Opening Bank Account

To open an account, you have to:

  • go to the bank in person or contact the bank to see if it offers other ways to open an account
  • provide the bank with some identification (ID).

You must use original ID, not photocopies.

Some banks also run schemes for new comers such as Start Right, RBC Newcomer Advantage. etc

What identification (I.D.) do you need?

There are different combinations of ID you can use. 

You have three choices.

Choice 1—Show two pieces of ID from List A:

List A

  • Canadian driver’s license
  • Current Canadian passport
  • Birth certificate issued in Canada
  • Social Insurance Number (SIN) card
  • Old Age Security card with your Social Insurance Number (SIN) on it
  • Certificate of Indian Status
  • provincial or territorial health insurance card that can be used as identification under provincial or territorial law
  • Certificate of Canadian Citizenship or Certification of Naturalization
  • Permanent Resident card or a Citizenship and Immigration Canada form IMM 1000, IMM 1442, or IMM 5292
  • Document or card, with your picture and signature on it, issued by one of the following authorities: 
    • Insurance Corporation of British Columbia
    • Alberta Registries
    • Saskatchewan Government Insurance
    • Department of Service Nova Scotia and Municipal Relations
    • Department of  Transportation and Infrastructure of the province of Prince Edward Island
    • Service New Brunswick
    • Service NL of the province of Newfoundland and Labrador
    • Department of Transportation of North West Territories
    • Department of Community Government and Transportation of Nunavut

If you don’t have two pieces of ID from List A above, you can:

Choice 2—Show one piece of ID from List A and one piece of ID from List B, below:

List B

  • Employee ID card with your picture on it and issued by an employer that is well known in the community
  • Debit card or bank card with your name and signature on it
  • Canadian credit card with your name and signature on it
  • Client card from the Canadian National Institute for the Blind with your picture and signature on it
  • Current foreign passport

OR

Choice 3—Show one piece of ID from List A and have someone the bank knows confirm that you are who you say you are.

You can also apply to open a bank account online. For more information, visit any bank in person or online.  

 

Some Banks and Credit unions having business in Regina:

CIBC

Conexus Credit Union

TD Canada Trust

RBC Royal Bank

Bank of Nova Scotia

BMO Bank of Montreal

Canadian Western Bank

 

In Canada, you have the right to open a personal bank account even if you:

  • do not have a job
  • do not have money to put in the account right away
  • have poor credit rating
  • have been bankrupt

To understand more about Banking, Money and Taxes in Saskatchewan navitage to https://www.saskatchewan.ca/residents/moving-to-saskatchewan/immigrating-to-saskatchewan/living-in-saskatchewan/banking-money-and-shopping.

Source: Government of Canada, Government of Saskatchewan and banks websites