Imagine going to work without any traffic jams. Or being able to enjoy walks in nature just a few minutes from home, every day. In Saguenay, this reality could be yours. Living in Saguenay means having the opportunity to realize your full potential in an environment where everyday simplicity exists in perfect harmony with safety and well-being. Doesn’t that sound like the dream? Read our blog post to discover all the good reasons to choose Saguenay as your new home!
To do before you leave
Make health care provisions
Quebec has a public health insurance system. To access benefits, you’ll need to s’inscrire auprès de la Régie de l’assurance maladie du Québec
(RAMQ). Careful! Double-check that you’re eligible, as not all work permits are eligible for RAMQ coverage. For example, Working Holiday visas (WHV, or PVT in French) are not eligible for the RAMQ.
It’s a good idea to check with your national health care system to verify and confirm the procedure to follow when moving abroad. For example, in France, you must request a Certificate of Rights (Attestation de cotisation) from your primary health care provider. This allows those who are eligible to register for RAMQ benefits.
We also suggest visiting your doctor, dentist, ophthalmologist and any other current health professionals before moving, as it may be weeks or months before you are able to use the RAMQ or benefit from free health care.
Prepare your personal effects
As with any move, you’ll need to sort through your personal items. Take time to list the things that you don’t want to take with you to your new home. You get to decide what to do with them: do you sell them, donate them or put them in storage?
Next, you can get ready to move the things that you decided to keep (furniture, clothes, objects, etc.). If you want to ship furniture from your home country, you can contact specialized international moving services. You can also look into shipping containers for your things. Be careful, as your things can take several weeks to arrive in Quebec and you’ll need to be present in person in Montreal for the customs clearance. Otherwise storage charges will be applied! You will also need to make and keep a detailed inventory of the goods being shipped.
Leave your current accommodation
Of course, you’ll need to prepare to leave your current housing. Don’t put off the process of selling your property, ending your lease or putting your place up for rent!
Notify your service providers and terminate your contracts
Several services and institutions will need to be informed of your departure. First, make sure to notify the various administrative organizations in your home country, for example, the tax collection authority and postal services. You can plan to have your mail forwarded while your address change is being finalized.
Next, you’ll need to contact your service providers (electricity, insurance, phone, internet, etc.) to cancel your current contracts and subscriptions.
Open a bank account in Saguenay
You can start the process of opening a bank account in Saguenay from abroad. It’s possible to do part of it over the phone, even if you’ll likely need to finalize certain details in person when you arrive.
On the topic of money, it’s a good idea to plan a budget to cover any costs you’ll have immediately upon your arrival: administrative fees, car rental, temporary accommodation, etc.
Find accommodation in Saguenay
Ideally, you’ll find a place to live in Saguenay before your arrival. If this isn’t possible, you can rent a temporary accommodation when you get to Canada until you find a place to live long-term. You can also include this cost in your budget, just in case. In Quebec, most leases end on July 1. This means that there are more available rentals in the months before July.
Another important thing to know: most lessors will not allow pets in rentals, which can reduce the places available to you. Furthermore, it’s necessary to have home or tenant insurance.
For more information about accommodations, find some tips and tricks in our article “Living in Saguenay”
Sign up for online immigration services
We encourage you to sign up on the government of Quebec’s plateforme Arrima,which offers various online immigration and French learning services.
Get a driver’s licence
Driving in your car is synonymous with autonomy and freedom, especially in Saguenay! You’ll need a valid licence to drive here.
If applicable to you or your home country, you can submit a request for an international licence to be able to drive as soon as you arrive. Be sure to keep your original licence somewhere safe! If your licence is in French or English, you can drive with it for six months. Note that certain countries, such as Belgium, France and Switzerland, have agreements with Quebec allowing you to exchange your licence. If you’re from another country, after six months, you’ll need to take the SAAQ (Société de l’assurance automobile du Québec) exam to get your Quebec licence.
Every year, you’ll need to pay to renew your Quebec driver’s licence and to register your vehicle. We strongly suggest reviewing Quebec’s road safety rules. Certain rules are specific to Quebec; you may need to familiarize yourself with how to drive in the winter and how to drive safely with children in the car!
For an overview on driving in Quebec, check out our article on this topic.
Register your children for school and daycare
Settling in Saguenay with your family will naturally bring some changes! You’ll need to think about registering your children for school. For children aged 5 to 12, elementary school attendance is based on where you live. Contact schools near your new home for more information and, if possible, register online or over the phone.
Adolescents (12 to 16 years old) must be registered for high school. The basic process is the same: look into schools near your home.
Young children (0 to 5 years old) can be registered for daycare. You’ll need to sign them up online through Place 0-5 ans.
Finally, if your children are older, there are many post-secondary education opportunities in Saguenay! To find out more about what makes Saguenay a great place to study, click here
To familiarize yourself with school, daycare, lunches and family activities, check out our article titled: Settling as a Family in Saguenay!
Get your pets vaccinated
If you have pets, make sure that they are vaccinated according to Canada’s requirements and make sure they are in good health before you move. Once in Canada, it can be difficult to access a veterinarian. We recommend that you start researching as soon as you arrive.
Réserver les billets d’avion
Réserver les billets d’avion, c’est un moment excitant dans ton nouveau projet!
N’oublie pas de compléter ta demande d’autorisation de voyage électronique (AVE) obligatoire pour t’envoler vers le Canada ou transiter par un aéroport canadien. L’AVE coûte 7 CAD et est valable cinq ans si tu ne changes pas de passeport entre-temps. Selon les pays, il se peut que l’AVE ne soit pas nécessaire.
« Voyageurs ayant besoin d’une AVE : les étrangers dispensés de l’obligation de visa ont besoin d’une AVE pour entrer au Canada par voie aérienne ou pour transiter par un aéroport canadien. Ces voyageurs n’ont pas besoin d’une AVE lorsqu’ils arrivent au pays en voiture, en autobus, en train ou en bateau (y compris à bord d’un navire de croisière). »
Tu peux consulter le site officiel d’IRCC pour accéder à tous les détails et savoir si tu as besoin d’une AVE ou non.
Par ailleurs, tu peux aussi télécharger l’application mobile ArriveCan avant ton départ. 72 h avant de t’envoler, tu pourras compléter les informations essentielles pour pouvoir entrer sur le sol canadien. Ça te fera gagner un peu de temps à l’atterrissage!
To do once you’re in Saguenay
Once you’re in Canada, there are just a few more things to take care of.
Get your social insurance number
In order to work in Canada, you need a social insurance number (SIN). This number is unique and confidential. You can submit your request in a Service Canada centre: to find the closest office and learn about which documents you’ll need to bring, click here.
Make an appointment at the SAAQ
As previously mentioned, it is necessary to get a Quebec driver’s licence within six months of your arrival. To do this, contact the SAAQ to find out how to proceed.
It’s also a good idea to start looking for a car! If you’re looking for a new car, you can look at the various automobile vendors and manufacturers. If you’re looking for a used car, check listings on sites likeLesPAC, Kijijiand Facebook Marketplace, which are commonly used for this reason!
Finalize your registration to the RAMQ
Even if you have already started the RAMQ registration process before your departure, it’s possible that the process takes several months. You can get short-term private health insurance to cover you during this time span. If you have a closed work permit, it is your employer’s responsibility to provide your private insurance. If you’re coming to Saguenay with your family, your employer is not responsible for providing your family members’ insurance, only the person on the closed work permit.
Once your registration is finalized, you’ll receive your health card, nicknamed “carte-soleil” (because it has a picture of the sun, although the design has changed a bit the past few years).
For more information visit the RAMQ’s website.
Finalize the process of opening a bank account
You’ll have to go into the nearest branch of your financial institution to complete the process of opening your bank account.
Request your consular registration card
Consular registration is a formality; it is generally free and not mandatory. It allows emigrants abroad to access support if needed and to be added to the electoral list to vote in your home country.
To make this request, contact your consulate in Quebec.
Move into your new accommodation
If you’ve already found an accommodation, it’s time to sign up for a phone and internet plan, and for an electricity provider—either Hydro-Québec or Hydro-Jonquière—depending on the location of your accommodation (and if these costs are not included in your rent).
For more information on settling into your first home in Saguenay or if you haven’t yet found your new home, take a look at our article about accommodation.
Finalize your children’s school enrollment
If it’s not already done, don’t forget to finalize your children’s school registration (consult the section above for more information).
Take time to enjoy your first days
Finally, and most importantly, take some time to enjoy your first few days in Saguenay. Enjoy the warm welcome from your neighbours and discover all the wonderful things this region has to offer. It’s important to take some time for yourself in the midst of all these life changes!
List of important documents to bring when arriving in Quebec
- Proof of employment or your employment contract from your employer in Saguenay (if you have found work before arriving in Saguenay). If you’re still looking for a job, consult the page “Working in Saguenay” to help you
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- Passport, valid for the duration of your work permit
- Identification card(s)
- International or national driver’s licence, in French or English
- Birth certificate
- Family record book
- Medical files and vaccine record
- Visa
- Diploma(s) or proof(s) of training (occasionally certain jobs will request an equity of diplomas)
- Marriage certificate or civil solidarity pact (PACS), or other document establishing civil partnership
All of these documents should be translated into French or English if they are not originally in these languages.
A helping hand during this process
While this is not an exhaustive list, we hope that it helps you in this process! There may, of course, be other formalities to consider based on your own personal situation.
If you need more help with this process, you can consult the official Immigrationage on the government of Quebec’s website or register for an information session offered by the Ministère de l’Immigration, de la Francisation et de l’Intégration (MIFI) on their websiteImmigration, Francisation et Intégration Québec — Séances d’information (gouv.qc.ca).(in French only).
Good luck and we hope to see you around Saguenay soon!