Cost of moving from the UK to Canada

What to do first

1. Check your route on canada.ca, or with a licensed consultant (RCIC), before paying any fee.
2. For Express Entry, keep the proof-of-funds amount in your account until you land: it is not a fee, but you must show it.
3. Canadian fees change on 30 April; check the IRCC fee list on the day you pay.
4. Line up a first-month stay; landlords in Toronto and Vancouver often ask for Canadian credit history, so expect to show savings instead.
5. Make a list of what you ship; Canada lets you import household goods duty-free when you declare them on arrival.

Visa and permit fees for Canada

The fees below are the official charges for each route, per person, as published on the date shown. They are what you pay the government; agent or lawyer fees are extra. The fee that applies is usually the one in force when you submit and pay, not when you started.

Express Entry permanent residence

Permanent; the proof-of-funds check applies to the skilled worker and trades streams.

Not included: language tests, educational credential assessment, medical exam and police certificates.

Employer-specific work permit

Temporary; a spouse can apply for an open work permit.

Not included: children’s study permits or visitor records (separate fees), and the employer’s Labour Market Impact Assessment fee, which the employer pays.

International Experience Canada: Working Holiday

Temporary, one person, for citizens of partner countries. One person per application.

Not included: the health insurance IEC requires for your whole stay.

Rent, deposit and the first month

The rent figures are official statistics, not asking prices, so a new lease in a popular area often costs more. The deposit is set by law in each place, which is why it differs between cities:

• Toronto (Ontario): CA$2,547 per month (average 2-bedroom rent paid by new tenants (turnover units), purpose-built rentals, Oct 2025; CMHC 2025 Rental Market Report: average turnover-unit rent, 2-bedroom purpose-built, Oct 2025 (Figure 1)). No damage deposit; a last month’s rent deposit (at most 1 month) is allowed (Landlord and Tenant Board: A Guide to the Residential Tenancies Act (rent deposits)).
• Vancouver (British Columbia): CA$2,696 per month (average 2-bedroom rent paid by new tenants (turnover units), purpose-built rentals, Oct 2025; CMHC 2025 Rental Market Report: average turnover-unit rent, 2-bedroom purpose-built, Oct 2025 (Figure 1)). Security deposit at most half a month’s rent (BC Residential Tenancy Branch: deposits and fees).
• Calgary (Alberta): CA$1,836 per month (average 2-bedroom rent paid by new tenants (turnover units), purpose-built rentals, Oct 2025; CMHC 2025 Rental Market Report: average turnover-unit rent, 2-bedroom purpose-built, Oct 2025 (Figure 1)). Security deposit at most 1 month’s rent (Alberta: starting a tenancy (security deposits)).
• Montréal (Québec): CA$1,644 per month (average 2-bedroom rent paid by new tenants (turnover units), purpose-built rentals, Oct 2025; CMHC 2025 Rental Market Report: average turnover-unit rent, 2-bedroom purpose-built, Oct 2025 (Figure 1)). No deposit of any kind allowed; only the first month’s rent in advance (Gouvernement du Québec: requiring a security deposit is illegal (Civil Code of Québec, art. 1904); only the first month’s rent may be required in advance).

Flights, shipping and setting up

Flights are our estimate of a one-way economy fare from the UK (£300 to £800 per person); type your own fare to replace it. Shipping prices are the ranges movers publish, door to door unless they say otherwise:

• Suitcases only (extra checked bags): £80 to £250 per person (our estimate).
• Shared container (part load): £536 to £3,800 (Mover price guides: Sirelo, Shipit, Anglo Pacific).
• 20 ft container (2–3 bedrooms): £4,800 to £8,400 (Mover price guides: Sirelo, Shipit, Anglo Pacific).
• 40 ft container (3+ bedrooms): £7,236 to £8,900 (Mover price guides: Sirelo, Shipit, Anglo Pacific).

Setting up covers about two weeks of temporary accommodation, basic furniture and kitchen kit, a phone plan and local transport for the first weeks: CA$3,500 to CA$8,000 for one or two people, our estimate, scaled up for larger households. The buffer is the number of months you choose multiplied by your rent plus other monthly spending; most people need at least one month before the first pay arrives.

Rules that cost money after you arrive

The calculator counts what you pay to get there. These rules decide what the first year costs once you land, and most cost guides leave them out:

• Driving licence Ontario swaps most licences; other provinces vary. Ontario exchanges car licences from the UK, Ireland, Australia and every US state after a vision test, with tests only if your driving experience cannot be shown. Each province has its own agreements, so check the one you are moving to. (Ontario: exchange an out-of-province driver’s licence)
• Health cover Provincial health cover may not start on day one. Ontario has no waiting period. Alberta covers you from the day you become resident if you apply within 3 months. British Columbia makes you wait the rest of your arrival month plus two more months, and Québec up to 3 months (children under 18 are exempt). Budget for private cover to bridge the gap. (Ontario: apply for OHIP (no waiting period); Alberta: AHCIP coverage when moving to Alberta; BC Government: MSP coverage wait period; RAMQ: Québec Health Insurance Plan, what you need to know (waiting period))
• State pension Your UK State Pension will be frozen. If you retire in Canada, your UK State Pension does not rise each year: it stays at the amount you were paid when you moved, or first claimed there. GOV.UK names Canada as a country where you cannot get the yearly increase. It goes back up to the current rate only if you return to the UK. (GOV.UK: State Pension if you retire abroad, how your pension is affected; GOV.UK: countries where the State Pension gets an annual increase)

Other moves

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• Emergency fund calculator
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