New here
Moving planner
Tick by hand. Links point to our guides and official sources.
Before you arrive
Paperwork that is easier from where you are now.
- Gather originals and scans: ID, birth certificates, marriage certificate, diplomas, driving record, vaccination records, prescriptions.Banking, ID and paperwork
- Book temporary housing for the first 2–4 weeks and decide whether you will rent first.Relocation guide
- Check how long RAMQ keeps covering you after you leave Quebec, and register for AHCIP as soon as you arrive.(Moving from Quebec)Moving from Quebec · Alberta: AHCIP when you move
- Plan the SAAQ side: licence, plates and insurance cancellation dates, and your vehicle’s out-of-province inspection in Alberta.(Moving from Quebec)Moving from Quebec
- Note your moving date for taxes: your province of residence on December 31 decides where you file.(Moving from Quebec)
- Confirm your immigration documents (permit, visa, confirmation of permanent residence) and what you must present on landing.(Arriving from another country)IRCC: new immigrants
- Register with a free pre-arrival settlement service if you are eligible; several operate in French.(Arriving from another country)Arriving from abroad
- Start credential assessment (IQAS) if your profession is regulated in Alberta.(Arriving from another country)Work and business
- Request school records and vaccination records for each child; decide between francophone, immersion, private French or English schooling.(With children)Childcare and schools
- Confirm admission, tuition deadlines, campus housing and your institution’s newcomer orientation.(Student)
- If you arrive between October and April: a real winter coat, boots rated for −30, a toque and mittens, before you land.Seasons and winter
Your first week
The four cards and the three accounts.
- Apply for your Social Insurance Number (SIN) at Service Canada or online.(Arriving from another country, Student)Service Canada: SIN
- Register for Alberta health coverage (AHCIP) at a registry agent, with ID and proof of Alberta address.Healthcare · Alberta: apply for AHCIP
- Open a chequing account and ask about newcomer packages; get a debit card the same day.Banking, ID and paperwork
- Get a Canadian phone number; compare prepaid and contract plans.
- Learn the CTrain lines and buy a fare or pass (the downtown stretch is free); students check the UPass.Getting around
- Get a free Calgary Public Library card: French books, newcomer desk, programs, free museum passes.Libraries and free activities
- Find the French doors: ACFA Calgary, La Cité des Rocheuses, Alliance Française, PIA. Say hello to one of them this week.French services in Calgary
- Book an appointment with a settlement agency (several serve in French): housing, jobs, language classes, forms.(Arriving from another country)Directory
- Pick up your student card, activate campus email, find the international/newcomer office and the French club if one exists.(Student)
- Locate the nearest urgent care and the Alberta Children’s Hospital; save Health Link 811 in your phone.(With children)Healthcare
Your first month
Settle the household, the car and the kids.
- Exchange your driver’s licence and, if you brought a car, register and insure it in Alberta within the legal window.Getting around
- Sign a lease you understand: deposit (max one month), inspection report, who pays which utilities, notice periods.Renting in Calgary
- Set up electricity and gas (retailers), internet, and the City’s waste and recycling carts.
- Update your address everywhere: CRA, bank, employer, insurance, Canada Post forwarding, and your home province or country.
- Close or transfer Quebec accounts: Hydro-Québec, internet, SAAQ plates, Revenu Québec address, Quebec health card return.(Moving from Quebec)Moving from Quebec
- Look for a family doctor accepting patients; use a walk-in or 811 in the meantime.Healthcare
- Register the children at school (FrancoSud, immersion or your choice) and apply for childcare subsidy if eligible.(With children)Childcare and schools
- Create a CRA My Account and apply for benefits you may be eligible for (GST credit, Canada Child Benefit).(Arriving from another country)CRA: newcomers
- Know your rights at work: Alberta Employment Standards, minimum wage, pay stubs, and work-hour limits on a study permit.(Arriving from another country, Student)Work and business
- Get tenant (or home) insurance; many landlords require proof.
- Winter-ready the car: winter tires, block heater cord, emergency kit, 511 Alberta app.Seasons and winter
Feeling at home
People, places and routines.
- Go to one French-language event from the calendar. Just one.Events
- Join your community association: cheap memberships, rinks, gardens, neighbours.Neighbourhoods
- Pick a winter thing: skating, a pool pass, cross-country skiing, a hockey league, a choir in French.Recreation
- Drive west once. Kananaskis or Banff, with the Conservation Pass or park pass.Seasons and winter
- Finish one lesson and claim a badge in your Calgary Passport.Learn
- Volunteer once in French (bilingual volunteering programs exist) or in English.How to find community
- Find a French storytime, a camp or a sports program for the kids.(With children)Raising bilingual children
- If buying is on the horizon: read how buying works in Alberta, then talk to someone. No rush.Buying a home in Alberta
- When you become a citizen: register to vote. Until then, community associations and school councils welcome everyone.(Arriving from another country)