Moving from Ontario to Alberta

1. 1

   Update your address and your Ontario 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 Alberta change-of-address checklist →

   Ontario programs and benefits on the way out

   • “The Ontario Drug Benefit program is for Ontario residents only and prescriptions must be filled in an Ontario pharmacy to be covered.” Get coverage for prescription drugs | ontario.ca →
   • The Ontario Drug Benefit is for Ontario residents only; Ontario publishes no end date for a mover. Ask the pharmacy or ServiceOntario before you leave. Get coverage for prescription drugs | ontario.ca →

   ↑ Close this section
2. 2

   Health coverage: Ontario ends, Alberta begins

   AHCIP (Alberta Health Care Insurance Plan): Coverage begins on the first day of the third month following the date you established residency in Alberta. During the gap you can continue using your health card from your previous province or territory when accessing health services.Open this section ↓Close ↑

   Leaving Ontario

   • “If you’re moving permanently to another province or territory in Canada, OHIP will cover you for the same services as when you are going away temporarily until the last day of the second full month after you leave Ontario.” OHIP coverage outside Ontario | ontario.ca →
   • “If you are cancelling your health card because you are moving outside Ontario, provide ServiceOntario with your new address and date of your move as soon as possible. This will ensure your OHIP coverage continues for the allowable time (generally 90 days) following your move.” Replace, cancel or change information on your health card | ontario.ca →

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

   Arriving in Alberta

   AHCIP (Alberta Health Care Insurance Plan): Coverage begins on the first day of the third month following the date you established residency in Alberta. During the gap you can continue using your health card from your previous province or territory when accessing health services.

   Apply within 3 months of arriving: Online or at a registry agent.

   Official source → https://www.alberta.ca/ahcip-moving-to-albertaMoving to Alberta: the full new-resident guide →↑ Close this section
3. 3

   Driver's licence: Ontario to Alberta

   Exchange deadline in Alberta: 90 days.Open this section ↓Close ↑

   Your Ontario licence

   • “You can choose to voluntarily surrender a valid driver’s licence if you’re moving or because of your age or health.” Get a refund or credit for your licence plate sticker or driver’s licence | ontario.ca →
   • “If you’ve moved out of the province or have stopped driving in Ontario, you can request a refund for each 6-month part of your driver’s licence fee (for example, 18 months remaining before expiry). If you are within 6 months of expiry, you will not be eligible for a refund.” Get a refund or credit for your licence plate sticker or driver’s licence | ontario.ca →
   • Ontario publishes no duty to tell it you have moved away; surrendering the licence is optional and earns a refund of unused six-month periods. Get a refund or credit for your licence plate sticker or driver’s licence | ontario.ca →

   Your Alberta licence

   Exchange deadline in Alberta: 90 days.

   Exchange your out-of-province licence within 90 days of establishing Alberta residency at any Alberta registry agent.

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

   Official source → https://www.alberta.ca/exchange-non-alberta-licences↑ Close this section
4. 4

   Your vehicle: cancel in Ontario, register in Alberta

   You have 90 days from becoming an Alberta resident to register your out-of-province vehicle.Open this section ↓Close ↑

   Cancel in Ontario

   • Ontario publishes no plate-return or registration-cancellation step for a passenger vehicle you take to another province. Your Ontario plate stays yours; confirm anything about it with ServiceOntario. Vehicle registration | ontario.ca →

   Register in Alberta: Authorized private registry agents

   Watch for: The OOPVI report is void if not presented to a registry agent within 14 days of the inspection date. A vehicle that fails must be re-inspected and re-presented within 10 days of the failure.

   You have 90 days from becoming an Alberta resident to register your out-of-province vehicle.

   Inspection: Out of Province Vehicle Inspection (OOPVI). Purchase the "Request for Vehicle Inspection" form from a registry agent before booking the inspection. Once issued, the OOPVI report must be presented for registration within 14 days, or it is void. A failed inspection must be re-presented within 10 days of the failure.

   Alberta handles vehicle registration through private authorized registry agents; there is no government office. Find an authorized agent through alberta.ca.

   Official source: Authorized private registry agents → https://www.alberta.ca/register-vehicleAlberta 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 Alberta-specific steps and agencies.

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

   Your free ON to AB checklist

   Open this section ↓Close ↑

   Alberta deadlines at a glance

   • □Driver's licence exchange: 90 days
   • □AHCIP (Alberta Health Care Insurance Plan): apply within 3 months of arriving
   • □Vehicle registration: 90 days
   • □Licence address update: Alberta requires you to update your driver's licence address within 14 days of moving. Visit any authorized private registry agent: there is no provincial government office for this.

   Leaving Ontario

   • □Health coverage: “If you’re moving permanently to another province or territory in Canada, OHIP will cover you for the same services as when you are going away temporarily until the last day of the second full month after you leave Ontario.” Source →
   • □“If you are cancelling your health card because you are moving outside Ontario, provide ServiceOntario with your new address and date of your move as soon as possible. This will ensure your OHIP coverage continues for the allowable time (generally 90 days) following your move.” Source →
   • □Driver's licence: “You can choose to voluntarily surrender a valid driver’s licence if you’re moving or because of your age or health.” Source →
   • □“If you’ve moved out of the province or have stopped driving in Ontario, you can request a refund for each 6-month part of your driver’s licence fee (for example, 18 months remaining before expiry). If you are within 6 months of expiry, you will not be eligible for a refund.” Source →
   • □Ontario publishes no duty to tell it you have moved away; surrendering the licence is optional and earns a refund of unused six-month periods. Source →
   • □Vehicle: Ontario publishes no plate-return or registration-cancellation step for a passenger vehicle you take to another province. Your Ontario plate stays yours; confirm anything about it with ServiceOntario. Source →
   • □Programs and benefits: “The Ontario Drug Benefit program is for Ontario residents only and prescriptions must be filled in an Ontario pharmacy to be covered.” Source →
   • □The Ontario Drug Benefit is for Ontario residents only; Ontario publishes no end date for a mover. Ask the pharmacy or ServiceOntario before you leave. Source →

   Arriving in Alberta

   • □Update your address: Alberta change-of-address checklist. Guide →
   • □Driver's licence: exchange within 90 days. Exchange your out-of-province licence within 90 days of establishing Alberta residency at any Alberta registry agent. Source →
   • □Health card: apply for AHCIP (Alberta Health Care Insurance Plan) within 3 months of arriving. Online or at a registry agent. Source →
   • □Coverage start: Coverage begins on the first day of the third month following the date you established residency in Alberta. During the gap you can continue using your health card from your previous province or territory when accessing health services. Source →
   • □Keep your old provincial health coverage active until your new coverage starts. Do not cancel it early.
   • □Vehicle: You have 90 days from becoming an Alberta resident to register your out-of-province vehicle. Source →
   • □Inspection: Out of Province Vehicle Inspection (OOPVI). 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: Alberta replace-documents guide. Guide →

   Download the ON to AB 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 Ontario health coverage end after I move to Alberta?Open this section ↓Close ↑

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

   Ontario publishes it this way. “If you’re moving permanently to another province or territory in Canada, OHIP will cover you for the same services as when you are going away temporarily until the last day of the second full month after you leave Ontario.” “If you are cancelling your health card because you are moving outside Ontario, provide ServiceOntario with your new address and date of your move as soon as possible. This will ensure your OHIP coverage continues for the allowable time (generally 90 days) following your move.” 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 Ontario licence in Alberta?

   90 days. Exchange your out-of-province licence within 90 days of establishing Alberta residency at any Alberta registry agent.

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

   Ontario publishes no plate-return or registration-cancellation step for a passenger vehicle you take to another province. Your Ontario plate stays yours; confirm anything about it with ServiceOntario. In Alberta: You have 90 days from becoming an Alberta resident to register your out-of-province vehicle.

   Is there a free checklist for moving from Ontario to Alberta?

   Yes. The checklist on this page lists what to cancel in Ontario and what to register in Alberta, 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

Made in your browser · Nothing you type is sent to us · Every line with its official source

Move Pack: dated plan and documentsON to AB, made in your browser

YOUR DATED PLAN

Nothing you type here is sent to Guidepost. It stays in this browser, on this device.

The day you arrive

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

1. DateOntario health coverage ends

   “If you’re moving permanently to another province or territory in Canada, OHIP will cover you for the same services as when you are going away temporarily until the last day of the second full month after you leave Ontario.”

   OHIP coverage outside Ontario | ontario.ca →
2. DateApply for AHCIP (Alberta Health Care Insurance Plan)

   AHCIP (Alberta Health Care Insurance Plan): apply within 3 months of arriving

   AHCIP (Alberta Health Care Insurance Plan) enrolment →
3. DateAHCIP (Alberta Health Care Insurance Plan) coverage begins

   Coverage begins on the first day of the third month following the date you established residency in Alberta. During the gap you can continue using your health card from your previous province or territory when accessing health services.

   AHCIP (Alberta Health Care Insurance Plan) enrolment →
4. DateExchange your licence in Alberta

   Driver's licence exchange: 90 days

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

   Licence address update: Alberta requires you to update your driver's licence address within 14 days of moving. Visit any authorized private registry agent: there is no provincial government office for this.

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

   Vehicle registration: 90 days

   Authorized private registry agents: vehicle registration →

Move Pack: dated plan and documents$9.99

Dated and done for you: the plan above as five printable documents for Ontario to Alberta, 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.