IEC Travel Insurance Options for Working Holidays in Canada (2024)

The International Experience Canada (IEC) Working Holiday program offers young people the chance to live and work in Canada for up to two years. It is an amazing opportunity but there is a couple of rules to abide by when taking part in the IEC.

One of these is the program requirement to have comprehensive health insurance while in Canada.

This article will help you find the best travel insurance for Canada. I moved to Canada on the IEC program and I’ve helped thousands of people do the same since then.

Last updated November 2023. This post includes some affiliate links – if you make a purchase via one of these, we may receive a small percentage of the sale.

The importance of travel insurance for Canada

As mentioned, it is a mandatory part of the IEC program to have health insurance for the length of your stay in Canada.

If you go to Canada without appropriate IEC travel insurance,you may receive a shortened work permit and/or be refused one altogether.

Those who do receive a shortened work permit are unable to extend or adjust the work permit later. This happens to more people than you would think!

As per the IEC rules, your health insurance for Canada must cover:

• medical care,
• hospitalization, and
• repatriation (returning you to your country in the event of severe illness, injury or death).

Be sure to buy the best travel insurance for Canada.

Taking part in the IEC program is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for most people – don’t waste this opportunity.

Thinking beyond the IEC requirement for insurance, you should also be aware that medical care in Canada can be very expensive.

Emergency room visits for relatively simple injuries can easily run up a bill of thousands of dollars.

Saving money on buying travel insurance for Canada can turn out to be an expensive mistake.

Options for IEC travel insurance

Read on for my research into the best IEC travel insurance for Canada.

Please research each company to ensure that the coverage is right for you. The specifics of the coverage can change at any time. Read the policy wording to make sure that you are covered.

UK and EU citizens – True Traveller

I used True Traveller insurance for my working holiday in Canada.

Travel insurance policies with True Traveller are available up to 24 months in length. Policies can bestarted if you are already travelling.

Unlimited visits home are also allowed, with the insurance cover being suspended when in your home country. Winter sports coverage is available and there are no minimum residency requirements.

92 activities are covered as standard with True Traveller, including horse riding and bungee jumping. If you need coverage for more activities (such as rock climbing), an additional activity pack can be selected.

An alternative to True Traveller for UK citizens is Go Walkabout. Working Holiday cover is available for 2 years with 3 years available soon. Unlimited visits home are allowed with ski coverage available for an additional premium (Activity Pack 4).

Australian citizens – Fast Cover and HeyMondo

With Fast Cover, an initial IEC 12-month policy can be purchased and then extended for another 12 months on the departure date.

Optional winter sports coverage is available for an additional fee. Fast Cover policies cannot be started when already abroad.

HeyMondo offers single trip policies up to 12 months in length. Coverage for Covid-19 is included as standard as well as up to $10 million for emergency medical and dental expenses.

To have coverage for a full 24 month IEC working holiday, simply purchase 2 x one-year policies before leaving for Canada. For the second policy, you’ll need to tick the ‘already travelling’ box for it to be valid.

There is a 5% discount available for HeyMondo if you use the below link when purchasing. Note that HeyMondo does not offer winter sports coverage.

Alternatively, look at BestQuote (note lower medical coverage), Cover More (phone call required to buy a 2 year policy) or World Nomads.

New Zealand citizens – HeyMondo

HeyMondo includes coverage for Covid and up to $10 million of medical expenses. There is, however, no ski cover available.

For 23 months of coverage with HeyMondo, you’ll need to purchase a 12 month policy and then another 11 month policy. Make sure to tick the ‘already travelling’ box when purchasing the second policy.

Alternatively, look at BestQuote (note lower medical coverage) or World Nomads.

For citizens of 100+ countries – BestQuote

BestQuote are travel insurance specialists, partnered with some of the largest and most reputable insurance providers in Canada. Through them, it is possible to review, compare and purchase IEC specific insurance policies with up to 2 years of coverage.

The 2 year IEC policies cover basic (non-competitive) ski cover as standard. Some options also include coverage for Covid19 related claims.

There are various medical coverage amounts available (most starting at $100,000), and adjustable excess levels as well. Please note that this medical coverage is lower than the other insurance providers mentioned on this page.

Buying the best IEC Travel Insurance

There is not one perfect working holiday travel insurance policy for Canada. Everyone has different requirements and circ*mstances.

The best working holiday travel insurance for Canada is the one that suits your own needs.

Before purchasing travel insurance for Canada, you may want to check factors such as:

• The type of activities that are covered.Climbing, kayaking and even hiking may have an additional premium
• Whether it is possible to return home for a short time and still have valid insurance coverage on return. Some policies become invalidated as soon as you reach home
• Residency requirements to purchase.Some IEC travel insurance policies require a minimum time spent resident in your home country before purchase
• Whether the policy can be started abroad if you are already travelling elsewhere. Most insurers are limited to only covering those who haven’t left home yet
• Winter sports coverage options. Even if you do not plan to work a ski season or live in a mountainous area, things can change
• The excess (deductible) on the policy. This is the amount you have to pay when making a claim

Finding Travel Insurance for Canada

Canada’s IEC program offers some of the longest working holiday options available in the world.

For this reason, one of the biggest problems with buying the best IEC travel insurance is finding a company that offers two-year travel insurance for Canada.

It can be such a rare occurrence that some working holiday companies advise their clients that there is no such thing. This is absolutely not true.

Another thing to remember is that the cheapest travel insurance for Canada may not be the best travel insurance for you. Be sure to look at the coverage limits and whether the policy is suitable for your travel plans.

Working Holiday Travel Insurance for Canada: The Small Print

Always read the policy wording to decide which IEC travel insurance provider and policy is right for you. As noted above, the best travel insurance for Canada isn’t necessarily perfect for everyone.

All details of IEC travel insurance providers mentioned above are correct at the time of writing but are subject to change.

The above companies also offer standard travel insurance for short-term holidays as well as working holiday insurance for Canada.

Check out these other posts about working holidays in Canada