Health card renewal

Renew a health card

Renew online

Before you renew, make sure you have:

1. your most recent health card
2. your current driver’s licence
3. a valid credit card (Visa, Mastercard) or Interac® Online (if renewing your driver’s licence)
4. a printer to download and print your temporary documents

Renew your health card and driver’s licence online

Renew in-person

When you go to the centre, bring the following with you:

• your current health card
• proof of your, Ontario residency and personal identity
  • check Ontario Health Coverage Document List for acceptable documents
  • if your Canadian Citizenship or immigration status has changed since receiving your current health card, bring your most recent Citizenship or immigration document
• your marriage certificate, if you are applying under your married name for the first time
• optional: a printed health card renewal form, if you have one

Renewing an Ontario health card is free.

The renewed card will be mailed to you in approximately 4 to 6 weeks.

Medical exemptions

If you cannot visit a ServiceOntario centre for a medical reason, you must have a physician or nurse practitioner fill out a Health Card Medical Exemption Request form.

The completed form, along with your required documents, must be brought into a ServiceOntario centre by someone else on your behalf to finish the renewal.

Renewal for children under 15 ½

By mail

If you have a child under 15 ½, in most cases you will be able to renew his or her health card by mail. The renewal notice you received in the mail will give you your next steps.

Renew in-person

If your child’s renewal notice says you need to visit a ServiceOntario centre, bring three original documents from the Ontario Health Coverage Document List:

• your child’s most recent citizenship or immigration document (such as an Ontario birth certificate)
• one to prove your residency in Ontario (such as an Ontario driver’s licence)
• one to prove your identity (such as a credit card)

Here is a complete list of acceptable documents.

Note: your child does not need to be with you.  

Lost renewal reminder

If you have lost the renewal reminder, you can print another copy of the form.

For lost return address envelopes, you may instead mail a copy of the form in a regular plain envelope addressed to:

ServiceOntario
PO Box 48
Kingston, ON K7L 5J3

Renewals for youth over 15 ½

Renew in-person

If you’re over 15½ years old, you must renew your Ontario health card in person.

Visit a ServiceOntario centre with two original documents from the Ontario Health Coverage Document List:

• one to prove your residency in Ontario (such as an Ontario driver’s licence)
• one to prove your identity (such as a credit card)

If your Canadian Citizenship or immigration status has changed since you received your current health card, you also need to bring your most recent Citizenship or immigration document

Renewal for seniors over 80

Renew by mail

In most cases, you can renew a health card by mail. The renewal reminder will confirm if this option is available to you and will give you your next steps.

Renew in-person

If your renewal notice says you need to visit a ServiceOntario centre.

Bring two original documents from the Ontario Health Coverage Document List with you:

• one to prove your residency in Ontario (such as an Ontario driver’s licence)
• one to prove your identity (such as a credit card)

If your Canadian Citizenship or immigration status has changed since you got your current health card, you also need to bring your most recent Citizenship or immigration document.

Lost renewal reminder

If you have lost your renewal reminder, you can print another copy of the form.

For lost return address envelopes, you may instead mail a copy of the form in a regular plain envelope addressed to:

ServiceOntario
PO Box 48
Kingston, ON K7L 5J3

Renew both your driver’s licence and health card

You may be eligible to renew both your driver’s licence and health card at the same time online, if:

• your driver’s licence expires on the same day
• you don’t need a photo

Learn more about the eligibility requirements.

Do you need a photo?

You will need to visit a ServiceOntario centre and get your photo taken if:

• you are replacing your red and white health card
• your photo is 10 years or older
• you are turning 16 years old
• you are renewing in-person
• you are making a change to your name
• you received a notice in the mail from ServiceOntario

Replace a lost or stolen health card

Learn more about how to replace a lost, stolen or damaged health card.