Moving to Canada: your first weeks of paperwork
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Your SIN, provincial health coverage, your driver's licence, and a bank account, in the order they come up. This page picks up the day your status document is in hand.
Moving WITHIN Canada? Different rules apply to an interprovincial move, and mixing the two is how people miss a deadline. Moving to a new province →
What this guide does not cover
This guide covers paperwork after you arrive, with your status document already in hand. For any question about your immigration status itself, speak to a licensed immigration consultant or lawyer. IRCC: settling in Canada →
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First: your Social Insurance Number (SIN)
Open this section ↓To work in Canada or access government programs and benefits, you need a 9-digit identifier known as a Social Insurance Number (SIN). It is the first thing an employer will ask for, which is why it leads this page.
There is no fee to apply for a SIN
You can apply online, in person, or by mail. If you apply in person and everything is in order, you will get your SIN during your visit and you will not need to part with your documents.
The document you bring depends on which one you hold
↑ Close this sectionPermanent residents
A Permanent resident card, a Confirmation of Permanent Residence (COPR) within 1 year, or a Record of Landing issued by CIC before June 28, 2002. A Verification of Landing or Status Verification is accepted only to change a SIN record or confirm an existing SIN.
Temporary residents
A work or study permit that says you "may work" or "may accept employment" in Canada, or a visitor record authorizing you to work.
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Provincial health coverage
Health coverage is provincial, and the rules for someone arriving from abroad are not the same as the rules for someone moving from another province.Open this section ↓Health coverage is provincial, and the rules for someone arriving from abroad are not the same as the rules for someone moving from another province. Four provinces are covered in full below.
Ontario (OHIP): no wait
There is no longer a waiting period for OHIP coverage. If you are eligible, you will have immediate health insurance coverage.
One of the newcomer routes covers people who are in Ontario on a valid work permit and are working full-time in Ontario, for an Ontario employer, for at least 6 months. Apply for OHIP →
British Columbia (MSP): there is a wait
Coverage begins after the rest of the month you become a resident of British Columbia, plus two more months.
If you arrive from outside Canada, contact a private insurance company. You should arrange health insurance before you arrive. MSP: coverage wait period →
Alberta (AHCIP): possibly immediate
Arriving from outside Canada, you might be eligible for coverage from the date you established residency. Register at an Alberta registry office with your IRCC entry document.
Qualifying entry documents are listed as:
- ·Visitor Record
- ·Work Permit
- ·Study Permit
- ·Permanent Resident Card or document
This is the from-abroad rule. Someone moving from another Canadian province follows a different one, set out in the interprovincial guide. AHCIP: moving to Alberta →
Québec (RAMQ): up to 3 months
Your health insurance coverage starts after a waiting period of up to 3 months after you register.
This applies even if you hold Canadian citizenship, but does not apply to children under age 18. RAMQ: register →
The other six provinces: each runs its own plan with its own start rules, and this guide does not state them. Start from your provincial plan directly. Provincial health plans by province →
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Driving on your foreign licence
Open this section ↓Ontario: 60 days
When you move to Ontario, you can use a valid licence from another province, state or country for 60 days.
Ontario has exchange agreements with some jurisdictions, and what you need depends on where your licence was issued. If your licence is not covered by an agreement, the published route runs through the graduated system and includes waiting at least 12 months before attempting the G road test. Check the official list →
British Columbia: 90 days
After moving here, you have 90 days to switch your valid licence to a B.C. driver's licence.
With some licences, you can exchange your current licence for a B.C. licence without additional testing. Otherwise the route is a knowledge test and a road test. Check the official list →
Other provinces: every province sets its own deadline and its own exchange agreements. Check yours before the deadline passes. Licence exchange deadlines by province →
Manitoba Class 5 Knowledge Test practice, for the Class 5 Learner Stage licence (5L)
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Opening a bank account
You have a right to open a personal bank account.Open this section ↓↑ Close this sectionYou have a right to open a personal bank account. You can open one even if you: do not have a job, do not have money to put in the account right away, or have been bankrupt.
The bank must be able to confirm your identity through proper identification. FCAC: opening a bank account →
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Free official help
Open this section ↓↑ Close this sectionFree newcomer settlement services
IRCC funds free services including language training, employment services, community connections, and credential-recognition support.
Free newcomer services →Canada Citizenship Test practice, for the Canadian citizenship (knowledge requirement)
Arriving with children?
The Canada Child Benefit is administered by the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA). This guide does not cover it.
Canada Child Benefit (CRA) →6
Build your own list
Open this section ↓BUILD YOUR FREE CHECKLIST A few questions about your situation
Answer these and the checklist below shows the paperwork your first weeks ask for, in the order it comes up. It covers what happens after you arrive, not your immigration status. Every answer stays in your browser.
Which document do you already hold?
This only selects which document list your SIN application needs. This guide does not advise on status itself.Which province are you arriving in?
Health coverage rules for arrivals from abroad differ by province. Four are covered in full here; the rest link to their own plan.Are you arriving with children under 18?
In Québec this changes the health-coverage waiting period for them.Do you plan to drive on your foreign licence?
Have you opened a Canadian bank account yet?
Guidepost is not a law firm and this is not legal advice. Your answers are used to produce your document and nothing else.How your answers are used
If you would rather keep all of this in one place, the Home File is a document organizer made for Canadian paperwork.
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Common Questions
What paperwork do I need first after arriving in Canada?Open this section ↓What paperwork do I need first after arriving in Canada?
Your Social Insurance Number (SIN). To work in Canada or access government programs and benefits, you need a 9-digit identifier known as a Social Insurance Number. There is no fee to apply, and if you apply in person and everything is in order, you will get your SIN during your visit.
Is there a waiting period for health coverage when I arrive?
It depends on the province. In Ontario there is no longer a waiting period for OHIP coverage. In British Columbia, coverage begins after the rest of the month you become a resident, plus two more months. In Alberta, arriving from outside Canada, you might be eligible for coverage from the date you established residency. In Quebec, coverage starts after a waiting period of up to 3 months after you register, though that does not apply to children under age 18.
How long can I drive on my foreign driver's licence?
In Ontario, you can use a valid licence from another province, state or country for 60 days. In British Columbia, you have 90 days to switch your valid licence to a B.C. driver's licence. Both provinces have exchange agreements with some jurisdictions, and what you need depends on where your licence was issued.
Can I open a Canadian bank account without a job?
Yes. You can open a bank account even if you do not have a job, do not have money to put in the account right away, or have been bankrupt. The bank must be able to confirm your identity through proper identification.
Related guides
Moving to a new province →Change of address →Getting married in Canada →New baby paperwork →Government forms, explained →For immigration consultants: this checklist with your name on it →A first adult passport is the full application: proof of citizenship, a guarantor and two references. The passport guide: a first adult passport →
A record suspension is a Canadian mechanism: canada.ca states that other countries may not recognize Canadian record suspensions or pardons, so a record suspension ordered here does not guarantee entry into another country. The record suspension guide: what it does and does not do →
There is no downloadable SIN application form: you apply online, in person, or by mail through Service Canada.
Official sources
- Social Insurance Number (Service Canada) →
- SIN: documents you need →
- Apply for OHIP and get a health card →
- MSP: coverage wait period →
- AHCIP: moving to Alberta →
- RAMQ: register for health insurance →
- Ontario: exchange an out-of-province licence →
- ICBC: moving from another country →
- FCAC: opening a bank account →
Facts checked October 2026
↑ Close this sectionGuidepost is not a law firm and is not a licensed immigration consultant. This is general information about paperwork after you arrive, not legal or immigration advice. Verify current requirements with the issuing agency. Full disclaimer.