Global Affairs Canada Travel Insurance

Global Affairs Canada's travel insurance section is aimed at Canadian citizens and residents studying or working internationally, providing official government guidance on what to look for in a student health insurance policy. The site doesn't sell insurance directly but instead links to approved providers and explains key coverage details, which gives Canadian students an authoritative starting point rather than relying on marketing from individual insurers. The guidance covers what's required for different countries and visa types, helping a student understand whether their home province health plan covers them abroad (spoiler: it usually doesn't).

For Canadian students, this is the most credible source for understanding what insurance they actually need and what gaps their provincial coverage leaves. The site addresses a specific pain point: Canadian provincial health plans provide minimal coverage outside Canada, so students must buy supplemental international coverage. The government's own guidance on this matters, because it sets the bar for what's considered adequate and helps students avoid buying either too little or too much coverage.