If you are based in Quebec but looking to buy a car from a private seller who is based outside Quebec then you will need to do a bit more paperwork compared to buying a car from a private seller who is based in Quebec.

A private seller refers to an individual who is looking to sell their car and NOT a dealership. Usually dealerships located outside Quebec can still handle issues related to buying out-of-province cars.

Before making the purchase

• Check how much does the used car with similar mileage cost at a dealership by going on Autotrader.ca or other used car portals.
• Do a visual inspection – It is recommended to do an inspection during daytime as any damage on the exterior of the car is going to be more noticeable. Look under the hood of the car as well!
• Test drive the car – You should always test drive the car before buying it. Try turning the car engine on/off multiple times, do the brakes work, does everything seem to work properly.
• Request CARFAX report and review the car’s maintenance history
• Verify car ownership by reviewing the owner’s registration document
• Make an offer based on the assessed condition of the car

Does the car have a lien on it?

If the car was purchased using a loan, it might have lien on it through the financial institute/bank. You will need to ask for proof from the seller that the certifies that the lien has been paid off.

Save your spot with a refundable deposit

It can take some time to get the funding and other documentation before you can register the car under your name. Some sellers might be okay to put down a deposit so that the car is reserved for you while you sort out the paperwork and finances.

Request for safety inspection to be done

The seller will need to do a safety inspection done in their province before they can complete the sale. The safety inspection can show if there are any important issues with the car that may show up.

Making an offer based on the Seller’s Safety Inspection

If there are any issues like brakes need replacement that show up which you believed were not aware of, you might ask for a discount from the seller since it’s going to cost you a bit of money to get them replaced.

How to get funding for a used car?

If you have enough cash and can pay for the car in full that can be one option to consider. Some sellers might be okay with cash payments but for large transfers would prefer cheque or bank transfer.

If the amount is high, you might want to go for loan on the used car. You can get a quote from your bank or credit union and see if that is the way you want to go.

Documents required to complete purchase

• Registration certificate from seller
• Bill of sale form – Should include seller and buyer’s information, and the vehicle – make, model, year, VIN, odometer reading
• Copy of seller’s driver license/photo ID
• Quebec Power of Attorney – This document is required if the seller is not going to be with you during registration of the car in Quebec.
• Letter certifying lien has been paid off (if car was bought using loan)

You can ask the seller to get a safety inspection done for Quebec as well however it’s responsibility of the buyer to provide one at Quebec’s Vehicle registration office.

Additional Documents required for vehicle registration

• Quebec Safety Inspection Certificate
• Car Insurance
• Buyer’s Provincial driving license
• Buyer’s Proof of address

Get your car registered as soon as possible

Depending on the seller’s province; and Quebec – the registration needs to be completed with a certain period otherwise might be considered expired.

I highly recommend that you get the registration same-day or following day of your purchase it will take about 15 minutes!

What if you don’t have Quebec Safety Inspection Certificate?

You will be issued a temporary registration and will be given 3 days that you can drive for essential stuff till you get the Quebec Safety Inspection Certificate for the vehicle. It is highly recommended that you get it done before you are headed to the registration office.

What if the buyer has an out-of-province driving license?

If you have an out-of-province license, you can still make your purchase. You wouldn’t run into any issues if you were lets say having an Ontario Driving License and trying to register the car.

Make sure to take proof of address (Quebec) with you.

Also, You can get it swapped for a Quebec Driving License at the office. However an appointment is usually required for exchanging license in Quebec.

Seller takes their license plate with them!

The car’s license plate doesn’t come with the car. You have to get your license plate from the Quebec’s Vehicle Authority (SAAQ). It can be tricky driving without plates, and there are two solutions to that –

• You can ask the seller to drive the car to SAAQ for registration and then take off plates OR
• You can ask the seller to let you have the plates till the registration is transferred (as technically the car is still registered under the previous owner’s name). Furthermore, you can then take the plates off after registration and return them to the seller.

Quebec Tax and Registration Costs

You will need to pay tax for the purchase of the car as well as registration costs. It would be good to have around 15% of the car’s purchase price in the bank to pay for it.

Making payments at SAAQ

Take multiple cheques with you. The office you are headed to might accept debit card/cash payments only. You will run into trouble trying to pay with a credit card.

After vehicle registration

• Make a copy of the registration and keep the original in the car’s glove box.
• Put the new Quebec License plate on your car!

Tom Mehra

Tom Mehra, an Ottawa-based Software Engineer with a Masters in Information Systems from the University of Texas at Dallas, shares insights on local food spots and top attractions in Canada and the US. He’s also a former resident of the US, UK, and India, and in 2023, his blog was nominated for an Ottawa Award by Faces Magazine. He is also a cat sitter.

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Did you know that if you have a US Driving License, you can simply get it exchanged for a Canadian Driving License (Ontario)! If you meet all the requirements, you would not have to give a driving test either (just vision test).

Steps For Exchanging License

• Go to Service Ontario
• Take the vision test
• Provide the required documents
• Get picture taken
• Pay the applicable fees
• Fill the application form

You would get a temporary license document and your Ontario Driver’s License will be mailed to you.

Documents Required

You will be asked to provide the following documents –

• Unexpired US Driving License
• US Driving History – You can get this from your state’s DMV
• Proof that you completed more than two years of driving in the US
• Valid Photo ID – Could be passport, green card, photo card.

Exchanging License at Service Ontario

Just go into any Service Ontario office with your US license and let them know you would like to exchange it for an Ontario Driving License.

No appointment in advance is required at Service Ontario

Sometimes the Service Ontario office is quite busy and it can take 1-2 hours before your turn comes, so make sure to plan your day accordingly.

Frequently Asked Questions

What’s the website for Service Ontario?

The website for Service Ontario is https://www.ontario.ca/page/serviceontario.

What if you don’t have more than 2 years of Driving Experience?

Depending on how many years you have driven in the United States, they will issue you either a G2 License or a G License.

A Full Driving License (Commonly known as G License) can be only obtained if you have completed more than 2 years of driving in the United States.

What if my US Driving License expired?

Yes, you can use expired US License to get Canadian license. It must not have been expired more than one year and also must not be cancelled or suspended.

It would be up-to the discretion of the officer to issue you an Ontario Driving License.

Make sure to carry your driving history with you which you would need to obtain from DMV.

What if I have lost my most recent US Driving License?

Your application can still be processed if you have your prior US driving license (expired) and would be required to fill in a form that you lost your US Driving License at Service Ontario.

How long can I drive in Ontario with my US license?

As per official guidelines, new residents can use their license from prior US state for 60 days.

Would demerit points transfer from US driving license to Ontario?

Demerit points usually do not get transferred from your US driving license to your new Ontario License.

When you submit your documents, your driving history will be reviewed and if Ontario has a treaty recognizing points from a US state only then they will get transferred.

A Service Ontario officer would be able to advise you if your demerit points will get transferred from your State or not.

Which countries driving license can be exchanged in Canada?

You can exchange the license of the following countries for a Canadian Driver’s License

• Australia
• Austria
• Belgium
• France
• Germany
• United Kingdom
• United States of America
• Japan
• South Korea
• New Zealand
• Northern Ireland
• Republic of Ireland
• Switzerland
• Taiwan

How can I exchange Ontario License for Quebec?

Please follow our guide for exchanging out-of-province license for Quebec’s.

Tom Mehra

Tom Mehra, an Ottawa-based Software Engineer with a Masters in Information Systems from the University of Texas at Dallas, shares insights on local food spots and top attractions in Canada and the US. He’s also a former resident of the US, UK, and India, and in 2023, his blog was nominated for an Ottawa Award by Faces Magazine. He is also a cat sitter.

tommera.com/

Global roaming data plans by Canadian Network Providers can be quite expensive. If you try to look the plans offered by one of the major network providers in Canada, it is very likely that the plan is going to cost you a few hundred bucks a month! If you don’t believe me, just look at Telus/Rogers/Bell website!

Telus charges around CAD $15 per day for roaming in 190+ international destinations! That is quite expensive! On top of that it’s not unlimited data! Data limit is based on your current plan!

Pricing for International Roaming from Rogers is same as well at $15 per day but limited to 185 countries compared to Telus which offers 190+ international destinations.

Turns out Bell offers the exact same pricing for international roaming on their plans! There is absolutely no difference in their offering.

While the 3 major telecom players in Canada offer the most expensive roaming plans, there is actually a provider that you could utilize and get global roaming at a very affordable price!

Three HK’s Plan Cost – Under CAD $50/Year

Believe it or not, but Three Hong Kong (3HK) offers a really good data plan that you could make use of. The price is very reasonable compared to any other network provider and it covers a number of countries! The Global Plan covers more than 100+ international destinations.

I took the opportunity to test the plan out while on roaming and felt that the speed results were quite good. You would be able to stream and download heavy content without any issues.

Known issues with 3HK Global Roaming Plan

There are two things you should know about while using this data plan –

• Since data is routed through Hong Kong, it might not be ideal to use it for work purposes. Please check with your organization if there would be any issues especially if you work with the government! If you are using the plan for personal consumption then you should be fine.
• High latency! Since data is routed through Hong Kong you are going to have higher latency than other providers. If you are planning to do mobile gaming then you might run into issues depending on what location you are in.
• A few websites might not be accessible.

How to get 3HK’s roaming plan?

You will have to either download an esim (if your phone supports one) or you will need to order a physical sim card. It can be a little tricky to get the physical sim card as 3HK doesn’t ship it outside Hong Kong but you can get it from eBay or other third party providers who will ship it to you without any issues.

You can checkout their plans here –
https://www.three.com.hk/prepaid/DIY/en/offer/travel

Note: Prices on their website are in Hong Kong Dollars

3HK Review

So far, I have been very happy with the service and have not had any issues using this service in the destinations covered by the plan.

Coverage is great and is actually better than even some of the local plans in the market as 3HK has deals with multiple providers in each country.

I have tested 3HK roaming plan in the United Kingdom, Canada, United States, India and Colombia! I have ended up saving a lot of money using this plan.

Rating – 9/10

Tom Mehra

Tom Mehra, an Ottawa-based Software Engineer with a Masters in Information Systems from the University of Texas at Dallas, shares insights on local food spots and top attractions in Canada and the US. He’s also a former resident of the US, UK, and India, and in 2023, his blog was nominated for an Ottawa Award by Faces Magazine. He is also a cat sitter.

tommera.com/

If you have an Ontario Driving License and have moved to Quebec recently, you are legally required you to get your driving license exchanged.

You cannot exchange Ontario Driving License without an appointment
While you might think that you can go straight to SAAQ (Société de l’assurance automobile du Québec) and simply hand in your Ontario Driving License for a Quebec one, the process is a little more complicated than that.

Book an appointment for exchange of driving license

Booking an appointment

You will need to book an appointment to be able to exchange an out of province license for a Quebec one. Service is provided in both English and French.

Link for booking appointment with SAAQ – https://saaq.gouv.qc.ca/en/make-appointment

They are going to ask you basic questions like your legal name, date of birth, what type of driving license you have, how long have you had it, and what province does it originate from.

Documents required by SAAQ

You will be required to provide certain documents to be able to exchange your Ontario Driving License for a Quebec Driving Permit. Here is a list of documents –

• Ontario Driving License (Full Driving License)
• Ontario Driving Record – You can obtain this document from ServiceOntario and it can be mailed to you.
• Proof of Residence in Quebec
• Proof of Canadian citizenship/residence

At the location, you will get your picture taken, will need to pay the driver license fee and will be issued a temporary paper document till you receive your license through mail.

Also if you haven’t done already, it might be good to update your address everywhere.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I make my payment?

SAAQ locations usually accept cash, cheque or debit card payments only. You might run into issues paying through a credit card.

What if I don’t have a Full Ontario Driving License?

If you have a G2 license from Ontario and have driven more than 2 years then you might be able to get a Full Quebec Driving License.

Can I show foreign driving experience if I have less than 2 years of experience on my Ontario G2 Driving License?

If you have driven previously in the United States then it can add up as driving experience and help you get a Full Quebec Driving License. You might be required to show your driving record from the foreign country that you have driven in.

Tom Mehra

Tom Mehra, an Ottawa-based Software Engineer with a Masters in Information Systems from the University of Texas at Dallas, shares insights on local food spots and top attractions in Canada and the US. He’s also a former resident of the US, UK, and India, and in 2023, his blog was nominated for an Ottawa Award by Faces Magazine. He is also a cat sitter.

tommera.com/

There can be a number of situations where you are looking for housing in Canada but do not have a job and don’t plan to have one for a while.

Some of those situations can be –

• You have just moved to a new city
• You have just moved to Canada
• You are a student looking for housing

In all those cases you won’t be able to prove employment while applying for housing which is something that landlords or real estate agents will ask you for.

Do you need to have a job for housing?

While having a job can help you show a source of income to be able to pay for housing. You DO NOT need to have a job to apply for housing. As long as you can prove that you have the means to pay the rent, you should be able to secure housing in Canada.

Alternatives to proof of employment

Income is not the only way to prove your ability to pay rent, you can show the following as well –

• Bank Statements – If you are able to show that you have enough funds to pay for the housing that should be sufficient enough.
• Investment Accounts – Not everyone keeps their money in the bank. If you have a lot of money in your investment accounts, you could show the statement as evidence of your ability to pay the rent.
• Benefit statements – If you are receiving regular benefits from the government and the amount is sufficient enough to pay for the rent.
• Inheritance – If you are getting paid a significant sum on a regular basis, you can show that as a proof of income.
• Sponsor (or co-applicant) – If you do not have enough funds then you need to seek a sponsor who would be willing to cover your payments.

Note that you can use multiple sources of funds as proof of your ability to pay the rent! For example – if you have multiple bank accounts or if you want to show both bank and investment accounts when applying for housing. Do let the landlord/agent know that you have attached multiple documents as sometimes they might miss what is going on while reviewing your housing application.

Who can sponsor for my housing application?

Usually people have their family members or close friends as sponsors on their housing application. Your sponsor will need to complete the following requirements for your housing application to be considered –

• Housing application – Sponsor will need to have themselves listed on the housing application and will need to provide their personal details.
• Sponsor’s proof of income – This can be sponsor’s employment letter or bank statements.
• Letter from sponsor – It might be handy to keep a separate letter from Sponsor that they are willing to pay your rent and are liable for it.

What are the income requirements for sponsor?

The income requirements for a sponsor can vary depending on the housing, regulations in the area and but usually the annual income needs to be atleast between 24-36 times the rent.

So if you are looking for a $2000 per month apartments, you might be required to have an income of around $72000 per year to prove your ability to pay the rent.

What if landlord requires job for housing?

If you have shown enough funds to pay for housing and are rejected for not having a job. Depending on your situation, that might be grounds for discrimination.

For example, a person who just moved to Canada can’t be expected to have a job straightaway. You would need to report such incidence to the local authorities.

Other things to be aware of

Once your housing application is accepted, you would be asked to pay for the first month’s rent as well as a security deposit. Note that in some provinces like Quebec you are not required to have a security deposit and only the first month’s rent.

Make sure to ask the landlord/real estate agent how you can make the payments as some places might accept certified cheque only while other places would be okay with electronic fund transfers or even credit card payments!

If you are looking for apartments in Toronto region, then this guide on finding an apartment in Toronto region might beneficial for you as well.

Tom Mehra

Tom Mehra, an Ottawa-based Software Engineer with a Masters in Information Systems from the University of Texas at Dallas, shares insights on local food spots and top attractions in Canada and the US. He’s also a former resident of the US, UK, and India, and in 2023, his blog was nominated for an Ottawa Award by Faces Magazine. He is also a cat sitter.

tommera.com/

If you are looking to apply for housing, most landlords or apartments will ask you to provide them with a proof of income letter from the employer.

I have listed the requirements below that usually landlords/apartments look for while reviewing a person’s income.

Get the letter on company letterhead!
Make sure to get the letter on the company’s letterhead. A letterhead usually consists of the company’s logo, name, address, and contact information.

Employer Name
Don’t forget to include the name of the company that you work for!

Employer Contact Details
This could be your manager or someone from HR whom the property agent can contact if they need to verify your employment. Contact details will include – Person’s name; Phone number; Email address.

Employee Name
Make sure to have your name listed on the letter! Otherwise, your application is going to end up being rejected!

Your Monthly/Annual Income
You should have the amount that you earn on a monthly or annual basis listed on your letter! If getting paid in US Dollars or currency other than Canadian Dollars, it might be better to have it clearly mentioned as the person reviewing the letter might not notice. If possible get the amount written in Canadian Dollars straight away!

Job Title
It’s good to have a job title listed in the letter even though the focus is mainly on the income that you would be making as part of your employment.

Employment Period
You should have the employment period listed in your letter or if you haven’t started yet then the start date must be listed.

Sample Proof of Income Letter
Here is a sample employment letter that you can use –
<Date>
<Employer Name>
<Employer Address>
<Employer Phone>
To whom it may concern,
<Your Name> has been employed full-time with <Employer Name> since <Date> and has been working as <Job Title>. <Your Name> gross monthly compensation is <Your income> Dollars.
If you have any questions, feel free to contact <HR contact details>
Sincerely,
<Signature>
<HR/Manager>

The above sample letter should be sufficient to apply for rental applications. You can always ask the landlord/agent if they have any additional requirements.

Get your proof of income letter translated in French!
If you are applying for housing in Quebec or New Brunswick, you might need to have the letter in French if the landlord or agent does not speak English. If your employer can’t provide the letter in French, you can get the documents translated and provide the translated document with the original document.

Tom Mehra

Tom Mehra, an Ottawa-based Software Engineer with a Masters in Information Systems from the University of Texas at Dallas, shares insights on local food spots and top attractions in Canada and the US. He’s also a former resident of the US, UK, and India, and in 2023, his blog was nominated for an Ottawa Award by Faces Magazine. He is also a cat sitter.

tommera.com/