Private health insurance

Minors (aged 17 and under) are eligible for RAMQ health and drug insurance (free public plan), provided they are present in Québec for more than 6 months of the year. You can register for this on the Government of Québec website. To make sure your child is covered as soon as they arrive in Québec, you must contact the RAMQ within 15 days of their arrival.

Adults (aged 18 and older) who are not eligible for RAMQ coverage must have private health insurance.

Note: You or your partner may have health insurance through one of your employers. That type of insurance is usually complementary to the RAMQ and does not cover basic care or emergencies. As such, it is not sufficient as primary insurance.
 

If you are not registered for a fall or winter semester, or if you have completed your studies, you will no longer be covered by the Université Laval insurance plan. If you have RAMQ coverage, you will need to contact the program to confirm whether your coverage will continue.

You will be covered by the Régie de l’assurance maladie du Québec (RAMQ) once you have a post-graduation work permit, but once your Université Laval (Desjardins) coverage ends, you will need insurance until the RAMQ coverage begins.

If you were covered by the RAMQ during your studies but there is a long wait for your post-graduation work permit, contact the RAMQ to find out whether you will be covered while your application is being processed and whether there is a waiting period once the permit has been obtained.

You must have insurance coverage for the gap between the end of the Université Laval or RAMQ coverage and your departure from Canada.