Many Canadian credit cards come with built-in travel insurance benefits, such as emergency medical coverage, trip cancellation protection and flight delay compensation, which can save travellers from unexpected out-of-pocket expenses. Our list of the best travel insurance credit cards come with these benefits and more.
Best travel insurance credit cards in Canada
National Bank World Elite Mastercard
RBC Avion Visa Infinite Privilege
Scotiabank Platinum American Express Card
MoneySense is an award-winning magazine, helping Canadians navigate money matters since 1999. Our editorial team of trained journalists works closely with leading personal finance experts in Canada. To help you find the best financial products, we compare the offerings from over 12 major institutions, including banks, credit unions and card issuers. Learn more about our advertising and trusted partners.
MoneySense award winners
Dive into the pros and cons of our gold, silver and bronze-winning credit cards for travel insurance, as well as our no-fee alternative.
MoneySense editors apply their credit card expertise and knowledge of Canadians’ financial goals to create selection criteria that matches the needs of intended cardholders. For travel insurance credit cards, we focus heavily on the number of insurance coverages included and their coverage amounts. The addition of links from affiliate partners has no bearing on the results. Read more about our selection process and about how MoneySense makes money.
Gold—Best travel insurance credit card
At a glance: The National Bank World Elite Mastercard is the best travel insurance credit card in Canada. Not only does it offer a wide range of insurance coverages—from emergency medical to trip cancellation, baggage delay and car rental insurance—but the coverage amounts are also impressive. Most notable is the duration of emergency medical coverage for travellers 54 and under: at 60 days, it’s triple the length of many other cards with travel insurance in Canada.
National Bank World Elite Mastercard
Annual fee: $150
- 5 points per $1 on grocery and restaurant purchases
- 2 points per $1 on gas, EV charges, recurring bill payments and travel booked through À La Carte Rewards
- 1 point per $1 on all other purchases
Welcome offer: Earn up to 40,000 points.
Card details
| Interest rates | 20.99% on purchases, 22.49% on cash advances, 22.49% on balance transfers |
| Income required | Personal income of $80,000 or household income of $150,000 |
| Credit score | 760 or higher |
| Point value | 1 point is worth $0.01 when redeeming using National Bank’s À La Carte Rewards Plan. |
Pros
- Length of emergency medical coverage: Get $5 million in emergency medical coverage for trips of up to 60 days (age 54 and under), which is three times longer than many other top-tier travel insurance cards.
- Covered against travel inconveniences: There’s above-average trip cancellation coverage of $2,500 and trip interruption coverage of $5,000.
- Travel fee reimbursements system: You’re covered for $150 in annual travel-related costs like airport parking, seat selection, and checked baggage fees.
- Lounge access: Cardholders get unlimited access to the National Bank Lounge at the Pierre Elliott Trudeau airport in Montreal.
Cons
- No travel accident coverage: You wouldn’t be covered for injuries that occur while travelling on a common carrier, such as an airplane or train.
- High income requirements: Applicants should have a personal income of $80,000 or household income of $150,000 to qualify.
Silver—Best travel insurance credit card
At a glance: The RBC Avion Visa Infinite Privilege is our runner up in the best credit cards with travel insurance category. It’s the only card with unlimited emergency medical coverage—a perk that even applies to Canadians over the age of 65. The card comes with all the other coverages you might expect from a premium travel credit card, including travel accident, trip cancellation, rental car and hotel burglary insurance. You will, however, need a high personal or household income to qualify.
RBC Avion Visa Infinite Privilege
Annual fee: $399
- 1.25 Avion points per $1 spent on bills, entertainment, gas, groceries, drug and pharmacy, restaurants and travel
Welcome offer: Earn up to 70,000 Avion points ($1,500 value).
Card details
| Interest rates | 20.99% on purchases, 22.99% on cash advances and on balance transfers |
| Income required | Personal: $200,000 or household: $200,000 or minimum total investable assets of $400,000. |
| Credit score | 760 or higher |
| Point value | 1 RBC Avion point = Up to $0.023 when redeemed for travel using RBC’s Air Travel Redemption Schedule. |
Pros
- Unlimited emergency medical account: Cardholders aged 64 and under get unlimited emergency coverage for trips of up to 31 days. Unlimited coverage also applies to Canadians over 65 (for 7 days).
- Travel without worrying about interruptions: The card comes with trip cancellation, trip interruption and flight delay insurance.
- Rental car insurance: Get covered for car rentals of up to 48 days.
Cons
- High income requirements: Applicants need a personal or household income of $200,000 per year to qualify.
- Points earn rate: The base rate of 1.25 points per dollar could be higher compared to other cards with a similar annual fee.
Bronze—Best travel insurance credit card in Canada
At a glance: The Scotiabank Platinum American Express card rounds out the top-three best travel insurance credit cards. No other card offers 10 days’ emergency medical insurance to Canadian seniors aged 75 and older. And there’s lots more to love than just the comprehensive insurance package, including the benefit of no foreign transaction fees on foreign-currency purchases. Cardholders earn 2 Scene+ points per dollar spent.
Scotiabank Platinum Amex
Annual fee: $399
- 2 points per $1 spent on eligible purchases
- Pay no foreign transaction fees
Welcome offer: Earn up to $2,500 in value in the first 14 months, including up to 80,000 bonus Scene+ points. Offer ends October 31, 2025.
Card details
| Interest rates | 9.99% on purchases, 9.99% on cash advances, 22.99% on balance transfers |
| Income required | $12,000 per year |
| Credit score | 760 or higher |
| Point value | 1 Scene+ point = $0.01 when redeemed for travel on any airline or hotel (including Airbnbs). |
Pros
- Emergency medical insurance: Canadians aged 64 and under get $2 million in coverage for trips of up to 31 days. Over the age of 65? Get 10 days’ coverage. Those aged 75 and older are covered for up to 10 days—the longest period of any card in Canada for this age group.
- Travel without worrying about interruptions: The card comes with trip cancellation, trip interruption and flight delay insurance.
- Rental car insurance: Get covered for car rentals of up to 48 days.
- No foreign transaction fees: One of the few credit cards in Canada that doesn’t charge the typical 2.5% fee for purchases in foreign currencies.
Cons
- No bonus categories: Although 2 points per dollar spent is a good flat rate for everyday spending, the annual fee is steep for a card without any bonus categories.
- Amex acceptance: American Express still has more limited acceptance than Visa or Mastercard, especially internationally.
Best travel insurance credit card with no annual fee
At a glance: If you want a travel insurance credit card without an annual fee, the Rogers Red World Elite Mastercard should be high on your list. Not only does it include valuable travel and rental car insurance, but it’s also one of the best cash back credit cards in Canada. For every $1 you spend, you’ll get back at least 1.5% cash back.
Rogers Red World Elite Mastercard
Annual fee: $0
- 3% cash back on all U.S. dollar purchases
- 1.5% on all other purchases (2% for Rogers, Fido and Shaw customers)
Welcome offer: None at this time.
Card details
| Interest rates | 25.99% on purchases, 27.99% on cash advances, 27.99% on balance transfers |
| Income required | $80,000 per year |
| Credit score | 725 or higher |
Pros
- No annual fee: Cards with no annual fee usually don’t come with travel insurance, but this card comes with six types of coverage, including emergency medical for up to 10 days, and car rental theft and damage coverage for up to 31 days.
- Cask back earnings: Earn 1.5% cash back on all your purchases (or 2% if you’re a Rogers, Fido or Shaw customer). Plus, with 3% cash back on transactions in U.S. dollars, you’ll save on foreign transaction fees, too.
Cons
- High income requirements: To be approved, you’ll need a personal income of at least $80,000 or household income of at least $150,000.
How does credit card travel insurance work?
Every insurance package is tailored to a specific card and program but in general, the process is simple. You’ll usually have to book your travel on that credit card but different cards have different rules. For example, some say you need to book 100% of your trip on the card while others don’t have that stipulation. Read your documents to determine your responsibilities. Once you book, you’ll automatically have access to the included coverage. You don’t have to notify the credit card company that you’re traveling or call to activate the coverage. That said, we always recommend that you read the documentation from your credit card company.
