Giving Birth in Canada: What to Confirm First About Entry, Medical Care, Costs, Baby Documents, and Postpartum Plans

How do you prepare to give birth in Canada? In short, plan it in five parts: entry documents, prenatal care and the delivery hospital, medical costs for non-residents, your baby's birth registration and passport, and postpartum accommodation and the trip home. A baby born in Canada is usually a Canadian citizen. That does not settle your entry, how the medical bills get paid, or the parents' status. A different organization handles each part, so ask about each one separately.

Many families start by asking, "How much does it cost to give birth in Canada?" or "Will my baby automatically be Canadian?" Instead of asking for a total price first, ask: "Who is responsible for each of these five parts, and which part has no one handling it yet?" This is the main article in the series on giving birth in Canada from Jiaduobao (JDB), a postpartum care center. Each section covers only the key points and links to a more detailed article.

The Short Answer: What Should You Confirm First About Giving Birth in Canada?

Use the table below as a checklist when you first gather information. Read from top to bottom, it roughly follows the order in which decisions get made.

Is a Baby Born in Canada Always a Canadian Citizen?

Usually, but there are exceptions. The Government of Canada's citizenship page says a person born in Canada is "likely" a Canadian citizen. It also says that if, at the time of the birth, either parent was working in Canada for a foreign government and had diplomatic privileges, the child is not a Canadian citizen.

The two things most often confused are the baby's status and the parents' status. Canadian citizenship your baby may acquire does not give the parents residence, work, or immigration eligibility. For example, say the parents enter on an eTA and the baby is born in a Vancouver hospital. The baby is usually a Canadian citizen, but how long the parents can stay still depends on the entry stamp in their passports or their visitor records. Which document proves your baby's status, how dual citizenship is treated, and which passport to use when returning to Canada later are covered in Is a Baby Born in Canada a Canadian Citizen? Why the Baby's Status and the Parents' Status Are Separate.

Do You Need a Visa or an eTA to Visit Canada on a Taiwan Passport?

It depends on your passport. Under the Government of Canada's entry requirements, if you fly to Canada on an ordinary passport issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Taiwan that includes your personal identification number, you need an eTA (Electronic Travel Authorization). All other Taiwan passports require a visitor visa.

An eTA or visa is only the first step. When you arrive, a border officer decides whether to let you in and how long you can stay. According to IRCC's page on length of stay, most visitors can stay up to 6 months. Before you leave, map out the whole stay: from your departure and the weeks before your due date, through the birth and postpartum recovery, until your baby's documents are ready. Then check that the total fits within that limit. Visa requirements, proof of funds, and how your permitted stay is calculated are covered in Traveling to Canada While Pregnant: eTA, Visitor Visas, and Airline Pregnancy Limits.

Who Pays the Medical Bills When a Non-Resident Gives Birth in Canada?

Your family does. IRCC's visitor FAQ states that the Government of Canada does not pay for visitors' hospital or medical costs, and recommends that visitors buy medical insurance before they arrive.

There is no single cost of giving birth in Canada that applies to everyone. A more reliable approach is to choose the province and hospital first, then split your budget into six parts and get quotes for each: prenatal medical care, delivery and hospital stay, newborn medical care, living costs before and after the birth, documents and the trip home, and an emergency reserve. The hospital, obstetrician, anesthesiologist, and pediatrician may also bill you separately. Whether insurance covers pregnancy and your newborn, and how much a claim will pay, depend on the policy terms and what the insurer approves. How to get quotes for each part and build a budget sheet is covered in How Much Does It Cost to Give Birth in Canada? A Budget Framework for Non-Resident Medical, Hospital, and Unexpected Costs.

How Should You Plan the Timeline From Prenatal Care to Delivery and Discharge?

Your timeline starts with the flight. Instead of asking, "What week is best to fly?", ask: "Does my doctor think I am fit for a long flight? Up to what week will my airline let me fly?" Airlines set different limits on how far along you can be and on what medical certificate they require. A comparison table is in Traveling to Canada While Pregnant: eTA, Visitor Visas, and Airline Pregnancy Limits.

Beyond your plane ticket, confirm at least these three things before you leave:

• The doctor who will handle your prenatal care in Canada, and the hospital where you plan to give birth.
• Which hospital to go to in an emergency, and how long it takes to get there from where you are staying.
• Which pediatrician will follow your baby after birth.

How to prepare your medical records for handover, and what to ask at your first prenatal visit and before discharge, are covered in Giving Birth in Canada Step by Step: Prenatal Care, Hospitals, Labor, and the Trip Home.

What Documents Does Your Baby Need After Birth, and How Long Do They Take?

The usual order is birth registration, then the birth certificate, then a Canadian passport, and last, the documents you need for returning to Taiwan. Birth registration is handled by the province where your baby is born. In British Columbia, for example, the provincial government requires parents to register the birth within 30 days. It takes 4 to 6 weeks on average from online registration until the birth certificate is issued.

Build these weeks into your plan for how long you will stay. Which version of the birth certificate to apply for, what to include with the passport application, and how to handle document authentication and household registration for Taiwan are covered in After Your Baby Is Born in Canada: Birth Registration, Birth Certificates, and Travel Documents.

When Should You Look for a Postpartum Care Center, and What Should You Ask?

Start looking once your delivery hospital is mostly settled, because the location should follow the hospital and the pediatric clinic. When you compare centers, asking about your own situation shows the differences faster than looking at room photos. For example:

• If you might deliver early or late, how are early check-in and extended stays charged?
• If your baby needs follow-up visits for jaundice, how far is the pediatric clinic?
• If your husband can only stay two weeks, who looks after the baby at night?

A postpartum care center provides accommodation and daily care. Medical decisions stay with your doctor. How to compare quotes, care services, and contract terms is covered in How to Choose a Postpartum Care Center in Canada: Services, Costs, and a Medical Coordination Checklist.

Which Part Can JDB Help With?

JDB plans to expand its services to Canada starting in 2027, focusing on postpartum accommodation, recovery for mothers, and newborn care. Cities, opening dates, and service details will be posted over time in our announcement.

Visas, entry, medical care, and your baby's identity documents are handled separately by the Government of Canada, hospitals, and Taiwan's overseas missions. Jiaduobao provides accommodation, daily living, and newborn care services and does not provide individual visa, immigration, legal, or medical advice.

To learn more about our plans for Canada, contact us on LINE (ID: jdbmom828), WeChat (ID: jdbmom), WhatsApp (+1 828-866-8886), or through our online form.

Frequently Asked Questions About Giving Birth in Canada

Q1: Which Province in Canada Is Best for Giving Birth?

There is no set answer. Start with three things: whether your chosen hospital accepts non-resident patients for delivery and can give you a written quote, whether flights from Taiwan are convenient, and whether you have family or friends there. Birth registration also differs by province, so check that province's rules before you choose a city.

Q2: Can My Husband or Family Come With Me to Canada for the Birth?

Not always. Each person traveling with you must meet the entry requirements on their own and get an eTA or visitor visa based on their passport. A border officer also decides for each person whether they can enter and how long they can stay. Prepare the whole family's documents together, and confirm each person's return date separately.

Q3: Do You Have to Use an Agency or Immigration Consultant to Give Birth in Canada?

Not necessarily. IRCC says it is up to the applicant whether to use a representative. Using one will not get your application special attention or guarantee approval. If you pay someone to represent you, they must be a lawyer or paralegal who is a member of a Canadian provincial law society, a Quebec notary, or a consultant registered with the College of Immigration and Citizenship Consultants (CICC).

Q4: Can You Reuse the Plans You Made for the U.S. in Canada?

Not as they are. Some families began comparing Canada after U.S. policy changes, but the two countries have different rules for visas, paying for medical care, birth registration, and passports. Prenatal records and budget sheets you have already prepared can serve as a starting draft, but check their contents against Canadian rules.

Q5: Can Your Baby Join the Provincial Health Plan After Being Born in Canada?

Not necessarily. In British Columbia, for example, the Medical Services Plan (MSP) coverage you can apply for during online birth registration is for B.C. residents. If the parents are staying as visitors, ask the province's health insurance authority directly whether the baby can be enrolled. For now, budget for pediatric care after discharge as an out-of-pocket cost.

For Families Considering Giving Birth in Canada

From entry, prenatal care, and delivery to payment, your baby's documents, and the trip home, each part of giving birth in Canada is decided by a different organization. For each part, first ask who decides, how long it takes, and who pays. That is more practical than chasing a total price from the start.

In the first few weeks after your baby is born, the mother needs to recover, documents have to be submitted one at a time, and your return date may shift. Put all of this on a single timeline early, and your family can spend those weeks with your baby with less worry. If you would like to talk through your current plans, leave us a message through JDB's contact form.

Sources

• Government of Canada: Citizenship for people born in Canada
• Government of Canada: Entry requirements by country (visa or eTA)
• IRCC: How long can visitors stay in Canada
• IRCC: Does the Government of Canada pay medical costs for visitors
• Government of British Columbia: Birth registration

This article provides general information and is not legal, immigration, medical, or case-specific advice. Rules on entry, medical care, birth registration, and passports may change at any time. For your actual situation, rely on the latest notices from the Government of Canada, provincial governments, hospitals and clinics, and airlines, and consult a professional about your own circumstances. Jiaduobao provides accommodation, daily living, and newborn care services and does not provide individual visa, immigration, legal, or medical advice.