Visas · head to headTuGo vs IMG
TuGo vs IMG
Compared on eligibility rather than price: who each will actually accept. The Canadian answer, including cover bought after you have already gone. The long-haul workhorse, renewable to 36 months, no hard age cap.
The rules side by side
| Rule | TuGoEmergency Medical / Visitors to Canada | IMGPatriot International / America |
|---|---|---|
| Who can buy it | Set list of countriesCanadian residents for the outbound products. A separate Visitors to Canada line covers non-residents already in or coming to Canada. | Most countriesNear-worldwide for Patriot travel medical (sanctions carve-outs). |
| Buy after you have left home | YesPurchasable after departure with a 48-hour waiting period for illness. | YesEligibility wording assumes you already departed your residence country on the effective date. |
| Maximum age | No capNo overall age limit reported for emergency medical, but a medical questionnaire is mandatory from 60. | No capNo hard cap, but the overall limit steps down: 65–69 $50–100k, 70–79 $50k, 80+ $10,000. |
| One-way or open-ended trips | Not verifiedProducts presuppose a return to Canada. | YesNo return-trip requirement found in the certificate. |
| Longest trip | 12 monthsEffectively capped by provincial health absence rules; stability rules differ for trips over 35 days. | 12 months, renewable5 days–12 months; renewable to 24–36 months by plan. |
| Pre-existing conditions | YesA stability-period model rather than a flat exclusion: 7 or 90 days under 60, 180 days for 60 to 74, and 365 days for 75 and over. | With conditionsExcluded, no screening, but acute onset covered under 70, and Visitors Protect covers gradually-worsening conditions. |
| Cover in the USA | YesThe core use case: Canadians travelling to the United States. | YesPatriot America line exists specifically for non-US citizens visiting the USA. |
| Schengen visa certificate | NoNot marketed as a Schengen product. | With conditionsMeets requirements; instant visa letter (reported). |
| Winter sports | With conditionsCheck the wording. | With conditionsAdventure Sports list excluded by default; optional rider buys some back. |
| Scuba diving | Not verifiedNot verified. | With conditionsVia Adventure Sports rider. |
| High-altitude trekking | Not verifiedNot verified. | With conditionsMountaineering above 4,500m always excluded. |
| Scooters and motorbikes | Not verifiedNot verified. | YesOrdinary riding not excluded (no helmet/licence/engine clause found); motocross and racing excluded. |
| Working abroad | Not verifiedNot verified. | With conditionsNo blanket occupational exclusion; workers'-comp claims excluded. Long-term workers → Global Medical. |
| Trip cancellation | YesA separate Trip Cancellation and Interruption product. | NoNot in Patriot (interruption only); iTravelInsured for US residents. |
| Families | YesFamily and package options. | YesSpouse/child/grandchild on one application. |
| No fixed country of residence | NoProducts presuppose an active provincial health plan. | With conditionsKeyed to 'country of residence' declaration; nomad purchases common. |
Both columns are generated from the same rule database the checker uses. Sources: TuGo and IMG, checked 2026-08-03.
Who each one suits
- TuGo makes sense when you have already left home, or age is the constraint that usually blocks you.
- IMG makes sense when you have already left home, or age is the constraint that usually blocks you.
Both columns come from the same rule database the checker uses. Sources: TuGo and IMG, checked 2026-08-03.