How to Get a Health Card in Yukon
How to apply for a Yukon health care card: who qualifies, the documents to bring, the in-person registration, and the 3-month waiting period.
How to Get a Manitoba Health Card in Manitoba
How to register for a Manitoba health card: the online registration, the eligibility and 183-day presence rules, the waiting period, and the PHIN.
Applies in: Manitoba
Manitoba's public health plan is the Manitoba Health Services Insurance Plan, administered by Manitoba Health, and the Manitoba health card is the registration certificate that proves you are covered under it. This guide covers registration mechanics only: who is eligible, how to register, the waiting period, and what the card carries. It gives no health advice. All steps below come from the Government of Manitoba pages on registering for a Manitoba health card and who is eligible for Manitoba Health coverage, and the Residency and Registration Regulation.
Step 1: Check that you are eligible
You may be eligible for Manitoba Health coverage if you are a Canadian citizen, a permanent resident, in Manitoba on a valid work permit of 12 consecutive months or more, or in Manitoba providing agricultural services and have been issued a work permit, and you make your home in Manitoba and are physically in Manitoba six months (183 days) in a calendar year. The eligibility page lists further eligible and ineligible situations, so check the full page before you apply rather than relying on this summary.
Step 2: Register online
Follow the steps on the Manitoba registration page. Before applying for coverage, check that you meet the eligibility requirements. When registering online, you will need to upload copies of your required documents while registering. Use the Manitoba Health Card Online Registration portal to start. If you already have a paper health card and want to request a new plastic one, the registration page links to that request separately.
If you need help registering, public access computers are available at the Bilingual Service Centre in Winnipeg, on the main floor at 170 Goulet Street, Winnipeg. In rural areas, contact your city or municipal office, or visit the Bilingual Service Centre nearest you: 51 Rogers Street, Notre-Dame-de-Lourdes; Unit A, 30 Dawson Road, Ste Anne; the Recreational Centre on Highway 6, St. Laurent; or 427 Sabourin Street, St-Pierre-Jolys.
Step 3: Note the waiting period if you moved from another province
A resident who was a resident of another Canadian province or territory immediately before arrival in Manitoba is not entitled to benefits until the first day of the third month following the month of arrival. That is the waiting period in Manitoba's Residency and Registration Regulation. Until your health coverage begins, you should maintain your coverage with your previous health plan, and you should provide your previous province or territory's health card number when you register.
Step 4: Receive your registration certificate and PHIN
Registration certificates issued by the Insured Benefits Branch confirm eligibility, provided you continue to live in Manitoba. Manitoba Health issues a card or registration certificate to all Manitoba residents, which includes a 9-digit lifetime identification number, the Personal Health Identification Number (PHIN), for each family member. Your card also carries a 6-digit family registration number. Registration certificates entitle the persons named on the certificate to health benefits. Once you have active coverage and a PHIN, you can request a digital health card, stored in the MB Wallet, or a plastic card through your My Manitoba Health Card account.
Step 5: Carry the card and report changes
Carry your certificate with you at all times and present it whenever you or your dependants require health services. It is an offence to allow anyone other than those listed on your registration certificate to use your certificate. If your registration is affected by any change of location, family status, or loss, report it to the Insured Benefits Branch. Online forms are available for updates, and the Branch can be reached by email at insuredben@gov.mb.ca.
Figures the opened Manitoba pages do not state
The opened Manitoba pages state the eligibility conditions, the registration route, and the waiting period set out above. They do not state a processing time for a new registration, a fee for the first card, or a full list of the documents to upload for each situation, so this guide states none of those figures. Confirm the current processing time, any fee, and the documents for your situation with the Insured Benefits Branch before you rely on a start date.
Related guides:
- How to Get an OHIP Health Card in Ontario — Ontario's health card, where the application is made in person at a ServiceOntario centre with three separate documents.
- How to Start Getting Provincial Health Coverage as a Newcomer to Canada — the province-by-province coverage picture for newcomers, including Manitoba's waiting period for movers from another province.
- How to Get an MSI Health Card in Nova Scotia — Nova Scotia's health card, applied for through MSI Resident Services with a 4-week card time.
- How to Start Getting Your Driver's Licence in Manitoba — the Manitoba licence issued by MPI, a separate registration from the health card.
Getting a Manitoba health card, in five steps
- Check that you are eligibleMake your home in Manitoba and be physically present 183 days in a calendar year, as a citizen, permanent resident, or holder of a work permit of 12 consecutive months or more
- Register onlineUse the Manitoba Health Card Online Registration portal and upload copies of your required documents while registering
- Note the waiting period if you moved from another provinceA resident from another Canadian province or territory is not entitled to benefits until the first day of the third month following the month of arrival
- Receive your registration certificate and PHINManitoba Health issues a registration certificate with a 9-digit Personal Health Identification Number for each family member
- Carry the card and report changesCarry your certificate at all times and present it for health services; report any change of address, location, or family status to the Insured Benefits Branch
Questions people ask
What is a Manitoba health card, exactly?
Your Manitoba health card, also called a registration certificate, confirms your eligibility to receive health benefits provided you continue to live in Manitoba. Manitoba Health issues a card or registration certificate to all Manitoba residents, which includes a 9-digit Personal Health Identification Number, known as a PHIN, for each family member. Carry your certificate with you at all times and present it whenever you or your dependants require health services.
Who is eligible for Manitoba Health coverage?
You may be eligible if you are a Canadian citizen, a permanent resident, in Manitoba on a valid work permit of 12 consecutive months or more, or in Manitoba providing agricultural services on a work permit, and you make your home in Manitoba and are physically in Manitoba six months, or 183 days, in a calendar year. Check the eligibility page before applying, because the full list of eligible and ineligible situations is longer than this summary.
How do I register for a Manitoba health card?
Register online through the Manitoba Health Card Online Registration portal. Before applying, check that you meet the eligibility requirements, and when registering online you will need to upload copies of your required documents. You can also request a digital and plastic card through your My Manitoba Health Card account once you have active coverage and a PHIN.
Is there a waiting period for Manitoba Health coverage?
Yes, if you arrive from another Canadian province or territory. Manitoba's Residency and Registration Regulation states that a resident who was a resident of another Canadian province or territory immediately before arrival in Manitoba is not entitled to benefits until the first day of the third month following the month of arrival. Until your health coverage begins, maintain your coverage with your previous health plan.
Do I need to register if I am already registered in another province?
Yes. Every person who is not already registered, who is or becomes a resident of Manitoba, and who is not a dependant, must register themselves and their dependants with the minister directly or through a registrar. A person who is not a resident is not entitled to register, and any registration by or on behalf of a person who is not a resident is void.
Where can I get help registering?
Public access computers are available at the Bilingual Service Centre in Winnipeg, on the main floor at 170 Goulet Street, and in rural areas you can contact your city or municipal office or visit the Bilingual Service Centre nearest you. The Insured Benefits Branch can be reached by email at insuredben@gov.mb.ca.
Sources
- Government of Manitoba, Register for a Manitoba Health Card — the online registration portal, the document upload step, the eligibility check before applying, and the public access computer locations.
- Government of Manitoba, Your Manitoba Health Card (Registration Certificate) — who is eligible for Manitoba Health coverage, the 183-day presence rule, the 9-digit PHIN, carrying the certificate, and reporting changes to the Insured Benefits Branch.
- Government of Manitoba, Residency and Registration Regulation, M.R. 54/93 — the duty to register on becoming a resident, and the waiting period to the first day of the third month following the month of arrival for residents of another Canadian province or territory.