Away from Canada for more than 6 Months

[mviveros]

Hi all.

I have a Canadian passport and had to come to my home country to sort out some family stuff.

What happens if you are away from Canada for more than 6 months?

I am thinking particularly of my health card.

Thank you

[SettlementOrgMod]

Hello,

Thank you for sharing your question with us.

Generally, if you are going to be outside Canada or Ontario for more than 6 months, in order to maintain your OHIP coverage, you are required to meet specific requirements. This applies to certain situations and cases.

You can find some information on the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care website here:

You may be out of the province for up to 212 days in any 12-month period and still maintain your Ontario health insurance coverage provided that you continue to make Ontario your primary place of residence.

To maintain eligibility for OHIP coverage you must be an eligible resident of Ontario. This means that you must :

-have an OHIP-eligible citizenship/immigration status; and
-be physically present in Ontario for 153 days in any 12-month period; and
-be physically present in Ontario for at least 153 days of the first 183 days immediately after establishing residency in the province; and
-make your primary place of residence in Ontario.

You can also find information in the Longer Absences section.

You may also want to the ServiceOntario INFOline directly for information specific to your situation here:

Toll-free: 1-888-376-5197, 416-314-5518 (Toronto only)
TTY toll-free: 1-800-387-5559
Core Hours: 8:30am - 5:00pm

I hope this information is helpful. Please let us know if you have further questions and if there is any follow up to your question/situation.

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Anna
Settlement.Org Content and Information/Referral Specialist, CIRS
Settlement.Org