Opening a bank account in Canada

You can open a bank account in any Canadian bank as long as you have the acknowledgement of claim or brown paper and an ID.

Some popular banks are:

1. The National Bank of Canada. This bank has implemented a simplified process for opening a bank account for all refugees and asylum seekers in Montreal, despite the absence of mandatory identity documents. However, you can open a bank account at any branch. 

Special instructions:

• Have your proof of identification (passport, id, etc.)  and government authorization on hand (brown paper or acknowledgement of your refugee claim)
• Have a valid email address

Name of the branch: Reception branch for refugees and asylum seekers

Location: 500 Place d’Armes, Montreal, QC H2Y 2W3

Hours of operation: Monday to Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

2. TD Bank.

You can go to any branch to open the bank account 

3. Desjardins.

You can go to any branch to open the bank account