OHIP: how Brits in Toronto get Ontario health cover, and what it leaves out
OHIP is Ontario's answer to the NHS, and if you qualify it covers you from the day you're eligible, but it's leaner than the NHS in ways that catch Brits out.
The short version
- You qualify for OHIP if Ontario is your main home, you meet the physical presence rules and you have an eligible status, such as permanent residence or a full-time job with an Ontario employer for at least six months on a work permit [1].
- There's no longer a waiting period. If you're eligible, cover starts straight away [1].
- You apply in person at ServiceOntario with three original documents: proof of status, proof of Ontario residence and proof of identity [1].
- OHIP doesn't cover prescriptions outside hospital for most adults, dentists, glasses or most physio. That's where a workplace plan or private insurance comes in [2].
- The UK and Canada have no reciprocal healthcare agreement, so you need private cover for any gap before OHIP starts [3].
Pound conversions use the Bank of England spot rate of 5 November 2026 (£1 = CAD 1.8858).
Who qualifies for OHIP
Ontario sets three minimum tests, and you need to meet all of them [1]:
- Be physically in Ontario for 153 days in any 12-month period.
- Be physically in Ontario for at least 153 of the first 183 days after you start living here.
- Make Ontario your primary residence.
On top of that you need an eligible status [1]. For most Brits that means one of these:
| Your situation | Eligible for OHIP? |
|---|---|
| Permanent resident (including via Express Entry) | Yes |
| Canadian citizen (including by descent) | Yes |
| Work permit holder employed full-time by an Ontario employer for at least six months | Yes |
| Working holiday (IEC) or other open work permit without that six-month full-time job | Not on that basis |
| Visitor, including someone here on a visitor record | No [1] |
The work permit route trips people up. It's the full-time job with an Ontario employer, for at least six months, that counts. A short contract, freelancing for UK clients or remote work for a UK company usually won't do it. If you're here on Canada's working holiday (IEC), assume you'll need private insurance unless you land a qualifying job, and check the rules for your exact permit before you rely on OHIP.
A spouse and children can often qualify alongside you, but it depends on their own status and documents, so take everything for the whole family when you apply.
Cover from day one: the old wait has gone
Brits who moved to Ontario before 2020 will remember the three-month wait for OHIP. It's gone. Ontario's official line is that "There is no longer a waiting period for OHIP coverage" [1]. Once you're eligible and registered, you're covered.
That doesn't mean you're covered from the moment the plane touches down at Pearson. You still need to be eligible, get to ServiceOntario and register. Keep travel or newcomer health insurance running until your card number is issued, and ideally for a few weeks after. The FCDO's Living in Canada guide is blunt about it: Canada doesn't have a reciprocal health agreement with the UK, so make sure you have proper health insurance [3]. Your GHIC is no use here, and once you've moved abroad you're generally no longer entitled to free NHS care back home either. Our guide to the NHS when you live abroad explains what changes.
Applying at ServiceOntario: the documents
You apply in person at a ServiceOntario centre with a completed Registration for Ontario Health Insurance Coverage form and three separate original documents. Photocopies aren't accepted [1]:
- Proof of citizenship or immigration status. For example, your permanent resident card or confirmation of PR, or your work permit.
- Proof of Ontario residence. For example, your Toronto lease, a utility bill or a bank statement with your address.
- Proof of identity. Usually your British passport.
Each document can only count once, so bring spares. A few tips from people who've done it:
- Book ahead if your local ServiceOntario centre offers appointments; walk-in queues at downtown centres can be long.
- Bring your employer's letter if you're applying on a work permit. It should confirm you're full-time and the expected length of the job.
- Use your Toronto address on everything. A UK address is no good as proof of Ontario residence.
- Ask what happens next. The card itself follows in the post, so ask at the counter what to show a doctor or clinic in the meantime.
Then find a family doctor. Health Care Connect, Ontario's service for patients without one, can add you to its list. Waits can be long in Toronto, so walk-in clinics and virtual visits fill the gap. OHIP covers medically necessary doctor visits in full, in person or by video or phone [2]. Our guide to healthcare in Toronto covers doctors, hospitals and emergencies.
What OHIP covers, and what it doesn't
OHIP covers the core things you'd expect from the NHS: doctor visits, hospital stays and treatment, lab tests ordered by your doctor, and ambulance services in part or in full [2]. The surprises are in what it leaves out [2]:
| Service | OHIP? |
|---|---|
| GP and specialist visits (medically necessary) | Covered in full |
| Hospital care, including drugs given as an in-patient | Covered |
| Prescriptions from your doctor, collected at a pharmacy | Not covered for most adults |
| Dentist visits | Not covered |
| Glasses and contact lenses | Not covered |
| Routine eye tests, adults 20 to 64 | Not covered unless you have an eligible condition, such as diabetes or glaucoma |
| Eye tests, 19 and under | One major exam every 12 months |
| Eye tests, 65 and over | One major exam every 18 months |
| Podiatry | CAD 7 to 16 a visit, up to CAD 135 a year (about £72) |
| Private or semi-private hospital room | You or your insurer pay |
The prescription gap is the big one. There's no flat NHS-style charge here: if you're an adult without a drug plan, you pay the pharmacy's full price. OHIP+ covers more than 5,900 medicines free for anyone aged 24 or under who has OHIP and isn't covered by a private plan [4]. Coverage stops on the 25th birthday, or as soon as the young person is on a private plan [4]. If your household still faces big drug bills relative to income, Ontario's Trillium scheme can help [4].
Private insurance for what OHIP leaves out
Most Torontonians with a salaried job get "benefits" through work: an extended health plan that pays some or all of prescriptions, dental, glasses and therapies like physio and counselling. When you're comparing job offers, the benefits package matters as much as the salary. It's the nearest thing to the NHS covering your prescriptions.
If you're self-employed, between jobs or newly arrived, you can buy individual health and dental insurance. Plans differ a lot in what they cover and whether they exclude conditions you already have, so read the small print. A few things to keep in mind:
- Bridge the gap. Get newcomer or travel insurance before you fly, covering you until OHIP is in place.
- Check pre-existing conditions. Many individual plans limit or exclude them, especially if you buy after arriving.
- Plan for trips abroad. OHIP's cover outside Canada is thin. For emergencies it pays the lesser of the bill or up to CAD 50 a day (about £27) for outpatient care, and up to CAD 400 a day (about £212) for intensive in-patient care [5]. A few days in hospital on a family visit to Spain or Florida could cost far more, so buy travel insurance for every trip, including trips home to Blighty.
Keeping your OHIP
OHIP is tied to living in Ontario. If you'll be out of Canada for more than seven months in a 12-month period, you can keep cover for up to two years in some cases, but you must have spent at least 153 days in Ontario in each of the two 12-month periods before you leave, and you need to visit ServiceOntario before you go [5]. Update your address with ServiceOntario whenever you move, and renew your card before it expires.
If you've just arrived and are still finding your feet, our community group for Brits in Canada is full of people who've been through ServiceOntario recently and can tell you what actually happened on the day.
Sources
- Government of Ontario: Apply for OHIP and get a health card (updated 21 July 2025)
- Government of Ontario: What OHIP covers (updated 22 April 2026)
- GOV.UK (FCDO): Living in Canada (updated 11 December 2025)
- Government of Ontario: Learn about OHIP+ (updated 11 February 2026)
- Government of Ontario: OHIP coverage while outside Canada