers unstable pre-existing conditions that were stable on or within 7 days before the effective date of the policy.
• Sports & Activities Coverage — Extends coverage to high-risk sports including backcountry skiing, BASE jumping, rock climbing, skydiving, and more. Organized team sports (football, ice hockey, rugby) require this add-on for travellers aged 21 and over.
• Accidental Death & Dismemberment (AD&D) — Air flight/common carrier: up to $100,000; 24-hour accident: up to $25,000 (in addition to the $25,000 base accident benefit).
• Trip Cancellation & Interruption — Reimburses non-refundable travel costs if the trip is cancelled or cut short due to a covered event such as sudden illness or death of a family member.

Rates & Discounts

• Family & friends plan — Special rate for up to two travellers aged 59 and under, plus up to six children (up to age 21, or 25 if full-time students)

Coverage Details & Benefit Amounts

Policy Extensions

Visitors can extend their TuGo policy before it expires, subject to the following conditions:

• How to extend: contact TuGo or CanadaVisitorInsurance before your current expiry date — extensions requested after expiry are not permitted
• Eligibility: no claim must have been made or be pending; you must be in good health on the date you request the extension
• Maximum duration: combined original + extension period must not exceed the plan maximum (up to 365 days for Super Visa eligible plans)
• Cost: calculated at the daily rate for your age and deductible at time of original purchase

Refunds & Cancellation Policy

• Free-look period: full refund if cancelled within 10 days of purchase, provided no claim has been made and the departure date has not passed
• Before departure: full refund if cancelled before the effective date and no claim has been made
• After departure: pro-rated refund for unused coverage if you leave Canada earlier than planned and no claim has been made
• No refund if a claim has been made or is pending
• Contact TuGo or CanadaVisitorInsurance to process a cancellation or refund request

Key Exclusions

TuGo Visitors Insurance does not cover:

• Travel against a physician's advice or with a terminal diagnosis
• Unstable pre-existing conditions (unless Unstable Pre-existing Medical Condition Coverage was purchased)
• Elective or routine medical treatments
• Pregnancy beyond 31 weeks
• Treatment available in the visitor's home country that was delayed until arrival in Canada

Claims & Emergency Assistance

TuGo's 24/7 Emergency Assistance Center must be contacted before non-emergency treatment, and immediately in case of hospitalization:

• Canada & USA: 1-800-663-0399
• Worldwide (collect): 604-278-4108

Claims must be submitted within 90 days of the date of service. Submit online at tugo.com/claims.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I buy coverage after my visitor has already arrived?

Yes. If purchased within 60 days of arrival, a 48-hour waiting period applies to disease or illness. If purchased 61 or more days after arrival, a 7-day waiting period applies. Buying before the visitor arrives in Canada avoids any waiting period.

Does TuGo Visitors Insurance qualify for the Canadian Super Visa?

Yes. TuGo Visitors to Canada Insurance meets the Super Visa requirement for a minimum of $100,000 in emergency medical coverage from a Canadian insurer for at least one year. Coverage amounts up to $500,000 for up to 365 days are available.

How much coverage can I choose?

You can select a sum insured of $10,000, $25,000, $50,000, $100,000, $200,000, $300,000, or $500,000 CAD. Super Visa applicants require a minimum of $100,000.

Are pre-existing conditions covered?

Stable pre-existing conditions are automatically covered, subject to stability periods varying by age (90 days for under 60; 120 days for 60–69; 180 days for 70–85; 365 days for 86+). Optional Unstable Pre-existing Medical Condition Coverage is also available for visitors 79 and under.

How long can the policy last?

Policies can be purchased for up to 365 days — suitable for long-term visits and Super Visa holders.

When should I contact TuGo's emergency assistance?

Contact TuGo's 24/7 Emergency Assistance Center before non-emergency treatment and immediately in the event of hospitalization. Call 1-800-663-0399 (Canada & USA) or 604-278-4108 collect (worldwide).