The SIN is the nine-digit number you need to work and to receive many benefits. Applying is free. Service Canada no longer issues a plastic card.
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Do this in the first days if you will be paid by an employer. Payroll cannot set you up properly without it. Protect the number once you have it. The CRA warns that a stolen SIN can be used for identity theft and can disrupt benefits. You do not need to give it to every person who asks. A landlord, for example, does not need it to rent you an apartment.
Banks often ask for a SIN because interest is reported to the tax agency. The Financial Consumer Agency of Canada does not list a SIN as the identification required to open a deposit account. If a teller says you cannot open any account without a SIN, ask for a supervisor and refer to the FCAC page in our bank section. Temporary residents whose SIN starts with 9 have an expiry date and must extend it when their status is extended.
People who need a first SIN, who need to confirm or correct a record, or who need to extend a temporary SIN. Status documents differ for citizens, permanent residents, and temporary residents. Service Canada's tool on the apply page lists the exact documents for the path you choose.
Use the apply tool at Canada.ca, have the original documents it names, and choose online, mail, or an in-person Service Canada office. Mail applications go to the Social Insurance Registration office in Bathurst, and Service Canada says it is not responsible for documents lost in the mail. In person is the path that does not take your documents away.
If you are moving to Alberta from outside Canada, apply for AHCIP within three months of becoming a resident. Do that and coverage can start from the day you established residency.
Last checked October 19, 2026
Eligible B.C. residents must enrol in MSP. There is no cost to apply. You need coverage in place before you rely on a doctor or a hospital.
Last checked October 19, 2026
The CRA treats you as a newcomer in the first year you are a resident for income tax. For most people that starts the day you begin living in Canada. Benefits can start before your first tax return.
Last checked October 19, 2026