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Settling in

Settling in Montreal

You settle in Montreal in French, and yet almost nothing works like France: each person's work permit, the social insurance number, the RAMQ sun card, the 1 July lease and the long winter. Here are the steps in the right order, checked on the official websites of Canada, Quebec, the City of Montreal and the consulate.

Verified on 31 October 2026

Arrival and first steps

Each adult in the family has their own status: work permit, open work permit for the partner, visitor record for the children. The rules were tightened in 2025, check your case before leaving.

Good to know

  • For a simple stay of under six months, a French citizen needs no visa but an electronic travel authorisation (eTA) to board a plane: it costs CA$7, is applied for online one person at a time and remains valid for up to five years or until the passport expires. Source
  • Since 21 January 2025, the partner's open work permit is no longer automatic: it is reserved for partners of workers in a TEER 0 or 1 occupation, or in certain TEER 2 and 3 occupations listed by IRCC, unless the worker is already on a pathway to permanent residence. Dependent children are no longer eligible. Source
  • For school, every child resident in Quebec must attend school from the school year of their 6th birthday until 16; public education is in French, and English schools are only accessible with an eligibility authorisation granted in specific cases. Source
  • Registration with the French consular register is free and valid for 5 years; it is done online on service-public.fr with a French ID card or passport, proof of residence in Canada and a recent photo. It is strongly recommended for any stay over six months. Source
  • Week 1, in order: a social insurance number (SIN) for each adult allowed to work, it starts with 9 and expires with the permit; RAMQ registration for the whole family with the French social security certificate; bank account and phone; enrolling the children at the local school or on the daycare portal. Source
  • The consulate cannot intervene in Canadian immigration or employment procedures, and a visa or eTA does not guarantee entry: the border officer has the final say. Have your file ready (permits, employer letter, proof of funds) for the airport. Source

Addresses

  • Consulat général de France à Montréal

    Consulate

    1501, avenue McGill College, 10e étage, bureau 1000, H3A 3M8

    Downtown, McGill metro (green line). Appointments Monday to Friday, 8:30 to 13:00 and 14:00 to 16:00; passport and ID card collection without appointment from 9:00 to 12:00; no access between 12:45 and 13:45. Avoid Fridays, the busiest day.

    Website Source

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Housing: neighbourhoods and renting

French families cluster on the Plateau and in the central neighbourhoods, around Collège Stanislas in Outremont and Collège international Marie de France in Côte-des-Neiges. The rental market has its own codes: the 3½ and the 4½, the 1 July lease, and the ban on security deposits.

Good to know

  • Listings count rooms: a 3½ is a one-bedroom with kitchen, the ½ being the bathroom; a 4½ or a 5½ suits a family. 'Électros' means appliances are included, and an 'unheated' flat leaves heating, often electric, to you. Source
  • The Tribunal administratif du logement lease form has been compulsory since 1 September 1996 for any new lease, room, flat or house; it must be written in French unless both parties agree otherwise. Source
  • Security deposits are illegal in Quebec: your landlord may only require the first month's rent in advance, no deposit and no post-dated cheques. If they insist, the Tribunal administratif du logement can be seized. Source
  • The landlord may check your ability to pay, but a credit check is not compulsory and you do not have to give your social insurance number; an employer letter, a bank statement or a guarantor often do the job when you arrive without a Canadian credit history. Source
  • At signing, the landlord must fill in section G of the lease and tell you the lowest rent paid in the previous 12 months; if you pay more, you have 10 days to ask the Tribunal to set the rent. The lease then renews automatically, and the annual increase must be notified to you in writing. Source
  • Most leases run from 1 July to 30 June: 1 July is Quebec's great moving day, book your van and movers weeks ahead. Visit with winter in mind: windows, insulation, an entrance for boots and the pushchair, parking and snow clearing. Source

Addresses

  • Le Plateau-Mont-Royal et le Mile End

    Neighbourhood

    Montreal's 'little France': streets of triplexes, La Fontaine park, French-run bakeries and cafés, neighbourhood public schools. In high demand, often older flats with no parking.

    Source

  • Outremont

    Neighbourhood

    Home to Collège Stanislas: bourgeois houses and flats, manicured parks, Bernard and Laurier avenues. One of the island's priciest areas, popular with French families following the French curriculum.

    Source

  • Côte-des-Neiges et Notre-Dame-de-Grâce

    Neighbourhood

    Collège international Marie de France, Université de Montréal, CHU Sainte-Justine and Mount Royal on foot. Côte-des-Neiges is cosmopolitan and affordable; NDG, more anglophone, lines up houses and parks to the west.

    Source

  • Rosemont-La Petite-Patrie

    Neighbourhood

    The family extension of the Plateau: green alleys, Jean-Talon market, Botanical Garden and Maisonneuve park, neighbourhood schools and CPEs. Many young French families settle here.

    Source

  • Villeray

    Neighbourhood

    A village in the city around Jarry park and rue De Castelnau: gentler rents than the Plateau, the park's pool and paddling pool, Jarry and De Castelnau metro stations.

    Source

  • Verdun

    Neighbourhood

    On the river, ten metro minutes from downtown: Wellington promenade, landscaped riverbanks, an urban beach, family flats still within reach. Rising fast with young parents.

    Source

  • Ahuntsic-Cartierville

    Neighbourhood

    The residential north along the Rivière des Prairies: houses with gardens, riverside parks, Librairie Monet and its children's shelves, commuter trains and Henri-Bourassa metro.

    Source

  • Ville de Mont-Royal et Westmount

    Neighbourhood

    Two independent towns enclosed within the island: quiet streets, large houses, municipal parks and pools. Mont-Royal is bilingual and close to Stanislas, Westmount more anglophone; high budgets in both cases.

    Source

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Phone and insurance

The mobile plan surprises with its price, and two insurances are compulsory: car liability if you drive, and drug insurance for the whole family.

Good to know

  • Phones cost markedly more than in France: the three big networks (Bell, Rogers, Telus) and their budget brands, plus Vidéotron and Fizz in Quebec, offer no-contract plans; a prepaid SIM or eSIM covers the first days until you have an address.
  • To drive, Quebec's Automobile Insurance Act requires private civil liability insurance of at least $50,000; bodily injuries are covered by the SAAQ public plan, funded through registration and licence fees. Source
  • Tenant's home insurance is not compulsory but strongly recommended, and many landlords require it in the lease: it covers your belongings and your civil liability, for instance a water leak into the downstairs neighbour's flat. Source
  • Everyone settled in Quebec must be covered at all times by drug insurance: the employer's private plan if one is offered (compulsory for you, your partner and your children), otherwise the RAMQ public plan. Minor children staying more than six months qualify for the public plan even if their parents do not. Source

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Banking and money

The Canadian dollar account opens in the first week with your passport. Day to day, everything is paid with an Interac debit card, often contactless, and between individuals by Interac e-Transfer.

Good to know

  • Any federally regulated bank must open a personal account for you on presentation of accepted ID, even without a job or an initial deposit; it may only refuse for specific reasons (fraud, false information, safety). The big banks and Desjardins credit unions have newcomer offers. Source
  • ID must be originals: either two documents from the accepted list, one with your name and address and one with your name and date of birth (a foreign passport qualifies), or a single document confirmed by a trusted person such as a customer of the bank. Plan to visit a branch. Source
  • The social insurance number (SIN) is only required for an interest-bearing account, so that the bank can report the interest to the tax authorities; a chequing account opens without it. Banks that signed a voluntary commitment offer a no-cost account to temporary and permanent residents in their first year in Canada. Source
  • Your French credit history does not follow you: in Canada it is held by two agencies, Equifax and TransUnion, and starts from scratch. Some lenders will look at a foreign credit report in a meeting with an adviser; a credit card used and paid off every month gets your file started. Source
  • Chequing accounts often charge fixed monthly or per-transaction fees: compare packages and ask for the newcomer waivers available in the first year. Source
  • Day to day, people pay with an Interac debit card, inserted or contactless with the card, phone or watch (Apple Pay, Google Pay, Samsung Pay); it is accepted by businesses across the country and also works at cash machines. Source
  • Between individuals, Interac e-Transfer replaces the cheque: from your bank's app you send money to an email address or mobile number, with a security question or by Autodeposit. Nearly all Canadian banks and credit unions offer it. Source
  • Until the local account is open, your French bank card works in shops. Wise also offers its multi-currency card in Canada, useful for converting euros and sending money to or from France; compare the exchange rate applied before each large transfer, school fees for instance. Source
  • Keep your French account, useful for the costs of a home in France, but tell your bank before you leave: a 'resident' account must be converted into a 'non-resident' one, and the LEP savings account must be closed. Source

Addresses

  • Desjardins

    Bank

    Quebec cooperative financial group, with a network of credit unions (caisses) across the region and services in French.

    Website Source

  • Banque Nationale

    Bank

    Major Canadian bank headquartered in Montreal, with a strong presence in Quebec.

    Website Source

  • RBC Banque Royale

    Bank

    One of Canada's five big banks, present across the country; newcomer offer.

    Website Source

  • Banque TD

    Bank

    One of Canada's five big banks, with branches across Greater Montreal.

    Website Source

  • BMO Banque de Montréal

    Bank

    One of Canada's five big banks, founded in Montreal.

    Website Source

  • Scotiabank

    Bank

    One of Canada's five big banks, present across the country.

    Website Source

  • Virement Interac

    Person-to-person transfers built into your bank's app: nothing to install.

    Website Source

  • Wise

    Multi-currency account (Wise is not a bank): receive money from France, pay with the card, exchange currencies.

    Website Source

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Getting set up

IKEA has two stores in the area, in Saint-Laurent and Boucherville. For the rest, supermarkets, Costco warehouses, the big shopping centres and the second-hand market cover the first weeks.

Addresses

  • IKEA Montréal

    Furniture and home

    9191, boulevard Cavendish, Montréal (QC) H4T 1M8

    The store on the island, in the Saint-Laurent borough near Highway 40; delivery and assembly offered.

    Website Source

  • IKEA Boucherville

    Furniture and home

    586, rue de Touraine, Boucherville (QC) J4B 5E4

    The South Shore store, handy from Longueuil and Brossard.

    Website Source

  • Metro

    Supermarket

    Quebec supermarket chain, with online grocery shopping in its app.

    Website Source

  • Costco

    Supermarket

    Membership bulk warehouses, useful for kitting out the home and stocking up.

    Website Source

  • Marché Jean-Talon

    Shop

    7070, avenue Henri-Julien, Montréal (QC) H2S 3S3

    One of Montreal's public markets, in Little Italy: growers and food merchants.

    Website Source

  • CF Carrefour Laval

    Shopping mall

    3035, boulevard Le Carrefour, Laval (QC) H7T 1C8

    Large shopping centre in Laval, north of the island.

    Website Source

  • CF Fairview Pointe-Claire

    Shopping mall

    6801, route Transcanadienne, Pointe-Claire (QC)

    The big shopping centre of the West Island.

    Website Source

  • Centre Rockland

    Shopping mall

    2305, chemin Rockland, Mont-Royal (QC) H3P 3E9

    Shopping centre in Mount Royal, close to Outremont and Côte-des-Neiges.

    Website Source

  • Best Buy

    Appliances

    Electronics and appliances, delivery and installation offered.

    Website Source

  • The Home Depot

    Appliances

    Major appliances, DIY and garden.

    Website Source

  • Kijiji

    Second-hand

    Canada's big classifieds site: second-hand furniture, strollers, appliances.

    Website Source

  • Facebook Marketplace

    Second-hand

    Person-to-person classifieds, widely used for furniture.

    Website Source

  • Renaissance

    Second-hand

    Second-hand shops run by a non-profit whose revenue funds a job-integration programme; you can also donate what you do not keep.

    Website Source

  • Montréal Accueil, petites annonces

    Second-hand

    The French-speaking welcome association's classifieds: furniture, clothes, vehicles.

    Website Source

Getting around with children

Metro, buses, commuter trains and the REM are paid with the OPUS card, and children aged 11 and under travel free with you. A car is not essential on the island, but it changes weekends; in winter, it imposes its own rules.

Good to know

  • Across the metropolitan region, children aged 11 and under travel free, everywhere and at all times, when accompanied by someone aged 14 or over holding a validated fare; that person may accompany no more than 5 children aged 6 to 11. Source
  • From 12 to 15, young people get 30 to 40% off most fares provided they hold a photo OPUS card; at 16 and 17, then from 18, the reduced fare requires full-time study. Apply for the photo card before term starts. Source
  • Fares are by zone, from A (the island of Montreal) to D: your fare must cover the departure zone, the zones crossed and the arrival zone. An 'All modes A' pass is enough to live and work on the island. Source
  • Pushchair: buses are low-floor and take unfolded pushchairs outside crowded peak hours; in the metro, only some stations have lifts, check the map before you leave. In winter, a pushchair with big wheels or a sled helps in the snow.
  • Your French licence lets you drive in Quebec for 6 consecutive months; if you settle, you must obtain a Quebec licence by exchanging it with the SAAQ, without retaking the test. The consulate does not issue French licences: sort your paperwork before leaving (restricted driving record if needed). Source
  • From 1 December to 15 March, every vehicle registered in Quebec, rentals included, must have winter tyres. Driving without car insurance is illegal in Canada, and child car seats are compulsory. Source
  • Car or no car? On the island, metro, buses, BIXI (bike share from April to November) and the REM cover daily life; a car becomes useful for trips, winter shopping and very young children, at the cost of insurance, street parking permits and snow clearing.

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Admin: SIN, RAMQ, taxes and the consulate

Two governments, so everything twice: the federal social insurance number and the Quebec sun card, two tax returns, two child benefits. The consulate remains your town hall and prefecture.

Good to know

  • The 9-digit social insurance number (SIN) is essential to work and receive benefits; for a temporary resident it starts with 9 and expires with the immigration permit. It is confidential: give it only to your employer, banks and government bodies. Source
  • The RAMQ health insurance card, the 'sun card', opens free care; France is one of the 11 countries with a social security agreement with Quebec, which avoids the waiting period if you present your French fund's certificate when registering. Source
  • From the year you arrive, you are normally a resident for tax purposes and file two income tax returns every spring, one federal with the CRA, one with Revenu Québec; tax is withheld at source from salaries. Family benefits depend on these returns, even with no income. Source
  • The Canada Child Benefit, monthly and tax-free, is only paid to a temporary resident from the 19th month in Canada, with a valid permit; Quebec's Family Allowance follows the same 18-month logic and is claimed from Retraite Québec. Both depend on family income. Source
  • What the consulate does: passports and ID cards, registration of births and marriages, the French register, elections, and AEFE school grants for Collège Stanislas and Collège international Marie de France, means-tested and provided the child and parent are on the register. Source
  • What it does not do: Canadian and Quebec permits (IRCC and MIFI), legal advice (it publishes a list of lawyers and notes that French citizens are entitled to legal aid in Quebec), and covering your health or repatriation costs. Source

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Budget: what costs more, what costs less

Montreal remains one of North America's most affordable big cities, but rents are rising and phones, cheese and wine make French teeth grind. On the other side, subsidised daycare, public school and healthcare lighten the bill considerably.

Good to know

  • Housing: for the same space, cheaper than Paris, but rising sharply in recent years and higher on the Plateau, in Outremont and Westmount; add electric heating in winter, often at your expense, and sometimes parking.
  • Childcare: Quebec's great advantage. In a CPE or subsidised daycare, you pay the reduced contribution, under ten dollars a day in 2026, indexed every 1 January; non-subsidised daycares cost far more, partly offset by a tax credit. Registration goes through the single portal, and only children already born can be listed. Source
  • School: public, free and in French from kindergarten at 4 or 5; the French colleges Stanislas and Marie de France charge fees but far less than in most expat capitals, with means-tested AEFE grants. See our school fees page. Source
  • Health: free once you have the sun card, and dental care is covered for children under 10 (annual check-up, x-rays, fillings); you still pay for medicines beyond your insurance deductible, orthodontics, adult eye care and ambulance transport. Source
  • Transport: comparable to France, and under-12s travel free with you; a car-free family saves on insurance, winter tyres, parking permits and snow clearing, which more than offsets a few rentals for weekend trips. Source
  • Groceries and outings: meat, seasonal vegetables and petrol cheaper than in France; cheese, wine and spirits (sold by the SAQ), phone and internet markedly dearer. In restaurants, both taxes and the tip are added to the listed price. Finally, budget for the whole family's winter kit, a real cost in the first year.

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A place has closed, something has changed? Tell us: the mums of Montreal will thank you.

Sources for this page

The public pages these landmarks come from. The official website always prevails.

  1. 1 Consulat général de France à Montréal
  2. 2 IRCC, permis de travail ouvert des membres de la famille : admissibilité
  3. 3 Service Canada, numéro d'assurance sociale
  4. 4 RAMQ, ententes de sécurité sociale avec d'autres pays
  5. 5 Tribunal administratif du logement, qu'est-ce qu'un bail
  6. 6 ARTM, tarification et offres pour les familles
  7. 7 ACFC, ouvrir un compte bancaire
  8. 8 Interac, le Virement Interac

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