Moving from Nova Scotia to Ontario

1. 1

   Update your address and your Nova Scotia programs

   Open this section ↓Close ↑

   Update your address with Canada Post (mail forwarding), CRA, Service Canada, Elections Canada, your bank, employer, and provincial agencies including your health card and driver's licence address.

   Full Ontario change-of-address checklist →

   Nova Scotia programs and benefits on the way out

   • “Available to anyone with a valid Nova Scotia Health Card.” Information for Nova Scotians | novascotia.ca →
   • Nova Scotia Pharmacare needs a valid NS Health Card and does not pay outside Nova Scotia; no moving-out rule is published. Ask Pharmacare before you leave. Information for Nova Scotians | novascotia.ca →

   ↑ Close this section
2. 2

   Health coverage: Nova Scotia ends, Ontario begins

   OHIP: No waiting period: OHIP coverage is immediate (the 3-month wait was removed in 2020). You must be physically present in Ontario for at least 153 of the first 183 days of your coverage period.Open this section ↓Close ↑

   Leaving Nova Scotia

   • “If you move from Nova Scotia to live permanently in another province or territory within Canada, your Health Card coverage ends on the last day of the second month following the date you leave Nova Scotia (for example, if you arrive in the new province on 27 September, your coverage ends 30 November).” Healthcare coverage if you move away from Nova Scotia: Health Card - Government of Nova Scotia →
   • “You need to contact MSI Resident Services to provide your new address and the date you’ll leave the province. You should register for a Health Card in your new province or territory as soon as possible.” Healthcare coverage if you move away from Nova Scotia: Health Card - Government of Nova Scotia →

   Keep your old provincial health coverage active until your new coverage starts. Do not cancel it early.

   Arriving in Ontario

   OHIP: No waiting period: OHIP coverage is immediate (the 3-month wait was removed in 2020). You must be physically present in Ontario for at least 153 of the first 183 days of your coverage period.

   Apply as soon as you arrive: ServiceOntario (in person or online).

   Official source → https://www.ontario.ca/page/apply-ohip-and-get-health-cardMoving to Ontario: the full new-resident guide →↑ Close this section
3. 3

   Driver's licence: Nova Scotia to Ontario

   Exchange deadline in Ontario: 60 days.Open this section ↓Close ↑

   Your Nova Scotia licence

   • Nova Scotia publishes a voluntary surrender form and a refund of unused full months, less an administration fee, once you are licensed elsewhere. It publishes no duty to hand the licence back. Forms and Applications | Access Nova Scotia | Government of NS →

   Your Ontario licence

   Exchange deadline in Ontario: 60 days.

   You may drive on your existing out-of-province licence for up to 60 days after becoming an Ontario resident; after that you must exchange it for an Ontario licence.

   Testing is typically waived when exchanging a same-class Canadian licence.

   Official source → https://www.ontario.ca/page/exchange-out-province-drivers-licence↑ Close this section
4. 4

   Your vehicle: cancel in Nova Scotia, register in Ontario

   You have 30 days from the date you became an Ontario resident to register your out-of-province vehicle. The 30 days comes from the Official MTO Driver's Handbook ("Vehicle insurance and registration"); the ServiceOntario service page does not state a day-count.Open this section ↓Close ↑

   Cancel in Nova Scotia

   • “for vehicles which have left the Province there is delivered to the Registrar a certificate issued in another province that the plates and permit were surrendered to an official of that province” Refund of Registration Fees Regulations - Motor Vehicle Act (Nova Scotia) →
   • “The refundable amount is based on the full calendar months remaining in registration period.” Service Nova Scotia - Registry of Motor Vehicles - Plate Refund →
   • An administration fee is deducted from the refund; the RMV plate refund page carries the current figure. Service Nova Scotia - Registry of Motor Vehicles - Plate Refund →

   Register in Ontario: ServiceOntario

   Watch for: 13% Retail Sales Tax (RST) applies to private inter-provincial purchases. If you need to drive before getting the SSC and registration, you must purchase a 10-day Special Permit ($23.50) in person at ServiceOntario.

   You have 30 days from the date you became an Ontario resident to register your out-of-province vehicle. The 30 days comes from the Official MTO Driver's Handbook ("Vehicle insurance and registration"); the ServiceOntario service page does not state a day-count.

   Inspection: Safety Standards Certificate (SSC). Obtain the SSC from a licensed Ontario motor vehicle inspection station before registering.

   Official source: ServiceOntario → https://www.ontario.ca/page/register-out-province-vehicle-ontarioOntario vehicle re-registration guide, with what to bring →

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   ↑ Close this section
5. 5

   Federal updates and the December 31 rule

   CRA: update your mailing address via My Account at canada.ca or by calling 1-800-959-8281.Open this section ↓Close ↑

   • CRA: update your mailing address via My Account at canada.ca or by calling 1-800-959-8281. Direct deposit details stay the same.
   • Elections Canada: update your voter registration at elections.ca or at your nearest Elections Canada office.
   • Utilities, waste/recycling, transit passes, and school registration are set by your municipality: rules and providers vary by city. Check your city or municipal website for local services.

   Which province you were resident in for the year

   Your province or territory of residence is the province or territory where you lived or of which you were considered to be a factual resident on December 31 of the year.

   Your province or territory of residence - Canada.ca →

   If you need a replacement birth certificate, SIN confirmation letter, or passport, see the replace-documents guide for Ontario-specific steps and agencies.

   Ontario replace-documents guide →↑ Close this section
6. 6

   Your free NS to ON checklist

   Open this section ↓Close ↑

   Ontario deadlines at a glance

   • □Driver's licence exchange: 60 days
   • □OHIP: apply as soon as you arrive
   • □Vehicle registration: 30 days
   • □Licence address update: Ontario law requires you to update your driver's licence address within 6 days of moving. Update at ServiceOntario online or in person.

   Leaving Nova Scotia

   • □Health coverage: “If you move from Nova Scotia to live permanently in another province or territory within Canada, your Health Card coverage ends on the last day of the second month following the date you leave Nova Scotia (for example, if you arrive in the new province on 27 September, your coverage ends 30 November).” Source →
   • □“You need to contact MSI Resident Services to provide your new address and the date you’ll leave the province. You should register for a Health Card in your new province or territory as soon as possible.” Source →
   • □Driver's licence: Nova Scotia publishes a voluntary surrender form and a refund of unused full months, less an administration fee, once you are licensed elsewhere. It publishes no duty to hand the licence back. Source →
   • □Vehicle: “for vehicles which have left the Province there is delivered to the Registrar a certificate issued in another province that the plates and permit were surrendered to an official of that province” Source →
   • □“The refundable amount is based on the full calendar months remaining in registration period.” Source →
   • □An administration fee is deducted from the refund; the RMV plate refund page carries the current figure. Source →
   • □Programs and benefits: “Available to anyone with a valid Nova Scotia Health Card.” Source →
   • □Nova Scotia Pharmacare needs a valid NS Health Card and does not pay outside Nova Scotia; no moving-out rule is published. Ask Pharmacare before you leave. Source →

   Arriving in Ontario

   • □Update your address: Ontario change-of-address checklist. Guide →
   • □Driver's licence: exchange within 60 days. You may drive on your existing out-of-province licence for up to 60 days after becoming an Ontario resident; after that you must exchange it for an Ontario licence. Source →
   • □Health card: apply for OHIP as soon as you arrive. ServiceOntario (in person or online). Source →
   • □Coverage start: No waiting period: OHIP coverage is immediate (the 3-month wait was removed in 2020). You must be physically present in Ontario for at least 153 of the first 183 days of your coverage period. Source →
   • □Keep your old provincial health coverage active until your new coverage starts. Do not cancel it early.
   • □Vehicle: You have 30 days from the date you became an Ontario resident to register your out-of-province vehicle. The 30 days comes from the Official MTO Driver's Handbook ("Vehicle insurance and registration"); the ServiceOntario service page does not state a day-count. Source →
   • □Inspection: Safety Standards Certificate (SSC). Guide →
   • □CRA: update your mailing address via My Account at canada.ca or by calling 1-800-959-8281. Direct deposit details stay the same.
   • □Elections Canada: update your voter registration at elections.ca or at your nearest Elections Canada office.
   • □Utilities, waste/recycling, transit passes, and school registration are set by your municipality: rules and providers vary by city. Check your city or municipal website for local services.
   • □Replace or obtain documents: Ontario replace-documents guide. Guide →

   Download the NS to ON checklist as a PDF

   Printable, with every source beside its item. Free, no sign-in.

   Download this checklistPrint

   Free. General information only, not legal or regulatory advice.

   Keep it with the rest. This one files behind tab 3 of the Home File.

   ↑ Close this section
7. 7

   Common questions

   When does my Nova Scotia health coverage end after I move to Ontario?Open this section ↓Close ↑

   When does my Nova Scotia health coverage end after I move to Ontario?

   Nova Scotia publishes it this way. “If you move from Nova Scotia to live permanently in another province or territory within Canada, your Health Card coverage ends on the last day of the second month following the date you leave Nova Scotia (for example, if you arrive in the new province on 27 September, your coverage ends 30 November).” “You need to contact MSI Resident Services to provide your new address and the date you’ll leave the province. You should register for a Health Card in your new province or territory as soon as possible.” Keep your old provincial health coverage active until your new coverage starts. Do not cancel it early.

   How long do I have to exchange my Nova Scotia licence in Ontario?

   60 days. You may drive on your existing out-of-province licence for up to 60 days after becoming an Ontario resident; after that you must exchange it for an Ontario licence.

   Do I have to hand back my Nova Scotia plates when I register the car in Ontario?

   “for vehicles which have left the Province there is delivered to the Registrar a certificate issued in another province that the plates and permit were surrendered to an official of that province” “The refundable amount is based on the full calendar months remaining in registration period.” An administration fee is deducted from the refund; the RMV plate refund page carries the current figure. In Ontario: You have 30 days from the date you became an Ontario resident to register your out-of-province vehicle. The 30 days comes from the Official MTO Driver's Handbook ("Vehicle insurance and registration"); the ServiceOntario service page does not state a day-count.

   Is there a free checklist for moving from Nova Scotia to Ontario?

   Yes. The checklist on this page lists what to cancel in Nova Scotia and what to register in Ontario, each item with its official source, and you can download it as a free PDF. It helps you plan the move; it is not legal advice.

   ↑ Close this section

When you are ready

Move Pack: dated plan and documents$9.99

Dated and done for you. Enter your move date below and the plan builds free; pay once to make the documents on this device.

• Your dated plan: every deadline computed from your move date, each with its official source
• The cancel-and-register sheet: leaving column and arriving column, in order
• The itemized cost for your pair: verified figures only, with what is excluded said plainly
• The who-to-notify set: federal, the province you leave, the province you arrive in
• Your first-week sheet: what closes within seven days and what to start

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Move Pack: dated plan and documentsNS to ON, made in your browser

YOUR DATED PLAN

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The day you arrive

Enter your move date and every window below becomes a date.

1. DateNova Scotia health coverage ends

   “If you move from Nova Scotia to live permanently in another province or territory within Canada, your Health Card coverage ends on the last day of the second month following the date you leave Nova Scotia (for example, if you arrive in the new province on 27 September, your coverage ends 30 November).”

   Healthcare coverage if you move away from Nova Scotia: Health Card - Government of Nova Scotia →
2. DateApply for OHIP

   OHIP: apply as soon as you arrive

   OHIP enrolment →
3. DateOHIP coverage begins

   No waiting period: OHIP coverage is immediate (the 3-month wait was removed in 2020). You must be physically present in Ontario for at least 153 of the first 183 days of your coverage period.

   OHIP enrolment →
4. DateExchange your licence in Ontario

   Driver's licence exchange: 60 days

   Ontario driver's licence exchange →
5. DateLicence address update in Ontario

   Licence address update: Ontario law requires you to update your driver's licence address within 6 days of moving. Update at ServiceOntario online or in person.

   Ontario change of address →
6. DateRegister your vehicle in Ontario

   Vehicle registration: 30 days

   ServiceOntario: vehicle registration →

Move Pack: dated plan and documents$9.99

Dated and done for you: the plan above as five printable documents for Nova Scotia to Ontario, made on this device. What it unlocks:

• Your dated plan: every deadline computed from your move date, each with its official source
• The cancel-and-register sheet: leaving column and arriving column, in order
• The itemized cost for your pair: verified figures only, with what is excluded said plainly
• The who-to-notify set: federal, the province you leave, the province you arrive in
• Your first-week sheet: what closes within seven days and what to start

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See a sample (PDF): the five documents for a sample move from Ontario to Alberta

Informational guide only. Guidepost is not a law firm. This guide explains the typical process and is not legal advice. Requirements can change. Verify current rules with the relevant government authority or a qualified professional before you act.