The moving to Canada checklist
Immigration approval is the hard part; the move itself is a list. This moving to Canada checklist is the one we give clients once their visa or confirmation of permanent residence is in hand: what to gather and close down before you leave, what happens at the border, and the first 90 days in Canada in the order that avoids the queues. Provincial notes for Alberta and British Columbia are at the end.
Key takeaways
A moving to Canada checklist in three parts: before departure (documents, money, closing down), at the border (declarations and goods lists), and the first 90 days (SIN, banking, health coverage, licence, credit history). Alberta and BC differ on sales tax, health waiting periods and licence exchange.
- Carry every immigration and civil document in hand luggage; the confirmation of permanent residence is your status until the PR card arrives.
- Arrange settlement funds you can show at landing and declare any $10,000 or more in cash or instruments.
- Hand the officer a goods-to-follow list or pay duty later on the container.
- Week one: SIN, bank, health card, phone. Month one: licence, credit card, CRA account, doctor.
- Alberta has no provincial sales tax and health coverage from arrival; BC has a waiting period of up to three months.
Part 1: before you leave
Documents to gather (originals, in hand luggage)
- Passport valid well beyond your arrival, for every family member, plus the PR visa or port-of-entry letter in it.
- Confirmation of permanent residence (COPR) or the permit approval letter; the work permit itself is issued at the border.
- Birth, marriage and divorce certificates; adoption papers; custody orders if a child is travelling with one parent, plus a consent letter from the other.
- Education: diplomas, transcripts and your ECA report; professional licences and reference letters from every employer, which you will need for regulated jobs and future applications.
- Medical and dental records, vaccination records (children need them for school), prescriptions with generic names, and any immigration medical result.
- Driving: your licence and a driver's abstract or letter of driving history from your licensing authority. Most provinces credit foreign experience only with proof, and insurance quotes depend on it.
- Financial: bank statements covering the funds you will show, and the letters that support them; see our guide to bank statements for Canadian immigration.
- Pets: rabies vaccination certificate and veterinary health certificate; some breeds and species have import rules.
- A file of digital copies of everything, in cloud storage you can reach from a new phone.
Money
- Meet any proof-of-funds requirement in full and keep it accessible: the 2026 Express Entry figures run from $15,263 for one person to $28,362 for four (see proof of funds). Officers can ask at landing.
- Budget about three months of living costs beyond that, and more if you land in winter: first and last month's rent, a damage deposit, furniture, winter clothing and a car outside the big cities.
- Open a Canadian account before you arrive if your bank offers a newcomer package, or plan to open one in week one. Transfer money by wire rather than carrying it.
- Plan to declare $10,000 CAD or more in cash, cheques or bearer instruments at the border. Declaring is free; not declaring can cost the money.
- Tell your home bank and card issuers you are moving; keep at least one home card active for the first months.
Closing down at home
- Tax: file a final or part-year return at home if required and understand your tax residency change; Canada taxes residents on worldwide income from the day you become resident.
- Pensions and investments: find out what can move, what must stay, and what Canada will tax.
- Notify the electoral roll, the health service, the driving authority, subscriptions and insurers.
- Get an international driving permit if your licence is not in English or French; it bridges the gap before the exchange.
- Book temporary accommodation for the first two to four weeks; landlords in Canada ask for a credit history you will not yet have, so a short-term base makes viewing and applying easier.
What to pack, and what not to
Bring documents, prescriptions, adaptors and the clothes for the season you land in. Winter kit is better bought locally: a Canadian winter coat, boots rated for the temperature, gloves and a toque are designed for the climate and cheaper than shipping. Leave behind anything that runs on a different voltage without a transformer, and think twice about shipping furniture from outside North America; container costs often exceed replacement value. Firearms, some foods, plants and certain medications are restricted; check the Canada Border Services Agency list before packing them.
Part 2: at the border (your landing day)
Two lists, honestly declared
- Permanent residents: the officer confirms your COPR, asks about funds and dependants, records your Canadian address for the PR card and, for in-Canada applicants, this step happened online through the PR confirmation portal instead. You are a permanent resident from that moment; keep the signed COPR safe, it is your proof until the card arrives.
- Work and study permit holders: the permit is printed at the border from your approval letter. Check every field before you leave the counter: name, dates, employer, conditions. Errors are far easier to fix there than later.
- Address for the PR card: if you do not yet have a permanent address, you have 180 days to report one online; the card is mailed to it. IRCC publishes about 40 days for a first PR card in 2026 once the address is in. See our PR card guide.
- Residency obligation starts now: from landing, you must be in Canada 730 days in every five-year window. Our residency obligation page explains how it is counted.
Part 3: your first 90 days in Canada
| When | Task | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Day 1 to 7 | Apply for a Social Insurance Number (SIN) | Needed to work, be paid and file tax. Free, immediate at a Service Canada office with your immigration document |
| Day 1 to 7 | Open a bank account and get a debit card | Rent, payroll and utilities all run on Canadian banking; newcomer packages waive fees and offer a first credit card |
| Day 1 to 7 | Get a Canadian phone number | Every registration below sends a code to it |
| Day 1 to 14 | Apply for provincial health coverage | Alberta and Ontario cover from arrival once registered; BC and Quebec have waits of up to three months, so hold private cover |
| Week 2 to 4 | Start the driver's licence exchange | Foreign licences are valid only for a short period (often 60 to 90 days); exchange rules and road tests vary by province and licence origin |
| Week 2 to 4 | Apply for a credit card and use it | Canadian credit history starts at zero; landlords, lenders and phone companies check it |
| Month 1 | Register for a CRA My Account and note the tax year | Benefits such as the Canada Child Benefit need a filed return; keep receipts for moving costs |
| Month 1 | Find a family doctor or clinic and a pharmacy | Waiting lists exist; register early. Transfer prescriptions with the generic names |
| Month 1 to 2 | Enrol children in school | School boards need proof of address, immunisation records and immigration documents |
| Month 2 to 3 | Confirm the PR card has arrived, or chase it | You cannot re-enter Canada by air without it (or a PRTD); do not travel until it is in hand |
| Month 2 to 3 | Set up insurance: tenant, car, life | Car insurance quotes depend on the driving history you brought |
| Month 3 | Review the immigration to-do list | Work permit holders: diarise the expiry and the PR route; see our TR to PR guide |
Building a Canadian credit history
Nothing you did at home follows you. A secured or newcomer credit card, used for small purchases and paid in full monthly, is the standard route. Put one utility or the phone in your name, pay on time, and by month six you have a file. It matters because landlords, car dealers and, eventually, mortgage lenders read it first.
Housing
Expect to show identification, proof of income or funds, references and a credit check, and to pay a deposit. Without a Canadian credit file, a larger deposit, a letter from your employer or several months' bank statements usually bridges the gap. Prices differ enormously by city; our moving to Alberta guide has the figures for Calgary, Edmonton and the Bow Valley, and the cost to immigrate post covers the one-off costs.
Moving to Alberta checklist: the provincial specifics
- Health: register for the Alberta Health Care Insurance Plan on arrival; eligible newcomers are covered from the date they become residents, with no waiting period.
- Driver's licence: licences from several countries exchange without a test; others need a knowledge and road test. Bring your driving abstract. Foreign licences are honoured for 90 days after you become a resident.
- Sales tax: only the 5 percent federal GST applies, no provincial sales tax, a real difference on a car or furniture.
- Winter: a car is close to essential outside Calgary and Edmonton, winter tyres are strongly advised and required on some mountain highways, and a block heater is normal.
- Immigration: if you arrived on a work permit, the AAIP is the provincial route to PR, and it prioritises people already working in Alberta. Score yourself with the AAIP calculator.
- The Bow Valley: Canmore and Banff are spectacular and tight on housing; read our notes on where to settle in Alberta before signing a lease sight unseen.
Moving to BC checklist: the provincial specifics
- Health: apply for the Medical Services Plan immediately; coverage begins after a waiting period of up to three months, so buy private insurance for the gap.
- Driver's licence: ICBC exchanges licences from some countries directly; others require testing. Foreign licences are valid for 90 days.
- Sales tax: 7 percent PST plus 5 percent GST on most goods.
- Housing: Vancouver is the most expensive market in the country; the Interior and the Island are cheaper but car-dependent.
- Immigration: the BC PNP uses a points registration; check your score with the BC PNP calculator.
The immigration items that belong on every checklist
Three things newcomers forget in the first year. First, the PR card expires in five years and renewal takes about 40 days; put the date in your calendar now. Second, the residency obligation counts from landing; a long stint working abroad in year two can cost you status in year five. Third, for work permit holders, the permit expiry governs everything, and the PR route, usually the Canadian Experience Class or a provincial nomination, should be planned in month one, not month eleven. Our temporary resident to permanent resident guide sets out the sequence.
Compliance note. Wild Mountain Immigration is a licensed RCIC practice (CICC R706497) based in Canmore, Alberta. Provincial services, waiting periods and licence rules change; confirm current details with the province you are moving to. Tax and banking points are general information, not professional advice.
Frequently asked questions
What documents do I need when moving to Canada?
Your passport and immigration document (confirmation of permanent residence and PR visa, or the port-of-entry letter for a work or study permit), proof of funds if your program requires it, a list of goods you are bringing and goods to follow, and originals of the records you will need to rebuild your life: birth and marriage certificates, education transcripts, vaccination records, driving history and, for pets, veterinary certificates. Carry them in hand luggage, never in checked bags.
How much money should I bring to Canada?
Enough to cover about three months of living costs on top of any proof-of-funds requirement. For Express Entry the 2026 settlement funds figure is $15,263 for one person and $28,362 for a family of four, and you must show it at landing if asked. Beyond that, first and last month's rent, a damage deposit, furniture, winter clothing and a car in most of Alberta add up fast. Cash or monetary instruments of $10,000 or more must be declared at the border; declaring is free, failing to is not.
What should I do in the first week in Canada?
Apply for a Social Insurance Number (SIN), which you need to work and to file taxes; open a bank account; apply for provincial health coverage, noting that some provinces have a waiting period; get a Canadian phone number; and, if you drove at home, start the driver's licence exchange. Keep every landing document, because the confirmation of permanent residence is your proof of status until the PR card arrives, usually within a few weeks to a couple of months.
Is there a waiting period for health care in Canada?
It depends on the province. Alberta and Ontario cover eligible newcomers from arrival once registered; British Columbia has a wait of up to three months; Quebec has a three-month wait for most. Buy private health insurance for any gap. Coverage also depends on status: permanent residents and most work permit holders qualify, visitors do not.
Can I bring my car to Canada?
Possibly, but check before you ship it. Vehicles from the United States can usually be imported through the Registrar of Imported Vehicles process; vehicles from most other countries must be at least 15 years old or meet Canadian standards, which few do. Given shipping, duties and modification costs, most newcomers from outside North America buy locally.
What is different about moving to Alberta?
No provincial sales tax, health coverage from arrival for eligible newcomers, a driver's licence exchange with several countries, and a winter that requires proper clothing and, outside Calgary and Edmonton, a car. Housing is cheaper than Toronto and Vancouver in the cities and difficult in the Bow Valley. Our moving to Alberta guide compares Calgary, Edmonton and the mountain towns in detail.
Do I need to declare goods I am shipping later?
Yes. At your first entry, give the border officer two lists: goods accompanying you and goods to follow. Items on the goods-to-follow list can be imported duty-free later as a settler's effects; items not on the list may attract duty. Keep the stamped forms; you will need them when the shipment arrives.
When should I start the immigration application itself?
Earlier than most people think. Express Entry takes about 6 months after an invitation and the profile and documents take months before that; spousal sponsorship runs 17 to 27 months; provincial nominations add their own timeline. Start with an honest eligibility check, then work backwards from the date you want to land. This checklist assumes the immigration side is in hand.
Approved and planning the move? Or not there yet?
Either way, a licensed RCIC based in Alberta can tell you what comes next, honestly and in the right order.