What OHIP is and what the health card does
OHIP is the Ontario Health Insurance Plan. Once you are approved, the province pays for many medically necessary services, and you receive an Ontario health card with your 10-digit health number. You show this card every time you see a doctor, visit an emergency room, have a medical test or go for surgery.
OHIP covers services such as appointments with a family doctor, visits to walk-in clinics, emergency room visits, and medical tests and surgeries. A service must have a medical reason to be covered. Cosmetic surgery, for example, is not covered.
Who qualifies for OHIP
With some exceptions, you must meet all three basic conditions: you make Ontario your primary residence, you are physically in Ontario for at least 153 of the first 183 days after you start living here, and you are physically in Ontario for 153 days in any 12-month period after that. You do not have to wait until you have spent 153 days in Ontario before you apply.
You must also have one of the statuses on Ontario’s list. The ones newcomers ask about most are below. If your status is not on the list, you do not qualify, even if you live and work in Ontario.
- Permanent resident (including people who just landed with a Confirmation of Permanent Residence).
- Valid work permit and working full-time in Ontario for an Ontario employer, for at least 6 months. Your spouse and dependants may also qualify.
- Work permit expired but you hold maintained status: you may be eligible, and Ontario asks you to contact ServiceOntario.
- Applicant for permanent residence, if IRCC has confirmed that you meet the eligibility requirements to apply and you have not been refused.
- Valid work permit under the federal Live-in Caregiver Program or the Seasonal Agricultural Worker Program.
- Convention refugee or other protected person.
- Temporary Resident Permit holder, only certain case types (86 to 95).
- Canadian citizen or registered Indigenous person.
International students and visitors
A study permit is not one of the statuses on Ontario’s OHIP list, so most international students cannot get an Ontario health card. Your college or university tells you which health plan you must carry, so ask its international student office before you arrive.
There is one exception to check. Ontario accepts an IRCC document such as a study permit or work permit when it carries a note confirming that you applied for permanent residence, met the eligibility requirements to apply, and have not been refused. Visitors and tourists from other provinces or other countries do not qualify for OHIP, and Ontario recommends private medical insurance for the trip.
Documents to bring to ServiceOntario
Bring a completed Registration for Ontario Health Insurance Coverage form and three separate documents from Ontario’s official list. Each document can count for one category only, and photocopies are not accepted. Your proof of status and your proof of identity must be originals. Your proof of Ontario residency can be an original, a printout or a digital copy.
- Work permit holders: the employer letter or contract must be on company letterhead, signed and dated, and state that you work full-time, your job title, your start date, and that the employer intends to employ you for at least six months.
- Bank statements count only as monthly account statements. Receipts, bank books, letters and ATM slips are not accepted.
- Ontario may ask for more documents if it needs them.
| Category | Common examples for newcomers |
|---|---|
| 1. Citizenship or OHIP-eligible immigration status (original) | Permanent Resident Card (valid or expired no more than five years), Confirmation of Permanent Residence (IMM 5292 or 5688), Record of Landing (IMM 1000), or a work permit together with an employer letter (see below) |
| 2. Proof you live in Ontario | Rental or lease agreement, utility bill, phone bill, monthly bank statement, credit card statement, pay stub or employer letter, insurance policy, school transcript, Ontario driver’s licence |
| 3. Proof of identity with your name and signature (original) | Passport from any country, credit card, Permanent Resident Card (if it shows your signature), employee ID card, student ID card, union card |
How to apply, step by step
You cannot apply for OHIP online the first time. The first card is always issued in person because ServiceOntario takes your photo.
- Download and fill in the Registration for Ontario Health Insurance Coverage form from ontario.ca, or pick one up at the centre.
- Choose your three documents from the official list, one per category, and check that they are originals where required.
- Find a ServiceOntario centre that issues health cards. You can walk in, and many centres let you book an appointment ahead.
- At the counter, show your documents, have your photo taken and sign.
- Keep the Transaction Record you are given. It shows your health number and version code, and you can use it to get health care until your card arrives.
- Watch your mail. Ontario says the new card is mailed within about 4 to 6 weeks to the address on your application.
What to do before your card arrives or if you do not qualify
Because there is no waiting period, most eligible newcomers are covered from the day they register. Until the plastic card arrives, carry your Transaction Record. Apply in your first days in Ontario rather than waiting, so you have proof of coverage if you need care.
If you are not eligible for OHIP and have no other insurance, Ontario says you pay for services directly or through private health insurance. Buy private coverage before you arrive if you can. Some publicly funded services are still open to uninsured people:
- Primary care at Ontario’s Community Health Centres (75 sites across the province).
- Midwifery care, which does not depend on OHIP coverage.
- Some vaccinations, infectious disease testing and harm reduction programs at local public health units.
- Health811: call 811 for free advice from a registered nurse, day or night.
- Emergency care: Ontario’s Public Hospitals Act requires hospitals to admit uninsured patients if not doing so would endanger their lives. You may still be billed.
Renewing your card and work permit expiry
Most Ontario health cards must be renewed every five years. Renewal is free and the new card arrives by mail in about 4 to 6 weeks. Some people can renew online; ontario.ca lists who is eligible.
If your card has a set end date, as it does for temporary foreign workers, applicants for permanent residence and temporary resident permit holders, ServiceOntario’s renewal reminders page says these cards are renewed at public offices only, with extra documents. They are not part of the email and text reminder sign-up, but mailed renewal notices continue for them. It is still wise to note the expiry date yourself, before your permit ends. When your status changes, for example when you become a permanent resident or get a new work permit, bring your newest immigration document to ServiceOntario.
If you are outside Ontario for more than 212 days in any 12-month period, you may have to reapply in person.
Common mistakes newcomers make
Most refused or delayed applications come down to paperwork. Check these before you go.
- Bringing photocopies, or using one document for two categories. You need three different documents.
- An employer letter that leaves out full-time status, job title, start date or the six-month commitment.
- Going without your status document because you think a passport is enough. A passport proves identity, not immigration status.
- Assuming a study permit gives you OHIP. It does not on its own.
- Letting a card with an end date lapse while you wait for a new permit, without calling ServiceOntario about maintained status.
- Skipping private insurance for family members who do not yet qualify.
If ServiceOntario says you do not qualify
You can ask the OHIP Eligibility Review Committee (OERC) to review the decision. Send a copy of your ServiceOntario eligibility assessment or transaction record, the reason you believe you qualify, supporting documents and your contact details, preferably by email to OERC@ontario.ca. If the committee also refuses, you can appeal to the Health Services Appeal and Review Board within 30 days of the committee’s written decision. For general questions about eligibility, call the ServiceOntario INFOline at 1-866-532-3161.
We don't provide legal opinions; for advice on your file, contact an RCIC-verified consultant or a lawyer.