How to Renew Your Ontario Health Card (OHIP): A Plain-Language Guide
An Ontario health card is valid for five years, and renewing it is free. You can renew online or in person, and what you need depends on your card and your situation. This guide walks through the steps as ServiceOntario describes them, and what to do if your card is lost, stolen or expired. We are a clinic, not ServiceOntario, so we link the official pages for every step.
Quick answer
You must renew your health card every 5 years, and renewal is free (ontario.ca, Renew a health card). You can renew online if your Ontario photo health card expires within 180 days or expired within the past 180 days, you have a valid Ontario driver's licence or Ontario Photo Card, and your photo, signature and address are up to date. Otherwise, renew in person at a ServiceOntario centre (a few age groups can use mail). Your new card is mailed in about 4 to 6 weeks. Medicare Clinic cannot renew, replace or update health cards.
1. How long a card is valid
ServiceOntario says you "must renew your health card every 5 years" and that renewing is free. The renewed card is mailed in about 4 to 6 weeks (ontario.ca, Renew a health card, last updated 19 Oct 2026). You can also sign up for renewal reminders (ontario.ca).
Source: ontario.ca, Renew a health card, read 10 Nov 2026.
2. Renew online
Online renewal uses a valid driver's licence or Ontario Photo Card as proof of identity and Ontario residency. Your licence or photo card is not renewed in this transaction. To be eligible, ServiceOntario lists these conditions:
- Your Ontario photo health card expires within 180 days, or expired within the past 180 days. Online renewal is for photo cards that are close to expiry (or recently expired), as above.
- Your card has an up-to-date photo and signature, and your address is up to date.
- You have not changed your address in the last 90 days: online renewal is not available within 90 days of an address change.
- If you use a driver's licence, it is not suspended, cancelled or expired, does not require a test, and has an up-to-date photo and signature. A valid Ontario Photo Card that is not expired or cancelled also works.
- Have your most recent health card and a printer ready: the page says it's important to print and carry the temporary documents.
Start from the official page: services.ontario.ca, renew health card. If your licence and health card expire at the same time and you do not need a new photo or signature, you may be able to renew both together (a Visa or Mastercard is needed for the licence fee).
Source: ontario.ca, Renew a health card (last updated 19 Oct 2026), read 10 Nov 2026.
3. Renew in person
If you cannot renew online, visit a ServiceOntario centre. ServiceOntario says to bring:
- Your current health card.
- Proof of Ontario residency and proof of identity, from the Ontario health coverage document list.
- Your most recent citizenship or immigration document, if your status has changed since you got your current card.
- Your marriage certificate, if you are applying under your married name for the first time.
- Optional: a printed renewal form.
You may also need proof that Ontario is your primary residence if your card has already expired, or if you were outside Ontario for more than 7 months in the last 12. A new photo is needed if you renew in person. Most locations let you book an appointment ahead (book a ServiceOntario appointment), and you can find a centre and its hours on ontario.ca.
Examples of accepted proof from the document list: for residency, an Ontario driver's licence, a utility bill or a bank statement; for identity, a passport, an Ontario Photo Card or a credit card that shows your name and signature. That page shows it was updated on 15 Nov 2022, so check the current list before you go (ontario.ca, Documents needed to get a health card).
Sources: Renew a health card (updated 19 Oct 2026); Documents needed to get a health card (updated 15 Nov 2022); ServiceOntario (updated 29 Sep 2026). All read 10 Nov 2026.
4. Different rules by age
- Turning 16: must renew in person, up to 6 months before the card expires.
- Ages 75 to 80: must renew in person so a new photo can be taken.
- Age 80 and over: may be able to renew by mail; the renewal reminder confirms this.
- Children under 15½: online, by mail or in person depending on the case; the child does not need to attend in person.
Source: ontario.ca, Renew a health card (last updated 19 Oct 2026), read 10 Nov 2026. Details and conditions are on that page.
5. Lost, stolen or damaged card
ServiceOntario's replacement steps depend on the type of card you have (ontario.ca, Replace, cancel or change information on your health card, updated 10 Oct 2025):
| Your situation | What ServiceOntario says |
|---|---|
| Photo card, not expired, name and address unchanged | Call ServiceOntario at 1-800-664-8988. |
| Photo card, not expired, name or address changed | Visit a ServiceOntario centre. |
| Red and white card | Visit a ServiceOntario centre with the registration form and three separate documents (status, Ontario residency, identity). A new photo card arrives in 4 to 6 weeks. |
| Expired photo card | See the expired card section below. |
Source: ontario.ca, Replace, cancel or change information on your health card, read 10 Nov 2026. The page does not state a fee for replacing a card.
6. Expired card
If your photo card expired within the last 180 days, you may still be able to renew online (see Renew online). Otherwise, ServiceOntario's replacement page says that for an expired photo card you visit a centre with two separate documents, one proving Ontario residency and one confirming identity (the identity document must be an original), plus your latest citizenship or immigration document if your status changed (ontario.ca). The renewal page adds that you may need proof that Ontario is your primary residence if the card has already expired (ontario.ca). For questions about which documents to bring, the documents page says to call ServiceOntario at 1-800-268-1154 (toll-free in Ontario only) or 416-314-5518 (Toronto and GTA), TTY 1-800-387-5559 (ontario.ca, Documents needed to get a health card, page dated 15 Nov 2022: check the current list and numbers).
Sources: Replace, cancel or change information on your health card; Renew a health card; Documents needed to get a health card (all read 10 Nov 2026).
7. Moved or changed your name?
- Address: update your health card address within 30 days of moving, which keeps your coverage active and makes sure you get renewal notices. You can change it online, mail a Change of Address form, send a letter to your local ServiceOntario centre, or visit a centre. Remember that online renewal is not available for 90 days after an address change.
- Name: visit a ServiceOntario centre with a completed Change of Information form and an original supporting document (for a last name, for example, a marriage certificate or a certified court order).
- Moving out of Ontario: tell ServiceOntario as soon as possible; the page says coverage generally continues for 90 days after the move.
Source: ontario.ca, Replace, cancel or change information on your health card, read 10 Nov 2026.
8. New to Ontario?
ServiceOntario says there is "no longer a waiting period for OHIP coverage." To qualify you generally must make Ontario your primary residence, be physically in Ontario for at least 153 days in any 12-month period (and 153 of your first 183 days), and meet at least one more requirement, such as being a Canadian citizen, a permanent resident, or a convention refugee or protected person. To apply for your first card, visit a ServiceOntario centre with the registration form and three separate documents: status, Ontario residency and identity. Visitors from other provinces or outside Canada do not qualify (ontario.ca, Apply for OHIP and get a health card, updated 9 Nov 2026). Our newcomer's guide to healthcare in Mississauga covers what to do while you settle in.
Source: ontario.ca, Apply for OHIP and get a health card, read 10 Nov 2026.
9. Where Medicare Clinic fits in
Medicare Clinic is not ServiceOntario, and we cannot renew, replace or update your health card. Use the official ontario.ca steps above. What we can do is see you for care: Ontario says your health card must be shown when you see your doctor, visit an emergency room, have a medical test or have surgery (ontario.ca), so bring it with you to your visit. Our walk-in clinic welcomes walk-ins (call to confirm), and our website says we are accepting new family patients.
Frequently asked questions
Can Medicare Clinic renew my health card?
No. Health cards are renewed through ServiceOntario: online, or in person at a ServiceOntario centre. See the online and in-person sections above.
Does it cost anything to renew?
No. ServiceOntario says renewing an Ontario health card is free. Source: ontario.ca, Renew a health card.
How long until my new card arrives?
About 4 to 6 weeks by mail. Source: ontario.ca, Renew a health card.
My card expired. Can I still renew online?
Yes, if your photo card expired within the past 180 days and you meet the other conditions listed under Renew online. Otherwise, see the expired card section. Sources: ontario.ca, Renew a health card; Replace, cancel or change information on your health card.
I lost my card. Who do I call?
If you have an unexpired photo card and your name and address have not changed, ServiceOntario says to call 1-800-664-8988. Other situations are in the lost, stolen or damaged card section. Source: ontario.ca, Replace, cancel or change information on your health card.
I just moved. What do I do?
Update your address within 30 days of moving. Source: ontario.ca, Replace, cancel or change information on your health card.
How do I book with Medicare Clinic?
Call (905) 848-4844 to book, or walk in during opening hours (call to confirm). Source: medicareclinics.ca contact and walk-in pages.
Rules and phone numbers on government pages can change. Check the linked ontario.ca pages before you go. Facts in this guide were read on ontario.ca on 10 Nov 2026.
This guide is general information, not medical or legal advice. Medicare Clinic is not part of ServiceOntario and cannot process health card applications.