Provincial residency · New Brunswick
New Brunswick health coverage residency rules
What residents of New Brunswick need to know about Medicare NB coverage, what they stand to lose if they cross the absence threshold, and how the rolling-12-month math actually works.
The rule, in plain English
Medicare NB requires you to be physically present in New Brunswick at least 183 days in any rolling 12-month window. You may be absent up to 212 days without prior approval.
For longer absences, New Brunswick residents file Application for Coverage — Notice of Temporary Absence before the absence begins. Extended absences up to 1460 days may be approved.
On return, the wait period before coverage resumes is 90 days.
What you stand to lose
If you fall below the residency threshold without an approved extended-absence application, you lose access to the following programs and credits. These are the marquee items most New Brunswick residents do not realize are tied to provincial residency.
Medicare NB (medical, hospital)
value varies by usage
New Brunswick Drug Plan
~$1,200/yr typical
New Brunswick Child Tax Benefit
up to $300/yr per child
New Brunswick Low-Income Tax Reduction
up to $778/yr
Free K-12 (for dependents)
~$12,000/yr typical
Estimated annualized basket value for a typical resident: $1,500-$4,500 for a single adult; $3,500-$8,500 for a senior; $14,000-$26,000 for a family with kids.
What most residents do not know
Most generous student-absence allowance in Canada — up to 48 months out of province for full-time study.
How New Brunswick taxes residents
CRA December 31 deemed-residence rule. Schedule NB filed with federal T1.
Top combined federal and provincial marginal rate (2025): 52.5%.
Track your days automatically
Counting days against the Medicare NB threshold by hand is doable, and it is where most New Brunswick expats make mistakes. Being Canadian, an iOS app from The Northern Office, tracks your absence in real time, warns you before the threshold trips, and exports a clean record for your tax preparer.
Get Being CanadianFree for 30 days. $79/year after that, same number in USD and CAD.
Authoritative source
The information on this page is current as of 2026-05-21 and is sourced from https://www2.gnb.ca/content/gnb/en/departments/health/MedicarePrescriptionDrugPlan/Medicare/Eligibility.html. Rules change. Verify before relying.