Moving to Canada from the UK: the practical guide

Canada at a glance

Start with the visa

Your immigration status decides your access to provincial healthcare, whether your children’s schooling is free and whether you can buy a home. Settle it first, alongside your choice of province.

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada lists every route on its immigrate to Canada pages. Anyone charging for immigration advice must be licensed, so check the College of Immigration and Citizenship Consultants register. Quebec runs its own selection system for skilled workers.

Cost of living

Housing is the biggest cost, and the gap between cities is wide. Rents have eased for two years running: the national average asking rent was C$2,034 a month in September 2026, 4.2% lower than a year before.

Average asking rents from the Rentals.ca National Rent Report for September 2026, as reported by Daily Hive. Sterling figures use C$1.89 to the pound, the rate at the start of October 2026.

What works differently from the UK

• Rent is quoted monthly. Deposits vary by province. In Ontario landlords usually take the first and last month’s rent up front; in British Columbia the damage deposit is capped at half a month’s rent.
• Prices are shown before sales tax. Tax is added at the till, at anything from 5% in Alberta to 15% in the Atlantic provinces. Ontario charges 13%, British Columbia 12% and Quebec just under 15%.
• Your UK credit history does not follow you. Expect to start from scratch, which can affect rental applications, phone contracts and mortgages. A secured credit card in your first months helps build a record.
• Winter is a real cost. Heating, winter tyres, snow clearing and warm clothing all add up, especially on the Prairies.
• Location matters more than country. Toronto and Vancouver cost far more than Edmonton, Winnipeg or the Atlantic cities. Check salaries for your job in the city you are considering, not national averages.

Buying a home

A ban on most foreign buyers purchasing residential property runs until 1 January 2027, and could be extended again. Permanent residents are not affected. Work permit holders can usually buy one home if their permit has at least six months left to run.

Some provinces and cities add their own taxes for non-residents. Plan to rent first in any case: it lets you learn the area, and build a Canadian credit record, before you commit.

Tax

Canadians pay income tax twice over: once to the federal government and once to their province, both collected through one return. The tax year is the calendar year, and most people file by 30 April.

Source: 2026 Canadian income tax brackets. A basic personal amount means the first slice of income is effectively tax-free. Provincial tax comes on top: in 2026 Ontario’s rates start at 5.05%, British Columbia’s at 5.06% and Alberta’s at 8%.

Points that catch UK arrivals out

• Apply for a Social Insurance Number (SIN) as soon as you land. You need it to work and to be paid. Apply through Service Canada; you can often do it at the airport.
• Payroll deductions go beyond income tax. Employees pay 5.95% into the Canada Pension Plan on earnings up to C$74,600 in 2026, plus Employment Insurance premiums. Quebec runs its own pension and parental insurance plans.
• Residents are taxed on worldwide income. UK rental income, savings interest and pensions must be declared in Canada. The Canada Revenue Agency has a guide for newcomers to Canada.
• Your investments get a fresh starting value. When you become resident, most assets you own are treated as if bought at their value on that day, so Canada only taxes gains made after you arrive.
• There is no inheritance tax, but there is a tax at death. Canada treats assets as sold when you die and taxes the gain. UK inheritance tax can still apply to your estate.

Leaving the UK tax system

Tell HMRC you are going. Most people do this with form P85, which can also trigger a refund for the year you leave. You will still pay UK tax on UK income such as rent from a property you keep. A UK–Canada double taxation agreement stops the same income being taxed twice.

If you are keeping a UK home, a business or sizeable investments, take advice from an accountant who handles both countries before you move, not after.

Healthcare

Canada’s public healthcare is free at the point of use for doctor and hospital care, much like the NHS. Each province runs its own plan, issues its own health card and sets its own rules for when newcomers are covered.

Rules depend on your immigration status as well as your province. Check with the provincial plan before you travel, and apply for your health card the week you arrive.

What the public plans leave you to pay

• Prescriptions. Most adults pay for medicines outside hospital, unless they have workplace cover or qualify for a provincial drug plan. In Quebec, drug insurance is compulsory.
• Dental and eye care. Largely private for adults. Workplace “extended health” plans often cover part of the cost.
• Ambulances. Charges vary by province and can run to hundreds of dollars.
• Finding a family doctor. Many Canadians are on waiting lists for a family doctor. Walk-in clinics fill the gap, so register with your provincial list early.

If you are moving for a job, ask what extended health benefits come with it. For many families they matter as much as the salary.

Schools and the school year

The Canadian school year runs from early September to late June, close to the UK’s, so a summer move lets children start a fresh year with everyone else. Each province sets its own calendar, and school boards fix the exact days.

Dates summarised from published board calendars. There is a winter break over Christmas and a spring break in March, but no half-terms in the UK sense. Confirm dates with your local school board.

What else differs from the UK

• Year groups and starting age. Children start kindergarten in the year they turn five, or junior kindergarten at four in Ontario. Grades run from 1 to 12, so a UK Year 7 pupil usually joins Grade 6.
• Catchments. Public schools take children from a defined area, so choose your neighbourhood and your school together.
• Fees. Public schools are free for citizens and permanent residents. Most provinces also admit children of work permit holders free, but rules vary, so check with the board before you commit.
• Language. Quebec requires most children to attend French-language schools, with limited exceptions. Elsewhere, French immersion streams are popular and can have waiting lists.
• Qualifications. Each province awards its own high school diploma. Universities admit on grades rather than A-level style exams.

Driving

Canadians drive on the right, and most cars are automatic. A full UK licence can be exchanged without a driving test in the main provinces, but each one sets its own deadline.

Bring your UK photocard, passport and immigration papers, and expect an eyesight test and a fee. Before you leave, get a record of your driving history from the DVLA: provinces use it to credit your experience.

Road rules worth knowing before your first drive

• Turning right on a red light is usually allowed after a full stop, unless a sign says otherwise. It is banned on the island of Montreal.
• Stop for school buses. When a school bus has its red lights flashing, traffic in both directions must stop on most roads.
• Winter tyres are compulsory in Quebec from 1 December to 15 March, and required on many British Columbia highways from October to April. Elsewhere they are strongly advised.
• Speeds are in kilometres per hour. Typical limits are 50 km/h in towns and 100 to 110 km/h on motorways.
• Insurance can be expensive for newcomers. A letter from your UK insurer confirming your no-claims history can bring the price down. Ask for it before you cancel your UK policy.

Pensions

Canada and the UK have a social security agreement, which helps some people qualify for pensions in both countries. It does not fix the biggest problem: the UK State Pension does not rise while you live in Canada.

Your UK State Pension

• It is paid in Canada, but frozen. You cannot get annual increases in Canada; the rate you first receive is the rate you keep. See how your pension is affected abroad.
• You need 35 qualifying years for the full amount and at least 10 to get anything. Check your forecast before you leave.
• Topping up from abroad became harder and dearer on 6 April 2026. Cheap Class 2 voluntary contributions are no longer available for time abroad. You can pay Class 3 only if you lived in the UK for 10 years in a row or paid 10 years of contributions. See voluntary National Insurance if you live abroad.
• Mind the gap. UK State Pension age is rising to 67 by 2028, while Canada’s Old Age Security starts at 65.

Canada’s state pensions

• Canada Pension Plan (CPP). A contributory pension built from your Canadian earnings, payable from 60 to 70. Quebec has its own equivalent, the QPP. See how the CPP works.
• Old Age Security (OAS). Paid from 65 to people with at least 10 years’ residence in Canada after age 18. The full amount needs 40 years; with fewer you get a proportion, so 15 years earns 15/40. See Old Age Security.
• The UK agreement can help you qualify. In some cases, time covered in one country counts towards minimum periods in the other. It does not increase what either pension pays.

Your UK workplace and private pensions

These can stay invested in the UK and be paid to you in Canada, where the income is taxed. If you want to move them:

• The receiving scheme must be on HMRC’s recognised overseas list, or you face a UK tax charge of 40% or more.
• A 25% overseas transfer charge applies unless you live in the same country as the receiving scheme.
• You must be at least 55, rising to 57 from 6 April 2028.
• Canada may tax a transferred lump sum as income, so plan the timing with an adviser.

Use an adviser qualified in both countries, and read GOV.UK on transferring to an overseas pension scheme first.

Shipping your home

Canada lets new residents bring in their household goods free of duty and tax as “settlers’ effects”. The rule that catches people out is timing: everything arriving after you must be declared when you first land.

Customs

• Goods must be owned, possessed and used before you arrive. Household furnishings are exempt from the “used” test, but new items bought for the move may not qualify.
• Declare everything at your first point of entry. You present a list of goods arriving with you and goods to follow, with values, on form BSF186. Only goods on that list come in free later. We prepare it with you during the survey.
• Do not sell imported goods within 12 months. Anything sold or given away in your first year becomes liable for the duty you avoided.
• Alcohol and tobacco are limited. New residents can bring 1.5 litres of wine or 1.14 litres of spirits, carried with them. Shipped alcohol needs a provincial permit and duty.
• Sea freight takes 4 to 12 weeks door to door. Atlantic Canada is quickest and the Prairies slowest. Our Canada shipping guide has transit times by region.

The Canada Border Services Agency sets out the full settlers’ effects rules.

Keep it clean

Canadian biosecurity is less strict than Australia’s or New Zealand’s, but soil, plants and some food are still controlled. Clean garden tools, bikes, boots and outdoor furniture before packing day, leave plants and food behind, and do not bring firewood.

Pets

Moving pets from the UK to Canada is simpler than to most destinations.

• No rabies vaccination needed from the UK. The UK is on Canada’s list of rabies-free countries, so pet cats and dogs need a veterinary certificate confirming where they have lived instead.
• No quarantine for personal pets whose papers are in order.
• Border officers check documents on arrival and charge a small inspection fee.
• Stricter rules apply to puppies under 8 months travelling without their owner, and to any dogs for sale or breeding.

Confirm the current rules with the Canadian Food Inspection Agency before you book, as airlines add requirements of their own.

Moving in winter

From November to March, snow and ice change delivery access, and the St Lawrence can close to shipping, which routes some eastern containers through Halifax. Plan for it, and see what your quote doesn’t include for charges such as shuttle vehicles.

Useful links

These are the official sources we point clients to. Rules change, so check them close to your move date.

This guide is general information for people planning a move, correct to the best of our knowledge in October 2026. It is not tax, pension, legal or immigration advice. Rules and figures change, so check the official sources linked above and take professional advice on your own circumstances.