NOMAD LIFESTYLE · PRACTICAL GUIDE

A realistic checklist for planning a move abroad

Official sources last checked: 3 November 2026 · Written for people leaving Canada

Moving abroad is mostly paperwork, money and timing. The sunsets come later. This checklist walks through what to sort out before you go, in roughly the order it tends to matter, and points to the official pages where the current rules live.

1. Research the destination properly

• Read the Government of Canada travel advice page for your destination. Each country page covers the risk level, safety and security, entry and exit requirements, health, laws and culture, and natural disasters and climate. Check it again before you leave, since conditions change.
• Find out which visa or residence permit fits why you are going (work, study, retirement, remote work or family). The destination's embassy, high commission or consulate in Canada is the place to confirm the rules, documents and tax implications of living there.
• Look up how long you can stay on each type of permit, how renewals work, and whether you can work locally on it.
• Research the cost of living for the city you will actually live in, not a national average. Date any figures you write down, because they go stale fast.

2. Documents

• Check your passport's expiry date against your destination's entry requirements (on its travel advice page) and how long you plan to stay.
• Gather originals and copies of what a visa application or landlord may ask for: birth certificate, marriage certificate, diplomas, police certificates, medical records and prescriptions.
• Find out whether your destination wants documents translated or officially certified, and how long that takes.
• Check whether you can drive on your Canadian licence there or need an international driving permit. The Government of Canada's Living outside Canada page links to driving-permit information.
• Keep digital copies of everything somewhere you can reach from abroad, and leave a set with someone you trust at home.

3. Health coverage

• Do not assume your provincial or territorial health plan travels with you. According to the Government of Canada's travel insurance page, it may cover none, or only a small part, of medical care abroad, including medical evacuation, and it will never pay your bills up front.
• Ask your province's health ministry how long you can be away before you lose coverage, and what happens to your coverage when you move away.
• Find out whether your destination's public health system will cover you as a resident, and when that starts.
• If you buy private insurance, the same Government of Canada page says a travel health policy should always cover medical evacuation, pre-existing conditions (get written confirmation) and repatriation in case of death. Check whether a policy can be renewed from abroad and covers the full length of your stay.
• Get copies of prescriptions and check whether your medications are legal and available in your destination.

4. Taxes and your residency status

• Leaving Canada does not automatically end your Canadian tax residency. The Canada Revenue Agency's Leaving Canada (emigrants) page explains that you are generally an emigrant for tax purposes if you leave to live elsewhere and sever your residential ties with Canada. People who keep those ties are usually still treated as residents.
• Tell the CRA the date you leave Canada, and let Canadian payers and financial institutions know you are no longer a resident.
• Read about the "deemed disposition" when you emigrate: certain property is treated as sold at fair market value and you may have to report a capital gain. The CRA page also lists the form needed if the property you own is worth more than $25,000 in total.
• Check how your accounts and benefits change. For example, the CRA says you can keep a TFSA as a non-resident but cannot contribute to it, and non-residents generally cannot receive the Canada child benefit.
• Find out when you become a tax resident in your new country, and whether a tax treaty between it and Canada applies. This is where professional advice is most worth getting.

5. Money and banking

• Ask your bank which accounts and cards you can keep as a non-resident, and what fees apply to foreign withdrawals and currency conversion.
• Plan how you will pay for your first month or two before you have a local bank account: deposits, rent in advance and setup costs add up.
• Consider who could manage your affairs in Canada if needed. The Government of Canada's Living outside Canada page has information on powers of attorney and joint bank accounts.
• Build an emergency fund that covers a flight home and a few months of costs.

6. Housing and the first weeks

• Consider short-term accommodation for the first few weeks so you can see neighbourhoods in person before signing a long lease.
• Learn what landlords usually ask foreigners for (deposits, guarantors, proof of income) and how to spot rental scams, such as being asked to pay before seeing a place or signing anything.
• Check whether you have to register your address with local authorities after you arrive, and by when.
• Sort out a local phone number and internet early. You will need them for banking, housing and work.

7. Before you leave Canada

• Sign up for the free Registration of Canadians Abroad service, so the Government of Canada can notify you in an emergency at your destination or a personal emergency at home.
• Decide what to do with your home, car, phone plan, subscriptions and mail.
• Update your address with the CRA, your bank and anyone else who needs it.
• If you have pets, check your destination's import rules early. They can take months.
• Save the contact details of the nearest Canadian embassy or consulate and your insurer's emergency number.

Official sources used

• Living outside Canada — Global Affairs Canada
• Travel advice and advisories — Government of Canada
• Trip interruption and travel health insurance — Government of Canada
• Registration of Canadians Abroad — Government of Canada
• Leaving Canada (emigrants) — Canada Revenue Agency