La carte soleil — votre preuve d'assurance maladie au Québec.
RAMQ is Quebec's public health insurance. If you're a permanent resident or citizen (and present in Quebec at least 183 days a year), register online or by phone as soon as you arrive. Coverage usually begins after a waiting period of up to 3 months, which starts on the date you register if you are in Quebec and have all the required documents in hand (RAMQ eligibility conditions — the rules can change, so check there). Children under 18 are not subject to it.
1. What is RAMQ?
The RAMQ is the Régie de l'assurance maladie du Québec. Once registered, you receive a health insurance card — also called the carte soleil. This card gives you access to medical care in Quebec.
2. Are you eligible?
If you are a permanent resident, a Canadian citizen, or hold another status recognized by RAMQ, you are eligible. If you are settling in Quebec, your main residence must be in Quebec and you must stay in Quebec 183 days or more per year. If you are staying temporarily (for example, with an eligible work permit valid for more than 6 months), you must not leave Quebec for periods of more than 21 consecutive days.
3. The 3-month waiting period
According to RAMQ's eligibility conditions, your coverage usually begins after a waiting period of up to 3 months. It starts on the date you register, provided you are in Quebec and have all the required documents in hand: every week you delay registering is a week of coverage lost. It applies even if you are a Canadian citizen, but not to children under 18. If a document is missing, you have 12 months from your registration to send it; otherwise, the start of your coverage is delayed. These rules can change: check them on the RAMQ website before you plan.
According to RAMQ, some people are exempt from the waiting period and are entitled to health insurance as soon as they register:
- people arriving from a country that has signed a social security agreement with Quebec;
- refugees and protected persons in Canada;
- Canadians repatriated by the government;
- recipients of last-resort financial assistance;
- fellowship recipients from the Ministère de l'Éducation or the Ministère de l'Enseignement supérieur;
- workers under the Seasonal Agricultural Worker Program (SAWP) or the Temporary Foreign Worker Program, Primary Agricultural Stream, who come from Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras or Salvador.
An ordinary work permit gives no exemption. If you arrive from another Canadian province or territory, the waiting period also applies, but you stay covered by your home province or territory's plan in the meantime.
During the waiting period, only certain necessary care is free:
- care for victims of conjugal or domestic violence or of sexual assault;
- care related to pregnancy, childbirth or termination of pregnancy;
- care for people with infectious diseases that affect public health.
Other care received before your coverage starts is not reimbursed: RAMQ strongly recommends private insurance as soon as you arrive.
The chart below assumes you are in Quebec and have all the required documents in hand.
4. Documents to prepare
Before starting, prepare the documents RAMQ asks for:
- If you are a Canadian citizen: proof of citizenship (valid Canadian passport, birth certificate, copy of act of birth or citizenship certificate)
- Your Permanent Resident Card (PRC) or your Confirmation of Permanent Residence (COPR)
- Your Quebec Selection Certificate (CSQ), if you have one
- Your Quebec mailing address: you must already be in Quebec to register, and RAMQ mails your eligibility letter, then your card, to that address
- If applicable, your social security coverage certificate from your home country (to be obtained before leaving)
5. How to register: online or by phone
Registering with RAMQ takes 5 steps:
- Get private insurance to cover the 3-month waiting period.
- Gather your documents: PR card (or COPR) or proof of citizenship, CSQ if applicable, and your Quebec mailing address.
- Fill out the online form on the RAMQ website — or call 1-800-561-9749.
- Keep the reference number you receive by email.
- Receive your carte soleil by mail.
In most cases, you can register directly online on the RAMQ website. You fill out the form, upload your documents as PDFs or photos, and submit your application.
If your situation is more complex (a special status, or a family with mixed statuses), you can call RAMQ at 1-800-561-9749.
6. After your registration
After submitting the form:
- You receive a confirmation email with a reference number and the processing time. Keep it to register other family members: each member fills in their own application (the « Child » form for a child).
- You then receive your eligibility letter by mail.
- Your health insurance card (carte soleil) arrives separately at your Quebec address.
7. Your action list
Follow these steps to get your carte soleil. Check each box as you go — your progress is saved if you're signed in.
8. Public coverage vs private insurance
RAMQ covers medically necessary care, but several services remain outside its coverage. Here's the direct comparison between the public plan and typical private insurance.
Most Quebec employers offer group insurance that covers most non-RAMQ items — check your plan at hire before buying individual private insurance.
| Type of care | RAMQ (public) | Private insurance |
|---|---|---|
| Family doctor consultation | ✅ Covered | — |
| Hospital emergency visit | ✅ Covered | — |
| Medically necessary surgery | ✅ Covered | — |
| Prescription drugs | ⚠️ RAMQ public plan — annual premium $0 to $789 based on net family income, monthly deductible $21.25, co-insurance 30%, maximum $1,263/year | ✅ Complementary coverage (mandatory if your employer offers one) |
| Dental care (adult) | ❌ Not covered | ✅ Depending on contract |
| Glasses and eye exam (ages 18 to 64, non-emergency) | ❌ Not covered | ✅ Annual cap |
| Physiotherapy, chiropractic | ❌ Not covered | ✅ Depending on contract |
| Out-of-RAMQ private clinic care | ❌ Not covered | ✅ Depending on contract |
| Care outside Quebec | ⚠️ Partially | ✅ Travel insurance |
9. Frequently asked questions
The most common questions about RAMQ: how much the carte soleil costs, what to do during the waiting period, which countries are exempt, eligibility for international students and temporary workers, card renewal, how to replace a lost card, and out-of-province coverage.
How much does the carte soleil cost?
The health insurance card is free. You pay nothing to obtain it, and renewing it is also free, except when the card expired more than 6 months ago: you then pay a $25 fee plus the cost of the photo. The system is funded by Quebec taxes.
What if I get sick during the 3-month waiting period?
Get private health insurance before you arrive, or within your first days in Quebec. Without coverage, you pay for your care yourself: in Montreal, for example, Santé Québec Centre-Sud requires a minimum payment of $715.72 to be admitted to the emergency room and bills $2,431 per day of hospitalization, plus the doctor's fees.
Some care remains free during the waiting period:
- care related to pregnancy, childbirth or termination of pregnancy;
- care for victims of conjugal or domestic violence or of sexual assault;
- treatment of infectious diseases that affect public health.
Which countries are exempt from the waiting period?
Quebec has social security agreements with 11 countries: Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Greece, Luxembourg, Norway, Portugal, Romania, Serbia and Sweden (RAMQ's list).
If you come from one of these countries, request your social security certificate from the responsible agency in your country before you leave, then attach it to your RAMQ registration. Tourists are not eligible.
What if I lose my carte soleil?
You can request a replacement for a broken, lost or stolen card online or by mail. Fees may apply.
Does RAMQ cover care received outside Quebec?
Partially. RAMQ reimburses urgent care received in other Canadian provinces at its own rates, which are often below actual costs.
Abroad, reimbursement is very limited. For any travel outside Quebec, private travel insurance is strongly recommended.
Are international students covered by RAMQ?
Only if you come from a country with a social security agreement with Quebec and hold a study permit, or if you hold a scholarship from the Ministère de l'Éducation or the Ministère de l'Enseignement supérieur. If you come from an agreement country, the certificate of coverage from your home country is mandatory and must be obtained before you leave. Otherwise, you are not eligible for RAMQ and must take out private or school health insurance.
Are temporary workers (work permit holders) eligible?
Yes, if you hold an eligible work permit valid for more than 6 months; however, RAMQ lists holders of an open work permit (except in certain cases) among people who are not eligible. Register as soon as you arrive. Note: an ordinary work permit does not exempt you from the 3-month waiting period (see section 3).
How do I renew the carte soleil, and what if it expires?
If you are a permanent resident or citizen, RAMQ sends a renewal notice to the address on file, usually 3 months before the card expires — so keep your address up to date. People staying temporarily (students, temporary workers) do not renew their card: they must re-register if their immigration status changes or the card is no longer valid.
10. See also
These related guides may help you complete your first steps in Quebec:
- Apply for your Social Insurance Number (SIN) — another essential document to obtain in your first weeks.
- Consulting a doctor in Quebec — how to find a family doctor and use the public network once your RAMQ card arrives.
- Health Care for Asylum Seekers and Uninsured People in Quebec — how to get care while you wait for your RAMQ card or if you have no coverage at all.
- Drug Insurance in Quebec: Public RAMQ Plan or Private — how prescription drug coverage works alongside your RAMQ card, and when private insurance applies.
11. Official sources
For official, up-to-date information:
- Régie de l'assurance maladie du Québec (RAMQ)
You can also call RAMQ at 1-800-561-9749, toll-free in Quebec.
Author's Note: The health insurance card is one of the first documents to request. It is free, but the waiting period can be long — start early and plan your private coverage for the first few months.