Quebec's healthcare system is public and universal, funded through taxes. It offers excellent coverage, but it works differently from what you may be used to.
RAMQ: your health passport
Your health insurance card (the "carte soleil") gives you access to medical appointments, exams, lab tests, hospital stays and surgeries in the public system — at no cost.
To register: apply online on the RAMQ website or in person with your passport, proof of immigration status and proof of address.
Waiting period: 3 months (unless you come from France, Belgium, Denmark, Sweden, Greece, Finland, Norway, Luxembourg or Portugal — form SE-401-Q-207). Take out temporary private insurance during this period.
When and where to seek care
811 (Info-Santé): free 24/7 nurse line, your first stop for a non-urgent issue.
GAP (811 option 3): Primary care access point (Guichet d'accès à la première ligne), appointment within 36 hours.
Rendez-vous santé Québec (rvsq.gouv.qc.ca): free online appointments at a clinic near you.
Bonjour Santé: paid service, but effective for getting an appointment within 24 hours.
Emergency rooms: for serious cases. Wait times are often long for non-critical cases. Hospitals close to Saint-Laurent: Sacré-Cœur, Lakeshore.
Family doctor
Register with the Family Doctor Access Counter (GAMF) through Carnet santé Québec. Wait: a few months to more than a year. While you wait: GAP, walk-in clinics, nurse practitioners.
What RAMQ covers and doesn't cover
Covered: doctor visits, exams, hospital stays, surgeries, emergencies, pregnancy, dental care for children under 10.
Not covered: adult dental care, glasses/optical (except for those under 18 and 65+), psychotherapy, private physiotherapy, ambulance ($125–$400).
Tip: if your employer offers group insurance, take it.
For children
All children living in Quebec are covered by RAMQ, regardless of their parents' immigration status. Free vaccines at CLSCs and at school.
