Inform RAMQ of a departure from Québec Procedure to follow before leaving Québec Step 1 Contact us Call us to obtain the Temporary Departure From Québec form: Québec area: 418 781-2520Montréal area: 514 687-4571Throughout Québec: 1 833 203-5524Outside Québec: 1 514 687-4571 When you call, select option 4 from the telephone menu. Step 2 Send us the form Send the completed and signed form by mail to the address at the bottom of the document. Eligibility for health insurance You will receive a letter confirming whether your eligibility for health insurance will be maintained during your absence. If your eligibility is maintained, you may benefit from services covered outside Québec. Otherwise, you will have to pay out of pocket for any health services you need. Presence in Québec rule To remain eligible for health insurance, you must not be absent from Québec 183 days or more, consecutive or not, in a given calendar year (January 1 to December 31). To calculate your absences, add together all your days of absence in a given year, excluding: Absences of 21 consecutive days or lessThe days on which you leave and return To check whether you will remain eligible for the Québec Health Insurance, use our calculation tool to tally your absences from Québec. Exception Once every 7 years, you may be absent for 183 days or more in a given calendar year (January 1 to December 31) without losing your eligibility for the Québec Health Insurance Plan. This absence, called the 7-year provision, is permitted for personal reasons, for example, to travel or work abroad. For more details about exceptions to the Presence in Québec rule and the 7-year provision, refer to the webpage Exceptions to the Presence in Québec rule. Private insurance recommended We recommend purchasing private insurance before leaving Québec. It will cover charges not covered by RAMQ. If you do not have private insurance at the time you receive care outside of Québec, the part not reimbursed by RAMQ must be paid out of pocket. See also Know which services are covered outside QuébecRequest a reimbursement for services received outside QuébecCheck my prescription drug coverage outside Québec