Moving from Quebec to Ontario

1. 1

   Update your address and your Quebec 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 →

   Quebec programs and benefits on the way out

   • “Persons covered by the Public Prescription Drug Insurance Plan who take up residence in another Canadian province or outside Canada cease to be eligible as of their departure date. They must notify RAMQ of their departure.” Moving outside Québec | Régie de l’assurance maladie du Québec (RAMQ) →
   • Revenu Québec: if you leave Québec during the year, you must contact Revenu Québec to tell them (the official page is in French; this is a translation, not a quotation). Déménagement hors Québec | Revenu Québec →

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2. 2

   Health coverage: Quebec 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 Quebec

   • “If you take up residence elsewhere in Canada, you must contact us to inform us of your departure and return your Health Insurance Card.” Moving outside Québec | Régie de l’assurance maladie du Québec (RAMQ) →
   • “You will cease to be covered by the Québec Health Insurance Plan on the 1st day of the 3rd month following your arrival date.” Moving outside Québec | Régie de l’assurance maladie du Québec (RAMQ) →
   • “During the period from your arrival date and the date on which you cease to be covered under the Québec Health Insurance Plan, you will be covered for services outside Québec.” Moving outside Québec | Régie de l’assurance maladie du Québec (RAMQ) →

   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: Quebec to Ontario

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

   Your Quebec licence

   • Quebec: the SAAQ publishes the rules for cancelling a Quebec licence after you hold one from another province, and the same SAAQ form covers cancelling a licence and a registration together. We could not read the licence page this month, so confirm the steps and any refund with the SAAQ. Cancelling a Driver's Licence or Relinquishing a Class of Licence - SAAQ →

   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 Quebec, 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 Quebec

   • “You can cancel the registration of a vehicle that was licensed or sold outside Québec and obtain a reimbursement in the following cases: you registered your vehicle outside Québec” Cancelling Registration of a Vehicle Licensed or Sold Outside Québec - SAAQ →
   • “You must send us the form Cancellation of the Registration of a Vehicle Licensed or Sold Outside Québec and/or a Driver’s Licence (PDF, 132.1 KB)” Cancelling Registration of a Vehicle Licensed or Sold Outside Québec - SAAQ →
   • “The amount of the reimbursement of vehicle registration fees is determined based on:” Cancelling Registration of a Vehicle Licensed or Sold Outside Québec - SAAQ →
   • The three dates are the registration date, the contract date and the date the request is received. Cancelling Registration of a Vehicle Licensed or Sold Outside Québec - SAAQ →

   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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   Moving to a new place without a policy? Square One quotes tenant and home insurance online in Ontario.

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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 QC 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 Quebec

   • □Health coverage: “If you take up residence elsewhere in Canada, you must contact us to inform us of your departure and return your Health Insurance Card.” Source →
   • □“You will cease to be covered by the Québec Health Insurance Plan on the 1st day of the 3rd month following your arrival date.” Source →
   • □“During the period from your arrival date and the date on which you cease to be covered under the Québec Health Insurance Plan, you will be covered for services outside Québec.” Source →
   • □Driver's licence: Quebec: the SAAQ publishes the rules for cancelling a Quebec licence after you hold one from another province, and the same SAAQ form covers cancelling a licence and a registration together. We could not read the licence page this month, so confirm the steps and any refund with the SAAQ. Source →
   • □Vehicle: “You can cancel the registration of a vehicle that was licensed or sold outside Québec and obtain a reimbursement in the following cases: you registered your vehicle outside Québec” Source →
   • □“You must send us the form Cancellation of the Registration of a Vehicle Licensed or Sold Outside Québec and/or a Driver’s Licence (PDF, 132.1 KB)” Source →
   • □“The amount of the reimbursement of vehicle registration fees is determined based on:” Source →
   • □The three dates are the registration date, the contract date and the date the request is received. Source →
   • □Programs and benefits: “Persons covered by the Public Prescription Drug Insurance Plan who take up residence in another Canadian province or outside Canada cease to be eligible as of their departure date. They must notify RAMQ of their departure.” Source →
   • □Revenu Québec: if you leave Québec during the year, you must contact Revenu Québec to tell them (the official page is in French; this is a translation, not a quotation). 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 QC 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.

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7. 7

   Common questions

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

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

   Quebec publishes it this way. “If you take up residence elsewhere in Canada, you must contact us to inform us of your departure and return your Health Insurance Card.” “You will cease to be covered by the Québec Health Insurance Plan on the 1st day of the 3rd month following your arrival date.” “During the period from your arrival date and the date on which you cease to be covered under the Québec Health Insurance Plan, you will be covered for services outside Québec.” 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 Quebec 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 Quebec plates when I register the car in Ontario?

   “You can cancel the registration of a vehicle that was licensed or sold outside Québec and obtain a reimbursement in the following cases: you registered your vehicle outside Québec” “You must send us the form Cancellation of the Registration of a Vehicle Licensed or Sold Outside Québec and/or a Driver’s Licence (PDF, 132.1 KB)” “The amount of the reimbursement of vehicle registration fees is determined based on:” The three dates are the registration date, the contract date and the date the request is received. 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 Quebec to Ontario?

   Yes. The checklist on this page lists what to cancel in Quebec 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.

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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.