Banking in Canada, opening a bank account and investing your money is simple.

Review this cost of banking tool to learn about different banking plans. The bank’s customer service representatives can help you choose a plan meet your needs.

You need two pieces of personal identification to open a bank account.
Acceptable Identification Includes:

PART A

• A drivers’ licence issued in Canada, as permitted to be used for identification purposes under provincial law
• A Canadian passport
• A Certificate of Canadian Citizenship or Certification of Naturalization, in the form of a paper document or card but not a commemorative issue
• A Permanent Resident card or Citizenship and Immigration Canada Form IMM 1000 or IMM 1442
• A birth certificate issued in Canada
• A Social Insurance Number card issued by the Government of Canada
• An Old Age Security card issued by the Government of Canada
• A Certificate of Indian Status issued by the Government of Canada
• A provincial health insurance card, as permitted to be used for identification purposes under provincial law
• A document or card, bearing the individual’s photograph and signature, issued by any of the following authorities or their successors:
  1. Insurance Corporation of British Columbia
  2. Alberta Registries
  3. Saskatchewan Government Insurance
  4. Department of Service Nova Scotia and Municipal Relations
  5. Department of Transportation and Public Works of the Province of Prince Edward Island
  6. Service New Brunswick
  7. Department of Government Services and Lands of the Province of Newfoundland and Labrador
  8. Department of Transportation of the Northwest Territories
  9. Department of Community Government and Transportation of the Territory of Nunavut

PART B

• An employee identity card, issued by an employer that is well known in the community, bearing the individual’s photograph
• A bank or automated banking machine or client card issued by a member of the Canadian Payments Association in the name of, or bearing the name of, the individual and bearing the individual’s signature
• A credit card, issued by a member of the Canadian Payments Association in the name of, or bearing the name of, the individual and bearing the individual’s signature
• A Canadian National Institute for the Blind (CNIB) client card bearing the individual’s photograph and signature
• A foreign passport

To learn how to use a bank and open a bank account visit the following website:

• Just Landed Website
• Financial Consumer Agency of Canada
• Canadian Banks

The Canadian Banking Association has free publications on topics such as safeguarding your money.