Social Insurance Number (SIN)

Before you start

People applying for a first SIN, correcting a record or updating temporary status. Having a SIN does not itself authorize you to work.

• Choose your situation and application method on Service Canada’s official page. It generates different document requirements for different applicants; a generic checklist cannot replace it.
• Check expiry dates and whether the names on your documents match. Name changes can require linking documents. If a document is not in English or French, follow Service Canada’s translation requirements rather than translating it yourself without checking.
• For online applications, prepare clear copies showing the whole original document, including its edges. For an in-person visit, confirm the office and bring the required originals. Do not email these documents to this website.
• If applying for a child or another person, use the representative instructions. Anyone aged 12 or over can apply for their own SIN; a parent or legal guardian can apply for a child under the local age of majority.

Program rules: Employment and Social Development Canada. Preparation questions are suggestions, not extra eligibility requirements.

Steps

1. Confirm you need a SIN

   A SIN is needed to work in Canada and access certain government programs and benefits. If you only need a copy of an existing number, view and print it through My Service Canada Account. Changes to your name, status or temporary SIN expiry require an update application.
2. Gather your primary identity document

   Permanent residents can use a PR card or Confirmation of Permanent Residence within one year of becoming a permanent resident. Temporary residents need an accepted work-authorizing document, such as an eligible work or study permit. Check the official document selector: translation, name changes and representative applications have additional rules.
3. Gather a secondary document

   If you are the age of majority in your province, bring one document showing your legal name and date of birth — a passport, a Canadian provincial/territorial ID card or driver’s licence, or another Canadian government-issued ID.
4. Choose online, in person or by mail

   Applying is free. Online applications require clear digital copies of original documents. At a Service Canada visit, if everything is in order, you receive your SIN during the visit and keep your documents. Mail applications are possible but require sending documents by post. Compare the official instructions before choosing; online is not necessarily fastest.
5. Protect your SIN

   A SIN starting with "9" is temporary and expires on the date shown. Guard the number — do not share it unless required by an employer, bank, or government program. Service Canada no longer issues plastic cards.

What to expect—and where people get stuck

There is no application fee. If an in-person application is in order, Service Canada says you get the SIN during your visit. For online or mail applications, use current government processing guidance rather than relying on a fixed promise here.

A missing document or error can delay an application. Service Canada says an online application cannot be edited after submission: a correction requires a new application including all documents. Follow its instructions rather than submitting duplicate applications without a reason.

A temporary SIN starts with 9. When you receive a renewed immigration document, update the SIN expiry. Maintained-status work rules are separate and depend on your circumstances; check IRCC and Service Canada rather than assuming an expired SIN alone settles the question.