Top Insurance Questions Answered for Canada Super Visa Holders
As a Canada super visa holder, protecting your car and your personal belongings with insurance should be a top priority.
You’ll need to navigate car and tenant insurance for your 5-year stay as a parent or grandparent on a super visa.
Here’s your top guide to insurance in Canada as a super visa holder.
Western Financial Group, a 100% Canadian company, can help you navigate your insurance needs as a newcomer to Canada on a super visa.
Did you know? When you use an insurance broker like Western Financial Group, we will get you multiple insurance quotes for your insurance needs and you’ll choose the coverage that suits your needs at the best price for you. We will help you save money!
Let’s start with what you need to know about car insurance as a super visa holder
Your top questions about car insurance in Canada as a super visa holder
What kind of car insurance legally required in Canada?
As a super visa holder, you must meet the same car insurance requirements as other drivers in Canada. You must have a valid license and car insurance.
Minimum car insurance needed in Canada:
- Third-party liability coverage is mandatory in Canada and each province and territory has its own minimum coverage requirements. Liability coverage covers losses such as injury or death and covers damage to the other party if you are found to be at fault for an accident.
- Accident benefits/bodily injury insurance covers the cost of your own medical expenses and loss of income when you are in an accident.
- Uninsured motorist coverage protects you if you’re in an accident with someone who has no insurance.
What is optional car insurance in Canada?
- Comprehensive coverage: Protects against damage from events like hail, fire, flooding, vandalism, and theft.
- Collision coverage: Covers damage to your car in case of an accident.
- Accident forgiveness coverage: It helps protect you from increased insurance costs after your first at-fault accident.
Ask your Western Financial Group car insurance expert to help you get the right coverage for your driving situation as a super visa newcomer to Canada. Western can help you save money on your car insurance!
Do I need to get a Canadian driver’s license?
Yes, eventually you will need to get a Canadian driver’s license. Most provinces and territories allow you to drive with your valid foreign license (and, in many places, with an International Driving Permit or IDP) for a limited time, typically 60 to 180 days, depending on where you live.
How can I save on my car insurance as a Canada super visa holder?
- Bundle your car insurance with your tenant insurance
- Bring proof of driving history and insurance
- Ask if you qualify for discounts
- Get a letter of experience from your previous insurer so that your Canadian insurer will consider your international driving record, which can reduce your premium if you have a clean record.
- Get a Canadian driver’s license as soon as you can.
- Successfully complete a Canadian driving course.
- Use an insurance broker to get multiple car insurance quotes to compare prices and coverages.
- Increase your deductible to reduce your car insurance premium.
- Pay your car insurance annually instead of monthly.
- Maintain a clean driving record.
- Install safety features and use winter tires.
- Enroll in usage-based insurance.
- Choose a low-risk vehicle.
- You can qualify for a discount if you drive fewer than 10,000 kilometres a year
Top tip to consider
Consider named driver status. As a newcomer with a Canada super visa, ask a relative or friend to add you as a named driver on their policy to build insurance history before you get your own car insurance policy.
What is usage-based insurance?
Usage-based car insurance (UBI), also known as pay-as-you-drive or telematics insurance, is a type of car insurance where your premium is determined by your driving habits. Insurers collect data on how you drive, such as your speed, braking, acceleration, mileage, time of day you drive, using either a device installed in your car or a mobile app on your smartphone.
What if I drive without car insurance?
Fines and penalties are severe for uninsured drivers in Canada.
Did you know? The average car insurance cost in Canada in 2025 is approximately $1,725 per year, or about $144 per month. It could be more or less, depending on where you live, your car, and your driving record.
Your top questions about tenant insurance in Canada as a newcomer on a super visa
Does my landlord’s insurance cover my belongings in the apartment I’ve rented?
No. your landlord's insurance does not cover your personal belongings in the apartment you've rented. The landlord’s insurance policy only protects the building and anything that belongs to the landlord, such as appliances or furniture provided. It specifically excludes coverage for the tenants’ possessions, such as clothing, electronics, furniture, or other personal items. You will need tenant insurance to protect your belongings.
How much is tenant insurance?
In Canada, average monthly premiums tend to be around $30 per month or approximately $360 annually but could be more or less based on where you live and your individual situation.
Do renters need flood insurance?
Renters in Canada typically do not have flood damage covered under standard tenant insurance policies. Flood coverage is usually an optional add-on or endorsement that renters can buy separately to protect their personal belongings from flood-related losses.
What about sewer backup insurance?
Renters in Canada should consider adding sewer backup insurance coverage as part of their tenant insurance. Sewer backup coverage is typically not included automatically in standard tenant insurance policies.
Can choosing a higher deductible lower your renters’ insurance?
Yes, choosing a higher deductible on your tenant insurance policy usually lowers your premium. This means that by agreeing to pay more out of pocket if you make a claim; for example, increasing your deductible from $500 to $1,000, your monthly or annual insurance payments will decrease. It’s something to consider as a super visa holder.
Advantages of insurance with Western Financial Group as a super visa holder
- Western is a national insurance broker partnering with Canada’s leading insurance companies to get you car or tenant insurance that will help you save money.
- Western will get you multiple insurance quotes for you to choose from to meet your coverage needs.
- Western can help you customize your insurance.
- Western will help you bundle your insurance to save.
- Western puts you, the customer, first.
- Western has been in the insurance business for over 100 years!
- We are 100% Canadian and we know the Canadian market.
Do Canada super visa holders need medical insurance?
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) mandates proof of private medical insurance from a Canadian insurer to obtain a super visa. This medical coverage must be valid for at least one year from the date of entry, provide a minimum of $100,000 in emergency health coverage, and cover health care, hospitalization, and repatriation.
If a super visa holder plans to stay for multiple years, up to a maximum of five years, they must renew or extend their private medical insurance before the initial policy expires to maintain the required coverage throughout their stay.
Did you know? TuGo is Western Financial Group's trusted travel insurance provider. TuGo offers emergency medical insurance for Canada super visa applicants.
To sum it all up
As a Canada super visa holder, minimum car insurance is mandatory while tenant insurance isn’t legally required. Look at it this way: Insurance protects you from unexpected events. Can you afford the risk of not protecting your belongings?
5 FAQs
How to save money on insurance as a super visa holder
Use an insurance broker to get multiple quotes for coverage so that you can pick the right policy for your needs at the right price for you. Western Financial Group can help you with car insurance and tenant insurance as a super visa holder in Canada.
Do I need private medical insurance for one year or all five years as a Canada super visa holder?
Canada super visa holders do not purchase a single policy that covers the entire potential five years. Instead, they must maintain continuous private medical insurance coverage, renewing annually as needed for their stay of up to five years.
Can landlords require super visa holders to get tenant insurance if they are renting in Canada?
Yes, landlords in Canada can require super visa holders who are renting to carry tenant insurance as a condition of the lease agreement. Tenant insurance is not legally mandatory in Canada, but landlords have the right to include it in the lease and request proof of insurance before allowing tenants to move in. This requirement applies equally to all tenants, not just super visa holders.
Are there any age restrictions on getting insurance in Canada?
Insurance age restrictions in Canada vary by product, but adults 18 and older can generally obtain most types of insurance, while visitor or medical insurance often has upper age limits around 79 years old.
For super visa medical insurance, applicants must meet insurance minimum coverage and eligibility criteria but are subject to the insurer's age limits, often aligned with visitor insurance rules, up to age 79 or 84 depending on conditions.
Why is super visa medical insurance important?
Canada’s provincial healthcare plans do not cover visitors’ medical expenses. Private medical insurance helps protect super visa holders financially in case of illness.
