Moved in Canada? The Government Accounts You Need to Update So Benefits and Tax Notices Keep Coming

• A Canada Post mail-forwarding request does not update your government records. Address changes must be reported separately to each department or agency.
• Start with the CRA, then update Service Canada programs such as EI, CPP, OAS, the Canada Dental Care Plan, and the Canada Disability Benefit if they apply to you.
• If you have an immigration or citizenship application in progress, update IRCC quickly because missing correspondence can delay or affect your application.

Changing your address in Canada takes more than updating Canada Post

The most important thing to know after moving is that your new address is not automatically shared across Government of Canada departments. The CRA, Service Canada, IRCC, Elections Canada, and other organizations may each keep separate records.

That means a Canada Post mail-forwarding request can help you receive letters temporarily, but it does not replace an official address update. You need to contact every department that sends you benefits, tax notices, immigration documents, licences, or other important correspondence.

The best approach is to work through your records in this order: taxes and benefits first, Service Canada programs next, immigration applications if relevant, and then provincial or territory services.

Start with the Government of Canada’s address-change checklist

The federal government’s central change-of-address page is a useful starting point because it identifies common departments and services that may need your new information.

Use it as a master checklist, not as a single form. The page explains that address updates are not shared automatically, and it directs you to the separate process for each organization.

Update your CRA address for taxes and benefits

Your CRA address can affect income-tax correspondence, Notices of Assessment, the Canada Child Benefit, GST/HST credit payments, direct-deposit administration, and other tax records. This remains important even if your bank account has not changed.

For most individuals, the quickest method is to sign in to CRA My Account, open your individual account, and go to Profile. From there, you can update your address and review other contact details.

If you receive benefits or credits, check the payment and correspondence sections after saving the change. An address update does not automatically update every other government account, so continue through the rest of this checklist.

Update EI, CPP, OAS, and other Service Canada records

Service Canada handles several programs that may send payments or official letters. The exact update method depends on the program you receive.

Employment Insurance

If you receive EI, you must report a change to your mailing address or telephone number to help prevent delays. The address-update option may not be available directly inside My Service Canada Account, so Service Canada directs EI recipients to use its callback request, call centre, or an office visit.

If you move to another province or territory while receiving EI, update your province of residence as well. That information can affect access to your claim information online.

Canada Pension Plan and Old Age Security

CPP recipients generally need to contact Service Canada to change their address. OAS recipients may be able to update a Canadian mailing or residential address through the OAS section of My Service Canada Account after the required account access has been activated.

For OAS, a residential address update is automatically applied to both OAS and CPP benefits. Foreign-address changes cannot be completed online through the OAS service and require contact with Service Canada.

Other programs

Also consider the Canadian Dental Care Plan and Canada Disability Benefit if you receive them. Service Canada’s personal-information page explains which programs support online updates and which require a callback, phone call, or in-person service.

Update IRCC if you have an application in progress

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada uses separate contact records for active applications. If you have applied for permanent residence, citizenship, a PR card, a work permit, a study permit, a visitor document, or another immigration service, update your mailing or residential address directly with IRCC.

IRCC says you only need to use this address-change process for an active application or file. The correct method depends on what you applied for and where you submitted the application. The online tool asks a series of questions before directing you to the appropriate update route.

Keep checking your old address until IRCC confirms the change. Some updates can take time to appear in online services, and important documents sent to an outdated address can be delayed, lost, or left unanswered.

Do not forget provincial and territorial records

Several of the records people most often overlook are managed by provincial or territorial governments rather than Ottawa. These commonly include:

• Health cards
• Driver’s licences and vehicle registration
• Provincial income-tax records
• Social assistance or disability-support files
• Provincial student loans
• Property-tax and municipal records

Canada’s federal address-change page specifically notes that health cards and driver’s licences are issued by provinces and territories. You must contact the government where you live and follow its local deadline, identification, and proof-of-address requirements.

A move between provinces can also affect benefit eligibility, health coverage waiting rules, vehicle registration, and school or childcare records. Treat the provincial update as a separate task rather than assuming your federal update will cover it.

Other federal records worth checking

Your personal checklist may also include Elections Canada, a Canadian passport, NEXUS, Veterans Affairs Canada, student-loan records, a firearms licence, or a business account.

Elections Canada may receive address information from other sources, but you can still check or update your registration directly. Updating federal voter registration does not update your driver’s licence address, and provincial or municipal election agencies may have their own records.

A change of address does not invalidate a valid Canadian passport. If the address printed inside it needs to be changed, the passport help centre says to cross out the old address and write the new one in the designated space. NEXUS, business, firearms, and other specialized records should be checked separately if they apply to you.

A simple moving-day address checklist

Use this order if you want to finish the job without repeatedly searching for the same information:

1. Save your new address, move date, old address, phone number, and email in one place.
2. Update CRA My Account and review tax-benefit correspondence.
3. Update EI, CPP, OAS, CDCP, or Canada Disability Benefit records that apply to you.
4. Update IRCC immediately if an immigration, citizenship, or PR-card application is active.
5. Change your health-card, driver’s-licence, vehicle, and provincial benefit records.
6. Check Elections Canada and any specialized federal accounts such as NEXUS or Veterans Affairs.
7. Keep Canada Post mail forwarding active while you wait for confirmations.

Save confirmation numbers, screenshots, or callback details for each update. If a department does not offer an online change, use its official phone, callback, or in-person service instead of relying on forwarded mail.

Helpful Links

• Government of Canada change-of-address services – Find the official address-update instructions for federal departments and services.
• CRA personal information updates – Update your individual CRA address and review related tax and benefit information.
• Service Canada personal information changes – See how to update address and contact information for EI, CPP, OAS, CDCP, and other programs.
• IRCC change-of-address service – Update the mailing or residential address connected to an active immigration or citizenship application.
• Elections Canada registration information – Check or update your federal voter-registration address and review related requirements.
• Forward mail when you move or relocate | Personal | Canada Post – Official page referenced in the article.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q. Does Canada Post forward mail to every government department?

A. No. Mail forwarding can help you receive letters temporarily, but it does not change the address held by the CRA, Service Canada, IRCC, provincial governments, or other agencies. Update each record separately.

Q. Do I need to update my CRA address if I receive benefits by direct deposit?

A. Yes. The CRA says you must report a move even when your bank account has not changed. Your address can affect benefit records, tax notices, and other correspondence.

Q. Can I update my EI address in My Service Canada Account?

A. The current EI information page says the address-update service is unavailable directly in MSCA. EI recipients can request a callback, contact the Service Canada call centre, or visit a Service Canada office.

Q. Do I need to update IRCC if my application is already approved?

A. The IRCC change-of-address tool is intended for active applications in progress. If your application is complete but you are waiting for a document or card, use the relevant IRCC contact instructions to determine whether an update is still needed.