From Outside Canada
Generally speaking, if you arrive in Québec from outside Canada, even if you are a Canadian citizen, you will be eligible for the Québec Health Insurance Plan after a waiting period of up to three months following your registration.
Please note
It is very important to call the Régie or visit an office of the Régie upon your arrival in Québec, to obtain a registration form and submit your application as soon as possible. This will avoid delaying the effective date of your coverage.
The Régie will process your application and, if you fulfill the eligibility requirements, will send you a letter indicating when your coverage under the Health Insurance Plan takes effect. You will receive your Health Insurance Card within two weeks after that date.
Pending receipt of your card, be sure to keep the letter indicating that you are subject to a waiting period, because some healthcare services are available free of charge to persons waiting for their coverage to take effect, such as services:
- needed by victims of conjugal or domestic violence or of sexual assault;
- related to pregnancy, child birth or termination of pregnancy;
- needed by people suffering from infectious diseases that have an impact on public health.
Healthcare received during the waiting period
The Régie does not reimburse you for healthcare you receive during the waiting period.
During this period, to save you from having to pay for any healthcare services that you or your family members may need, the Régie strongly recommends that you take out private insurance within five days following your arrival in Québec. Thereafter, coverage is more difficult to obtain. For information about private insurance, contact the OmbudService for Life & Health Insurance (OLHI).
The following pages contain information about how to register if:
