Travel insurance

Our goal is to make affordable travel insurance coverage available to as many Canadians as possible. In general, any Canadian resident can purchase some form of coverage with us. Factors such as where you are traveling, your health and the length of your trip may affect the specific coverage(s) available to you.
Note: Non-residents traveling to Canada, immigrants to Canada or foreign students studying in Canada may be eligible to purchase one of our Visitors to Canada Plans.

Generally speaking, no. While your age can affect your eligibility for certain coverages, we have packages and plans that cover all age groups. If you are age 65 or older, we may ask you to answer a few questions about your health to make sure you have the most appropriate coverage.

Yes, you may purchase a policy for your parents. Simply call us at 1-866-896-8172, buy online, or visit an RBC Insurance Store. Depending on their age, they may be required to complete health questions in order to obtain coverage. If this is not a requirement, please keep in mind that all terms and conditions apply to your parents, therefore we recommend that you review the insurance with them prior to purchase.

Possibly. Depending on your age, medical condition and, if applicable, your answers to our health questions, pre-existing medical conditions are covered if they are stable for a certain time period (as specified in your policy) before your policy’s effective date.
Note: Please refer to the policy document for complete coverage details regarding pre-existing conditions.

Your answers to the health questions (if applicable) will be used to help determine the benefits you are eligible to receive under your insurance policy.

When answering the health questions:

• Take your time. The questions may take up to 10 minutes to complete.
• You (the applicant) should complete and sign the Medical Questionnaire. (If you have someone else complete the Medical Questionnaire on your behalf, it is still your responsibility to make sure the answers to the questions are correct.)
• Read and answer each question carefully and accurately. Review your answers to confirm they are correct. Incorrect answers may lead to your coverage being voided or your claim denied.
• Have your prescriptions or a description of your medications nearby for reference.
• If you are unsure about any questions regarding your medical condition or medications, please speak to your physician.

If necessary, a family member or close friend can complete the questions on your behalf. Please keep in mind, however, that it is still your responsibility to sign the form and make sure the answers are correct.

Yes, it is recommended that you buy coverage for your spouse as well.

This answer depends largely on your child’s age.

• If your child is under 2 years old and you are purchasing the Deluxe Package or a TravelCare® Package, then your child receives emergency medical coverage at no extra cost.
• If your child is 2 or older, you’ll need to purchase emergency medical coverage for him or her.
• No matter how old your child is, if you’ve purchased an airline ticket or made a separate trip deposit for him or her, consider buying a travel insurance package or trip cancellation and interruption insurance.

The right coverage for your trip depends on several factors, including (but not limited to) where you’re traveling to, how long you’ll be gone, the kind of transportation you’ll be using and, in some instances, your overall health. View all of our travel insurance products now.

An accident, illness or medical emergency can happen anywhere, anytime. If you need medical care or treatment in another country, your government health plan may cover only a portion of the costs. Travel insurance starts where these plans leave off.
Plus, with our emergency medical coverage, you have access to the multilingual representatives of Allianz Global Assistance.

Yes, if you are travelling outside your home province or territory. There are several reasons why it’s important to get travel medical insurance when you’re travelling within Canada. One reason is that accidents can happen anywhere. Another is that government health insurance plans do have limits on reimbursement of emergency medical expenses incurred while you are in another province. For example, the ambulance, emergency dental treatment and prescription drugs might not be covered by some government health insurance plans.

You may extend your coverage if you extend your trip, subject to certain conditions of your policy.
If you’ve purchased a single trip plan, the following conditions apply:

• If you have not had a medical condition during your trip or while covered under your policy, you can request an extension by contacting us at 1-866-896-8172 before your original policy’s expiry date.
• If you have had a medical condition during your trip and while covered under your policy, you must request the extension by contacting Allianz Global Assistance before the expiry date of your original policy. Your extension is subject to the approval of Allianz Global Assistance.
• You must pay the required additional premium before your original policy’s expiry date.
• If we are unable to extend your particular policy’s coverage due to the trip duration limits of your policy, you may be able to purchase a new policy from us.

If you’ve purchased a multi-trip annual plan, the following conditions apply:

• Before your effective date, you may contact us at 1-866-896-8172 to purchase top-up coverage.
• After your effective date and if you have not had a medical condition during your trip, you must contact us at 1-866-896-8172 before your original policy’s expiry date to purchase top-up coverage.
• After your effective date and if you have had a medical condition during your trip, you must contact Allianz Global Assistance before your original policy’s expiry date to request approval for and to purchase top-up coverage.
• The terms, conditions and exclusions of the new top-up policy apply to you.
• You must pay the required top-up premium on or before the effective date of the top-up period.

If you do NOT top-up your coverage for a trip, you will not be covered for any claims you make outside the period of insurance for that trip. If the top-up policy you are purchasing requires you to complete health questions, you must complete the health questions.

Please see the policy documents for complete coverage details regarding trip extensions.

It may, but not always. We recommend that you carefully review the travel insurance coverage provided by your credit card, as well as any special conditions or stipulations.

Do you have an RBC Royal Bank® credit card?

To review the travel insurance coverage that comes with your RBC Royal Bank credit card, visit: www.rbcroyalbank.com/cards/documentation/index.html and click the “Insurance Certificate” link for your card.

We recommend that you carefully review your government health plan coverage. Government plans may not cover all emergency medical expenses once you leave your home province/territory and typically cover only a limited portion once you leave the country. In fact, the Canadian Government (Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development Canada) urges Canadians to purchase supplemental health insurance when leaving the country. They say:

Do not rely on your provincial or territorial health plan to cover costs if you get sick or are injured while abroad. Out-of-country health care can be costly, and your health plan may not cover any medical expenses abroad. It is your responsibility to seek information from your provincial or territorial health authority and to obtain supplementary travel insurance and understand the terms of your policy².

Plus, government health insurance plans don’t guarantee coverage for special care (air ambulance or emergency dental services, for instance).

Unlike government health insurance plans, our insurance offers you:

• Unlimited coverage for eligible medical expenses¹
• Up-front payment of eligible medical expenses whenever possible
• 24-hour, multilingual emergency medical assistance—one toll-free phone call puts you in touch with a multilingual professional who will refer you to a local doctor or facility in order for you to receive the care you need

Government health insurance plans also don’t provide coverage for situations such as lost, damaged or delayed baggage or trip cancellation and interruption. Our travel insurance can provide these coverages and more.

Yes, you do need travel insurance to protect yourself against the unexpected, even if you are going to the United States for a few days. An illness or accident can happen at any time, whether you’re on the road for a few days, or a few months. And remember, the cost of health care is very expensive in the United States and very little of this cost would be covered by your government health insurance plan, credit card or company benefits plan. For a short trip, the cost of travel insurance is minimal, and it gives you the protection you need.

If you purchase trip cancellation and interruption insurance, it will help pay for your expenses to return home in the event of a covered emergency. There are a number of circumstances that qualify as an emergency (for example, the death or serious illness of a family member). The cost of cancelling a trip prior to departure can be very expensive, as most trips are non-refundable and/or non-transferable, especially if you have to cancel just before leaving on your trip. Having to return early from a trip can also be very expensive. Either way, trip cancellation and interruption insurance is very important to protect your travel investment.

You must purchase coverage before departing on your trip. You may benefit from purchasing coverage as soon as you make your initial trip deposit, especially if you are purchasing trip cancellation and interruption insurance—either as stand-alone coverage or as part of one of our insurance packages.
If you were to book your trip 6 months in advance, consider the unexpected situations that could occur in that time.

If you purchase travel insurance from RBC Insurance, we will pay the eligible bills directly to the hospital or physician whenever possible.

There are a number of sports that are not covered during your trip. For more details, see the Exclusions section of the individual policy document.

You may purchase a top-up policy for the extra number of days beyond the duration covered by your multi-trip annual plan. Here are the conditions:

• Before your effective date, you may contact us at 1-866-896-8172 to purchase top-up coverage.
• After your effective date and if you have not had a medical condition during your trip, you must contact us at 1-866-896-8172 before your original policy’s expiry date to purchase top-up coverage.
• After your effective date and if you have had a medical condition during your trip, you must contact Allianz Global Assistance before your original policy’s expiry date to request approval for and purchase top-up coverage.
• The terms, conditions and exclusions of the new top-up policy apply to you.
• You must pay the required top-up premium on or before the effective date of the top-up period.

If you do NOT top-up your coverage for a trip, you will not be covered for any claims you make outside the period of insurance for that trip. If the top-up policy you are purchasing requires you to complete health questions, you must complete the health questions.

Please see the policy document for complete coverage details regarding top-up coverage.

If you purchase one of our travel medical insurance plans—either Classic Medical or TravelCare® Medical—you can, subject to certain conditions:

• If you are travelling for more than 183 days, you may purchase single trip coverage for up to 365 days provided that you are covered under your government health plan for the full duration of your trip.
• If you are 40-74 years of age, you must also answer a few health questions, which will determine whether you are eligible to purchase coverage for trips beyond 183 days.

Yes, if you are travelling with your spouse/partner and children or other family members, you could save money with our family plan pricing.

The cost of a trip can be a significant financial investment. A lot can also happen in the time between booking your trip and departing—if a medical emergency or other unexpected event prevents you from going on your trip, you could potentially lose some (or possibly all) of the money you paid.

With trip cancellation and interruption insurance, you’re protected when certain situations prevent you from travelling as planned. Examples include:

• You can’t travel due to an illness, job loss or immediate family member’s medical emergency
• You need to return home earlier than scheduled because of a family emergency or medical condition

Note: We strongly recommend that you purchase trip cancellation and interruption insurance at the time you pay your initial travel deposit. Please see the policy document for complete coverage details, including terms and conditions.

Whether you have a new claim or questions about an existing claim, representatives will work with you to make things as easy as possible. Visit the Travel Insurance Claims page for more details about how to submit a claim.

It’s our goal to settle every claim as quickly as possible. While every claim is different, there are things you can do to speed things up:

• If you require emergency care on your trip, call our emergency contact number immediately, or at the earliest possible opportunity (someone else can call if you’re unable to). If you do not, your coverage may be limited and your benefits could be reduced.
• If you need to cancel your trip prior to departing, call your travel agency, airline, tour company or the carrier immediately to cancel your trip no later than one business day after the cause of cancellation. Call Allianz Global Assistance the same day.
• For all claims, carefully read the instructions for submitting your claim. Make sure you fully complete any required claims forms and submit all required documentation at your earliest possible convenience. For example, you may need to provide information on your past health history if you are submitting an emergency medical claim or a trip cancellation claim due to a medical condition.

The documentation you need to provide will depend on the type of claim, the type of plan you purchased and the province/territory in which you live. Visit the Travel Insurance Claims page for more details about how to submit a claim.

No matter where in the world you are, we’ll be here for you. If you have an emergency, you can call Allianz Global Assistance toll-free 24 hours a day, 7 days a week at 1-855-947-1581 from the U.S. and Canada or (905) 816-2561 collect from anywhere in the world. Or as an alternative, you can email Allianz Global Assistance at: emergencyassistance@allianz-assistance.ca³.

The multilingual representatives of Allianz Global Assistance are ready 24 hours a day, seven days a week when you have a medical emergency. You can rely on them to refer you or (when medically appropriate) transfer you to one of the accredited medical service providers within the Allianz Global Assistance network, so you can receive the care you need as quickly as possible.

Because the representatives are multilingual and have 24-hour access to real-time translation services, they can provide the help you need in your own language—and also have someone to communicate on your behalf with medical personnel who may speak a different language.

Whenever possible, Allianz Global Assistance will also request for the medical service provider within the network to bill the covered medical expenses directly to us instead of you—reducing stress and hassle.

Yes, as soon as medically possible. There are several reasons to call the emergency contact number first:

The multilingual representatives of Allianz Global Assistance are experienced experts in coordinating emergency care for travellers in foreign lands.

They’re available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

If you don’t call Allianz Global Assistance first, your benefits may be reduced and your coverage may be limited. As stated in your policy, if you do not contact Allianz Global Assistance at the time of your medical emergency or you choose to receive treatment from a medical service provider outside the Allianz Global Assistance network, you will be responsible for 30% of your medical expenses covered under your insurance and in excess of your medical expenses paid by your government health plan.

You can call Allianz Global Assistance toll-free 24 hours a day, 7 days a week at 1-855-947-1581 from the U.S. and Canada or (905) 816-2561 collect from anywhere in the world.

Of course, obtaining urgent care in an emergency is your #1 priority—and our representatives are here to help at our toll-free emergency contact number. However, if your medical condition prevents you from calling before seeking emergency treatment, then you must call as soon as medically possible.

Someone else (a family member, friend, hospital or physician’s office staff, etc.) may call on your behalf–so it’s a very good idea to carry your RBC Insurance travel insurance wallet card with you at all times.

They may call Allianz Global Assistance toll-free 24 hours a day, 7 days a week at 1-855-947-1581 from the U.S. and Canada or (905) 816-2561 collect from anywhere in the world. Or as an alternative, they can email Allianz Global Assistance at: emergencyassistance@allianz-assistance.ca.

We will pay your eligible medical bills directly to the medical provider or hospital for you whenever possible.