Your first weeks in Toronto: SIN, phone plan, photo ID and a family doctor

Get your Social Insurance Number first, a Canadian phone number second and your health card as soon as you have a lease. Everything else gets easier after that.

The short version

• SIN first. It's free, you can apply online, and if you go to a Service Canada office with complete documents you leave with the number the same day [1].
• Get a Canadian cell phone number in week one. Banks, landlords and two-factor logins all want one.
• Apply for OHIP in person at ServiceOntario once you have a lease, then register with Health Care Connect for a family doctor [2][3].
• Don't drive? Get an Ontario Photo Card for CAD 35 (about USD 25 in 2026), valid for five years [4].
• Tap your credit card or a PRESTO card on the TTC. An adult fare is CAD 3.30 (about USD 2.36), and after 47 paid trips in a calendar month the rest are free [5].

USD conversions use the Bank of Canada rate of 1.3989 CAD per USD (November 5, 2026) [6].

Your first-month checklist

Here's the order we'd tackle things in. Bring your US passport and your Canadian immigration document (work permit, study permit or Confirmation of Permanent Residence) to almost everything.

Step 1: your Social Insurance Number

The SIN is Canada's version of your Social Security number. You need it to get paid, file taxes with the Canada Revenue Agency and open some accounts. Like your SSN, guard it: don't hand it to a landlord just because a rental application asks.

How to apply

Service Canada offers three ways [1]:

1. Online through the SIN portal. This is the route Service Canada recommends for faster processing.
2. In person at a Service Canada office. You may need to book an appointment online first. If your application is complete, you get your SIN during the visit and keep your documents [1].
3. By mail to the Social Insurance Registration Office in Bathurst, New Brunswick. You'll be without your passport while it's in the mail, so we'd skip this one.

What to bring

Service Canada's list of primary documents leans on Canadian records, so check its current list for foreign nationals before you go; for most Americans the immigration document is the key piece. All documents must be in English or French, or translated [1].

SINs that start with 9

Temporary residents get a SIN starting with 9, with an expiry date that matches your permit. When you renew your permit, you need to update the SIN's expiry date with Service Canada too [1]. If your permit lapses while a renewal is pending and you've kept your status, you can keep working, but send the new document to Service Canada once you have it [1].

Step 2: a Canadian phone plan

Your US number can stay alive, but you'll want a local one fast. Canada's big three carriers are Rogers, Bell and Telus, and each has cheaper sister brands, such as Fido, Virgin Plus, Koodo and Public Mobile. Freedom Mobile is another major option.

A few things to know before you sign:

• Sticker shock is real. Canadian cell plans have long cost more than comparable US plans, so compare prepaid and "bring your own phone" deals before you commit.
• Check whether your carrier back home has released your phone for use on other networks. If it has, a Canadian SIM or eSIM is usually the easiest move.
• Look for US roaming or "Canada-US" plans if you'll be home for Thanksgiving, the Fourth of July or a weekend in Buffalo. Many plans include US usage.
• Credit checks: postpaid plans often run a credit check, and your US score doesn't follow you. Prepaid avoids that while you build Canadian credit.
• Keep your US number on a cheap plan or port it to a low-cost service. US banks, the IRS and Login.gov two-factor codes often still go there.

Step 3: OHIP and a family doctor

As soon as you've signed a lease, apply for OHIP at a ServiceOntario office. You'll need the registration form plus three original documents: proof of status, proof of Ontario residency (your lease works) and proof of identity (your passport works) [2]. There's no longer a waiting period, so coverage starts once you're approved [2].

Then sign up for a family doctor:

1. Register with Health Care Connect online or by calling 811 (TTY 711), any time of day [3].
2. Have your health card number ready. Your mailing address must match the one on your card [3].
3. Wait for a match. A Care Connector looks for a family doctor, nurse practitioner or primary care team accepting new patients; urgent cases go first [3]. In Toronto this can take a while, so register early.
4. Meanwhile, use walk-in clinics and Health811 for free health advice [3].

Back home you'd call around until a practice took your insurance. Here, the province does the matching, but you may wait.

Step 4: photo ID for non-drivers

If you're not going to exchange your US license for an Ontario one, get an Ontario Photo Card [4]:

• You must be an Ontario resident aged 16 or older without a driver's license.
• It costs CAD 35 and is valid for 5 years.
• Apply in person at ServiceOntario with original ID showing your legal name and date of birth.

It's handy at bars, for picking up packages and anywhere you'd rather not carry your passport. If you do drive, look at exchanging your US license for an Ontario one instead; our driving guide covers how that works for US drivers.

Step 5: getting around with PRESTO and tap-to-pay

The TTC (subway, streetcars and buses) takes PRESTO cards, PRESTO in a mobile wallet, and Interac debit or credit card taps [5]. An adult fare is CAD 3.30 by card and CAD 3.35 in cash, and a two-hour transfer is included automatically when you tap [5].

Since August 31, 2026, most monthly passes are gone and monthly fare capping has replaced them: once you've paid 47 eligible fares in a calendar month, the rest of your TTC trips that month are free [5]. Tap the same card or phone every time, because a physical card and the same card in your phone wallet can count as different payment methods [5]. Cash fares don't count toward the cap.

A PRESTO card costs CAD 4 [5], and the same card works on GO Transit and the UP Express train to Pearson.

Don't forget the US side

Your new life in Toronto doesn't cut you loose from home:

• Enroll in STEP with the State Department so the US Consulate General in Toronto can reach you in an emergency.
• Update your address with your US bank, brokerage and credit cards, and check that they don't charge foreign transaction fees on Canadian purchases.
• Keep filing US taxes. Uncle Sam still wants his return, and your new Canadian accounts will count toward the FBAR once they top USD 10,000 combined.
• Register to vote absentee through FVAP before the next federal election.

Got a question about your first month that isn't covered here? Ask in our community group for Americans in Canada.

Sources

1. Social Insurance Number: apply, Service Canada
2. Apply for OHIP and get a health card, Government of Ontario
3. Find a family doctor or nurse practitioner, Government of Ontario
4. Ontario Photo Card, Government of Ontario
5. Fares and passes, Toronto Transit Commission
6. Bank of Canada: Daily exchange rates

Keep reading

• Getting OHIP: Ontario health coverage for newcomers
• Banking in Canada as an American
• Driving in Canada with a US license, and getting around Toronto
• Moving abroad checklist for Americans