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The short answer
No. Ontario says there is no longer a waiting period for OHIP, so eligible newcomers are covered from the start rather than after three months. You still have to qualify: be a citizen, permanent resident or hold an eligible status such as a qualifying work permit, make Ontario your primary residence, and be physically in Ontario for at least 153 of your first 183 days. You apply in person at ServiceOntario with a completed form and three original documents (Ontario, updated July 2025).
The short answer, and why people still ask
For years, people moving to Ontario waited three months before OHIP started, and many relatives and settlement guides still repeat that advice. Ontario's page on applying for OHIP, updated 21 July 2025 and current when we checked in October 2026, states plainly that there is no longer a waiting period and that eligible applicants get coverage immediately. If someone tells you to budget for three months of private cover because of the waiting period, check the current page before you pay.
What has not changed is that you must be eligible, and you must register. Coverage does not start just because you landed at Pearson.
Who qualifies
Ontario sets minimum requirements that everyone must meet, plus at least one status category. The categories on the page include:
- Canadian citizens and registered Indigenous persons.
- Permanent residents, and people applying for permanent residence whose applications IRCC has reviewed and not yet denied.
- Work permit holders who work full-time for an Ontario employer for at least six months. Their spouses and dependants may also qualify.
- Holders of certain federal work permits, including under the Live-in Caregiver and Seasonal Agricultural Worker programmes.
- Convention refugees and protected persons, certain Temporary Resident Permit holders, and clergy ministering full-time in Ontario for at least six months.
If your status is not on the list, for example a visitor, OHIP is not available. Parents visiting from Nigeria need private cover; see visitor insurance for parents from Nigeria.
The presence and residence rules
| Rule | What Ontario says |
|---|---|
| Primary residence | You must make Ontario your primary place of residence |
| First 183 days | Be physically in Ontario for at least 153 of the first 183 days after you start living in the province |
| Ongoing | Be physically in Ontario for 153 days in any 12-month period |
| Long absences | Being outside Ontario for more than 212 days in any 12-month period may mean you need to reapply |
The first-183-days rule catches people who arrive and then fly back to Lagos for a long December. Count your days before booking a trip in your first six months.
The three documents
You need a completed Registration for Ontario Health Insurance Coverage form and three original documents. Photocopies are not accepted.
- Proof of citizenship or OHIP-eligible immigration status, for example your PR card or confirmation of permanent residence, or your work permit.
- Proof of Ontario residency, a document in your name showing your Ontario address.
- Proof of identity.
ServiceOntario publishes the list of documents it accepts in each group. Check it before you go, because one document normally cannot count in two groups unless the list says so, and a lease signed last week may not be enough on its own if it is not on the list.
How to apply
You must apply in person at a ServiceOntario centre. Book as soon as you have your residency document, since that is usually the last one newcomers get. Bring every original, plus your Nigerian passport as a backup identity document.
Go with the whole family if you can. Each person who is eligible needs their own registration, and a missing document for one child can mean a second visit. If an office turns a document away, ask which item on the published list would replace it, so you leave knowing exactly what to bring next time.
Work permit holders: check the six-month condition
The work permit route needs full-time work for an Ontario employer for at least six months. Bring your work permit and ask ServiceOntario what employment evidence it needs. If your permit is shorter or your job is part-time, you may not qualify under this category; ask before you rely on OHIP.
Between landing and your card
With no waiting period, the gap is mostly the time it takes you to get a residency document and an appointment. Some newcomers buy short private cover for those first weeks. Whether that is worth it depends on your health and your family; it is a personal choice, not a legal requirement for OHIP-eligible people. Children travelling with you need their own registration and documents.
What to check first
- Does your status fall into one of Ontario's eligible categories?
- Do you have three original documents, one from each group?
- Will you be in Ontario for 153 of your first 183 days?
- Have you booked a ServiceOntario appointment?
- If you hold a work permit, does your job meet the full-time, six-month condition?
Once you have a card, remember that it travels poorly: Ontario recommends buying private health insurance before you leave the province. Read what OHIP covers when you visit Nigeria. Moving to Alberta instead? See registering for Alberta Health Care. For the order of all your arrival tasks, see your first 90 days of money in Canada.
Questions people ask
Is there still a three-month wait for OHIP?
No. Ontario says there is no longer a waiting period for OHIP, and eligible applicants are covered immediately.
Can I apply for OHIP online?
No. Ontario says you must apply in person at a ServiceOntario centre with three original documents.
Do work permit holders get OHIP?
Work permit holders working full-time for an Ontario employer for at least six months can qualify, and their spouses and dependants may too.
Can I travel to Nigeria soon after getting OHIP?
You must be in Ontario for at least 153 of your first 183 days, so a long trip in your first six months can affect eligibility.
Sources
- Ontario: Apply for OHIP and get a health card (updated 21 Jul 2025) · accessed Oct 2026
- Ontario: OHIP coverage outside Ontario (updated 2 May 2024) · accessed Oct 2026
This article is general information, not financial, legal or tax advice. Products described are provided under the terms on this site and are subject to regulation and eligibility.