How to Apply for a SIN (Social Insurance Number)
A SINSocial Insurance Number — Your 9-digit Canadian work and tax number. You need it to work, open accounts, and receive benefits.Click for official info ↗ is your 9-digit Canadian work and tax ID. You apply at a Service CanadaService Canada — The government service counter network for SIN applications, passports, EI, and other federal programs.Click for official info ↗ office (same-day in most cases) or by mail if you cannot visit. Newcomers need a primary ID like a passport plus proof of immigration status, and the number arrives on a paper confirmation.
The Steps
Follow these in order
Each card shows the phase, expected time, and any cost. Data checked against official CAN sources(2025-Latest).
0 of 7 steps
- Before You Go 10 min
Check whether you need one
You need a SINSocial Insurance Number — Your 9-digit Canadian work and tax number. You need it to work, open accounts, and receive benefits.Click for official info ↗ to work in Canada, file taxes, or receive benefits (like the Canada Child Benefit or GST/HST credit). If you had a SINSocial Insurance Number — Your 9-digit Canadian work and tax number. You need it to work, open accounts, and receive benefits.Click for official info ↗ before and forgot it, check old tax returns (Notice of Assessment) or your T4Statement of Remuneration Paid — The slip your Canadian employer issues each February showing your wages and deductions. You need it to file taxes.Click for official info ↗ slips before applying for a confirmation letter. You cannot start work without either the number or proof you have applied in some cases — employers must record it within 3 days of your start date.
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- Go 30 min
Gather your documents
Newcomers need ONE primary document (passport or PR cardPermanent Resident Card — The official proof of Canadian permanent resident status, needed for travel back to Canada on commercial vehicles.Click for official info ↗) and, for temporary residents, ONE status document (work permit, study permit with work condition, or visitor record). All documents must be originals — photocopies are refused. If your permit says "does not permit employment" you need an amended permit before applying.
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- Go 1 hour + travel
Apply in person at a Service Canada office
Walk in with your originals to any Service CanadaService Canada — The government service counter network for SIN applications, passports, EI, and other federal programs.Click for official info ↗ Centre (find your nearest at servicecanada.gc.ca). Staff verify your documents and issue a paper SINSocial Insurance Number — Your 9-digit Canadian work and tax number. You need it to work, open accounts, and receive benefits.Click for official info ↗ confirmation on the spot — most visits take under an hour. Bring your documents even if you book an appointment online.
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- Fill / Prepare 30 min + mail time
Or apply by mail if you cannot visit
If you live more than 100 km from a Service CanadaService Canada — The government service counter network for SIN applications, passports, EI, and other federal programs.Click for official info ↗ office or there are barriers to visiting, download the SINSocial Insurance Number — Your 9-digit Canadian work and tax number. You need it to work, open accounts, and receive benefits.Click for official info ↗ application form, attach ORIGINAL documents and a clear photocopy of each (the photocopy is returned; originals are kept on file), and mail to Service CanadaService Canada — The government service counter network for SIN applications, passports, EI, and other federal programs.Click for official info ↗ in Ottawa. Allow 10+ business days plus mail time.
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- Wait 0 to 10+ business days
Wait for your confirmation (mail only)
In-person applicants get the SINSocial Insurance Number — Your 9-digit Canadian work and tax number. You need it to work, open accounts, and receive benefits.Click for official info ↗ immediately. Mailed applications are returned by post — do not book a job start date before the number arrives if you applied by mail. Service CanadaService Canada — The government service counter network for SIN applications, passports, EI, and other federal programs.Click for official info ↗ does not issue SINs by email or phone.
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- Follow Up 10 min
Expiry dates for temporary residents
SINs starting with 9 are temporary and expire on the same date as your work or study permit. When you renew your permit, you must also renew your SINSocial Insurance Number — Your 9-digit Canadian work and tax number. You need it to work, open accounts, and receive benefits.Click for official info ↗. Your number itself stays the same for life — only the expiry changes.
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- Receive —
Store it securely
Your SINSocial Insurance Number — Your 9-digit Canadian work and tax number. You need it to work, open accounts, and receive benefits.Click for official info ↗ is confidential — give it ONLY to employers, banks (for interest-bearing accounts), CRACanada Revenue Agency — Canada's tax agency. It administers income tax, benefits like the GST/HST credit, and CRA My Account.Click for official info ↗, and benefit programs. Never carry the card in your wallet, never email it, and never put it on a résumé or rental application. Identity theft with a SINSocial Insurance Number — Your 9-digit Canadian work and tax number. You need it to work, open accounts, and receive benefits.Click for official info ↗ can take months to untangle.
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FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Does a SIN cost anything?
No. Service CanadaService Canada — The government service counter network for SIN applications, passports, EI, and other federal programs.Click for official info ↗ issues SINs free. Any private site charging a "processing fee" is a middleman — the official application is only through Service CanadaService Canada — The government service counter network for SIN applications, passports, EI, and other federal programs.Click for official info ↗ in person or by mail.
My study permit says I can work 20 hours a week. Do I still need a SIN?
Yes. Any paid work in Canada requires a SINSocial Insurance Number — Your 9-digit Canadian work and tax number. You need it to work, open accounts, and receive benefits.Click for official info ↗, and your study permit with an off-campus work condition is an accepted status document. The SINSocial Insurance Number — Your 9-digit Canadian work and tax number. You need it to work, open accounts, and receive benefits.Click for official info ↗ expires with the permit.
I lost my SIN confirmation. How do I get it again?
Visit a Service CanadaService Canada — The government service counter network for SIN applications, passports, EI, and other federal programs.Click for official info ↗ office with your original documents — they print a new confirmation letter. Check old tax documents first (T4Statement of Remuneration Paid — The slip your Canadian employer issues each February showing your wages and deductions. You need it to file taxes.Click for official info ↗, Notice of Assessment) as the number may be printed there.
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