Apply for OHIP and get a health card

The Ontario Health Insurance Plan ( OHIP ) pays for many health services you may need. Here’s how to apply for OHIP and get a health card.

Download Registration for Ontario Health Insurance Coverage form
There is no longer a waiting period for OHIP coverage. If you are eligible, you will have immediate health insurance coverage. Find out if you qualify.

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Health care in Ontario

OHIP is Ontario’s health care plan. Through OHIP , the province pays for many of the health services you may need. You need to apply and, once you’re approved, you’ll get an Ontario health card. Your health card proves you’re covered by OHIP – that’s why you’ll need to show it every time you see your doctor, visit an emergency room, have a medical test or go for surgery.

What’s covered

OHIP covers many health services you may need, such as:

• appointments with your family doctor
• visits to walk-in clinics and some other health care providers
• visits to an emergency room
• medical tests and surgeries

To be covered by OHIP , you must have a medical reason to receive a service or treatment. Cosmetic surgery, for example, is not covered.

Who qualifies

With certain exceptions, to qualify for OHIP , you must meet all of the minimum qualifications listed below plus at least 1 of the additional requirements.

To meet the minimum qualifications you must:

• be physically in Ontario for 153 days in any 12‑month period
• be physically in Ontario for at least 153 days of the first 183 days immediately after you began living in the province
• make Ontario your primary residence

You must also meet at least 1 of the following additional requirements. You:

• are a Canadian citizen
• are an Indigenous person (registered under the federal Indian Act )
• are a permanent resident (formerly called a “landed immigrant”)
• are applying for permanent residence in Canada and:
  • have submitted an application to Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada ( IRCC ) and
  • IRCC has confirmed they have reviewed the application and that you meet the eligibility requirements to apply (see document requirements) and
  • you have not yet been denied
  • if you meet this requirement, your spouse and dependants may also qualify for OHIP
  • if your work permit has expired but you hold “maintained status”, you may be eligible (please contact ServiceOntario for further information)
  • if you meet this requirement, your spouse and dependants may also qualify for OHIP

  Emergency authorizations granted for humanitarian reasons

  If you have been granted an emergency authorization to enter into and remain in Canada for humanitarian reasons, and are temporarily living in Ontario, you may be eligible for OHIP coverage for the duration of the authorization, or any subsequent authorizations issued for the same purpose.

  The Canada-Ukraine Authorization for Emergency Travel ( CUAET ) is such an emergency authorization.

  Eligibility

  To be eligible under this criteria, you must have been granted an emergency authorization to enter into and remain in Canada for humanitarian reasons and must also:

  • have documentation from IRCC that confirms that your emergency authorization has been granted and the duration of that authorization
  • be physically present in Ontario for 153 of the first 183 days immediately after establishing residency in Ontario
  • be physically present in Ontario for 153 days in any given 12-month period thereafter

  There is no waiting period for OHIP .

  You do not need to wait to be physically present for 153 days before applying.

  You can apply for coverage as soon as you arrive in Ontario.

  All applicants, including children, must have their own immigration document from IRCC to register for OHIP . However, children under 16 do not require proof of residency or identity.

  If you are eligible for OHIP under this provision, you are not required to make Ontario your primary place of residence.

  If you are eligible, you will receive OHIP coverage for the duration of the emergency authorization or any subsequent authorizations issued for the same purpose.

  For further information about registering under this new eligibility criteria, please contact ServiceOntario INFOline at 1-866-532-3161 , TTY: 1-800-387-5559 .

  How to apply

  You must apply for OHIP in person at a ServiceOntario centre.

  You will need to bring these documents with you:

  • a completed Registration for Ontario Health Insurance Coverage form
  • 3 separate documents from the List of qualifying identification documents (photocopies not accepted):
    • one original document that proves your Canadian citizenship orOHIP-eligible immigration status
    • one document (original, printed or digital/electronic document as noted on the list) that proves your residency in Ontario
    • one original document that proves your identity

    Reapplying for OHIP

    If you’ve been out of Ontario for more than 212 days in any 12‑month period, you may have to reapply for OHIP at a specialized ServiceOntario Centre that provides the full-suite of health card services. You can call ServiceOntario to be sure.

    If you are reapplying for OHIP , refer to the above section How to apply.

    OHIP for babies

    If your baby is born in Ontario, the steps to apply for OHIP are different depending on whether or not the baby was born:

    • in a hospital that has birthing (labour and delivery) facilities or
    • with help from a registered midwife

    Born in birthing hospital or with registered midwife

    If your baby was born in an Ontario hospital with birthing facilities or with a registered midwife, follow these steps to apply:

    1. Complete the Ontario Health Coverage Infant Registration form. It is not available online. Hospital staff or the registered midwife will give you the form. On the form you must:
       • give your baby’s name, birthdate and mailing address
       • confirm your baby’s primary place of residence is Ontario
       • confirm your baby will be in Ontario for at least 153 days in any 12‑month period
    2. The hospital or midwife will submit the top part of the form to us on your behalf.
    3. Keep the bottom section of the form until you get your baby’s Ontario health card. It shows the health number assigned to your baby.

    Your baby’s new health card will be mailed to you within 8 weeks of the date the Ontario Health Coverage Infant Registration form was submitted.

    If hospital staff or the registered midwife gave you the Ontario Health Coverage Infant Registration form and you have questions or concerns about your baby’s health card, you must contact ServiceOntario.

    If hospital staff or the registered midwife do not give you the Ontario Health Coverage Infant Registration form, you may apply for health coverage for your child at either:

    • ServiceOntario
    • the Ministry of Health’s OHIP Eligibility Review Committee ( OERC ) by:
      • Email: OERC@ontario.ca
      • Fax: 613-548-6557

      Born elsewhere in Ontario or without a registered midwife

      If your baby was born in an Ontario hospital without birthing facilities or without a registered midwife, you must apply in person at the nearest ServiceOntario centre:

      • if you go within 90 days of the birthdate, bring proof of where your baby was born (such as a letter from hospital or attending doctor)
      • if you go more than 90 days after the birthdate, bring proof of your child’s Canadian citizenship (such as a birth certificate)

      If your baby was born at home without a registered midwife, you will require the baby’s Ontario birth certificate or an Ontario Statement of Live Birth for OHIP registration. You must also bring all of the following documents with you to the ServiceOntario centre:

      • a completed Registration for Ontario Health Insurance Coverage form
      • proof of your residency (such as a valid Ontario driver’s licence, mortgage, rental or lease agreement)
      • proof of your identity (such as a passport, or credit card)

      OHIP for adopted children

      If you’ve adopted a child from outside Canada, you can apply for OHIP coverage as soon as your child arrives in Ontario.

      You must apply in person at the nearest ServiceOntario centre and bring all of the following documents for your child:

      • proof of Canadian citizenship or OHIP -eligible immigration status for your adopted child
      • proof of director approval from the Ministry of Children and Youth Services
      • adoption/guardianship documentation for your adopted child

      You must also bring all of the following documents for yourself:

      • completed Registration for Ontario Health Insurance Coverage form
      • proof of your residency (such as a valid Ontario driver’s licence, mortgage, rental or lease agreement)
      • proof of your identity (such as a passport or credit card)

      If you’ve adopted a child from within Ontario or from another Canadian province or territory, please contact ServiceOntario to confirm which documents you need ( 1-866-532-3161 ). Documentation requirements will vary based on the stage of the adoption process.

      OHIP for military family members

      If you are a spouse or dependant of a Canadian Forces member, or Reservist currently deployed by the Canadian Forces into active service, you may be eligible for OHIP coverage.

      To apply, you must attend in person at a ServiceOntario centre and bring all of the following documents:

      • a completed Registration for Ontario Health Insurance Coverage form
      • 3 separate, original (not photocopies or printouts of electronic documents) documents:
        • one that proves your Canadian citizenship or OHIP -eligible immigration status (such as a Canadian birth certificate or Permanent Resident Card)
        • one that proves you live in Ontario (such as an Ontario Driver’s Licence or income tax assessment)
        • one that supports your identity (such as a credit card or passport from any country)

        Spouses or dependants

        In order to be eligible for OHIP coverage, you will also have to present accepted military affiliation documentation for any spouse or dependant applying for OHIP .

        If you are applying without the military member present

        You will need to bring 1 of the following:

        • Special Passport (green-coloured passport for military family members returning from an out-of-country posting)
        • Canadian Forces Member's Personnel Record Résumé ( MPRR )
        • Letter from local Ontario Military Family Resource Centre on letterhead, confirming military family status of applicants (issued at the discretion of your local Military Family Resource Centre)

        If you are applying with the military member present

        You will need to bring 1 of the following:

        • Canadian Forces member's Military Identification Card (such as an NDI 20)
        • Canadian Forces member's Posting Message (with accompanying photo identification)
        • Special Passport (green-coloured passport for military family members returning from an out-of-country posting)
        • Canadian Forces Member's Personnel Record Résumé ( MPRR )
        • Letter from local Ontario Military Family Resource Centre on letterhead, confirming military family status of applicants (issued at the discretion of your local Military Family Resource Centre)

        Original documents must be presented in person at a ServiceOntario centre. Photocopies are not accepted. The Ministry of Health reserves the right to request additional documents.

        Visitors to Ontario

        Visitors to Ontario from other Canadian provinces and territories, or from outside Canada, do not qualify for OHIP . If you’re Canadian, find out what your provincial or territorial plan or private health insurance plan will cover before you take your trip to Ontario.

        We also recommend that you buy private medical insurance for your trip as an additional precaution.

        Requesting a review

        Please note that general inquires related to eligibility for OHIP or the status of your health card should be directed to ServiceOntario and will not be answered by the OERC . For example, if you are wondering if your red and white card is still valid or have been told to renew your red and white health card, please visit ServiceOntario’s website on Switching to a photo health card for more information.

        If you are told by ServiceOntario that you do not – or no longer – qualify for OHIP , you can request a review of the decision by the OHIP Eligibility Review Committee ( OERC ). The OERC will not review your eligibility for OHIP in the absence of the decision from ServiceOntario.

        Furthermore, if you were requested to return to ServiceOntario with additional documents to complete your health card transaction, please do so. The OERC will not action your request unless you were provided a decision from ServiceOntario.

        To request a review by the OERC , send OHIP an email, fax or letter with:

        • a copy of your eligibility assessment or transaction record from ServiceOntario outlining the reason(s) you were denied OHIP coverage
        • the reason why you believe you qualify for OHIP
        • additional information or documents to show you qualify
        • up-to-date contact information

        You can send your information and copies of documents by:

        • Email: OERC@ontario.ca (preferred method)
        • Fax: 613-548-6557
        • mail to:
          OHIP Eligibility Review Committee
          Ministry of Health
          49 Place d’Armes, 5 th floor
          Kingston, ON K7L 5J3

        We will review your submission and reply with a written response. We may also follow up by phone.

        Further appeals

        If the OERC finds you ineligible for OHIP , you may decide to appeal this decision to the Health Services Appeal and Review Board ( HSARB ). To appeal the OERC ’s decision, you must do this within 30 days of receiving the written decision from the OERC .

        Send the letter and any supporting information or documents to:

        Health Services Appeal and Review Board
        151 Bloor Street West, 9 th Floor
        Toronto, ON M5S 2T5
        Phone: 416-327-8512
        Fax: 416-327-8524

        Or send notice via email to: hsarb@ontario.ca with subject line “Attention Registrar: Notice of Appeal” (preferred method).