What documents do I need to move to Canada as a India citizen?

Typical pathway: Express Entry

Last verified: September 22, 2026

Valid Indian passport (biographical data page) (before) — Source: https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/immigrate-canada/express-entry/apply-permanent-residence.html
Current machine-readable Indian passport for the principal applicant and each accompanying family member; the passport number used in the Express Entry profile must match the one submitted with the e-APR, and it should stay valid well past expected landing. Upload a colour scan of the bio page plus any pages with stamps/visas.
Approved language test result (IELTS General Training, CELPIP-General, TEF Canada or TCF Canada) (before) — Source: Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), canada.ca
Original test report form, less than 2 years old on the day the e-APR is submitted. Required to create the Express Entry profile itself, not only after the ITA — for English the common options are IELTS (General Training) and CELPIP; for French, TEF Canada and TCF Canada.
Educational Credential Assessment (ECA) report for Indian degrees/diplomas (before) — Source: Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), canada.ca
Assessment of Indian qualifications by an IRCC-designated organisation (e.g. WES, IQAS, ICAS, CES, ICES) confirming Canadian equivalency; valid 5 years from issue. Required for the Federal Skilled Worker Program and for claiming CRS points for foreign education — not needed for Canadian credentials.
Indian Police Clearance Certificate (PCC) from Passport Seva Kendra or Indian mission abroad (before) — Source: https://www.cgitoronto.gov.in/page/police-clearance/
Issued by the Ministry of External Affairs through a Passport Seva Kendra in India, or by the Indian High Commission/Consulate abroad via BLS International. Note that PCC is a separate consular service from passport issuance and is only issued after fresh police verification; consulate-issued PCCs can take roughly 8 weeks, so start early after the ITA.
Police certificates from every other country lived in for 6+ months since age 18 (before) — Source: Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), canada.ca
Separate certificate from each non-Indian country/territory where the applicant (and any accompanying family member 18+) resided six consecutive months or more since turning 18 — e.g. ACRO for the UK, FBI Identity History Summary for the USA, EGCC/Dubai Police for the UAE. Only applies if you have such residence history.
Immigration medical examination (IME) record from an IRCC panel physician in India (before) — Source: Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), canada.ca
Exam performed by an IRCC-designated panel physician (eMedical); the applicant receives an information sheet / IMM 1017B upfront medical report to upload. IRCC recommends taking it after the invitation and as close as possible to the submission date. Under current practice you may instead upload a placeholder and wait for IRCC's medical instructions — verify the instruction shown on your personalised checklist.
Proof of settlement funds — bank reference letter plus 6 months of account statements (before) — Source: Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), canada.ca
Letter on the Indian bank's letterhead listing account numbers, opening dates, current and six-month average balances, plus any outstanding debts, supported by statements. Funds must be liquid, unencumbered and not borrowed. Amounts are set at 50% of Statistics Canada's LICO and change annually with family size — confirm the current figure on IRCC's settlement-funds table. Not required if invited under the Canadian Experience Class or if you hold a qualifying valid job offer.
Employment reference letters for claimed skilled work experience (before) — Source: Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), canada.ca
Letters on company letterhead from each Indian/overseas employer stating job title, NOC-matching duties, employment dates, hours per week and annual salary with benefits, signed with contact details. Supplement with payslips, Form 16/ITR or EPF statements where a letter is weak — these secondary payroll records are supporting evidence, not substitutes for the reference letter.
Birth certificate for each dependent child declared (before) — Source: Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), canada.ca
Municipal/registrar-issued Indian birth certificate showing full name, date of birth and both parents' names, for every dependent child on the application. The principal applicant's own birth certificate is only needed if it appears on the personalised document checklist.
Marital status document — Indian marriage registration certificate, divorce decree or death certificate (before) — Source: Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), canada.ca
Registrar-issued marriage certificate for a spouse being declared (or a common-law statutory declaration IMM 5409), a court divorce decree for a previous marriage, or a spouse's death certificate. Only the document matching your actual civil status is required; a wedding invitation or photographs do not replace the registered certificate.
Certified English/French translation with translator's affidavit for non-English documents (before) — Source: Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), canada.ca
Any Hindi, Marathi, Tamil, Gujarati or other regional-language record (birth, marriage, police, academic documents) must be accompanied by a certified translation; the original scan, the translation and the affidavit are combined into one file per document. Not needed for documents already issued in English.
Schedule A – Background/Declaration (IMM 5669) (before) — Source: Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), canada.ca
Signed form listing every address, education period and job held since age 18, plus personal history and security questions, for the principal applicant and each accompanying family member aged 18 or over. Gaps must be explained; unexplained gaps in Indian employment history are a common cause of procedural fairness letters.
Confirmation of Permanent Residence (eCOPR) and permanent resident visa counterfoil (before) — Source: Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), canada.ca
Issued after approval; Indian passport holders are visa-required, so the counterfoil is affixed in the passport after you mail/submit the passport as instructed, while the COPR/eCOPR is the landing document. Check that the name spelling matches the passport exactly before travelling, and do not land after the counterfoil or medical validity expires.
Goods accompanying / goods to follow lists (CBSA form BSF186 – Personal Effects Accounting Document) (during) — Source: Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA)
Two typed inventories prepared before departure and presented to a CBSA officer at first landing: items arriving with you, and items shipped later from India. Items omitted from the 'goods to follow' list can attract duty and taxes when the shipment arrives.
CBSA currency declaration for CAD 10,000 or more (form E677) (during) — Source: Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA)
Cash, bank drafts or other monetary instruments totalling CAD 10,000 or more (including settlement funds carried as a demand draft from an Indian bank) must be declared on arrival. Non-declaration can result in seizure. Only applies above that threshold.
Social Insurance Number (SIN) application (during) — Source: Service Canada
Apply at the airport's Service Canada desk on landing or at any Service Canada office afterwards, presenting the COPR/eCOPR and passport. The SIN is needed before an employer can run payroll and before opening interest-bearing accounts or claiming benefits.
Permanent Resident (PR) card application and Canadian mailing address submission (after) — Source: https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/application/application-forms-guides/imm5644.html
The card is not automatic: you must give IRCC a Canadian mailing address (normally within 180 days of landing) and, where required, submit the application with a compliant passport-style photo. The eCOPR serves for most domestic purposes, but the physical PR card (or a PR Travel Document) is needed to re-enter Canada by commercial carrier after trips abroad, including visits to India.
Provincial/territorial health insurance card (e.g. OHIP, MSP, AHCIP, RAMQ) (after) — Source: Provincial/territorial ministry of health (e.g. Ontario Ministry of Health, BC MSP, Alberta AHCIP, RAMQ Québec)
Register in your province of residence as soon as you arrive, using the COPR/eCOPR, passport and proof of residency. Waiting periods differ by province, so confirm the current rule with your provincial health ministry rather than assuming immediate coverage.
Proof of Canadian residential address (signed lease or utility bill) (after) — Source: https://www.canada.ca/content/dam/ircc/documents/pdf/english/corporate/publications-manuals/welcome_to_canada_important_things_to_do_after_you_arrive_e.pdf
A signed tenancy agreement, utility account or landlord letter in your name. Used as supporting evidence for provincial health registration, driver's licensing and some bank account openings — distinct from the mailing address you give IRCC for the PR card.
Provincial driver's licence exchange using the Indian driving licence (after) — Source: Provincial/territorial driver licensing authority (e.g. ServiceOntario, ICBC, Alberta Registries)
Most provinces allow driving on a valid foreign licence only for a limited initial period (commonly 60–90 days) before a provincial licence is required. Bring the Indian licence, passport and COPR; many provinces also want a driving-experience/abstract letter from the issuing Indian RTO or an authenticated translation. Exact exchange credit for Indian licences varies by province — verify with the provincial licensing authority.

Not legal advice. Based on cached research — verify with official sources before making decisions.

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