RBC Insurance - the insurance arm of the Royal Bank of Canada - offers a trusted, premium-brand visitors-to-Canada policy. Its strength is brand reputation and solid claims handling; the trade-offs are price and flexibility. It's often more expensive than comparable plans, offers coverage only in $25,000 / $50,000 / $150,000 amounts (no $100,000 option), limits the $150,000 tier to travellers under 70, permits no trip breaks, and applies notable pre-existing restrictions. RBC sells direct - so the best way to judge it is against the plans we quote.
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Provider: | RBC Insurance (insurance arm of the Royal Bank of Canada) |
Availability: | Sold direct by RBC - not quoted through BestQuote |
Plans: | Visitors Plan I, Visitors Plan II, Visitors Plan III |
Age limit: | Plans I & III: up to 84 · Plan II: up to 70 |
Pre-existing conditions: | Stable (90 days) up to age 50; up to age 85 (180 days) with restrictions |
Trip break: | Not permitted - policy ends when you leave Canada to return home |
When you can buy: | Before arrival, or within 5 days of arriving in Canada |
Super Visa fit: | Meets the $100k minimum only via the $150k tier (under-70s); often a premium price |
About RBC Insurance
RBC Insurance is the insurance arm of the Royal Bank of Canada - ranked the #1 banking-based insurance brand globally in 2015 by Brand Finance. In November 2017 it revised its Visitors to Canada policy to put the RBC brand in front of its online customers. Because it's one of the largest financial brands in Canada, we're often asked how its coverage compares to the wide selection of plans we quote - so here's an honest look.
RBC Standout Features
Highly Rated in Canada
RBC is a well-known and trusted brand.
Follow-Up Visit Coverage
Up to 3 follow-up visits after an emergency are covered.
Travel Outside Canada
Side trips outside Canada are covered if the trip starts and ends in Canada and the total time spent in Canada is longer than the time spent on the side trip.
RBC Advantages & Disadvantages
| Advantages | Disadvantages |
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RBC is a well-known and trustworthy brand. This should mean that RBC will have proper policies and procedures for treating consumers fairly during claims administration. | As a well-known premium brand, this coverage is at a premium price compared to similar coverage from other VTC products we quote online. While no company offers the most competitive rates for all age groups, RBC's VTC coverage is often the more expensive price point, especially for Super Visa insurance coverage. |
Adequate secondary benefits (i.e., up to 3 follow-up visits after an emergency, emergency dental, repatriation, meals and accommodation, etc.). | Available only in $25,000, $50,000 and $150,000 sum insured amounts. This makes the policy quite expensive for Super Visa travellers as there is no $100,000 option. |
Side trips outside Canada are covered if your trip starts and ends in Canada and your time in Canada is greater than the time you spent on your side trip. | The $150,000 coverage amount is only available if you are under 70. Again, this indicates that they haven't designed the policy to fit a range of Super Visa applicants. |
RBC's Visitors to Canada policy covers stable (90 days) pre-existing medical conditions up to age 50 or even up to age 85 (180 days) with some restrictions (see below). | No trip break permitted. The policy ends on the date the insured leaves Canada to return to their home country.
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The policy has restrictions on coverage for pre-existing medical conditions. For example, for travellers over 49 years of age, heart and lung conditions will not be covered if certain medications have been taken to treat those conditions at any time during the 180 days prior to the effective date. | |
Only available before arrival in Canada or within 5 days of arriving in Canada.
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RBC for Super Visa
RBC can be used for a Super Visa, but it's rarely the best-value choice. Because it offers only $25,000 / $50,000 / $150,000 amounts with no $100,000 tier, a Super Visa applicant (who needs a minimum of $100,000) has to buy the $150,000 plan - which is only available under age 70 and comes at a premium price. For the parents and grandparents Super Visa is designed for, that combination often makes RBC more expensive and less flexible than the Super Visa plans we quote. Compare the alternatives on our Super Visa insurance rates page.
RBC for Pre-Existing Conditions
RBC covers stable pre-existing conditions, but with tighter rules than several plans we quote: a 90-day stability period up to age 50, and coverage up to age 85 with a 180-day stability period and restrictions. The key restriction to know: for travellers over 49, heart and lung conditions won't be covered if certain medications were taken to treat them at any time in the 180 days before the effective date. If you manage a cardiac or respiratory condition, that's worth checking closely - some other insurers (for example, plans with Coumadin/insulin-friendly wording) are more accommodating. Compare pre-existing rules across insurers on our visitors to Canada pre-existing conditions page.
Who is RBC Best For?
Brand-loyal buyers who specifically want the RBC name and are comfortable paying a premium.
Visitors under 70 who want the higher $150,000 coverage tier from a big-bank brand.
It's a weaker fit for Super Visa applicants (no $100,000 option; $150,000 only under 70; premium price), anyone over 49 managing heart or lung conditions (medication restriction), travellers who want a trip break, or anyone optimising for value — where the plans we quote usually win.