Best IEC Health Insurance for 2026 Canada Working Holiday (Tips & Savings)
The Government of Canada is very strict: No insurance = No work permit. Under the International Experience Canada (IEC) program, you are legally required to have comprehensive insurance before you land. If you arrive at the border without it, you can be refused entry or - even worse - be issued a work permit that is shorter than you planned.
The Three Mandatory Requirements
Your policy must cover you for the entire duration of your stay and include:
- Medical Care: Coverage for doctor visits and standard medical treatment.
- Hospitalization: Coverage for stays and surgeries in Canadian hospitals.
- Repatriation: The cost of flying you (or your remains) back to your home country in the event of a severe illness, injury, or death.
Crucial Warning: A provincial health card (like OHIP or MSP) is not enough. Provincial plans do not cover repatriation. If you arrive with a policy that only lasts 12 months, your work permit will expire in 12 months - and you cannot extend it later, even if you buy more insurance.
Why BestQuote MedEC is the safe choice
- Guaranteed Compliance: Our policies are specifically designed to meet every IRCC requirement, ensuring you get the full duration of your visa (up to 24 months).
- Continuous Coverage: We provide the proof of continuous coverage that officers look for, avoiding the confusion of multiple shorter policies.
- The "Gap" Protection: Provincial health plans often have a 3-month waiting period. Private insurance protects you from massive out-of-pocket costs (which can reach $10,000+ per day for a hospital stay) during that gap.
How to Buy a Policy Online
The Ultimate IEC Insurance: BestQuote MedEC
Underwritten by Lloyd’s of London (A+ Rated)
We’ve cut out the middleman to design a policy specifically for young travelers. By focusing on a lower-risk age group (under 36), we’ve driven premiums down to some of the lowest rates in Canada.
Why this policy is #1 for IEC:
- Maple Telehealth Included: 3 free doctor visits per year for emergencies or non-emergency needs (like prescription renewals). No other policy offers this!
- The GHIP Bonus: Get a 25% refund of your remaining premium once you switch to provincial health (OHIP, MSP, etc.).
- Total Flexibility: Includes "Early Return" refunds and unlimited side trips outside Canada (up to 35 days each).
- Home Visits: Visit your home country without voiding your coverage.
Transparent Pricing (CAD)
| Coverage Amount | Deductible | Total Price (2 Years) | Price Per Year |
| $100,000 | $0 | $1,131.95 | $594.95 |
| $50,000 | $250 | $945.35 | $472.68 |
Customize Your Adventure
- Winter Sports: Easily add coverage for skiing or snowboarding.
- Flexible Limits: Choose the coverage and deductible amounts that fit your budget.
What changed and why?
- Price Comparison Table: People skip paragraphs but look at tables. Showing the "Price Per Year" makes the large 2-year cost feel much more manageable.
- Bullet Points for Features: I took all those long sentences about Lloyd's and side trips and turned them into "Checkmarks" of value.
- Removed "Fluff": I removed the technical explanation of why the price is lower (cover holder status) and replaced it with a simple "We cut out the middleman," which sounds better to a consumer.
- Bolded the Savings: Highlighting the 5% multi-policy discount at the end encourages friends or couples to buy together.
What is a GHIP partial refund?
The BestQuote MedEC policy is the only one in the world that offers a partial refund once you enroll in a Canadian provincial health plan (like OHIP, MSP, or AHCIP).
While most policies only refund you if you leave Canada, we put money back in your pocket while you stay. You can receive a 25% refund of your remaining premium (less a $25 fee) once your provincial coverage kicks in.
The Savings in Action: If you buy a 2-year policy for $1,800 and switch to provincial health after 70 days, you could receive a $381 refund. This effectively lowers your total IEC insurance cost by hundreds of dollars!
A Game-Changer for IEC Travellers: Virtual Healthcare Included
We’ve integrated Maple, Canada’s leading virtual care platform, into our BestQuote MedEC policy. This makes us the only IEC insurance provider to offer immediate access to Canadian doctors for both emergency and non-emergency care.
- Skip the Waiting Room: Includes 3 free pre-paid virtual doctor visits per year.
- Massive Value: Access a service that usually costs Canadians $80/month.
- World-Class Security: Underwritten by Lloyd’s, the world’s specialist insurance market for over 300 years.
- Built for Flexibility: Unlike many UK or international policies, our plan is refundable if you head home early.
Looking for more? We also offer specialized coverage for stable pre-existing conditions and extreme sports (backcountry skiing, rock climbing, etc.) through our partner carriers.
Private IEC Health Insurance:
Private (travel) health insurance plans for visitors to Canada — such as those required by IEC travellers — cover emergency medical expenses for accidental injuries or emergency illnesses. There are always certain restrictions and limitations when it comes to private insurance plans. For example, there are no expenses to be paid for someone who injures themselves while intoxicated or knows that they would need to seek medical attention before purchasing, etc. In contrast, provincial health insurance (which IEC visa holders are entitled to apply for once they arrive in Canada) is much less limited.
While the CIC points out above, "Repatriation is not covered by provincial health insurance." They should also point out that provincial GHIP will not cover things like:
- Ambulance rides;
- Prescription drug costs related to recovering from accidental injury or emergency illness;
- Medical device or equipment rentals such as crutches, wheelchairs, casts, etc.;
- Differences in medical costs between provinces (when injured or sick outside home province);
- Costs to have a family member visit you if hospitalized at length;
- Incidental hospital costs (internet, television, parking, etc.);
- Medical expenses incurred while travelling outside Canada
Because there is no requirement to enroll in GHIP (IEC visa holders need to meet certain employment conditions to enroll), and because it often takes up to three months before GHIP coverage begins after enrolling, - the IEC program requires private insurance during your entire stay in Canada.
But private travel/health insurance is not perfect either. While private insurance will cover (subject to policy restrictions, exclusions and limitations) repatriation costs and the items mentioned above, it won't cover some important items that provincial health insurance WILL cover such as:
- Non-emergency medical visits (i.e. regular doctor visits);
- Pregnancy-related medical expenses;
- Medical expenses related to drug or alcohol use;
- Accidental injury from extreme sports or willingly exposing yourself to injury (through sports or otherwise);
- Medical expenses related to unstable pre-existing medical conditions;
- Mental illness related medical costs.
So, while buying private insurance that covers health and repatriation expenses and maintaining that insurance for your entire stay in Canada is a requirement of the IEC work permit program, the smartest way to ensure that you will be covered in the event of some medical bad luck is to apply for provincial health insurance as soon as you have proof of employment when in Canada - to combine GHIP public coverage with your private insurance! And guess what? Provincial health insurance is FREE!
As a Canadian travel insurance specialist, BestQuote provides free, transparent price comparisons for travelers from all over the world - whether you’re still at home or have already arrived. Every year, we help hundreds of IEC participants secure the exact coverage they need to satisfy immigration officers and receive their work permits. We make sure your insurance is one less thing to worry about when you land.