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New to Canada?

Join the Scotiabank StartRight® Program designed for Newcomers and get up to $2,200* in value in the first year.

or

*Potential value in 1st year. Conditions & assumptions apply.

Why Scotiabank is the bank for newcomers

Scotiabank is here to support you through your unique journey. 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 and advice to help you achieve your financial goals.

We offer several programs and services aimed at guiding newcomers and recent immigrants in Canada with tailored banking packages. 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.

StartRight Program for newcomers

$800 Welcome bonus

No monthly account fees

Earn up to 35,000 bonus Scene+TM* points

Earn up to $800 with a Preferred Package and eligible investment plans. 1

No monthly account fees on a Preferred Package chequing account for the first year² – a value of $203.40.*

For a limited time apply for a Scotiabank PassportTM Visa Infinite** credit card and earn up to $1,100 in value. 3  

International money transfers

Free equity trades

Unlimited no-fee4 international money transfers – an average savings of $280 compared to in-branch Swift wire transfers.*

Get 10 free equity trades when you invest a minimum of $1,000 in a new Scotia iTRADE® account⁵ – a value of $99.90.*

Building your credit history from the ground up can be tough and often requires a lot of time and effort. Fortunately, with Scotiabank’s new partnership with Nova Credit, you don’t have to start from scratch! Now, eligible clients can use their international credit reports to apply for a higher credit limit on their Scotiabank credit card. You can learn more about this exciting partnership and all things related to credit here.

Featured articles by Scotiabank

You deserve credit for the credit history you built back home

Take advantage of the credit score you built in your home country to access a higher credit limit on your Scotiabank credit card

Learn More

Move to Canada | Transferring Cash & Valuables | Banking and Financial First Steps

When you move to Canada, there are many things to consider, and the process can be quite long. 

Learn More

Building Credit History in Canada

It is a lesson that many newcomers learn when they arrive in Canada: you need credit to pay for large expenses, buy a car, or purchase a home. 

Learn More

Insurance in Canada: What Newcomers Need to Know

Insurance in Canada helps protect yourself and your family against unexpected risk and danger.

Learn More

Start Right in Canada

Newcomers can earn up to $2,200* in value the first year with StartRight.

*Potential value in 1st year. Conditions & assumptions apply.

Banking packages and products designed for you

The StartRight™ Program

Newcomers can earn up to $2,200* in value the first year with the StartRight™ Program.

Learn More

 

Guaranteed Investment Certificates (GIC)

Choose the worry-free investment and get easy access to your money to help pay for living expenses while studying in Canada.

Learn More

International Students

Planning to study in Canada? Book an appointment with a Scotiabank advisor and set up an account specifically for international students.

Learn More

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.

Learn More

Keep in touch with Scotiabank

We’re Here to Help

Book an appointment to speak with a Scotiabank representative to discuss your banking options.

Book an online appointment here.

Get in touch with a Scotiabank representative at newaccountsonline@scotiabank.com.

Phone

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 a.m. – 10 p.m. EST, and Saturday: 10 A.M. to 6 P.M.

From Overseas

(Monday to Friday: 4 am to 9pm EST)

For the International Account opening program:

  • 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

Contact your local phone operator to place a free collect call. Long distance charges will apply for direct calls.

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.

Find your closest branch.

Terms and Conditions

 


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 $2,200 is calculated as follows: i) up to $583.30 first year value with the StartRight Program + ii) Up to $1,900 in Preferred Package, TFSA/RRSP and Scotiabank Passport Visa Infinite welcome offer and first year point earn potential:

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 StartRight customers as of November 1, 2024:

  • $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 $1,900 in Scotiabank welcome offers and first year point earn potential includes the following offers as of November 1st 2024:

  • $800: $400 cash offer for new Preferred and Ultimate Package clients who complete certain qualifying conditions plus up to $400 when you open two eligible investments plans and complete certain qualifying transactions;
  • $250 value for new Scotiabank Passport Visa Infinite customers who can earn up to 30,000 bonus Scene+TM* points 
  • $50 supplementary card annual fee waiver on the first supplementary card for new Scotiabank Passport Visa Infinite Card clients; 
  • $100 in travel rewards (10,000 bonus Scene+ points)  when you spend $40,000 annually on your Account each year (12-months)
  • $100 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  card issuers);
  • $250 in first year point earn potential (25,000 Scene+ points) on everyday purchases based on average annual first year spend per account with an average spend of 21% in 2X accelerator categories;.
  • $350 value with a complimentary Visa Airport Companion Program Membership and 6 lounge passes (annual membership plus one free visit of approx. CAD$134/USD$99 plus 5 lounge passes at CDN$48/USD$35 per pass). Currency conversion as at February 28, 2024

Actual offers and rewards earned will depend on individual card usage and eligibility for applicable offers. Conditions apply. 

Customers must meet eligibility requirements to open a Scotia RSP, Scotia TFSA and Scotia FHSA by providing a valid Social Insurance Number (SIN). To open a Scotia FHSA customers must also be Canadian residents who are at least 18 years of age or the age of majority in the province and not turning 72 in the year the account is opened, and declare they meet the first-time home buyer criteria as defined in the Income Tax Act. While customers may open a Scotia RSP, Scotia TFSA or Scotia FHSA with an eligible Temporary SIN, customers must provide a valid permanent SIN or a new expiry date before the temporary SIN’s expiry date. Failure to do so will result in the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) de-registering the account, which may have tax implications. Additionally, there are tax implications related to Scotia RSP, Scotia TFSA and Scotia FHSA when a customer becomes a non-resident of Canada. We suggest that customers consult with their tax advisors or visit CRA’s website for further information. If Scotia Securities Inc. is the dealer of your Scotia RSP, Scotia TFSA or Scotia FHSA, your account will be restricted should you become a non-resident of Canada, and any Pre-authorized Contributions (PACs) set up on the account will be cancelled.
1

$450 Banking Package and Registered Account Bundle Offer Description and Conditions: 

The Scotiabank $450 Cash Bonus Bundle Offer (the “Offer”) is available between November 1, 2024 and March 1, 2025 (the “Offer Period”) to individuals who open new eligible accounts. Subject to the conditions below, eligible customers can earn $400 when they open a new Preferred Package or Ultimate Package chequing account and complete certain qualifying transactions and earn an additional $50 boost when they open a new eligible Scotia Registered Account (“Eligible Registered Account”) with either The Bank of Nova Scotia or Scotia Securities Inc. and complete certain qualifying transactions. For the purposes of this Offer, the following Scotia Registered Accounts are “Eligible Registered Accounts”:  Scotia Registered Retirement Savings Plans (RRSPs, excluding Spousal RRSPs, locked-in plans such as LIRAs and LRSPs) (each an “RRSP”), Scotia Tax-Free Savings Accounts (each a “TFSA”) and Scotia First Home Savings Accounts (each a “FHSA”). Scotia RRIFs (including locked-in income plans), RESPs, RDSPs, and non-registered Scotia Investment Accounts are not eligible for the Offer.

$400 Cash Bonus for Preferred or Ultimate Package Conditions: To qualify for the $400 cash bonus (the “Package Bonus”), you must:

  1. Open a new Ultimate Package or new Preferred Package chequing account (the “Eligible Chequing Account”) during the Offer Period; and
  2. Complete any two (2) of the following activities in your Eligible Chequing Account within 60 days of Eligible Chequing Account opening:
  • Set up and clear 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, or
  • Set up and clear a minimum of two (2) separate eligible recurring pre-authorized transactions† with a minimum value of at least $50 per transaction which will each recur monthly for a minimum of six (6) consecutive months, or
  • Make at least one (1) eligible online bill payment† of at least $50 through the Scotiabank Mobile App or through Scotia OnLine. 

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 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 Package Bonus.

$50 Registered Account Bundle Conditions: To qualify for the $50 cash bonus (the “Bundle Bonus”), you must meet the conditions for the $400 Package Bonus, and during the Offer Period:

  1. Open a new Eligible Registered Account; and 
  2. By March 1, 2025, set up and clear one recurring pre-authorized contribution (PAC) from any Scotiabank personal bank account with a minimum value of at least $100 per month in your new Eligible Registered Account, which must have recurred for a minimum of three (3) consecutive months by May 31, 2025. 

Eligibility and Exclusions: 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 the Package 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. In order to qualify for the Bundle Bonus the individual cannot currently or in the preceding 6 months have held the same type of Eligible Registered Account (as that opened during the Offer Period) with either The Bank of Nova Scotia or Scotia Securities Inc. Employees of Scotiabank are also not eligible for the Package Bonus or Bundle Bonus. 

General Terms: Provided all Package Bonus conditions outlined above have been met, the $400 Package Bonus will be deposited to the Eligible Chequing Account within approximately nine (9) months from Account open date. Provided all the Bundle Bonus conditions outlined above have been met, the additional $50 Bundle Bonus will be deposited to your Eligible Registered Account between June 2, 2025, and January 31, 2026, depending on when you have satisfied all Bundle Bonus conditions. 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. The Package Bonus and Bundle Bonus will be paid in Canadian dollars. 

For either cash bonus to be fulfilled, the Eligible Chequing Account and the Eligible Registered 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 any of the following conditions are not met: (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. For purposes of this Offer, an Eligible Registered Account is not in ‘good standing’ if the account holder is in breach of the Eligible Registered Account’s client account agreement. 

This Offer is non-transferable and may not be duplicated. Limit of one (1) Package Bonus and one (1) Bundle Bonus per customer, regardless of the number of Eligible Chequing Accounts or Eligible Registered Accounts opened. If more than one (1) Eligible Chequing Account is opened, only the first Eligible Chequing Account opened will be eligible for the Package Bonus. If more than one (1) Eligible Registered Account is opened, only the first Eligible Registered Account that fulfilled the Bundle Bonus Offer conditions will be eligible for the Bundle Bonus. If two eligible accounts fulfill on the same day, the Bundle Bonus will be paid into only one of the Eligible Registered Account(s) in the following order: (1) Eligible TFSA, then (2) Eligible FHSA, then (3) Eligible RRSP.   For joint accounts, only one (1) $400 Package Bonus will be applied to the primary account holder’s Eligible Chequing Account and only one (1) $50 Bundle Bonus will be applied to the primary account holder’s Eligible Registered Account. All rates, fees, features and benefits are subject to change. This Offer may be changed, cancelled or extended at any time without notice and cannot be combined with any other offers, except the Scotiabank Registered Account Welcome Offer.

The Scotiabank Registered Account Welcome Offer (the “Offer”) is available between November 1, 2024 and March 1, 2025 (the “Offer Period”) to individuals who open one or more new Eligible Registered Account(s) (defined below) with either The Bank of Nova Scotia or Scotia Securities Inc. and complete certain qualifying transactions

For the purposes of this Offer, the following Scotia Registered Accounts are “Eligible Registered Account(s)”:  Scotia Registered Retirement Savings Plans (RRSPs, excluding locked-in plans such as LIRAs and LRSPs) (each an “Eligible RRSP”), Scotia Tax-Free Savings Accounts (each an “Eligible TFSA”) and Scotia First Home Savings Accounts (each an “Eligible FHSA”). Scotia RRIFs (including locked-in income plans), RESPs, RDSPs, and non-registered Scotia Investment Accounts are not eligible for the Offer. In order to qualify for a Cash Bonus (defined below), the individual cannot currently or in the preceding 6 months have held the same Eligible Registered Account type with either The Bank of Nova Scotia or Scotia Securities Inc. (together, “Scotiabank”). 

To qualify for a cash bonus (the “Cash Bonus”):

  1. Open one or more new Eligible Registered Account(s) during the Offer Period;
  2. By March 1, 2025, contribute or transfer-in a Minimum Qualifying Investment Amount (as defined below) into your new Eligible Registered Account(s) and maintain that Minimum Qualifying Investment Amount until May 31, 2025 to qualify for either of the following Cash Bonuses:

     

Minimum Qualifying Investment Amount*

Eligible Registered Account (s)

Cash Bonus

$5,000 into any one new Eligible Registered Account 

Any one of the following: an Eligible RRSP, Eligible TFSA or Eligible FHSA

CAD $150

$5,000 each into any two new Eligible Registered Accounts (for a total minimum of $10,000 combined)

Any two of the following: an Eligible RRSP, Eligible TFSA or Eligible FHSA 

(Note: two of the same Eligible Registered Account types do not qualify)

CAD $350

 

* For purposes of calculating the Minimum Qualifying Investment Amount, the book value of the contributions and/or transfers-in will be used to determine eligibility.

3) By March 1, 2025, set up and clear one recurring pre-authorized contribution (PAC) from any Scotiabank personal bank account with a minimum value of at least $100 per month in any of your new Eligible Registered Accounts, which must have recurred for a minimum of three (3) consecutive months by May 31, 2025.

 

General Terms: Customers are responsible to confirm their contribution limits noted on their most current Notice of Assessment issued by the Canada Revenue Agency prior to making any contribution to their Eligible Registered Account(s).  Scotiabank is not responsible for any contribution over a customer’s limit in connection with this Offer.  The Cash Bonus is not considered a contribution and therefore will not impact contribution limits.  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. The Cash Bonus will be paid in Canadian dollars

 

The applicable Cash Bonus will be paid into your new Eligible Registered Account on or around September 30, 2025 provided all Offer conditions have been satisfied. Your Eligible Registered Account(s) must be open and in good standing at the time of the Cash Bonus payout. For purposes of this Offer, an Eligible Registered Account is not in ‘good standing’ if the account holder is in breach of the Eligible Registered Account’s client account agreements. If multiple Eligible Registered Accounts are opened, you will receive your applicable Cash Bonus into your Eligible Registered Accounts on a pro rata basis as a percentage of the total Qualifying Investment Amount. For example, if you invest $6,000 into an Eligible TFSA and $8,000 into an Eligible FHSA, you will qualify for a Cash Bonus of CAD$350, which will be paid as follows:  CAD$150 in the Eligible TFSA and CAD$200 in the Eligible FHSA. If multiple Eligible Registered Accounts of the same type are opened, the Cash Bonus (or the pro rata portion of the Cash Bonus, if applicable) will be paid to the first Eligible Registered Account opened that has met the Offer conditions. For a spousal RRSP, the Cash Bonus will be paid into that plan and not paid to the contributor. 

This Offer is non-transferable, non-saleable, may not be exchanged for cash and may not be duplicated. Limit of one (1) Cash Bonus per customer, regardless of the number of Eligible Registered Accounts opened. Offer may be changed, cancelled or extended at any time and cannot be combined with any other offers except as otherwise specified.

Up to $350 Registered Account Welcome Offer:  Available between November 1, 2024 and March 1, 2025 to individuals who open one or more new Eligible Registered Account(s) with either The Bank of Nova Scotia or Scotia Securities Inc. and complete certain qualifying transactions. View offer details here.

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 February 28, 2024:

$250 in travel rewards (25,000 bonus Scene+ points) for new Scotiabank Passport Visa Infinite Card clients who spend $1,000 within the first 3 months (see offer details);

$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;

$100 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  card issuers);

$250 in first year point earn potential (25,000 Scene+ points) on everyday purchases based on average annual first year spend per account with an average spend of 21% in 2X accelerator categories;

$350 value with a complimentary Visa Airport Companion Program Membership and 6 lounge passes (annual membership plus one free visit of approx. CAD$134/USD$99 plus 5 lounge passes at CDN$48/USD$35 per pass). Currency conversion as at February 28, 2024.

Potential First Year Value = up to $1,100
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.