NEWCOMERS

Open a bank account in Canada

Enjoy no fixed monthly fees for up to 3 years
 

Open an account online


Offer valid from your country up to 90 days before you arrive in Canada and within 5 years of your arrival.1
Fill out the secure online form.


The benefits of our offer for newcomers

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Bank account

Open an account with no fixed monthly fee for up to 3 years.

Save up to $574.20**

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Mastercard® credit card

Get settled in Canada with help from a National Bank of Canada Mastercard credit card with no credit history.2,3

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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.

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Legal support service

Get legal information by speaking directly with a lawyer by telephone on a variety of everyday topics.5

At no cost for 12 months

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Paper statements by mail 

Receive your bank statements by mail with no fees for the first year.

You’ll save $30

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Ordering cheques

Get your first order of cheques free.

You’ll save $67.10

Get the offer for newcomers in just a few easy steps

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, based on your situation.

I’m still in my home country

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Open an account online

Fill out a secure form from your home country in just 5 minutes up to 90 days before your arrival in Canada.

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Receive a confirmation email

Over the following days, you’ll receive an email confirming that you’ve opened an account.

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Get an appointment at a branch

We will contact you to schedule an in-person meeting to finalize the opening of your account.

I’m already in Canada

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Open an account online

Fill out an online application form as soon as you arrive in Canada. You’ll need:

  • A Canadian phone number
  • One of the following document :
    • A valid and eligible passport from a country other than Canada
    • A Canadian driver's licence
    • A permanent resident card
    • A provincial or federal identification card (excluding Quebec)
    • A Quebec Health Insurance Card - new version
    • A Canadian permanent resident card
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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.

More than just a bank account

Discover our offer for newcomers

2 min 16    Transcript

Our industry awards 

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2025

National Bank of Canada received the award for "Best Bank Account" for newcomers to Quebec by Milesopedia in 2025.

Picture of the MoneySense badge for Best Bank for Newcomers to Canada for 2024

2024

National Bank of Canada has been named the Best Bank for Newcomers to Canada for 2024 by MoneySense.

Photo of the Milesopedia badge for the best credit card for newcomers in 2023

2023

The National Bank® of Canada mycreditTM Mastercard® credit card was named the best credit card for newcomers by Milesopedia in 2023.

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See all the details of the offer

Download and read the details of the offer for newcomers in one of the following languages. 

A distinguished client experience 

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89% of our clients who are new to Canada say that they recommend National Bank of Canada, mostly due to our distinguished service.

Internal study on newcomers - 2023

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“We’re extremely happy with our choice! We met with other banks, but National Bank was the one that best fit our needs.”

- Karen, newcomer - 2023

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We got 4.85 stars for our service on PVTistes.net.

June 2023

Who’s the newcomer offer for?

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Permanent residents

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Temporary workers

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International students

Talk to us about your projects in Canada 

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Contact us by email

Write to us with all the details of your request. We’ll get back to you as quickly as possible.

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Chat with us

Get quick help when you contact us through Facebook Messenger.

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We’re hiring!

Are you a qualified worker immigrating to Canada? Join the National Bank of Canada team!

Little details that matter

Back
Terms of use
National Bank’s virtual assistant

When using our Virtual Assistant Service (the "Chatbot"), you accept these Terms of Use, which are subject to change without notice. Furthermore, you agree to consult these Terms of Use from time to time and acknowledge that your continuing use of the Chatbot means that you have accepted any changes that may have been made. Your continued use of the Chatbot means that you’ve read, understand and agree to these Terms of Use, the Terms of Use for our website, our Online transaction services, and to our privacy policy. You also understand any other agreements that you have with us will continue to apply when you use the Chatbot.

1. Our Services and your responsibilities

The Chatbot is an automated service which is integrated into our online banking platform.

The Chatbot is preprogrammed to answer general questions concerning the use of our online banking platform solely for informational purposes. The Chatbot is not able to answer questions on personal monetary transactions or products you hold with us.

By using the Chatbot, you understand and agree that:

  • The Chatbot does not provide financial advice or financial planning services.
  • The Chatbot does not conduct any banking transactions.
  • The Chatbot may not be able to answer all your questions. Therefore, it may not be able to provide you with the information you require. You must judge whether the answer provided responds to your question accurately. In the case of uncertainty, a customer service representative would be happy to help you. You can call us toll free at 1-888-483-5628 or 514-394-5555.
  • The Chatbot is not a complaint service. You cannot use the Chatbot to file complaints. If you have any complaints, you can contact us at the number indicated above.
  • We monitor, record and store the discussion that you have with the Chatbot to improve our interactions with our clients.
  • You will not provide the Chatbot with any confidential, personal, or private information. For example, you will not provide the Chatbot with your login information, PIN or other personal banking information.

2. Limitation of Liability

You acknowledge that we won’t be liable for any losses or damages that you may suffer as a result of your use of the Chatbot, including if the Chatbot is unavailable for any reason.

We cannot guarantee that the results obtained via the Chatbot will be accurate and reliable and that the answers provided will meet your expectations.

We will not be held liable for damages you incur as a result of:

  • Any delay, error, interruption or omission on our part or any other event beyond our control.
  • Any deficiency or technical error or any unavailability of our systems and wireless networks.
  • Your failure to meet any of your obligations.
  • Any amendment to or suspension, refusal or blockage of the Chatbot.
  • Any decision or measure you take in response to information and data obtained via the Chatbot.
  • Any other damages you may incur that are not caused by negligence on our part.

3. Language

You have requested that these Terms of Use, and related documents be drawn up in English.

4. Governing Law

These Terms of Use are governed and must be interpreted in accordance with the laws in force in the province or territory where you reside. If you reside outside Canada, the laws in force and the courts of competent jurisdiction are those of the province of Quebec.

Virtual assistant