Register for health insurance

Temporary stay in Québec

To be eligible for health insurance when you are a temporary worker in Québec, you must have a document confirming that you are authorized to stay in Québec for more than 6 months. You cannot apply for registration before your arrival in Québec.

Visitors and tourists in Québec are not eligible for health insurance. To find out more, refer to the webpage Know the eligibility conditions for health insurance.

If you are in one of the following situations, you must speak to an agent to register:

• Worker applying for permanent residence with an open permit
• Head of a liturgical office
• Merit scholarship recipient issued by the ministère de l’Enseignement supérieur
• Holder of an open work permit for vulnerable foreign workers

Contact us

Call us and we will mail you your personalized form.

Québec area: 418 781-2520
Montréal area: 514 687-4571
Throughout Québec: 1 833 203-5524
Outside Québec: 1 514 687-4571

To complete your registration, you must mail us your complete application, including your signed registration form and the requested documents.

Processing of your application

You will receive a letter after your application for registration has been processed. This letter confirms whether or not you are eligible for health insurance and indicates the date from which you will be eligible, if applicable. If you are eligible, you will receive your Health Insurance Card in a separate mailing. There will be no photo or signature on this card.

Period of coverage

When you are temporarily staying in Québec, your health insurance coverage starts after a waiting period of up to 3 months after you register. This period also applies if you hold Canadian citizenship but does not apply to children under age 18. For this reason, we advise you to take out private insurance within 5 days of your arrival in Québec to ensure your coverage during the waiting period.

Change of situation

If you receive new immigration documents, they may change your status or affect your eligibility for the Québec Health Insurance Plan. To find out more, refer to the webpage Know the eligibility conditions for health insurance to check whether you need to register again.