Indians in Canada: paperwork on both sides

Landing in Canada starts a run of applications: your SIN, a provincial health card, a first tax return, and later PR renewals or citizenship. Your Indian bank accounts, PAN and any home loan need attention too. Here are the main tasks, with checklists for both countries.

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The Canadian side

  1. Social Insurance Number

    Apply for your SIN soon after you land; you need it to work and to file taxes. Canada.ca

  2. Provincial health card

    Health coverage is run by each province. Apply for your card right away; some provinces have a waiting period, so check whether you need private cover meanwhile. Ontario OHIP · BC MSP

  3. PR card or permit renewals

    Keep the expiry of your PR card, work permit or study permit in view and apply to renew in time. Express Entry

  4. Your first Canadian tax return

    Canada taxes residents on worldwide income, and your first return reports the date you became resident. File by the CRA deadline. CRA important dates

  5. Driver's licence

    Each province decides how long you can drive on an Indian licence and whether your experience counts towards a local licence. Check with your province's licensing office early.

The Indian side

  1. NRE and NRO accounts

    Under FEMA you tell your Indian bank when you become non-resident: resident savings accounts become NRO, and an NRE account takes money earned abroad. Update KYC and any demat account. Check the current rules with your bank and the RBI.

  2. PAN and Indian tax status

    Your Indian tax residence depends on the days you spend in India. Keep your PAN record current and file an Indian return when you have Indian income such as NRO interest or rent. India and Canada have a tax treaty. Check on the e-Filing portal.

  3. Parents: visitor visa or Super Visa

    Parents and grandparents can apply for a visitor visa or the Super Visa, which allows longer stays and needs medical insurance. Check the current rules and fees with IRCC.

  4. Home loan and property in India

    Tell your lender you are now an NRI, pay EMIs from an NRE or NRO account, give a trusted person a power of attorney, and keep property tax and rent (with tax deducted at source) in order.

  5. OCI if you become Canadian

    Canada allows dual citizenship, India does not: becoming Canadian means giving up Indian citizenship. Surrender your Indian passport and apply for an OCI card; check the current fee on the OCI portal.

How Raaya helps

Ready-made checklists

Each checklist opens as a free page with the steps, documents and official sources; start it in Raaya with one tap.

Browse all templates

Indians in other countries

Questions

Can my parents stay longer than a normal visit in Canada?

The Super Visa for parents and grandparents allows longer stays than a regular visitor visa and needs medical insurance. Check the current rules on the IRCC site; Raaya's Canada visitor visa checklist helps you gather their documents.

Do I need a health card before I see a doctor?

Provincial coverage starts once your card application is accepted, and some provinces have a waiting period. Check your province's rules and consider private cover for the gap.

Do I keep my Indian bank accounts after moving to Canada?

You keep the money, but resident accounts should be redesignated as NRO once you are non-resident under FEMA, and an NRE account takes money earned abroad. Your bank does this with a form and updated KYC.

Does Raaya work in Hindi?

Yes. The app, letter explanations and notifications work in Hindi and 27 other languages, and in a shared journey each family member uses their own language.

What does Raaya cost?

Raaya is free to start: journeys, an on-device document vault and 20 AI credits a month. Pro costs €7.99 a month or €69.99 a year (the store shows your local price) and adds 200 credits, a 5 GB cloud vault, sync, sharing with up to 5 people and World watch.

Official sources

General information, not legal, tax or immigration advice. Rules and fees change: check the official source for your case before you act.

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