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Be a newcomer and at least 18 years of age or older
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Be the only account user
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The offer for newcomers is open to permanent residents, temporary workers and international students
Settle into Canada with our offer for newcomers
Get up to $600 cashback after opening an account for newcomers and meeting certain conditions.**
Offer valid until November 3, 2026. Certain transactions and products required.
On this page
Benefits of the bank account for newcomers
Kickstart your Canadian projects with exclusive benefits when you open an account for newcomers.*
No monthly banking fees for up to 3 years
Keep your money in your pocket with up to $683.30 in savings.***
Legal support service
Get answers to your immigration, housing, and education legal questions with 12 months of free legal assistance through FBA Solutions. 3
Online international money transfers
You’ll be able to send transfers to 19 European Union countries, the United States of America, India, the Philippines, and more. 2
Get up to $600 cashback
Enjoy cashback with our offer for newcomers and discover all of National Bank’s benefits and services built to help you succeed in Canada. Here’s how to get the most from our offer.
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Get $300 cashback when you:
Open a chequing account and meet certain criteria.**
1. Sign up for online banking
2. Complete 20 eligible transactions**
3. Receive 3 eligible** automatic deposits of at least $100 each -
Get $100 cashback when you:
Apply for an get approved for an eligible Mastercard credit card and complete 20 purchases with the new card.** -
Get $100 cashback when you:
Set up pre-authorized, recurring payments from your new chequing account for your National Bank mortgage.** -
Get $100 cashback when you:
Open a High Interest Savings Account and deposit at least $5,000.**
Claim the offer for newcomers in just 2 easy steps
Have you been in Canada for less than 5 years? Take advantage of a bank account with no monthly fees for 3 years, as well as more benefits tailored to your needs. 1 Consult the eligibility conditions and follow these simple steps to get started.
Open an account online
Fill out the application form online and review the checklist of required documents. †
Receive your debit card
Once your account has been opened, you’ll receive an email with your account information. Your debit card will then be mailed to you.
Best bank or best bank account for newcomers
2026
National Bank of Canada received the award for "Best Bank Account" for newcomers to Quebec by Milesopedia in 2025 and 2026*.
2025
National Bank of Canada has been named best bank for newcomers to Canada for 2025 by MoneySense, for the third year in a row*.
More advantages of the account for newcomers
A good start makes all the difference
Don’t miss out on the benefits of our offer for newcomers.
Little details that matter
Promotion period:
November 5, 2025 to November 3, 2026
Description of the promotion
Up to $600 cashback after opening a chequing account and adding certain products or services, or carrying out certain transactions in the new account listed in the following section:
Eligibility conditions
| PRODUCTS, SERVICES OR TRANSACTIONS | CONDITIONS | CASHBACK |
|---|---|---|
New National Bank chequing account with an eligible package/offer, online services and activation of an automatic deposit |
During the promotion period, open a first chequing account as the main account holder using the redirection link on Smooth Migration site and sign up for the offer for newcomers. Within 120 days of opening the chequing account and signing up for the eligible package/offer, complete the following 3 steps: 1) Sign up for online banking 2) Carry out 20 eligible transactions, including:
The following transactions are excluded:
3) Receive 3 eligible automatic deposits of at least $100 each, according to the following schedule:
Eligible automated direct deposits: Transaction codes from Payments Canada
Maintain this package or offer for at least 120 days after opening the new chequing account. Must not have a chequing account, CAD Progress Account, Crescendo Account®, The Strategist Account®, The Natcan Strategist Account, Special Project Savings Account, Superior Flex Line Program®, Home Improvement Line of Credit, Personal line of credit, All-In-One Line of Credit®, or must not have had a National Bank High Interest Savings Account, alone or jointly in the past 36 months. All these conditions must be met to receive the following additional amounts. |
$300 (Basic cashback) |
| Apply for a new eligible credit card | Within 120 days of opening the chequing account and signing up for the eligible package/offer, complete the following 2 steps: 1) Apply for and be approved as one of the following National Bank credit cards as the primary cardholder:
2) Carry out at least 20 purchases or cash advances with the new credit card. The following transactions are excluded:
Must not have been holder/primary cardholder or authorized user of a National Bank personal credit card in the past 36 months. |
An additional $100 |
| Automatic mortgage loan payment | Within 120 days of opening the chequing account and signing up for the eligible package/offer, complete the following step: 1) Set up pre-authorized, recurring payments from the new chequing account for a National Bank mortgage. |
An additional $100 |
| High Interest Savings Account | Within 15 days of opening the chequing account and signing up for the eligible package/offer, you must:
Must not have held a National Bank High Interest Savings account alone or jointly in the past 36 months. |
An additional $100 |
| Total cashback if all conditions are met | Up to $600 |
When will the cashback be paid to your chequing account?
Consult the following table for the cashback payment date, if you meet the eligibility criteria. This is based on the date the chequing account was opened.
| Opening date of the new chequing account: | Date of deposit of the cashback into the new chequing account: |
|---|---|
| Between November 5 and November 30, 2025 | Cashback deposited to the account by May 15, 2026 |
| Between December 1 and December 31, 2025 | Cashback deposited to the account by June 15, 2026 |
| Between January 1 and January 31, 2026 | Cashback deposited to the account by July 15, 2026 |
| Between February 1 and February 28, 2026 | Cashback deposited to the account by August 15, 2026 |
| Between March 1 and March 31, 2026 | Cashback deposited to the account by September 15, 2026 |
| Between April 1 and April 30, 2026 | Cashback deposited to the account by October 15, 2026 |
| Between May 1 and May 31, 2026 | Cashback deposited to the account by November 15, 2026 |
| Between June 1 and June 30, 2026 | Cashback deposited to the account by December 15, 2026 |
| Between July 1 and July 31, 2026 | Cashback deposited to the account by January 15, 2027 |
| Between August 1 and August 31, 2026 | Cashback deposited to the account by February 15, 2027 |
| Between September 1 and September 30, 2026 | Cashback deposited to the account by March 15, 2027 |
| Between October 1 and October 31, 2026 | Cashback deposited to the account by April 15, 2027 |
| Between November 1 and November 3, 2026 | Cashback deposited to the account by May 15, 2027 |
Other conditions:
- You can receive only one cashback for this chequing account.
- You must be at least 18 years old when you open the new chequing account through our digital solutions.
- You need to keep the new chequing account and the new eligible credit card (if applicable) for at least 12 months starting when the chequing account is opened. If you don’t meet this condition, you’ll have to reimburse a portion of the cashback for the product you didn’t maintain corresponding to the period still remaining.
- You must keep your National Bank chequing
account in good standing until the cashback is paid. For the purpose
of this promotion, a chequing account is not in good standing
if:
- It is overdrawn, meaning it has an unauthorized negative balance.
- It has been used in an inappropriate, unauthorized, illegal or abusive manner, as described in section 8.7 of the National Bank Deposit Account Agreement.
- You must keep your new credit card account in good standing by meeting the conditions in the Credit Card Agreement(if applicable). For example, all minimum payments must be made on time.
- The new eligible credit card (if applicable) is granted subject to credit approval from National Bank. You must be 18 years old when you sign up for the new card. Other conditions apply to the issue of the card.
- You must not be employed by National Bank, CWB® or one of its subsidiaries. Spouses of employees are also not eligible.
- This promotion may be modified or withdrawn without prior notice.
- This promotion cannot be combined with any other National Bank cashback promotion applicable to chequing accounts or banking packages. However, it can be combined with another eligible National Bank credit card, mortgage loan, mortgage insurance, or investment promotion.
® NATIONAL BANK, CWB, CRESCENDO, THE STRATEGIST, THE CONNECTED, THE TOTAL, SUPERIOR FLEX LINE, ALL-IN-ONE, MY CREDIT, ALLURE and ECHO are registered trademarks of National Bank of Canada.
® Interac is a registered trademark of Interac Corp. Used under licence.
® Mastercard, World Mastercard, MC1, Platinum, and World Elite are registered trademarks, and the circles design is a trademark of Mastercard International Incorporated. National Bank is an authorized user.
***Three levels of savings possible on your newcomer bank account
1. Baseline savings of $334.92 over three years for the account
You’ll save if you meet the following conditions:
- Open a bank account online before arriving with our secure form or visit a branch upon arrival.
- Sign up for our offer for newcomers.
Savings are based on:
- First year: no flat monthly fee (savings of $15.95/month for 12 months)
- Second year: flat monthly fee of $7.98 instead of $15.95 (savings of $7.97/month for 12 months)
- Third year: flat monthly fee of $11.96 instead of $15.95 (savings of $3.99/month for 12 months)
2. Maximum savings on the account: $574.20 over 3 years
- In addition to the basic savings conditions, you must:
- Maintain a minimum daily balance of $4,500
OR
Sign up for the following three products and services before the end of the first year and maintain them until the end of the special offer:
- A Mastercard® personal credit card ;
- Electronic bank statements ;
- Payroll deposit to your bank account at one of our branches at least once a month or payment of at least two bills per month electronically from this bank account
3. Maximum total savings of the offer: $683.30 over 3 years
To reach these savings, you must meet all the conditions for maximum savings on the account (above) and take advantage of the following services:
- First check order free ($67.10/order)
- Free paper bank statements for the first year ($42)
Please note:
- The savings depend on meeting all the requirements for the entire duration of the offer (3 years).
- If you do not meet all the conditions in a given month, your savings will be reduced.
- If you no longer have the bank account or the Newcomer Package, the savings will no longer apply.
At the end of the third year, the Newcomer Package will automatically be migrated to The Connected® package, along with any applicable benefits. No action is required on your part. You can also browse all our packages to find the one that best suits your needs.
®Mastercard is a registered trademark, and the circles design is a trademark of Mastercard International Incorporated. Authorized user: National Bank.
® Interac and Interac e-Transfer are registered trademarks of Interac Corp. Used under licence.
®THE EXCHANGE and Accel are registered trademarks of Fiserv Inc.
®CIRRUS is a registered trademark of Mastercard International Incorporated. Authorized user: National Bank.
®Allpoint is a registered user of ATM National LLC.
National Bank of Canada is not a licensed bank in France or other countries outside Canada.
National Bank of Canada was named the best bank for newcomers to Canada by MoneySense in 2025, for the third year in a row. Every year, the website MoneySense establishes its annual rankings by selecting some of the largest financial institutions and comparing them in terms of fees, access to credit and services offered to newcomers.
National Bank of Canada received the "Best Bank Account" award for newcomers to Quebec by the website Milesopedia in 2025.
National Bank of Canada was also named the best bank for newcomers to Canada by the website money.ca in 2025.
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Our banking offer is available to newcomers from their home countries up to 90 days before arriving in Canada or at any point during your first 5 years in Canada. See the above terms and conditions of the offer for no fixed monthly fee for 3 years. The offer may be modified, extended or withdrawn, without prior notice, at any time. The offer may not be combined or used with any other National Bank offer, promotion or benefit. Fees may apply for transactions not included in the banking offer for newcomers. For more information on transaction fees, see our Guide to Personal Banking Solutions [PDF].
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International Transfer by Mastercard® and Interac® are available at a cost of $5.95 per transaction, no matter which account you hold. The amount received by the beneficiary may differ from the amount sent considering that the intermediary bank or the beneficiary’s bank will apply their fees to the original transfer’s amount. This service allows you to transfer funds to the United States, India, Philippines, United Kingdom and the following 19 European countries: Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia and Spain.
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Telephone assistance service offered by FBA Solutions, valid for 12 months from your account opening date. The content of the packages and terms described are subject to change.
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National Bank ABMs or ABMs in THE EXCHANGE® network. Use all our ABM features in six languages (French, English, Spanish, Traditional Chinese, Punjabi, and Arabic).
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A fee of $2.50 per withdrawal, transfer, withdrawal for bill payments at the counter applies as of the 13th month.
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Freight and taxes extra.
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The bank statement by mail is free of charge for the first 12 months following enrollment in the Offer for Newcomers. Starting on the 13th month, a fee of $3.50/month per account will be charged.
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Locate CIRRUS, Maestro® and NYCE® ABMs and payment terminals with the logos on the back of your card. You can then use your debit card at these ABMs in the United States and around the world, including our network of partners Accel®, Cirrus® and Allpoint®. Administrative or exchange rate fees may apply.
† If you are already in Canada
To complete the online application form, you will need:
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A Canadian phone number
One of the following documents:
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A valid and eligible passport from a country other than Canada
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A Canadian permanent resident card
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A Canadian driver’s licence
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A Canadian identity card (except in Quebec)
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A Quebec health insurance card (new model)
If you are still in your home country and will be arriving in Canada in less than 90 days
No documents are required to complete your online form.