Landing in Canada for the first time this week. Anything I should be aware of?

1

Hi all,

I’m landing in Calgary this week for a soft landing. I will be in Canada for a couple of weeks with the goal of getting a SIN, bank account, health insurance, etc. before coming back to the US.

  • Other than COPR and passport, is there any other documentation I should keep with me?
  • Can I drive a rental on my US driver’s license?
  • Anything Calgary specific information that I should really know?

Happy to grab a coffee with any fellow Calgary residents here!

Thanks for the help.

2

Yes, you can rent a vehicle with a US driver’s license. Some car rental companies (Depends on how picky the local manager is.) will also require an International Licnse.
Do these things in the order you have laid out; IE, get the SIN first, then the bank, then the health card. Be aware that the health card people may require that you have a residential address before issuing the card (Also SIN to some extent) so try to arrange an interim address (Friend’s address or business address) in advance. A Post Office. Box won’t work.

3

Thanks, yes, I do plan take all those actions in the order you’ve laid them out.
And yes, I’ll be giving them a friend’s address for all correspondence.