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Ottawa · YOW arrivals · 2026

Super Visa insurance in Ottawa: quotes, hospital costs and arrival dates

Compare IRCC-ready plans for a parent coming to Ottawa, then check what is different here: what Ottawa hospitals bill a visitor, which date starts the policy when the flight connects in Toronto or Montréal, and day trips across the river to Gatineau.

I'm Pankaj Bhatia, a licensed Ontario advisor. My offices are in Mississauga and Cambridge, so I work with families in Kanata, Barrhaven, Orléans, Nepean, Gloucester, Stittsville and the rest of Ottawa by phone, WhatsApp and video call. The policy and receipt arrive by email, ready for the IRCC application.

By Pankaj Bhatia, PFA, CHS Updated Licensed in Ontario and 6 more provinces
Get live quotes Ottawa hospital costs Buy by insurer

What would an Ottawa hospital charge your parent?

Start here, because it explains why IRCC asks for at least $100,000 of cover. OHIP is for people who live in Ontario. A parent on a Super Visa doesn't qualify, however long they stay, so every emergency visit, every scan and every night in a hospital bed is billed to them as an uninsured patient.

Queensway Carleton Hospital publishes what it charges patients who are not residents of Canada, and those are the rates in the table. Doctors, imaging and any surgery are billed on top. The Ottawa Hospital and Montfort bill visitors directly as well; they just don't publish a simple daily rate the same way, so ask for an estimate if a planned visit comes up.

Put numbers on it. Say your father is admitted to Queensway Carleton with pneumonia and spends three days on a ward and two in intensive care. At the published non-resident rates the bed alone is $12,015 plus $31,284, or $43,299, and an emergency visit before the admission adds $1,242. Add the specialists, a CT scan and a procedure, and you can see how quickly a serious admission climbs. Many families I work with choose $150,000 or more for parents over 70.

The ambulance is billed too. Ontario sets the fee: a patient without a valid provincial or territorial health card, or who isn't a resident of Canada, pays $240, against $45 for someone with OHIP. Super Visa plans normally pay for an emergency ambulance to the nearest suitable hospital, up to the policy's limits.

Queensway Carleton Hospital, non-resident of CanadaFee
Ward, regular acute care, per day$4,005
Intensive care, per day$15,642
Emergency visit, each$1,242
 Fees Queensway Carleton Hospital publishes for patients who are not residents of Canada, effective April 1, 2026. Hospital charges only; doctors bill separately.

Which hospital is likely, by part of the city

The Ottawa Hospital runs the two large emergency departments at its Civic and General campuses. In the west end, around Kanata, Stittsville, Barrhaven and Nepean, Queensway Carleton Hospital is often nearer. In the east end and Orléans, many families end up at Hôpital Montfort, Ottawa's francophone hospital, which also serves English speakers. In a real emergency the paramedics pick the hospital, so treat this as a rough guide.

Before any doctor's visit, call the insurer's 24/7 assistance line on the wallet card. If it's life-threatening, call 911 first and the assistance line as soon as someone can. The line can steer a minor problem to a walk-in clinic and can often arrange for the insurer to pay the hospital directly. A late call is the most common reason I see a claim cut back.

Flying into YOW, or entering Canada somewhere else first

Many parents don't fly straight from home into Ottawa Macdonald-Cartier International Airport (YOW). They connect through Toronto Pearson, Montréal-Trudeau or a hub abroad. That matters for the dates, because IRCC wants the policy valid for at least one year from the day your parent enters Canada, and they enter Canada at the first Canadian airport where they land and see a border officer.

So if your mother lands at Pearson on the evening of June 3 and takes the morning flight to Ottawa on June 4, her policy should start on June 3. Start it on June 4 and she has no cover for her first night in Canada, and the policy falls a day short of a full year from entry.

The same goes for families who pick parents up at Montréal-Trudeau and drive them to Ottawa. Entry happens at the Montréal airport, so the policy starts that day, even though your parent sleeps in Ottawa that night.

Getting the start date right

  1. Find the first landing in Canada on the itinerary, not the last.
  2. Use the local arrival date. Overnight flights from India or the Gulf often land a calendar day after they leave.
  3. Set the policy start to that day and check it runs at least 365 days.
  4. If the flight moves, ask the insurer to change the start date before it begins. Most allow it, some for a fee.
  5. Pack the policy confirmation and wallet card in hand luggage. The officer at the first airport can ask to see them.

Send me the itinerary on WhatsApp if you're unsure, and I'll tell you which date to use.

Six things IRCC looks for in the policy

The insurance rules are the same in Ottawa as in Vancouver or Halifax. What goes wrong is usually small, and easy to fix if you catch it before the application goes in.

The one I see most often is a couple insured under a single $100,000 limit. Each parent needs their own $100,000. Next is a six-month visitor plan bought when the parents first planned a short trip; a Super Visa needs a full year from entry. Some families attach a quote to the application, but IRCC wants proof that a policy has been bought and paid, in full or by instalments with a deposit. And some policies start on the date of the application instead of the date of travel.

Use the checklist on any policy or quote you have. The full rules, with IRCC's wording, are on my Super Visa insurance requirements page.

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See the full IRCC rule list Get quotes that meet all six

Gatineau, Montréal and trips across the border

Ottawa families cross the river all the time, and visiting parents come along: to the Canadian Museum of History, to Gatineau Park, to friends on the Quebec side or to a wedding in Montréal. A Super Visa policy covers your parent across Canada for the policy period, so a day in Gatineau or a week in Montréal is covered the same way as a day in Kanata. It's still worth reading the territory wording in your plan.

Two things are different on the Quebec side. RAMQ, Quebec's health plan, doesn't cover visitors either, so a hospital in Gatineau bills your parent as an uninsured patient, as an Ottawa hospital would. And the paperwork may be in French. Insurers deal with French bills all the time; what matters is calling the assistance line first and keeping every bill, receipt and discharge note.

A note about my licence: I'm licensed in Ontario and six other provinces, but not in Quebec. That doesn't change anything for a parent who lives with you in Ottawa and spends a day in Gatineau. If part of the family is in Montréal, my Montréal Super Visa page covers parents who split their time between the two cities.

The United States is a different matter

The St. Lawrence crossings into New York are close enough for a day out, and families often ask about them. Many Super Visa plans exclude the United States, or cover a side trip only for a few days. Ask me before anyone books a trip south, and check whether the parent's visa allows re-entry to Canada.

Ottawa winters and the deductible

Ottawa winters are long and icy. A fall on a driveway or sidewalk is a covered emergency, but the deductible usually applies to each claim. If you're choosing between a $0 and a $1,000 deductible to save on the premium, think about how many times an older parent might need care in one winter. Parents arriving from warm countries also need proper boots before the first snow.

What Super Visa insurance costs, by age

The city doesn't change the price. A 66-year-old in Orléans pays what a 66-year-old in Mississauga pays for the same plan. Age, health, the coverage amount and the deductible decide it. Estimate one or both parents here, then use the live form for exact prices.

Quick price estimate

Results update as you change anything.

Who needs coverage?

Parent 1

Cover stable pre-existing conditions?
Coverage
Parent's ageOne yearMonthly, roughly
Under 50$1,015 – $1,595$85 – $133
50–59$1,156 – $1,602$96 – $134
60–64$1,156 – $1,799$96 – $150
65–69$1,621 – $2,405$135 – $200
70–74$2,570 – $4,296$214 – $358
75–79$2,920 – $5,533$243 – $461
80–84$4,349 – $6,667$362 – $556
 Published Canadian market quotes for one person: 12 months, $100,000, $0 deductible, without pre-existing condition cover, taken October 11, 2026. A range, not a quote.

Four things that move the number

Age does most of the work. Prices step up at 65, 70, 75 and 80, so a policy that starts before a birthday can keep the lower band for the year.

Covering stable pre-existing conditions typically adds about 20–50%. For a parent on blood pressure or diabetes medication it's usually worth it; my guide to pre-existing conditions explains stability periods and the medical questions.

A $1,000 deductible typically saves about 18–22%, and raising coverage to $150,000 or $200,000 often adds only 7–12%.

Every age band, plus a five-year planner: how much Super Visa insurance will cost.

Does your Ottawa household earn enough to host?

IRCC tests the host's income, not the parents'. Count yourself, your spouse or partner, your dependent children, the parents or grandparents you're inviting, and anyone you already support through a Super Visa or a sponsorship.

An example. You and your spouse have one child and you're inviting both parents: five people, so the 2026 minimum is $64,336. Since March 31, 2026 there are two ways to meet it. Either your income reaches the full amount in one of the last two tax years, or you reach at least 75%, which is $48,252, and your parents' own income covers the rest, up to $16,084. Documents and the fine print are on Super Visa income requirements.

Household size2026 minimum
Household of 1$30,526
Household of 2$38,002
Household of 3$46,720
Household of 4$56,724
Household of 5$64,336
Household of 6$72,560
Household of 7$80,784
Each person after 7+$8,224
 Minimum necessary income (LICO) from IRCC's Super Visa instructions. From March 31, 2026: the host alone in either of the two previous tax years, or the host at 75% or more with the parents' own income making up the gap, to a maximum of 25%.

Six months or five years: which visa fits your parents?

Only the Super Visa allows long stays, and only the Super Visa comes with the insurance rule and the income test.

Super VisaVisitor visa
Who it's forParents and grandparents of Canadian citizens and permanent residentsMost visitors
Each stayUp to 5 yearsUsually up to 6 months
How long the visa lastsUp to 10 years, multiple entryUp to 10 years or until the passport expires
Medical insuranceRequired: $100,000+, valid 1 year from entryOptional, but wise
Host's incomeMust meet LICO, plus a letter of invitationNot tested
Immigration medical examRequiredSometimes

For a summer visit, a visitor visa and a shorter plan may be enough: see visitors insurance for Ottawa. For a long stay, the step-by-step Super Visa guide walks through the application, and IRCC posts current processing times.

Prefer to buy from one insurer? Start here

Each card links to the insurer's own purchase page, and Plan details explains coverage and claims. To see them side by side, run one quote for all of them. What's offered depends on age, health and plan.

Buy online opens the insurer's own website in a new tab; policies are issued by each insurer.

When plans change: refunds, new dates and claims

Each policy sets its own rules and no refund is guaranteed. This is how it usually works. More detail: Super Visa insurance refunds.

Visa refused

If IRCC says no and your parent never travelled, most insurers refund the premium once you send the refusal letter. Some keep a fee.

Flying home early from YOW

If there were no claims, you can usually get back the unused days, less an admin fee. Send proof of the return flight.

New flight dates

Change the start date before the policy begins. Most insurers allow it; some charge.

Making a claim

Phone the assistance line before treatment where you can, since a late call can reduce the payout. Steps: the claim process.

What Ottawa families ask me

General questions are in the full Super Visa insurance FAQ.

Should the policy start on the day my parents reach Ottawa?

Only if Ottawa is where they first land in Canada. The policy should start on the day they enter Canada, which is often in Toronto or Montréal.

IRCC counts one year from entry. Look for the first Canadian airport on the itinerary and the local arrival date there, and start the policy that day.

What does an ambulance cost a visiting parent in Ottawa?

$240. Ontario charges that to anyone without a valid provincial or territorial health card or who isn't a resident of Canada; OHIP patients pay $45.

Super Visa plans normally cover an emergency ambulance to the nearest suitable hospital, up to the policy limits. Keep the bill for the claim.

How much does an Ottawa hospital charge a visitor without OHIP?

Queensway Carleton Hospital publishes its fees for non-residents of Canada: $4,005 a day on a ward, $15,642 a day in intensive care and $1,242 for an emergency visit, from April 1, 2026.

That is the hospital only. Doctors, scans and surgery bill separately. The Ottawa Hospital and Montfort also bill visitors directly, which is why a Super Visa policy needs at least $100,000 of cover.

Is my parent covered on a day out in Gatineau?

Yes. Super Visa policies cover the parent across Canada, so a trip to the Quebec side is covered like any day in Ottawa.

RAMQ doesn't cover visitors, so a Gatineau hospital would bill your parent directly. Call the assistance line first and keep the bills, even if they're in French; insurers handle them.

Should we pick a lower deductible for an Ottawa winter?

Often, for older parents. The deductible usually applies to each claim, and a fall on ice is a common winter emergency.

A $1,000 deductible typically saves about 18–22% on the premium. If a parent may need care more than once, a $0 or $500 deductible can cost less overall. Compare both in the live quote.

Our parents will also stay with my sister in Toronto. Does that affect the policy?

No. The policy covers your parent anywhere in Canada; it isn't tied to the host's address.

Give the insurer a mailing address and a phone number that will reach someone, and make sure your sister knows where the wallet card is. Toronto's hospitals are covered on my Toronto Super Visa page.

Pankaj isn't based in Ottawa. How does buying through him work?

By phone, WhatsApp or video call. Pankaj is licensed in Ontario, which includes Ottawa, so he can advise you and arrange the policy.

He compares plans with you on a shared screen, your parents can join from abroad to hear the medical questions, and the policy and receipt arrive by email for the IRCC application. Call or WhatsApp 647-640-2222.

Pankaj Bhatia, PFA, CHS, licensed Super Visa insurance advisor

Who you'll be dealing with: Pankaj Bhatia, PFA, CHS

Licensed insurance & financial advisor · Insure In Canada Inc. · Offices in Mississauga and Cambridge, Ontario

I've spent 11 years helping families insure visiting parents. For Ottawa families most of the work happens on the phone or a video call: working out the start date from the flight itinerary, explaining the medical questions to parents in plain words, weighing a $0 deductible against $1,000, and handling date changes, refunds, renewals and claims after they land. I'm licensed in Ontario, Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia.

More about Pankaj · Call 647-640-2222 · WhatsApp · Google reviews

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Sources I used, and where to read more

Hospital and ambulance figures are published rates shown for illustration, not a bill. Price ranges come from published 2026 Canadian market quotes and are not quotes. Coverage, refunds and fees depend on each policy's terms, conditions, limitations and exclusions. Insurer names and marks belong to their owners. Not immigration or legal advice.