New to Canada and Looking for Banking Solutions?
Get up to $2,300 in first year value, including up to $580 with the StartRightTM program ‡ .
*Potential value in 1st year. Conditions & assumptions apply.
Why Scotiabank is the Bank for Newcomers
Coast-to-Coast Support in Canada
You will have access to more than 941 Scotiabank branches and 3,725 ABMs across Canada for personalized support at the branch and in the language that’s most comfortable to you.
Worldwide Access to Funds
With close to 24 million customers and over 2,700 branches around the world, Scotiabank is committed to supporting newcomers by offering the right banking solutions to help you achieve your financial goals.
Tailored to the Needs of Newcomers
We offer several programs and services aimed at guiding newcomers and recent immigrants in Canada with tailored banking packages, all in the language that’s most comfortable to you.
Best Banking Offer for Newcomers awarded by Ratehub.ca ± . Get the most from the StartRight™ Program and Scotiabank
Earn up to $1,000
When you bundle an eligible banking package, savings account, and registered account.*1
No monthly account fees
No monthly account fees on a Preferred Package chequing account for the first year2 – a value of $203.40.*
Earn up to $1,500 in value
Apply for a Scotiabank PassportTM Visa Infinite** credit card and earn up to $1,500 in first year welcome offers, rewards and savings, including up to 60,000 bonus Scene+ points3
International money transfers
Unlimited no-fee4 international money transfers – an average savings of $280 compared to in-branch Swift wire transfers.*
Free equity trades
Get 10 free equity trades when you invest a minimum of $1,000 in a new Scotia iTRADE®5 account – a value of $99.90.* Use code SRPE15.
Having to build your credit history from scratch can be challenging and usually takes time and effort. The good news is, with Scotiabank’s new partnership with Nova Credit, eligible clients can now use their foreign credit history reports to apply for a higher credit limit on their credit card. You can learn more about this exciting partnership and all things related to credit here.
Start Right in Canada
Earn up to $2,300* in first year value, including up to $580 with StartRightTM .
*Potential value in 1st year. Conditions & assumptions apply.
Banking Packages and Products Designed for You
The StartRight™ Program
Earn up to $2,300* in first year value, including up to $580 with the StartRight Program.
Guaranteed Investment Certificates
Choose the worry-free investment and get easy access to your money to help pay for living expenses while studying in Canada.
International Students
Planning to study in Canada? Book an appointment with a Scotiabank advisor and set up an account specifically for international students.
Credit Cards
Apply for up to a $15,000 credit limit on an unsecured credit card as soon as you arrive – even without a credit history.
Keep in Touch with Scotiabank
We’re Here to Help
Book an appointment to speak with a Scotiabank representative to discuss your banking options.
Email Us
Get in touch with a Scotiabank representative.
Find a Branch
Ready to get started? Be sure to schedule an appointment in advance to speak with a multilingual Scotiabank advisor at one of over 1,100 Scotiabank branches across Canada.
Give Us a Call
Speak with a Scotiabank representative over the phone.
From Canada & US
For all inquiries:
Free: 1-866-800-5159
Monday to Thursday: 9:00 a.m. – 11:00 p.m. EST
Friday: 9:00 a.m. – 10:00 p.m. EST
Saturday: 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
From Overseas
(Monday to Friday: 4:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. EST)
• Call collect for free at: 416-288-3062
Direct: 001-416-288-3062
• Customer service in Chinese available from Monday to Friday:
9:00 a.m. – 9:00 p.m. EST
For the Scotiabank Student GIC program:
• Call us collect for free at: 416-288-4119
Direct: 001-416-288-4119
• Customer service in Chinese available from Monday to Friday: 9:00 a.m. – 9:00 p.m. EST
Terms and Conditions
Click to read more
| ± | Awarded Best Banking Offer for Newcomers in 2025 by Ratehub. |
| ‡ | Scotiabank StartRight® Program is available only for Canadian Permanent Residents from 0-5 years in Canada, International Students and Foreign Workers. |
| * | Value of up to $2,300 is rounded down and calculated as follows: i) up to $583.30 first year value with the StartRight TM Program + ii) Up to $1,000 in chequing, savings and credit card bundle welcome offers + iii) up to $1500 in Scotiabank Passport Visa Infinite + Card welcome offer, first year point earn potential and savings: i. Value of up to $583.30 is an annual potential value for the first year based on the following benefits and savings available to StartRightTM customers as of July 3, 2026: – $203.40 in account fee savings for a Preferred Package chequing account ($16.95 monthly account fee waived for first 12 months); – $280 in fee savings when compared to in-branch Swift Wire Transfers (assumes an annual average of 7 in-branch Swift Wire Transfers at $40 per transfer); – $99.90 in fee savings for 10 free equity trades with iTRADE (10 free equity trades per year at $9.99/trade); Actual value will depend on individual usage of the StartRight™ Program features and products. Conditions apply. All products and features are subject to change. ii. Value of up to $1,000 in chequing, savings and eligible credit card bundle welcome offers as of July 3, 2026: – $700 for new Preferred and Ultimate Package clients who complete certain qualifying conditions. Clients who are eligible for the $700 offer can then get an extra $200 with a new Money Master Savings account and/or an extra $100 with a new eligible credit card when they complete certain qualifying transactions/conditions; iii) Value of up to $1500 in Scotiabank Passport Visa Infinite + Card welcome offer value, first year point earn potential and savings includes the following as of November 4, 2025: – $400 in travel rewards (40,000 bonus Scene+ points) for new Scotiabank Passport Visa Infinite + Card clients who spend $2,000 within the first 3 months; – $100 in travel rewards (10,000 bonus Scene+ points) for new Scotiabank Passport Visa Infinite + Card clients who spend $10,000 within the first 6 months; – $100 in travel rewards (10,000 bonus Scene+ points) when you spend $40,000 annually on your Account each year (12-months); – $50 supplementary card annual fee waiver on the first supplementary card for new Scotiabank Passport Visa Infinite + Card clients – $134 in foreign transaction fee savings based on average annual foreign spend per account over the last 24 months (save the 2.5% foreign transaction fee markup typically charged by other card issuers); – $369 in first year point earn potential (36,900 bonus Scene+ points) on everyday purchases based on average annual spend per account over the last 24 months with an average spend of 21% in 3X and 2X accelerator categories. – $364 value with a complimentary Visa Airport Companion Program Membership that includes 6 lounge passes (based on a ‘Preferential’ membership valued at approx. CAD$364/USD$259). Currency conversion as at November 3, 2025. – Potential First Year Value = up to $1,517 (rounded down to $1,500) Actual offers, savings and rewards earned will depend on individual card usage and eligibility. Conditions apply. |
| 1 | The Scotiabank Cash Bonus Bundle Offer Terms and Conditions 1. The Scotiabank Cash Bonus Bundle Offer (the “Offer”) is available between between July 3, 2026 and October 29, 2026 (the “Offer Period”) to individuals who open new eligible accounts. Subject to the Offer conditions, eligible clients can earn $700 when they open a new Preferred Package or Ultimate Package chequing account and complete certain qualifying transactions. Plus, clients who meet the conditions for the $700 bonus are also eligible to earn up to $300 in additional cash bonuses when they bundle their new Preferred or Ultimate Package chequing account with a new Money Master Savings Account and/or a new eligible Credit Card Account and complete certain qualifying transactions/conditions. $700 Cash Bonus for Preferred or Ultimate Package Conditions 2. To qualify for the $700 cash bonus (the “$700 Package Bonus”), you must: a. Open a new Ultimate Package or new Preferred Package chequing account (the “Eligible Chequing Account”) during the Offer Period; and b. Within 60 days of Eligible Chequing Account opening, set up and receive at least one eligible automated and recurring direct deposit, such as payroll or pension, which will recur monthly for a minimum of six (6) consecutive months in total; and c. Within 60 days of Eligible Chequing Account opening, complete any one (1) of the following activities: i. Set up and make a minimum of one (1) eligible recurring pre- authorized transaction with a value of at least $50 which will recur monthly for a minimum of six (6) consecutive months, or ii. Make at least one (1) eligible online bill payment of at least $50 through the Scotiabank Mobile App or through Scotia OnLine, or iii. Complete at least one (1) eligible Visa* Debit purchase using your ScotiaCard® anywhere Visa* Debit is accepted. Only the following Visa Debit transaction types are eligible: online debit purchases, and in-store purchases made outside of Canada. 3. Click here for a list of eligible direct deposits, pre-authorized transactions and online bill payments. Notwithstanding a transaction may be included in these lists, certain exclusions may still apply and Scotiabank reserves the right to modify these lists and to determine whether a specific direct deposit, pre-authorized transaction or bill payment is eligible for the $700 Package Bonus. Fund transfers initiated to other Scotiabank accounts (one time or recurring, e.g. credit card or savings account), to chequing or savings accounts held at other financial institutions, or to payment processing firms, are not eligible for the $700 Package Bonus. $200 Money Master Savings Account Bundle Conditions 4. To qualify for a $200 cash bonus (the “$200 Savings Bundle Bonus”), you must meet all of the conditions for the $700 Package Bonus, and: a. During the Offer Period and within 60 days of opening your Eligible Chequing Account: i. Open a new Money Master Savings Account (the “Eligible Savings Account”). ii. Enroll your new Eligible Savings Account in either the Pay Yourself First or the Savings Finder tool (each a “Smart Savings Tool”). b. Remain enrolled in your selected Smart Savings Tool for 90 consecutive days. 5. Enrolment in a Smart Savings Tool is subject to certain eligibility requirements and can only be done through the Scotiabank mobile banking app. For example, enrollment in the Pay Yourself First tool will not be available if you have not had at least 4 recurring deposits to your Scotia Chequing Account at the time you attempt to enroll. Also, both the Eligible Chequing and Savings Accounts must be “Any to Sign” to be eligible for the Smart Savings tools. Only one Smart Savings Tool can be enrolled in at a time but you can switch tools at any time, however, you must remain enrolled in a Smart Savings Tool for 90 consecutive days from the date of first enrolment in Section 4.a.ii. above. See the Smart Savings Tool Agreement for full terms and conditions. $100 Credit Card Bundle Bonus Conditions 6. To be eligible to receive a $100 cash bonus (the “$100 Credit Card Bundle Bonus”), you must meet all of the conditions for the $700 Package Bonus, and: a. Within 60 days of opening your Eligible Chequing Account, you must apply for and be approved for an Eligible Credit Card Account in which you are the primary cardholder; and b. Within 60 days of opening your Eligible Credit Card Account, you must complete at least one Qualifying Purchase on your Eligible Credit Card Account. A “Qualifying Purchase” is a Purchase (as defined in your credit agreement for your Eligible Credit Card Account) that is posted to your Eligible Credit Card Account, less any refunds, returns or other similar credits on your Eligible Credit Card Account. Qualifying Purchases exclude cash advances (including balance transfers and cash-like transactions), interest charges, fees and payments posted to your Eligible Credit Card Account. “Eligible Credit Card Accounts” currently include the following: – Scotiabank® Scene+TM Visa Card – Scotiabank Passport® Visa Infinite + – Scotiabank Passport® Visa Infinite Privilege Card – Scotiabank American Express ® Card – Scotiabank Gold American Express® – Scotiabank Platinum American Express® Card – Scotia Momentum® No-Fee Visa Card – Scotia Momentum® Visa* Card – Scotia Momentum® Visa Infinite +* – Scotiabank Value® Visa* Card Eligible Credit Card Accounts are subject to change. Offer Eligibility and Exclusions 7. $700 Package Bonus: Individuals who are currently holders of, or who were previously holders within the last two (2) years, of a Scotiabank Chequing Account are not eligible for this Bonus. “Scotiabank Chequing Account” means any of the following accounts: Ultimate Package, Preferred Package, Scotia One Account, Basic Plus Bank Account, Basic Banking Plan, Basic Bank Account, Momentum Chequing, Power Chequing, Scotia One Service, Scotia Value, Student Banking Advantage Plan. 8.200 Savings Bundle Bonus: Individuals who currently hold or have held a Money Master Account with Scotiabank in the six (6) months preceding the Offer Period are not eligible for this Bonus. 9.$100 Credit Card Bundle Bonus: Individuals who are currently or were previously primary or secondary cardholders of a Scotiabank personal credit card in the past 2 years, including those that switch from an existing Scotiabank personal credit card are not eligible for this Bonus. 10. Employees of Scotiabank are also not eligible for the Offer. Offer Fulfillment 11. Provided all of the applicable Offer conditions have been met: a. the $700 Package Bonus will be deposited to the Eligible Chequing Account within approximately nine (9) months from account open date. b. the $200 Savings Bundle Bonus will be deposited to your Eligible Savings Account within approximately ten (10) months from the Eligible Savings Account open date. c. the $100 Credit Card Bundle Bonus will be deposited to your Eligible Scotiabank Chequing Account within approximately ten (10) months from the credit card open date. 12. You have 24 months from the date you believe you have fulfilled the applicable Offer conditions to notify us if you have not received the applicable cash bonus so that we may confirm your eligibility. For clients investing in non-Canadian dollar currencies, the investment will be calculated based on Canadian dollar equivalent at the Scotiabank rate on the transaction date to determine eligibility for the offer. All bonuses will be paid in Canadian dollars. 13. For any cash bonus to be fulfilled, the Eligible Chequing Account, the Eligible Savings Account and the Eligible Credit Card Account,, as applicable, must be open and in good standing until the time of payout of the cash bonus. The Eligible Chequing Account is not in “good standing” if: (i) it has a negative balance exceeding the authorized overdraft limit, (ii) it has been in continuous overdraft for a period of three consecutive months, or (iii) the Account holder is in breach of the Account agreement with Scotiabank. The Eligible Savings Account is not in ‘good standing’ if it has a negative balance. An Eligible Credit Card Account is not in “good standing” if it is past due or over limit and the Cardholder(s) is in breach of the Revolving Credit Agreement that applies to the Account. 14. If more than one (1) Eligible Chequing Account is opened, only the first Eligible Chequing Account opened will be eligible for the $700Package Bonus. If more than one (1) Eligible Savings Account is opened, only one Eligible Savings Account that fulfilled the $200 Savings Bundle Bonus conditions will be eligible for the $200 Savings Bundle Bonus. If more than one (1) Eligible Credit Card Account is opened, only the first Eligible Credit Card Account that fulfilled the $100 Credit Card Bundle Bonus conditions will be eligible for the $100 Credit Card Bundle Bonus. If two Eligible Credit Card Accounts fulfill on the same day, the $100 Credit Card Bundle Bonus will be paid into only one of the Eligible Credit Card Account(s). 15. For joint accounts, only the primary Eligible Chequing Account holder is eligible to receive the $200 Savings Bundle Bonus and the $100 Credit Card Bundle Bonus into their Eligible Savings Account and Eligible Chequing Account, as applicable. The primary account holder must be the same client on both the Eligible Chequing Account, Eligible Savings Account, and Eligible Credit Card Account. General Terms 16. This Offer is non-transferable and may not be duplicated. Limit of one (1) $700 Package Bonus, (1) $200 Savings Bundle Bonus, and one (1) $100 Credit Card Bundle Bonus per client (for a total bonus of up to $1,000), regardless of the number of Eligible Chequing Accounts or Eligible Savings Accounts or Eligible Credit Card Accounts opened. 17. The $100 Registered Bundle Bonus is not considered a contribution. Scotiabank and Scotia Securities Inc. are not responsible for any contribution over a client’s applicable registered plan limit in connection with this Offer. Clients should consult with a tax advisor to discuss any tax implications in connection with this Offer and clients are responsible for any required tax reporting. 18. All rates, fees, features and benefits are subject to change. All other terms and conditions of the Account and Smart Savings Tools Agreement continue to apply. 19. The Offer is non-transferable and may not be duplicated. Offer may be changed, cancelled or extended at any time without notice and cannot be combined with any other offers on the Account, unless otherwise permitted by Scotiabank. |
| 2 | To qualify for the 1-Year No Monthly Account Fee Offer (the “Offer”), open a new Preferred Package account under the StartRight™ Program (the “Account”). During the first 12 months, your monthly Account fee will be waived and will not appear as a charge on your Account. The Account must be open and in good standing at the time of the waiver. All applicable service charges on the Account will continue to be applied monthly. After the first 12 months, you will begin to see the monthly Account fee charged to your Account unless you maintain a minimum daily closing balance of $4,000, in which case the monthly Account fee will be waived per the Account terms and conditions. Employees of Scotiabank and individuals who are currently or were previously holders/joint holders of a Scotiabank chequing account within the last 2 years are not eligible for this Offer. This Offer is non-transferable and cannot be combined with any other offers except as otherwise permitted. Maximum one Offer per customer. All rates, fees, features and benefits are subject to change. Offer may be changed, cancelled, or extended at any time without notice. |
| 3 | Savings and reward potential in first 12 months includes welcome offer value, first year point earn potential, foreign transaction fee and airport lounge savings as of April 9, 2025 – $350 in travel rewards (35,000 bonus Scene+ points) for new Scotiabank Passport Visa Infinite Card clients who spend $2,000 within the first 3 months $100 in travel rewards (10,000 bonus Scene+ points) when you spend $40,000 annually on your Account each year (12-months). – $50 supplementary card annual fee waiver on the first supplementary card for new Scotiabank Passport Visa Infinite Card clients – $136 in foreign transaction fee savings based on average first year annual foreign spend per account (save the 2.5% foreign transaction fee markup typically charged by other card issuers); – $381 in first year point earn potential (38,100 bonus Scene+ points) on everyday purchases based on average annual spend per account over the last 2 years with an average spend of 20% in 2X accelerator categories. – $366 value with a complimentary Visa Airport Companion Program Membership that includes 6 lounge passes (based on a ‘Preferential’ membership valued at approx. CAD$366/USD$259). Currency conversion as at April 9, 2025. Potential First Year Value = up to $1,383 Actual offers, savings and rewards earned will depend on individual card usage and eligibility for applicable offers. Conditions apply. |
| 4 | For customers onboarded as a part of the Scotiabank StartRight® Program we do not charge a service fee for the transfer, however, foreign currency exchange rates apply. A transfer needs to be made from an eligible Scotiabank Chequing or Savings account. Subject to daily limits and additional terms and conditions as set out in the Scotiabank International Money Transfer Agreement found at https://www.scotiabank.com/international-money-transfer. |
| 5 | Conditions apply. Offer valid for new Scotia iTRADE® accounts, excluding Cash Optimizer Investment accounts, opened by new Scotia iTRADE clients who do not already have an existing account with Scotia iTRADE. If you open one or more new Scotia iTRADE account(s) (each, a “New Account”) and fund the New Account(s) within 60 days of opening the New Account(s) with at least CAD $1,000 in cash or in Net Equity (cheque deposit, electronic funds transfer or transfer of assets) (“Minimum Amount”), from an account that is not held at Scotia iTRADE, (1) the commissions associated with the first 10 online commissionable trades of Equities, Options and ETFs placed within 365 days of the date when you funded your New Account(s) with the Minimum Amount will be credited back to the corresponding New Account within 30 days of each order fill, to a maximum amount of $9.99 per trade in the currency of the account (maximum total commission rebate of $99.90), (2) the amount of the transfer-in fee charged by another Canadian broker will be credited to your New Account (up to $150 per client) subject to Scotia iTRADE’s receipt of the documentation evidencing such transfer-in fee. Scotia iTRADE reserves the right to charge you all or part of the commissions associated with the first 10 online trades completed within 365 days of funding your New Account(s) (when such commissions were previously credited back to your New Account(s)) if the conditions of the offer are not complied with. Scotia iTRADE reserves the right to modify and/or cancel this offer at any time without notice in its sole discretion. Clients must enter the promotional code SRPE15 (English) or SRPF15 (French) when submitting the New Account application to qualify. To qualify for this offer, you must satisfy Scotia iTRADE’s Canadian residency requirements, have a valid Social Insurance Number, be eligible to open a Scotia iTRADE account, maintain all of your accounts at Scotia iTRADE in good standing, not be in a disallowed debit position and not have any outstanding margin calls due. This offer has no cash redemption value. This offer cannot be transferred or combined with any other promotional offer (excluding Refer-a-Friend). Limited to one offer per client. In case of joint account only one account holder will be entitled to receive free equity trades. |
| ® | Registered trademarks of The Bank of Nova Scotia. |
| ™ | Trademark of The Bank of Nova Scotia. |
| ™* | Scene+ and the Icon Design are trademarks of Scene Plus IP Corporation. Used under license. |
| § | Interac is a registered trade-mark of Interac Corp. Used under licence. |
| ** | Visa Int./Licensed User. |
| ® | Scotia iTRADE® (Order-Execution Only Accounts) is a division of Scotia Capital Inc. (“SCI”). SCI is a member of the Investment Industry Regulatory Organization of Canada and the Canadian Investor Protection Fund. Scotia iTRADE does not provide investment advice or recommendations and investors are responsible for their own investment decisions. |
| ® | Registered trademark of The Bank of Nova Scotia, used under license. |