All your procedures — find yours
Directory of administrative steps in Quebec, sorted by priority. Browse and find yours in seconds.
Directory · 11 essential procedures
La Vie au Québec
Simplifiez votre vie au Québec · Simplify your life in Quebec
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All your procedures — find yours
Directory of administrative steps in Quebec, sorted by priority. Browse and find yours in seconds.
Directory of the main démarches in Quebec, sorted by priority of arrival rather than by topic.
Essential: do these in the first days — SIN, RAMQ, driver's licence.
Common: for your first year — taxes, lease, family allowance.
Status & identity: when your situation changes — permanent residence, citizenship, passport, sponsorship.
For city-specific démarches, see your municipal hub. For the full encyclopedia, see the Démarches section.
- 1
ESSENTIALS
SIN — Social Insurance Number
Federal ID. Required to work, open a bank account, and receive any salary or allowance.
Read the SIN guide - 2
ESSENTIALS
RAMQ — Health insurance card
Quebec's public health insurance. 3-month waiting period for most residents — file early.
Read the RAMQ guideAlso useful
- 3
ESSENTIALS
SAAQ — Driver's license exchange
6 months to exchange your foreign license for a Quebec one. After that: full theoretical and practical exams.
Read the SAAQ guideAlso useful
- 4
FREQUENT
Taxes — annual return (federal + provincial)
Two returns each year by end of April. File even with zero or minimal income — it opens GST/QST credits and the family allowance.
Your first Quebec tax return - 5
FREQUENT
Sign a Quebec lease
12-month default lease. Rules unique to Canada — TAL, regulated rent increase, right of assignment. Read before signing.
Sign a Quebec lease - 6
FREQUENT
Family allowance
Automatic monthly payment for families with children under 18. Register at birth or arrival — don't miss payments.
Apply for family allowance - 7
FREQUENT
Childbirth — administrative steps
Birth declaration, baby's SIN, family allowance, RAMQ — all to chain within 30 days of birth.
Read the childbirth guide - 8
STATUS & ID
Canadian passport
Available to Canadian citizens after the oath ceremony. Standard processing 4–6 weeks; express service available.
Read the passport guide - 9
STATUS & ID
Permanent resident card
Identity card for permanent residents. Valid 5 years. Required to re-enter Canada by commercial flight.
Read the PR card guide - 10
STATUS & ID
Canadian citizenship application
Eligible after ~3 years of physical presence in Canada (1,095 days over 5 years). Test + interview + oath ceremony.
Read the citizenship guide - 11
STATUS & ID
Family sponsorship
Bring spouse, children, parents to Canada. Federal application. Timelines: a few months for spouse to several years for parents (PGP).
Read the sponsorship guideAlso useful
What's next?
You've finished settling in. Here's where to go next.