How to get a Social Insurance Number (SIN) in Canada

How to get a Social Insurance Number (SIN) in Canada

The Social Insurance Number is the first thing to get after you arrive. It is a 9-digit number issued by Service Canada, and almost nothing else works without it: you cannot be paid by a Canadian employer, you cannot receive the Canada Child Benefit or the GST/HST credit, you cannot file a tax return properly, and several banking and government services will ask for it.

It is free, and it is one of the faster things on the newcomer checklist.

Who needs one

• Anyone who will work in Canada, as an employee or self-employed.
• Anyone who will receive government benefits, including parents applying for child benefits.
• Each adult separately — your spouse needs their own; you cannot share.
• Children, in some situations — a child needs a SIN to work, and one may be required for certain benefit or education savings programs. A parent or legal guardian can apply on behalf of a young child.

What documents you need

Service Canada asks for a primary document that proves your identity and status in Canada. Which one depends on who you are:

You may also need a secondary document if:

• your primary document does not show your current legal name — bring the marriage certificate, divorce decree, or legal name-change order that bridges the difference; or
• Service Canada asks for additional proof of identity.

If your supporting documents are not in English or French, they will need a certified translation. See Certified translations and notarized copies in Canada.

Name matching is the number one cause of delays. The name on your SIN record should match the name you will use on your tax return, your health card, and your employment records. If your documents disagree with each other, resolve it now rather than after your first paycheque.

How to apply

There are three channels. All of them go through Service Canada's SIN page on canada.ca — confirm the current requirements there, because the accepted document list and the online form change from time to time.

Online

The fastest option for most people. You complete the application form and upload images of your documents. You will need clear, complete, readable scans — every corner of the page visible, no glare, nothing cropped off.

In person

At a Service Canada Centre. You bring your original documents and, in many cases, walk out with your number the same visit. This is the right choice if:

• your documents are complicated (name mismatches, unusual status, a previous SIN),
• you do not have a reliable way to scan documents, or
• you want a human to confirm nothing is missing.

Find your nearest centre through the Service Canada office locator on canada.ca.

By mail

Slowest, but available if you are far from a Service Canada Centre. You send the application with copies of your documents.

What happens after you apply

• You receive a confirmation letter containing your SIN. There is no plastic card — Service Canada stopped issuing them.
• Write the number down and store it somewhere secure. Then store the letter itself somewhere secure too.
• Give the number to your employer when you start work, and to the CRA when you file taxes.

SINs that start with 9

If you are a temporary resident — work permit, study permit — your SIN begins with 9 and carries an expiry date matching your immigration document.

This matters more than most newcomers realize:

• When you extend your permit, you must update your SIN record with Service Canada. An expired SIN can cause your employer's payroll to reject you and can interrupt benefits.
• When you become a permanent resident, you are issued a new, permanent SIN that does not start with 9. Tell your employer, your bank, and the CRA.

Protecting your SIN

Your SIN is one of the two or three most sensitive numbers you will hold in Canada. It is a key to your tax record, your benefits, and your credit file.

Give it only when it is genuinely required — to employers, to the CRA, to financial institutions that report income to the government, and to the benefit programs that ask for it. A landlord, a gym, a phone company, or a prospective employer who has not yet hired you generally does not need it, even if their form has a box for it.

Never send it in a plain email or a messaging app. Email is stored in plain text on multiple servers you do not control, and it is the most common way a SIN ends up somewhere it should not be.

If your SIN is lost or you believe it has been misused, contact Service Canada and consider placing a fraud alert with the Canadian credit bureaus.

While you wait

You are not blocked from everything. In the meantime you can:

• Open a bank account — see Opening a Canadian bank account as a newcomer. Banks ask for a SIN for interest-bearing accounts but can usually open the account without one.
• Register for health coverage — see Getting your Ontario health card (OHIP) as a newcomer.
• Look for housing and start your job search.
• Book an intake appointment with a free settlement agency, which can help with the SIN application itself.

How my-id.ca helps

Your SIN, your immigration document number, your legal name exactly as it appears on your primary document, your date of birth, your Canadian address — that combination is requested on nearly every form you will fill in for the next two years.

my-id.ca stores it once, encrypted, on Canadian servers, and fills it into web forms and PDFs for you. Because it is designed for exactly this kind of information, it never asks you to email a document to yourself to move it between devices. See Every kind of information you can store and, for the security controls, Sign in with a passkey.

Next steps

• First 90 days in Ontario: a newcomer's checklist
• Opening a Canadian bank account as a newcomer
• Your first Canadian tax return as a newcomer
• Keeping your immigration documents safe

Important: this is general information, not legal advice

This article is general information to help you get organized — it is not legal, immigration, tax, or financial advice, and my-id.ca does not provide legal or professional consultation. my-id.ca is not a government agency, law firm, or licensed advisor, and is not affiliated with or endorsed by the Government of Canada, the Government of Ontario, IRCC, the Canada Revenue Agency, Service Canada, or ServiceOntario.

Rules, forms, fees, eligibility, processing times, and required documents change often and depend on your specific situation and immigration status. Always confirm the current details on the official government sources (canada.ca and ontario.ca) before you act, and complete and submit every application yourself. For advice about your individual circumstances, consult a qualified professional or a government-funded settlement agency. If anything in this guide differs from an official source, the official source is correct.