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Excited to plan your trip to Canada? Or are you moving here for good?
Whatever the case may be, we have a few tips for you when it comes to some of the less obvious things to consider before you arrive in Canada!
However, don’t go crazy packing too much as some of the things are better to buy after arrival.
Medical Insurance
While it is a well-known fact that travel insurance is an important item on the list of every traveler, not everyone understands the extent of its importance when visiting Canada.
Because Canada’s healthcare system is funded by the government through taxes, most of the services are virtually free for all eligible residents. However, as a visitor you will not be able to use that privilege the same way.
If you travel without Visitors to Canada insurance and something goes wrong to a point that you need to visit a doctor or a hospital, you will be in for a hefty medical bill that may considerably change your travel plans for the worse.
As a example, a 1-day stay in the hospital in Canada may cost over $5,000, which is certainly way more expensive than the price of any insurance policy you will find.
What if you need more treatment like multiple X-rays, prescription drugs or even a life-saving surgery that on its own can cost well over $50,000? It may become a financial ruin if you don’t have a simple insurance policy at the time.
So, given how expensive healthcare for visitors can get in Canada, having a medical emergency insurance policy is always a good idea, especially when you weigh in the risk of having to pay tens of thousands of dollars out of pocket for what could’ve cost you just a $100.
Electronics
Canada, just like the United States, has a different voltage system in place as opposed to many other countries. Because we primarily use 120V with different plugs and electrical sockets, some of the stuff you bring from home might not be able to function.
With that said, you may want to either purchase a reliable voltage converter at an electronics store or buy the things you need after you’ve settled.
This goes for lots of appliances such as laptops, hair dryers, phone charges and others. Make sure whatever you decide to bring is compatible by itself or, as mentioned before, buy an adapter beforehand at an electronics store.
Winter Clothes
Depending on your destination and time of year, it can get very cold in Canada and it’s crucial to get the right winter gear to make it through the season. You might think your stuff that you brought from home is good enough but most likely it isn’t and you will need an upgrade.
It goes as low as negative 40 degrees Celsius in some parts of Canada, which is no joke. It’s a good idea to arrive in Canada first and then get some winter equipment and clothing, preferably after consulting with locals who will give you a good idea what to focus on.
It will also help you save some baggage space while you travel.
One last thing: quality matters. You don’t need the latest fashion or the biggest brand but you do need to make sure your gear has good quality. If you want to save some money you can hit up some second hand stores or wait for seasonal sales to buy the right clothes for less.
Housing
We know it’s exciting to be moving to a new city and search online listings for places you might want to live. But it’s probably a good idea to wait until you get to Canada to secure a long term accommodation.
This is due to scams that abound in many major Canadian cities. Some listings show fancy apartments that don’t even exist in order to get deposit money from you and vanish shortly after. Another rather common scam involves some landlords that misrepresent the state of the rental, how small or dirty it is, which will be impossible to find out unless you can visit it in person.
So you should probably stay for a week or two at a hotel or Airbnb until you make appointments for viewings and to meet landlords in person. You need to make sure that the apartment listing is genuine and matches the pictures you saw online.
One more tip is about furniture. If you are visiting for a short to medium term, then the best thing is to rent a furnished apartment, saving you the hassle.
However, in case you are looking for a more long-term accommodation, you can save a lot of money if you buy the furniture yourself.
#immigration | #insurance | #lifestyle | #travel
