If you are a Canadian resident travelling abroad and you forgot to buy a travel insurance policy before you have headed out on vacation, you won’t be able to purchase coverage with Allianz Global Assistance for your trip. If you have purchased a policy online after your departure, your coverage will be affected if you have to file a claim related to a medical or non-medical event. The only option available for buying a policy when you are already overseas is to extend the original policy of coverage purchased before your departure if you have one.
If you are a foreign national travelling to Canada as a visitor, you are entitled to purchase a policy that may cover emergency medical events such as illnesses and injuries after leaving your country of origin or even after the expiry date of an existing policy administrated by Allianz Global Assistance. However, the policy will be subject to a 48-hour waiting period for any sickness. The 48-hour waiting time does not apply for injuries incurring within this period In other words, any sickness that starts during the 48-hour waiting period is not covered even if expenses are incurred after the 48-hour waiting period.
Therefore, it is recommended to purchase travel insurance as soon as you book your flights or vacation to avoid any future headaches.