Know the eligibility conditions for health insurance
Return to Québec after a prolonged absence
If you are returning to live in Québec after having settled abroad or in another Canadian province, you have to re-register for Québec health insurance even though you were registered in the past. 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).
Absence calculation tool
To check whether you will remain eligible for health insurance for the year during which you are away, use the Absence from Québec calculation tool.
You do not have to re-register for health insurance if you are returning to Québec after a temporary absence during which you remained covered. However, you must notify us of any change in your situation.
Exceptions
Exceptions may apply for a prolonged absence if you are away to study, work or undergo training. To find out more, check wether you have to report an absence from Québec.
| Destination | Departure date (not tallied) | Return date (not tallied) | Number of days of absence | Number of days taken into account for eligibility |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mexico | January 1 | January 15 | 13 | 0 |
| Florida | March 1 | June 30 | 120 | 120 |
| Spain | September 1 | December 1 | 90 | 90 |
According to this example, you would lose your eligibility for the full year, except if you qualified for an exception, such as the 7-year provision.
You would have to assume the health care costs that you incurred in Québec and outside of Québec over that year.
| Destination | Departure date (not tallied) | Return date (not tallied) | Number of days of absence | Number of days taken into account for eligibility |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ontario | August 14, 2019 | February 15, 2020 | 184 |
In 2019: 139 In 2020: 45 |
In this example, you would remain eligible for the Québec Health Insurance Plan for both years. Your absence does not exceed 182 days in one calendar year, that is, January 1 to December 31.