Skip to main content
MumExpat

Health

Children's health in Montreal

Here, the doctor speaks your language, but the system is nothing like ours: a sun card to obtain first, a family doctor you sometimes wait a long time for, nurses who guide you by phone, and two world-renowned children's hospitals. Here is how it works, with verified addresses.

Verified on 30 October 2026

How RAMQ works

A universal public plan run by the Régie de l'assurance maladie du Québec: with a valid card, covered care is free, with no upfront payment or reimbursement. Private care sits on the margins, mainly to go faster.

Good to know

  • A family arriving with a work permit valid for more than 6 months qualifies as 'temporarily staying', partner and children under 18 included; tourists and stays under 6 months do not, and a day in hospital is then very expensive. Source
  • On registration, coverage starts after a waiting period of up to 3 months; it does not apply to children under 18, nor to pregnancy and childbirth care. RAMQ recommends private insurance to cover adults during that period. Source
  • France is one of the 11 countries with a social security agreement with Quebec: by requesting your French fund's certificate (form SE 401-Q) before leaving and attaching it to your registration, you avoid the waiting period; partner and children have the same obligations. Source
  • Drug insurance is compulsory at all times: the employer's private plan if you have access to one (it must then cover partner and children), otherwise the RAMQ public plan. Minor children staying more than 6 months qualify for the public plan, even if their temporarily staying parents do not. Source
  • Dental care is covered for children under 10: annual and emergency check-ups, x-rays, fillings, extractions and root canals are free in clinics with the sun card; orthodontics and fissure sealants never are. Participating optometrists also cover children's eye exams. Source
  • No walk-in community paediatrician: the family doctor, or a specialised nurse practitioner (IPS), follows children and refers to specialists. Without a family doctor, the Guichet d'accès à la première ligne (GAP) finds you the right resource. Source

Go further

Finding a family doctor and baby check-ups

First step after the sun card: register each family member on the Guichet d'accès à un médecin de famille. The wait can be long; meanwhile, the GAP and 811 open the clinic doors.

Good to know

  • GAMF registration is done online with a valid health insurance card; a child under 14 is registered by an adult. Priority depends on health status and RAMQ warns that the waiting time cannot be predicted, as it varies by area. Source
  • Without a family doctor, the GAP (811 option 3 or online form) calls you back, assesses the need and directs you to a pharmacist, nurse or doctor, booking an appointment if necessary; by phone, 8 am to 8 pm on weekdays and 8 am to 4 pm at weekends. Source
  • There is no Quebec health record booklet: the key document is the vaccination record, given at the CLSC, and the online Carnet santé Québec. Bring the French health record, the doctor or nurse will copy across vaccines already given and adjust the schedule. Source
  • Baby check-ups and vaccinations take place at the neighbourhood CLSC (local community services centre), by appointment via Clic Santé; it is also where you find nurses, prenatal classes and local social services. Source
  • At every appointment, have the child's health insurance card, their hospital card if they have one, their vaccination record and the list of their medicines and allergies: that is the list CHU Sainte-Justine gives. Source

Go further

Emergencies and children's hospitals

Two numbers: 911 for life-threatening emergencies, 811 for everything else, with a priority line for parents of children aged 0 to 17. Montreal is lucky to have two fully paediatric hospitals, one francophone, the other anglophone but bilingual.

Good to know

  • Info-Santé 811 (option 1) is free, confidential and open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year: a nurse assesses the child, advises on home care and directs you to the right resource; parents of children aged 0 to 17 have a priority line. For a serious emergency, call 911 or go to the ER. Source
  • In the ER, children are treated according to how serious their condition is, not in order of arrival: a triage nurse sets the priority and can reassess the child; tell her quickly if their condition changes. Expect to wait for a simple fever. Source
  • Ambulance transport is not free in Quebec: the user pays a pick-up fee plus a per-kilometre rate, except in special cases (road accidents covered by the SAAQ, people aged 65 and over under conditions). Private or employer insurance often reimburses it. Source
  • What to bring: the child's health insurance card and hospital card, private insurance card, vaccination record, the list and boxes of their medicines (inhalers and EpiPen included), their allergy list, then something to pass the time: snacks, water, milk, nappies, comforter and charger. Source

Addresses

  • CHU Sainte-Justine, urgence pédiatrique

    Emergency

    3175, chemin de la Côte-Sainte-Catherine, H3T 1C5

    The francophone university mother-and-child hospital, in Côte-des-Neiges: paediatric emergency open at all times on the 1st floor, block 3, with nurse triage; check the 'Before coming to the ER' page and the alternatives (811, clinics) for non-urgent cases.

    Languages spoken : FR, EN

    Website Source

  • Hôpital de Montréal pour enfants (CUSM, site Glen)

    Emergency

    1001, boulevard Décarie, H4A 3J1

    The 'Children's', the paediatric hospital of the McGill University Health Centre, bilingual: emergency for children and teenagers, Vendôme metro (orange line) with lifts and a direct link to the hospital, parking under the esplanade.

    Languages spoken : FR, EN

    Website Source

Go further

Doctors, dentists and therapists recommended by the consulate

In Montreal, language is not the problem: the whole public network treats you in French. The consulate general nonetheless publishes a medical list for its district, useful for a quick private consultation, a medical certificate or an assessment requested by a French authority. We reproduce its Montreal practitioners; the list is provided for information only, without engaging the administration's responsibility, and the choice of practitioner is free.

Good to know

  • The consulate's list covers general practitioners, osteopaths, dentists and a psychologist; the consulate is seeking to expand it and notes that some French procedures require an assessment by a practitioner on this list. Most work privately, outside RAMQ: consultations are paid. Source
  • To check a professional or find one near you, the professional orders publish public directories: the Collège des médecins du Québec, the Ordre des dentistes du Québec and the Ordre des psychologues du Québec. A paediatrician is normally seen on referral from the family doctor. Source
  • The French-language newcomer media (lepetitjournal.com Montréal, Immigrant Québec) publish directories and resource lists where professionals register themselves; they complement the official list but do not replace it. Source

Addresses

  • Dr Myriam Abikhzer et Dr Yael Abikhzer

    General practitioner

    Côte-des-Neiges (chemin de la Côte-des-Neiges)

    Medical advisers to the consulate general, Clinique médicale Abikhzer (private practice): general medicine consultations, medical certificates, immigration medical exams, radiology and lab; online booking.

    Languages spoken : FR, EN

    Website Source

  • Dr Philippe Rohé

    General practitioner

    Centre-ville (rue du Square-Victoria)

    General practitioner, laureate of the Paris faculty of medicine; in person at the private Quatuor MD medical complex and by teleconsultation via VirtuelMD.

    Languages spoken : FR, EN

    Website Source

  • Dr Behzad Kazemi

    General practitioner

    Côte-des-Neiges (chemin de la Côte-des-Neiges)

    Family doctor and medical director of Clinique Point Santé, a stone's throw from CHU Sainte-Justine.

    Languages spoken : FR, EN

    Website Source

  • Mikhael Samaan

    Plateau-Mont-Royal (boulevard Saint-Joseph Est) et Westmount (rue Sherbrooke Ouest)

    Osteopath, Clinique Intersanté, two practices: Plateau and Westmount.

    Languages spoken : FR, EN

    Website Source

  • Sébastien Brassart

    Centre-Sud (rue Sherbrooke Est)

    Osteopath, SOS Ostéo, rue Sherbrooke Est.

    Languages spoken : FR, EN

    Website Source

  • Dr Franck Hugbéké

    Dentist

    Longueuil, Rive-Sud (rue Saint-Charles Ouest)

    Dentist (DMD), Centre dentaire Duquet et associés, in Old Longueuil: handy for families settled on the South Shore.

    Languages spoken : FR, EN

    Website Source

  • Dr Philippe Huynh

    Dentist

    Quartier des spectacles (boulevard Saint-Laurent), métro Saint-Laurent

    Dentist downtown, with a dedicated toothache line; contact details on the consulate's list.

    Languages spoken : FR, EN

    Source

  • Éléonore Safar

    Psychologist

    Centre-ville (boulevard Robert-Bourassa)

    Psychologist, member of the Ordre des psychologues du Québec, individual psychotherapy for adults: useful for mums, not for children.

    Languages spoken : FR, EN

    Website Source

Go further

Pregnancy, maternity units and birth centres

In Quebec, you choose who follows your pregnancy: family doctor, obstetrician or midwife, all covered by RAMQ. Birth centres, run by the public network, are a feature much loved by French mums.

Good to know

  • Midwives are the only professionals offering a choice of birthplace: home, birth centre or partner hospital, and you can change your mind during the follow-up; their services are covered for people insured by RAMQ. Places are limited, so contact a birth centre as early as possible in pregnancy. Source
  • Even during the RAMQ waiting period, care related to pregnancy, childbirth and termination is provided free of charge. Source
  • The Quebec Parental Insurance Plan (RQAP) replaces French maternity leave: 18 weeks of maternity at 70% of income with the basic plan or 15 weeks at 75% with the special plan, 5 weeks (or 3) for the other parent, and 32 weeks (or 25) of parental benefits to share. Source
  • To qualify, you must live in Quebec at the start of the benefit period, have contributed to the RQAP or employment insurance and have earned at least $2,000 of insurable income during the reference period, whatever the number of hours worked: a mum who arrived on a work permit can therefore benefit. Source

Addresses

  • CHU Sainte-Justine, obstétrique

    Maternity

    3175, chemin de la Côte-Sainte-Catherine, H3T 1C5

    The reference mother-and-child centre: pregnancy follow-up, birth and postnatal care, with neonatology and paediatrics on site for high-risk pregnancies.

    Website Source

  • Maison de naissance Côte-des-Neiges

    Maternity

    6560, chemin de la Côte-des-Neiges, H3S 2A7

    Public-network birth centre, full midwife follow-up and birth on site, at home or at the partner hospital.

    Website Source

  • Maison de naissance Jeanne-Mance

    Maternity

    1822, rue Ontario Est, H2K 1T7

    In Centre-Sud, handy for the Plateau and Rosemont; midwifery services covered by RAMQ.

    Website Source

  • Maison de naissance Marie-Paule-Lanthier

    Maternity

    9600, rue Saint-Denis, aile C, H2M 1P2

    In the north of the island, in Ahuntsic, for families in Villeray, Ahuntsic and Montréal-Nord.

    Website Source

  • Maison de naissance Anne-Courtemanche

    Maternity

    4500, rue De Contrecœur, H1K 0L1

    East Montreal's birth centre (CIUSSS de l'Est-de-l'Île), in Mercier.

    Website Source

Go further

Pharmacies and medicines

Pharmacies are real neighbourhood clinics: the Quebec pharmacist prescribes, adjusts and extends, and several branches of the big chains open late or 24 hours a day. Doliprane, on the other hand, does not exist: look for Tylenol.

Good to know

  • The pharmacist can prescribe medicines for simple health problems (seasonal allergies, eczema and other minor conditions), adjust a doctor's prescription, order lab tests and extend a treatment: a valuable first resort when you do not yet have a family doctor. Source
  • At the pharmacy, your bill depends on your compulsory drug insurance: the employer's private plan or the RAMQ public plan, with a deductible and a share you pay. Show the right plan's insurance card for each family member. Source
  • Equivalents: acetaminophen (Tylenol, Tempra for children) for Doliprane, ibuprofen (Advil, children's Motrin) for French Advil, 'saline solution' for sérum physiologique, and Hydrasense or Salinex sprays for noses. Many of these are off the shelf; Spasfon and many French syrups have no equivalent.
  • A prescription written in France is generally not dispensable as is in Quebec: bring it, with the boxes, so that a doctor, nurse practitioner or pharmacist renews the treatment under its local name. Brand names and paediatric dosages differ, ask for the dosage to be explained.
  • For a pharmacy open late at night, use the chains' store locators (Jean Coutu, Pharmaprix, Uniprix, Familiprix) and filter by opening hours; several Montreal branches open 24 hours a day. If in doubt about a symptom, 811 remains the right reflex before heading out. Source

Go further

Vaccines: how the schedule differs from France

The Quebec immunisation programme offers vaccines free, at the CLSC then at school, but nothing is compulsory. Chickenpox is vaccinated from 12 months, hepatitis A too, and Quebec's school schedule replaces the French boosters at 6 and 11.

Good to know

  • Infants: at 2 and 4 months, combined DTaP-HB-IPV-Hib, pneumococcal and rotavirus; at 12 months, DTaP-IPV-Hib, pneumococcal and measles-mumps-rubella-varicella; at 18 months, meningococcal, second measles-mumps-rubella-varicella dose and hepatitis A-B. Participation is voluntary. Source
  • Three differences from France: chickenpox is in the combined vaccine from 12 months, hepatitis A is given at 18 months, and no vaccine is required for school or daycare, whereas eleven vaccinations are compulsory for young children in France. BCG is not on the programme. Source
  • At school, the school nurse vaccinates free in Grade 4 of primary (hepatitis A and HPV) and in Secondary 3 (diphtheria-tetanus, meningococcal, hepatitis B); parents receive the information and consent form at the start of the school year. Source
  • To vaccinate a child, book at the CLSC via Clic Santé or on 1 877 644-4545, or go through your doctor or pharmacist; bring the French vaccination record so that doses already given are entered in the Quebec vaccination registry and the schedule adjusted. Source
  • The flu vaccine is only free for certain groups, including children aged 6 months and over with chronic conditions and people aged 65 and over; for everyone else, it is paid for at the pharmacy each autumn. Source

Go further

These landmarks do not replace the advice of a health professional. In an emergency, call the local emergency number shown above.

A place has closed, something has changed? Tell us: the mums of Montreal will thank you.

Sources for this page

The public pages these landmarks come from. The official website always prevails.

  1. 1 RAMQ, conditions d'admissibilité à l'assurance maladie
  2. 2 RAMQ, ententes de sécurité sociale avec d'autres pays
  3. 3 RAMQ, obligation d'avoir une assurance médicaments
  4. 4 Québec.ca, Info-Santé 811
  5. 5 Québec.ca, Guichet d'accès à la première ligne
  6. 6 Consulat général de France, liste de notoriété (Montréal)
  7. 7 Ordre des sages-femmes du Québec, maisons de naissance
  8. 8 Québec.ca, Programme québécois d'immunisation

Get updates to the Montreal guide

Verified addresses, official sources, school-year dates: we write when the Montreal guide changes, never more than once a week.

Other sections of the Montreal guide

Report a change

A place has closed, a number has changed, something is no longer right? Please tell us: we check and fix the Montreal guide.

What is going on?