Do you need travel insurance for Iceland?
Yes. For Iceland, Ontario travellers should carry emergency medical travel insurance. OHIP pays almost nothing out of country and never up front, Icelandic care is costly, and remote landscapes, weather and glacier activities raise the odds of needing help.
Key takeaways
- OHIP reimburses very little abroad and never pays hospitals directly.
- Hospitals are concentrated in Reykjavik; much of the country is remote.
- Glacier hikes, volcanic terrain and sudden weather are the key risks.
- Repatriation and evacuation coverage matter given the distances involved.
Iceland is one of the most dramatic destinations a Canadian can reach, and one where the landscape itself is the main source of risk. The out-of-country medical gap applies here, with added distance and cost.
Why OHIP leaves you exposed
OHIP pays little or nothing toward care outside Canada and never pays a hospital up front — most out-of-country coverage ended in 2020. Iceland is not an EU member, and its medical care is expensive. Hospitals are concentrated in the Reykjavik area, so an incident in the highlands, along the ring road or near a glacier can involve a long and costly transfer before treatment even begins. Without coverage, that bill is yours, recoverable only in small part from Ontario. Emergency medical travel insurance is what closes the gap.
What emergency medical coverage includes
A travel medical plan is built around sudden, unexpected illness and injury. It typically pays for emergency hospital and physician care, diagnostics, emergency prescriptions and ambulance service, plus emergency medical evacuation and a medically supervised return to Canada if needed. The assistance behind it is especially valuable in a remote country: TripCovered provides 24/7 emergency help in multiple languages, so one call can confirm coverage, direct you to the right facility and coordinate transport across long distances. Telemedicine can help with minor issues when the nearest clinic is hours away.
The environmental risks to plan for
Iceland’s hazards are outdoors and weather-driven. Glacier hikes, ice caves, volcanic and geothermal areas, river crossings and winter driving all carry real injury risk, and conditions can change from calm to dangerous within hours. Falls on ice and uneven lava fields are common, and self-drive travellers face single-vehicle accidents on gravel and in high winds. Everyday hiking injuries are generally covered under standard emergency medical; glacier trekking, snowmobiling, ice climbing and similar activities may require a sports and activities option. Match the plan to your itinerary.
Who should look closely
There is no age limit on coverage. Travellers 60 and over complete a short medical questionnaire that sets the premium, not eligibility — answer it carefully, because an inaccurate answer is a common reason claims are reduced or denied. If you manage an ongoing condition, check how the plan treats pre-existing conditions and any stability requirement before you leave.
Getting home safely
The costliest outcome is not a clinic visit but being unable to fly home as planned, or needing evacuation from a remote area first. Those distances make transport expensive, and emergency medical coverage with evacuation and repatriation handles it while the 24/7 line coordinates everything.
What drives the price
Premiums depend on age, trip length, coverage amount and declared health. Keep cost down by insuring only your actual travel dates and choosing a single-trip plan for one visit, or a multi-trip annual plan if Iceland is one of several trips this year. Given the distances and the cost of care, do not trim the coverage limit to save a little.
When you are ready, compare your options and get a quote for Iceland so the coverage matches your trip length, your activities and your health before you go.
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Purchase now →Frequently asked questions
Does OHIP cover me in Iceland?
Only minimally. OHIP reimburses very little for out-of-country care and never pays up front, so you would face the bill directly and recover only a small fraction later. Emergency medical travel insurance is essential.
Iceland is safe and orderly — do I still need coverage?
Yes. The risk here is the environment, not crime. Remote roads, glaciers, volcanic sites and fast-changing weather lead to accidents, and evacuation over long distances is expensive.
I plan to hike glaciers and go snowmobiling — am I covered?
Everyday hiking injuries are generally covered under standard emergency medical. Glacier trekking, snowmobiling, ice climbing and similar pursuits may need a sports and activities option.
TripCovered is a licensed insurance referral service operating in Ontario. Insurance is administered by North American Air Travel Insurance Agents Ltd., doing business as TuGo®, a licensed insurance broker in all provinces and territories. The issuer of the contract is Industrial Alliance Insurance and Financial Services Inc. and Industrial Alliance Pacific General Insurance Corporation. Coverage is subject to the terms, conditions, limitations and exclusions of the policy. This website provides general information only and is not a contract of insurance. Always read your policy wording before you travel.