Inviting your parents? Here is the insurance rule, made simple.

The Super Visa lets parents and grandparents visit Canada for years at a time — but the application needs proof of medical insurance. This page explains exactly what that means, before anyone pays for anything.

Read the full guide Open the coverage checklist

The rules, at a glance

Four things the policy must get right

Per IRCC requirements · as of June 2026 · confirm on canada.ca before applying

Minimum coverage

$100,000

Emergency medical coverage from a Canadian insurer (or an approved foreign insurer).

Policy length

1 year

Valid for at least one year from the day your parent or grandparent enters Canada.

Must cover

Care, hospital, return

Health care, hospitalization and repatriation must all be included.

Proof

At the border

Officers can ask to see proof of paid coverage when your family member arrives.

How it fits the application

Insurance comes before the visa, not after

The proof of insurance goes into the Super Visa application itself. That means your family shops for coverage while the trip is still a plan — and the policy has to start the day they land, not the day they buy it.

Most insurers understand this and let you set a future start date, change it if the flight moves, and refund the policy if the visa is refused. The checklist walks through each of those protections in plain language.

Walk through the checklist

The order of operations

Plan the visit

Decide roughly when your parent or grandparent will arrive.

Arrange the coverage

A policy with a start date matching the arrival — minimum $100,000, one year.

Apply with proof

The insurance certificate goes in with the Super Visa application.

Adjust if plans change

Move the start date or request a refund if the visa is refused.

Common questions

Super Visa insurance FAQ

Parents and grandparents of Canadian citizens or permanent residents applying for the Super Visa. Proof of qualifying medical insurance is part of the application — without it, the visa is refused.

Ready to go deeper?

The full guide covers costs, refunds, monthly-payment options and the questions to ask an insurer — at your own pace.

Read the full guide

Education only