The best bank for newcomers to Canada
Are you new to Canada? Take advantage of an account with no fixed monthly fees for 3 years.1
Named by MoneySense in 2023.
On this page
The benefits of our offer | Steps to follow | Our practical tips | More than an offer | Contact us
Your offer for newcomers
Mastercard® credit card
Get settled in Canada with help from a National Bank of Canada Mastercard credit card with no credit history.2,3
International transfers
Send international transfers online to 19 countries in the European Union, and more.
$5.95 per transfer4
Intermediary bank or beneficiary fees may apply.
Legal support service
Get legal information by speaking directly with a lawyer by telephone on a variety of topics such as immigration, housing, and marriage.5
At no cost for 12 months
Paper statements by mail
Receive your bank statements by mail with no fees for the first year.
You’ll save $30
Ordering cheques
Get your first order of cheques free.
You’ll save $67.10
2023
National Bank of Canada has been named the Best Bank for Newcomers to Canada for 2023 by MoneySense.
2023
National Bank® of Canada mycreditTM Mastercard® credit card was named the best credit card for newcomers by Milesopedia in 2023.
Get the offer in just a few easy steps
Have you been in Canada for less than 5
years? Enjoy your bank account with no fixed monthly fee for up to 3
years* and other
benefits with our offer. Consult
the eligibility criteria and follow the steps below.
Open an account online
You’ll need:
- A Canadian phone number
- One of the following
documents:
- A valid and eligible passport from a country other than Canada
- A Canadian permanent resident card
- A Canadian driver's licence
- A provincial or federal identification card (excluding Quebec)
- A Quebec Health Insurance Card - new version
Receive a confirmation email
Within a couple of days of your request, you’ll receive a confirmation email with your account information. You’ll then receive your debit card in the mail.
Make it happen in Canada with these practical tips
Canadian immigration guide
Take advantage of a complete guide to life and finance in Canada to accompany you every step of the way.
Even more resources
To ease your transition, we’ve put together a series of articles to answer the most common questions newcomers have about housing, employment, finances and more.
More than just a bank account
-
Unlimited electronic transactions and Interac e-transfers; access to
mortgages, auto loans3, business accounts,
investment solutions and more.
- Come visit us at one
of our over 350 branches, or access one of our 2,800
ABMs across Canada.6
- Sign
up for an eligible National Bank of Canada Mastercard credit card
and enjoy mobile phone protection, cashback, extended
warranties and more.2
-
Access your funds abroad by making withdrawals at an ABM
using our network partners around the world.7
-
Start your self-directed investing journey with National Bank Direct Brokerage.
We’re the first Canadian bank to offer 100% Canadian and U.S.
stocks, options and ETFs at $0 commission.
- Rest assured: your deposits with National Bank of Canada are
protected by the Canada Deposit Insurance Corporation
(CDIC).
Talk to us about your projects in Canada
Contact us on Messenger
Send us your questions on Facebook Messenger. We’ll answer them from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on weekdays, and from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. (ET) on weekends and holidays.
Take advantage of the offer
Complete the application form with a Canadian phone number, and a valid and eligible foreign passport, or a Canadian permanent resident card.
Need more information?
Check out our Help centre to find the information you’re looking for.
Little details that matter
- Be a newcomer and at least 18 years of age or older
- Apply to open an account from your home country up to 90 days
before you arrive in Canada, or within 5 years of your arrival
- Be the only account user
- The offer for newcomers is open to permanent residents, temporary workers and international students
Baseline savings of $334.92 over three years for the account
Save a minimum of $334.92 over three years if you meet the following conditions:
-
Open a bank account online before arriving with our secure form or visit a branch upon arrival.
-
Sign up for our offer for newcomers
Savings of $334.92 based on:
-
First year: no flat monthly fee (savings of $15.95/month for 12 months)
-
Second year: flat monthly fee of $7.98 instead of $15.95 (savings of $7.97/month for 12 months)
-
Third year: flat monthly fee of $11.96 instead of $15.95 (savings of $3.99/month for 12 months)
To be eligible for savings, you must commit to keeping the account and package for a minimum of 36 months. You will receive no further discounts if the products are cancelled. The full flat monthly fee of $15.95 will be applied to your banking package from the fourth year. You’ll be able to browse our packages and choose the one that best suits your needs.
** Maximum savings of $574.20 over three years for the account
Your savings will be $574.20 over 3 years with your newcomer’s banking package on a fixed monthly fee ($15.95/month x 36 months) if you meet the following conditions.
- Visit a branch and open a bank account.
- Sign up for our offer for newcomers.
- During the first year after
signing up for the offer for newcomers to Canada:
- Apply for and activate an eligible National Bank Mastercard
personal credit card2
- Sign up to receive eStatements
- Apply for and activate an eligible National Bank Mastercard
personal credit card2
- During the second and third years after signing up for the offer
for newcomers to Canada:
- Set up salary deposits to your National Bank account and have your pay deposited at least once a month; OR
- Make at least two electronic bill payments from your National Bank account every month.
To be eligible for this, you agree to maintain this account for a minimum of 36 months. You agree that there are no additional savings available from the moment you longer keep these products. You’ll pay the full fixed monthly fee of $15.95/month for your banking package starting in the fourth year after you sign up for the offer for newcomers. You’ll be able to browse our packages and choose the one that best suits your needs.
Overall savings of up to $671.30 over 3 years
You could enjoy a maximum overall savings of $671.30 over 3 years without the following fees being charged:
- The flat monthly fee for the Newcomers to Canada package for 3 years ($15.95/month for 36 months)
- The fee for your first order of cheques ($67.10/order)
- Statements sent by mail free of charge for the first year ($30)
Note on savings
To enjoy the full savings, you must keep the products and services and carry out all required transactions for a minimum of 36 months unless otherwise indicated. If you fail to meet the conditions of the offer, your savings will be lower. Your savings will be lower if you do not order cheques and/or choose to not receive paper statements by mail for free the first year.
If during a given month, you keep your bank account and banking package but do not keep all of the other products and services indicated or do not carry out all the required transactions (e.g. only one electronic bill payment per month instead of two), you will be charged National Bank's service fee for that month. The service fee will be $7.98 monthly for the second year and $11.96 for the third. You will still enjoy monthly savings of $7.97 during the second year and $3.99 during the third.
Finally, if you no longer hold a bank account or banking package for newcomers, you will no longer be eligible for savings.
You must first open a National Bank Direct Brokerage account. Certain conditions apply.
Options commission is $0 + $1.25/contract. A minimum fee of $6.25/trade applies. The maximum fee is $19.95 when the transaction value is less than $2,000. An option contract gives the holder the right, but not the obligation, to buy or sell a given position in an underlying security at a given exercise price. Contracts are for 100 shares.
National Bank Direct Brokerage, as a division of a Canadian bank subsidiary, is the first broker in Canada to offer a commission-free online brokerage solution for Canadian and U.S. stocks.
- Trades must have been made through our electronic
solutions.
- Management and other fees may apply to
ETF investments. Please read the prospectus before investment. ETFs
are not guaranteed, their values change frequently, and past
performance may not be repeated.
Regular pricing on equities trade applies if the $0 commission conditions on ETFs are not met.
For more details, consult our page for exclusive National Bank Direct Brokerage offers.
National Bank Direct Brokerage (NBDB) is a division of National Bank Financial Inc. (NBF) and a trademark of National Bank of Canada (NBC), used under licence by NBF. NBF is a member of the Canadian Investment Regulatory Organization and of the Canadian Investor Protection Fund and a wholly-owned subsidiary of NBC, which is a public company listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX: NA) NBDB provides order execution only services and makes no investment recommendations. Clients are solely responsible for the financial and tax consequences of their investment decisions.
TM National Bank Assistance Network is a trademark of National Bank of Canada, used under licence by authorized third parties.
® Mastercard is a registered trademark, and the circles
design is a trademark of Mastercard International Incorporated.
Authorized user: National Bank.
®THE EXCHANGE and Accel are registered trademarks of Fiserv
Inc.
®CIRRUS is a registered trademark of Mastercard
International Incorporated. Authorized user: National Bank.
®Allpoint is a registered trademark of ATM National LLC.
National Bank of Canada is not a licensed bank in France or other countries outside of Canada.
National Bank of Canada was named the best bank for newcomers to Canada by MoneySense in 2023. MoneySense establishes its annual rankings by selecting some of the largest financial institutions and comparing them for fees, access to credit and services offered to newcomers.
National Bank's mycredit® Mastercard® credit card has won the Milesopedia best credit card for newcomers in 2023. Each year, Milesopedia examines the credit card offers of the largest financial institutions and establishes its ranking according to more than 150 criteria such as fees, welcome offers, minimum income required, number of points per category, account credits, insurance, airport lounge access, etc.
- Our banking offer is available to newcomers from their home countries up to 90 days before arriving in Canada or at any point during your first 5 years in Canada. See the above terms and conditions of the offer for no fixed monthly fee for 3 years. The offer may be modified, extended or withdrawn, without prior notice, at any time. The offer may not be combined or used with any other National Bank offer, promotion or benefit. Fees may apply for transactions not included in the banking offer for newcomers. For more information on transaction fees, see our Guide to Personal Banking Solutions [PDF].
- Financing is subject to credit approval by National Bank. Certain conditions apply. Eligible credit cards: mycredit, MC1, Allure, Syncro, Platinum, ECHO Cashback, World and World Elite.
- Guarantee may be required under certain circumstances. Financing is subject to credit approval by National Bank. Certain conditions apply.
- International Transfer by Mastercard® and Interac® are available at a cost of $5.95 per transaction, no matter which account you hold. The amount received by the beneficiary may differ from the amount sent considering that the intermediary bank or the beneficiary’s bank will apply their fees to the original transfer’s amount. This service allows you to transfer funds to the United States, India, Philippines, United Kingdom and the following 19 European countries: Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia and Spain.
- Telephone assistance service offered by National Bank Assistance Network, valid for 12 months from your account opening date. The content of the packages and terms described are subject to change.
- National Bank ABMs or ABMs in THE EXCHANGEᴹᴰ network. Use all our ABM features in six languages (French, English, Spanish, Traditional Chinese, Punjabi, and Arabic).
- Locate CIRRUS, Maestro® and NYCE® ABMs and payment terminals with the logos on the back of your card. You can then use your debit card at these ABMs in the United States and around the world, including our network of partners Accel®, Cirrus® and Allpoint®. Administrative or exchange rate fees may apply.
At National Bank of Canada, we are committed to guiding you as you settle in your new country.
Did you know? National Bank of Canada is one of the 6 largest banks in the country. It counts more than 360 branches all over Canada and more than 940 automated banking machines offering services in 6 different languages.
Our objective? To make banking easier when you arrive in Canada.
We support you before and after your arrival.
Before your arrival: first, open your account online in just a few clicks! Then, we’ll schedule an appointment to complete the process together at a branch when you arrive.
Need to transfer money? You can do it from your home country to your new bank account before you leave.
Already in Canada? Open your bank account in a few minutes entirely online! Or visit a branch and speak with an advisor.
Take advantage of a great offer for newcomers that includes up to 3 years of no fixed monthly fees. The offer is valid up to 5 years after your arrival.
In Canada, it’s important to build your credit history and we can help you achieve this by giving you access to a credit card.
Need to make an international transfer? Several options are available to you depending on the destination. Take advantage of our rates starting at $5.95 for certain countries.
Do you need to talk to a lawyer?
Get answers to your questions regarding immigration, housing, or employment with our legal assistance service, free of charge through our Assistance Network. This service is available 7 days a week for the first year.
Manage your finances with confidence in Canada.
In addition to our legal assistance service, a banking advisor will assist you as soon as you arrive to help you realize the projects you care about. Buying a car, buying a property, saving for retirement, saving for your children, and much more.
Our National Bank of Canada family wishes to give you real peace of mind by helping you manage your finances and build a life in Canada.
We are here to answer your questions.