How to Transfer Money from UK to Canada
UK to Canada Guide
Summary
Transferring money from the UK to Canada has no restrictions. Canada has strong historical links to the UK and there are many reasons for to send money from the UK to Canada ranging from property purchases, expat and asset relocation, sending money to family, repatriating earnings, or paying for imports. At 608,000 in 2012 - of whom over a quarter are retired - Canada has the fifth largest UK expat population. Similarly, the UK is host to the third largest population of Canadians overseas, estimated at 82,000 in 2009. The UK is also Canada’s second biggest trading partner after the US, with the UK importing £5.8bn (C$10.5bn) of goods and services in 2013.
Relocating as an expat from the UK to Canada
Whether you are considering a temporary work assignment or permanent move from the UK to Canada, there are various issues you need to consider. Many expatriates have regretted not organizing their tax and financial matters before leaving the UK. This is usually because they were unaware of the issues or because they failed to make use of some of the available opportunities to do so. The UK government’s rules and regulations for UK expatriates are complicated. As such, you would be well served to seek specialist tax and financial planning advice from an expert. Below are some of the areas you will need to cover:
Your resident status as an expat in Canada
First and foremost, you need to know how living in a foreign country affects your resident status within the UK. If you are going to Canada to work, specific rules from the UK govern whether you are still a resident or not. In the UK the tax year begins on the 6th of April and runs through the 5th of April of the following year. In Canada the tax year is the calendar year (January to December) so be careful to consider how this overlap may affect your plans.
Quebec in Canada has different rules to the rest of Canada, so take care to review these differences. If you are returning to Canada, you will need to consult with Canadian tax advisors to see what impact your return has.
Status of your UK property
If you are a property owner in the UK and you become a UK non-resident by moving to Canada, you may chose to rent your property out or leave it empty to use when you are back in the UK. Check whether you need to contact and consult with your mortgage lender, home insurer and your local authority if you are plan to rent your property or remain away from it for long periods of time. For example, you may still be responsible to pay local taxes. If you rent it out and earn an income from it, you will be able to transfer money to Canada.
Receiving your UK pension in Canada
If you move to Canada, your UK state pension is payable in Canada, but you will not be able to receive any annual increases in the level of this benefit once you are no longer resident in the UK. Therefore your pension level will stay at the rate prevailing at the date when you leave the UK. You will be able to send money from the UK to Canada on a regular basis, but getting the best exchange rate on these transfers becomes even more important if the amount in sterling does not rise.
Setting up a bank account in Canada as a foreign national
As a foreign national, you can open a bank account in Canada provided you meet the basic requirements set out in the Access to Basic Banking Services Regulations. You must present two specific pieces of identification, such as:
- A Canadian driver’s license, (check if the bank you are applying to will accept a UK license)A Certificate of Canadian Citizenship, a Certification of Naturalization, in the form of a paper document or card but not a commemorative issue,A Permanent Resident card or Citizenship and Immigration Canada Form IMM 1000 or IMM 1442.
- A foreign passport and an employee card with a photograph are also acceptable pieces of secondary identification. It’s also possible to present only one piece of identification if your identity can be confirmed by a client in good standing with the bank or by an individual of good standing in the community where the bank is located.
Once you have your account set up, it will be much easier to move from UK pounds to Canadian dollars for your day-to-day expenses, especially when you are first there are may not be receiving much income or have not had the chance to build up savings in Canada.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are the money transfer companies shown above safe to use?
Yes, all the companies are safe and fully-regulated money transfer services.
Each are authorised and regulated by the relevant authority such as the Financial
Conduct Authority(FCA) in the UK, FinCEN in the US, FinTRAC in Canada or ASIC in Australia.
How long does an international money transfer take?
The speed of delivery will depend on where the money is being from and to and how
you are sending and receiving the money. Transfers sent using bank to bank transfers
can depend take anywhere from minutes to days and you should check the time estimates
from the relevant provider. Debit and credit card payments sometimes allow for faster
transfers for smaller amounts.
How do I use FXcompared?
First review the comparison results (such as for a table above) for a given amount
of money sending from UK to Canada. Then select a provider based on
factors such as price, speed, their rating and click the green button to be taken to
their website. From there, you can register and sign up for an account. Once you have
done that and the provider has verified your identity to ensure the money can be send
safely, you will be ready to transfer money.
What payments methods can I use to send money overseas?
The results shown above are typically for bank to bank transfers. It is possible
via some providers to pay in your funds for the transfer via cash, debit or credit
cards as well but this is usually reserved for smaller amounts. Some providers also
give you different options for how the money will be received - to a bank account
(most common), to a debit card, to cash or to a digital or mobile wallet.
What if the price shown above isn’t exactly what I am offered when I try to transfer money?
There can be a number of reasons why the final price you are offered may be different
to that shown in the table above. Exchange rates between two currencies change all
the time and is the most common reason. Additionally, some providers offer different
pricing depending what method you are using to send funds or how the funds will be
received. Others may offer you a premium service for faster payments. In some cases
FXcompared has a special rate with a provider and this is reserved for first time
customers who sign up to the provider starting from FXcompared’s website.
As prices do change often, be sure to confirm the total cost with the provider
before transferring money.
How we make money
FXcompared is an independent, advertising-supported comparison service where we have commercial relationships with some of the providers listed. When you use us to sign up to a money transfer provider we have a commercial relationship with, we get either a flat fee or a commission from the provider you choose but this does not cost you anything extra and our site is free to use. The ability for companies to sign-up and retain customers may impact how and where these providers appear on this site, including, for example, the order in which they may appear within listing categories but you may reorder the listings. Other factors, such as our own proprietary website rules and the likelihood of a customer being on-boarded to a provider impact how and where products appear on this site. FXcompared does not include the entire universe of available international money transfer companies.
Exchange rates update frequently and the pricing shown in the comparison tables is indicative only and based on a first time transfer for a new customer signing up via FXcompared. The pricing does not reflect any special rates individual customers may be offered by a provider, either on sign up or rates for any repeat transfers and there may be other lower priced providers not listed on FXcompared. FXcompared is not an FX trading platform and should not be used to inform any FX trading decisions.
All reviews are prepared by FXcompared. Opinions expressed therein are solely those of the reviewer. The information presented in the review is accurate as of the date of the review. Check with the providers directly for the most current information.
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