Your First 90 Days of Money in Canada
The money decisions come fast when you arrive — a bank account, a phone, credit, health coverage, sending money home. Here's every one of them, explained honestly, in the order you'll actually face them.
We wrote these the way we'd explain them to a friend who just landed: plain language, no upselling, and the honest catch nobody warns you about. Start anywhere — or read them in order as your first three months unfold.
The money steps that come before you even land — often the largest, and the easiest to get wrong.
The first thing to set up — and the foundation everything else (phone plans, apartments, loans) is built on.
Compare Newcomer Bank Accounts
An honest look at the newcomer accounts from Canada's major banks — what's actually free, what to watch for, and how to choose.
Read the guideYou Have Savings — But No Credit
You arrive with savings but no Canadian credit history — and that blocks apartments and phone plans. Here's how to build credit fast and safely.
Read the guide OntarioOpen Your First Bank Account in Ontario
Step by step: the documents you need, which newcomer accounts to look at, and how to start building credit at the same time.
Read the guide British ColumbiaOpen Your First Bank Account in BC
The documents you need, which newcomer accounts to compare, and how to start building credit right away in BC.
Read the guideOne of the first things newcomers do — and one of the easiest places to quietly lose money.
You need a Canadian number for almost everything — often before you even land.
In several provinces your free public coverage doesn't start the day you arrive. One ER visit in the gap can cost thousands.
Your Free Coverage May Not Start for 3 Months
Which provinces have a waiting period, and how to cover the gap so one unexpected ER visit doesn't wipe out your savings.
Read the guide OntarioHealth Coverage in Ontario: Mind the Gap
Most international students in Ontario aren't covered by OHIP. Here's how coverage works, who qualifies, and how to cover the gap safely.
Read the guide British ColumbiaBC's Health Coverage Has a Waiting Period
MSP doesn't start the day you arrive — there's a wait of up to three months. Here's how to cover the gap before it begins.
Read the guide QuebecHealth Coverage in Quebec: RAMQ & the Gap
RAMQ has a waiting period — and most international students aren't covered by it at all unless their country has an agreement with Quebec.
Read the guideLess scary than it sounds — and your first return might actually pay you back.
What your first month actually costs — including the one-time setup costs nobody warns you about.
Your First Month in Ontario, Honestly Costed
Rent and deposits, groceries, transit, phone and setup costs — with a realistic budget you can plan around.
Read the guide British ColumbiaYour First Month in BC, Honestly Costed
Vancouver rent and deposits, groceries, transit, phone and one-time setup costs, with a realistic budget you can plan around.
Read the guideNot sure where to start?
If you've just landed, start with a bank account and a phone number — everything else builds on those. Your province hub pulls together the details specific to where you're settling.