Get up to $2,200 in value in the first year*
Join the StartRight™ Program designed for newcomers‡.
StartRight ™ Program offer for newcomers‡
Earn up to $800 with a Preferred Package and eligible investment plans◊.1
No monthly account fees on a Preferred Package chequing account for the first year2 – a value of $203.40.*
For a limited time apply for a Scotiabank PassportTM Visa Infinite** credit card and earn up to $1,100 in value. 6
Unlimited no-fee8 international money transfers – an average savings of $280 compared to in-branch Swift wire transfers.*
Get 10 free equity trades when you invest a minimum of $1,000 in a new Scotia iTRADE® account9 – a value of $99.90.* Use code SRPE15.
What documents do you need to open an account?
If you’re a permanent resident
- Your Permanent Resident Card or confirmation of Permanent Residence
- One additional piece of government photo ID such as your passport or Canadian driver’s licence
If you’re also planning on applying for a credit card, you can do so with the documents outlined above.
If you’re a foreign worker
- Your work permit
- One additional piece of government photo ID such as your passport or Canadian driver’s licence
If you’re also planning on applying for a credit card, bring a letter from your employer in Canada stating your annual income.
Ready to open your account?
Apply for a credit card with up to $15,000 in credit, even without previous credit history.10
Mortgages
A specially designed program to meet your mortgage needs and help you in obtaining your first home in Canada. Learn more about this program. Click here for Temporary residents.
The MomentumPLUS Savings Account
Save for all your goals with one account. You’ll earn a higher interest rate the longer you save. No monthly account fees or minimum balance required. Plus, Preferred Package account holders earn a 0.05% interest rate boost and Ultimate Package customers earn an additional interest rate boost of 0.10% on their MomentumPLUS Savings Account.11
Reasons to love Scotiabank
- ScotiaRise, our 10-year, $500M commitment to foster economic resilience among disadvantaged groups including helping newcomers feel at home faster
- Personalized support at the branch and in the language that’s most comfortable to you
Looking for valuable advice?
We’re here to help, ask us anything
The StartRight™ team is here to support you. Call, email or book an appointment today.
More advice on all things Canadian
Find more personal stories, articles, and resources to help you settle in sooner.
Value of up to $2,200 is calculated as follows: i) up to $583.30 first year value with the StartRightTM Program + ii) Up to $1,900 in Preferred Package, TFSA/RRSP and Scotiabank Passport Visa Infinite welcome offer and first year point earn potential:
i) Value of up to $583.30 is an annual potential value for the first year based on the following benefits and savings available to StartRightTM customers as of November 1st, 2024:
- $203.40 in account fee savings for a Preferred Package chequing account ($16.95 monthly account fee waived for first 12 months);
- $280 in fee savings when compared to in-branch Swift Wire Transfers (assumes an annual average of 7 in-branch Swift Wire Transfers at $40 per transfer);
- $99.90 in fee savings for 10 free equity trades with iTRADE (10 free equity trades per year at $9.99/trade)
Actual value will depend on individual usage of the StartRightTM Program features and products. Conditions apply. All products and features are subject to change.
ii) Value of up to $1,900 in Scotiabank welcome offers and first year point earn potential includes the following as of November 1st, 2024:
- $800: $400 cash offer for new Preferred and Ultimate Package clients who complete certain qualifying conditions plus up to $400 when you open two eligible investments plans and complete certain qualifying transactions;
- $250 in travel rewards (25,000 bonus Scene+ points) for new Scotiabank Passport Visa Infinite Card clients who spend $1,000 within the first 3 months;
- $50 supplementary card annual fee waiver on the first supplementary card for new Scotiabank Passport Visa Infinite Card clients;
- $100 in travel rewards (10,000 bonus Scene+ points) when you spend $40,000 annually on your Account each year (12-months);
- $250 in first year point earn potential (25,000 Scene+ points) on everyday purchases based on average annual first year spend per account with an average spend of 21% in 2X accelerator categories;
- $350 value with a complimentary Visa Airport Companion Program Membership and 6 lounge passes (annual membership plus one free visit of approx. CAD$134/USD$99 plus 5 lounge passes at CDN$48/USD$35 per pass). Currency conversion as at February 28, 2024;
- $100 in foreign transaction fee savings based on average first year annual foreign spend per account (save the 2.5% foreign transaction fee markup typically charged by card issuers).
Actual offers and rewards earned will depend on individual card usage and eligibility for applicable offers. Conditions apply.
$450 Banking Package and Registered Account Bundle Offer Description and Conditions:
The Scotiabank $450 Cash Bonus Bundle Offer (the “Offer”) is available between November 1, 2024 and March 1, 2025 (the “Offer Period”) to individuals who open new eligible accounts. Subject to the conditions below, eligible customers can earn $400 when they open a new Preferred Package or Ultimate Package chequing account and complete certain qualifying transactions and earn an additional $50 boost when they open a new eligible Scotia Registered Account (“Eligible Registered Account”) with either The Bank of Nova Scotia or Scotia Securities Inc. and complete certain qualifying transactions. For the purposes of this Offer, the following Scotia Registered Accounts are “Eligible Registered Accounts”: Scotia Registered Retirement Savings Plans (RRSPs, excluding Spousal RRSPs, locked-in plans such as LIRAs and LRSPs) (each an “RRSP”), Scotia Tax-Free Savings Accounts (each a “TFSA”) and Scotia First Home Savings Accounts (each a “FHSA”). Scotia RRIFs (including locked-in income plans), RESPs, RDSPs, and non-registered Scotia Investment Accounts are not eligible for the Offer.
$400 Cash Bonus for Preferred or Ultimate Package Conditions: To qualify for the $400 cash bonus (the “Package Bonus”), you must:
- Open a new Ultimate Package or new Preferred Package chequing account (the “Eligible Chequing Account”) during the Offer Period; and
- Complete any two (2) of the following activities in your Eligible Chequing Account within 60 days of Eligible Chequing Account opening:
- Set up and clear at least one eligible automated and recurring direct deposit†, such as payroll or pension, which will recur monthly for a minimum of six (6) consecutive months, or
- Set up and clear a minimum of two (2) separate eligible recurring pre-authorized transactions† with a minimum value of at least $50 per transaction which will each recur monthly for a minimum of six (6) consecutive months, or
- Make at least one (1) eligible online bill payment† of at least $50 through the Scotiabank Mobile App or through Scotia OnLine.
† Click here for a list of eligible direct deposits, pre-authorized transactions and online bill payments. Notwithstanding a transaction may be included in these lists, certain exclusions may still apply and Scotiabank reserves the right to modify these lists and to determine whether a specific direct deposit, pre-authorized transaction or bill payment is eligible for the Package Bonus. Fund transfers initiated to other Scotiabank accounts (one time or recurring, e.g. credit card or savings account), to chequing or savings accounts held at other financial institutions, or to payment processing firms, are not eligible for the Package Bonus.
$50 Registered Account Bundle Conditions: To qualify for the $50 cash bonus (the “Bundle Bonus”), you must meet the conditions for the $400 Package Bonus, and during the Offer Period:
1. Open a new Eligible Registered Account; and
2. By March 1, 2025, set up and clear one recurring pre-authorized contribution (PAC) from any Scotiabank personal bank account with a minimum value of at least $100 per month in your new Eligible Registered Account, which must have recurred for a minimum of three (3) consecutive months by May 31, 2025.
Eligibility and Exclusions: Individuals who are currently holders of, or who were previously holders within the last two (2) years of, a Scotiabank Chequing Account are not eligible for the Package Bonus. “Scotiabank Chequing Account” means any of the following accounts: Ultimate Package, Preferred Package, Scotia One Account, Basic Plus Bank Account, Basic Banking Plan, Basic Bank Account, Momentum Chequing, Power Chequing, Scotia One Service, Scotia Value, Student Banking Advantage Plan. In order to qualify for the Bundle Bonus the individual cannot currently or in the preceding 6 months have held the same type of Eligible Registered Account (as that opened during the Offer Period) with either The Bank of Nova Scotia or Scotia Securities Inc. Employees of Scotiabank are also not eligible for the Package Bonus or Bundle Bonus.
General Terms: Provided all Package Bonus conditions outlined above have been met, the $400 Package Bonus will be deposited to the Eligible Chequing Account within approximately nine (9) months from Account open date. Provided all the Bundle Bonus conditions outlined above have been met, the additional $50 Bundle Bonus will be deposited to your Eligible Registered Account between June 2, 2025, and January 31, 2026, depending on when you have satisfied all Bundle Bonus conditions. You have 24 months from the date you believe you have fulfilled the applicable Offer conditions to notify us if you have not received the applicable cash bonus so that we may confirm your eligibility. For clients investing in non-Canadian dollar currencies, the investment will be calculated based on Canadian dollar equivalent at the Scotiabank rate on the transaction date to determine eligibility for the offer. The Package Bonus and Bundle Bonus will be paid in Canadian dollars.
For either cash bonus to be fulfilled, the Eligible Chequing Account and the Eligible Registered Account, as applicable, must be open and in good standing until the time of payout of the cash bonus. The Eligible Chequing Account is not in "good standing" if any of the following conditions are not met: (i) it has a negative balance exceeding the authorized overdraft limit, (ii) it has been in continuous overdraft for a period of three consecutive months, or (iii) the Account holder is in breach of the Account agreement with Scotiabank. For purposes of this Offer, an Eligible Registered Account is not in 'good standing' if the account holder is in breach of the Eligible Registered Account’s client account agreement.
This Offer is non-transferable and may not be duplicated. Limit of one (1) Package Bonus and one (1) Bundle Bonus per customer, regardless of the number of Eligible Chequing Accounts or Eligible Registered Accounts opened. If more than one (1) Eligible Chequing Account is opened, only the first Eligible Chequing Account opened will be eligible for the Package Bonus. If more than one (1) Eligible Registered Account is opened, only the first Eligible Registered Account that fulfilled the Bundle Bonus Offer conditions will be eligible for the Bundle Bonus. If two eligible accounts fulfill on the same day, the Bundle Bonus will be paid into only one of the Eligible Registered Account(s) in the following order: (1) Eligible TFSA, then (2) Eligible FHSA, then (3) Eligible RRSP. For joint accounts, only one (1) $400 Package Bonus will be applied to the primary account holder’s Eligible Chequing Account and only one (1) $50 Bundle Bonus will be applied to the primary account holder’s Eligible Registered Account. All rates, fees, features and benefits are subject to change. This Offer may be changed, cancelled or extended at any time without notice and cannot be combined with any other offers, except the Scotiabank Registered Account Welcome Offer.
The Scotiabank Registered Account Welcome Offer (the “Offer”) is available between November 1, 2024 and March 1, 2025 (the “Offer Period”) to individuals who open one or more new Eligible Registered Account(s) (defined below) with either The Bank of Nova Scotia or Scotia Securities Inc. and complete certain qualifying transactions.
For the purposes of this Offer, the following Scotia Registered Accounts are “Eligible Registered Account(s)”: Scotia Registered Retirement Savings Plans (RRSPs, excluding locked-in plans such as LIRAs and LRSPs) (each an “Eligible RRSP”), Scotia Tax-Free Savings Accounts (each an “Eligible TFSA”) and Scotia First Home Savings Accounts (each an “Eligible FHSA”). Scotia RRIFs (including locked-in income plans), RESPs, RDSPs, and non-registered Scotia Investment Accounts are not eligible for the Offer. In order to qualify for a Cash Bonus (defined below), the individual cannot currently or in the preceding 6 months have held the same Eligible Registered Account type with either The Bank of Nova Scotia or Scotia Securities Inc. (together, “Scotiabank”).
To qualify for a cash bonus (the “Cash Bonus”):
1) Open one or more new Eligible Registered Account(s) during the Offer Period;
2) By March 1, 2025, contribute or transfer-in a Minimum Qualifying Investment Amount (as defined below) into your new Eligible Registered Account(s) and maintain that Minimum Qualifying Investment Amount until May 31, 2025 to qualify for either of the following Cash Bonuses:
Minimum Qualifying Investment Amount* |
Eligible Registered Account (s) |
Cash Bonus |
$5,000 into any one new Eligible Registered Account |
Any one of the following: an Eligible RRSP, Eligible TFSA or Eligible FHSA |
CAD $150 |
$5,000 each into any two new Eligible Registered Accounts (for a total minimum of $10,000 combined) |
Any two of the following: an Eligible RRSP, Eligible TFSA or Eligible FHSA (Note: two of the same Eligible Registered Account types do not qualify) |
CAD $350 |
*For purposes of calculating the Minimum Qualifying Investment Amount, the book value of the contributions and/or transfers-in will be used to determine eligibility.
3) By March 1, 2025, set up and clear one recurring pre-authorized contribution (PAC) from any Scotiabank personal bank account with a minimum value of at least $100 per month in any of your new Eligible Registered Accounts, which must have recurred for a minimum of three (3) consecutive months by May 31, 2025.
General Terms: Customers are responsible to confirm their contribution limits noted on their most current Notice of Assessment issued by the Canada Revenue Agency prior to making any contribution to their Eligible Registered Account(s). Scotiabank is not responsible for any contribution over a customer’s limit in connection with this Offer. The Cash Bonus is not considered a contribution and therefore will not impact contribution limits. For clients investing in non-Canadian dollar currencies, the investment will be calculated based on Canadian dollar equivalent at the Scotiabank rate on the transaction date to determine eligibility for the Offer. The Cash Bonus will be paid in Canadian dollars.
The applicable Cash Bonus will be paid into your new Eligible Registered Account on or around September 30, 2025 provided all Offer conditions have been satisfied. Your Eligible Registered Account(s) must be open and in good standing at the time of the Cash Bonus payout. For purposes of this Offer, an Eligible Registered Account is not in 'good standing' if the account holder is in breach of the Eligible Registered Account’s client account agreements. If multiple Eligible Registered Accounts are opened, you will receive your applicable Cash Bonus into your Eligible Registered Accounts on a pro rata basis as a percentage of the total Qualifying Investment Amount. For example, if you invest $6,000 into an Eligible TFSA and $8,000 into an Eligible FHSA, you will qualify for a Cash Bonus of CAD$350, which will be paid as follows: CAD$150 in the Eligible TFSA and CAD$200 in the Eligible FHSA. If multiple Eligible Registered Accounts of the same type are opened, the Cash Bonus (or the pro rata portion of the Cash Bonus, if applicable) will be paid to the first Eligible Registered Account opened that has met the Offer conditions. For a spousal RRSP, the Cash Bonus will be paid into that plan and not paid to the contributor.
This Offer is non-transferable, non-saleable, may not be exchanged for cash and may not be duplicated. Limit of one (1) Cash Bonus per customer, regardless of the number of Eligible Registered Accounts opened. Offer may be changed, cancelled or extended at any time and cannot be combined with any other offers except as otherwise specified.
Up to $350 Registered Account Welcome Offer: Available between November 1, 2024 and March 1, 2025 to individuals who open one or more new Eligible Registered Account(s) with either The Bank of Nova Scotia or Scotia Securities Inc. and complete certain qualifying transactions. View offer details here.
Savings and reward potential in first 12 months includes welcome offer value, first year point earn potential, foreign transaction fee and airport lounge savings as of February 28, 2024:
$250 in travel rewards (25,000 bonus Scene+ points) for new Scotiabank Passport Visa Infinite Card clients who spend $1,000 within the first 3 months (see offer details);
$100 in travel rewards (10,000 bonus Scene+ points) when you spend $40,000 annually on your Account each year (12-months);
$50 supplementary card annual fee waiver on the first supplementary card for new Scotiabank Passport Visa Infinite Card clients;
$100 in foreign transaction fee savings based on average first year annual foreign spend per account (save the 2.5% foreign transaction fee markup typically charged by card issuers);
$250 in first year point earn potential (25,000 Scene+ points) on everyday purchases based on average annual first year spend per account with an average spend of 21% in 2X accelerator categories;
$350 value with a complimentary Visa Airport Companion Program Membership and 6 lounge passes (annual membership plus one free visit of approx. CAD$134/USD$99 plus 5 lounge passes at CDN$48/USD$35 per pass). Currency conversion as at February 28, 2024.
Potential First Year Value = up to $1,100
Actual offers, savings and rewards earned will depend on individual card usage and eligibility for applicable offers. Conditions apply.
You are awarded two (2) Scene+ Points for every eligible $1.00 purchase on all other grocery (not listed above), dining, entertainment, and daily transit purchases charged and posted to the Scotiabank Passport Visa Infinite Account (the earn rates for each of the above categories and merchants are referred to as the “Accelerated Earn Rates”). See below for the Spend Threshold that applies to this Accelerated Earn Rate.
You are awarded one (1) Scene+ Point for every $1.00 in all other purchases of goods and services charged to the Scotiabank Passport Visa Infinite Account (the “Regular Earn Rate”).
Spend Threshold for the Accelerated Earn Rate (Scotiabank Passport Visa Infinite Accounts only):
You will earn the Accelerated Earn Rate on the first $50,000 in purchases made on your Scotiabank Passport Visa Infinite account (the “Account”) annually at the following: purchases made at merchants classified in the Visa credit card network as: Grocery Stores and Supermarkets; Eating Places and Restaurants, Drinking Places, Fast Food Restaurants; Entertainment including Motion Picture Theatres, Theatrical Producers, Ticket Agencies, Bands, Orchestras, Miscellaneous Entertainers; Railroads, Local and Suburban Commuter Passenger Transportation, including Ferries, Passenger Railways, Taxicabs and Limousines, Bus Lines, Transportation Services (Not Elsewhere Classified). Some merchants may sell other products/services or are separate merchants who are located on the premises of these merchants, but are classified by the credit card network in another manner, in which case this added benefit would not apply. The annual spend calculation for the $50,000 maximum threshold is calculated annually from January 1st to December 31st each year. You will earn 1 point per $1 on purchases made on the Account after the 2 points per $1 / $50,000 annual spend maximum is reached and on all other purchases made on the Account. Scene+ points are only awarded on purchases. Scene+ points are not awarded for cash advances, balance transfers, Scotia® Credit Card Cheques, payments, returns, refunds or other similar credits, fees or interest or other charges. All dollar amounts are in Canadian currency unless otherwise stated.