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RBC International Student GIC Program

Open an RBC Advantage Banking account for Students online

Be financially ready for Canada before you arrive

Transfer up to $75,000~

Open online in under 15 minutes º

Setting Up Your New RBC Student Bank Account

How to get started in 3 easy steps from your home country.

Apply online

Open your RBC Advantage Banking Account for students in under 15 minutes.º

No program or handling fees apply.

Apply Now

Must be from an eligible country and arriving in the next 12 months.

To qualify, you must:

  • Be a legal resident living in one of the eligible countries
  • Be at least 13 years of age (14 years if settling in Quebec)
  • Have a valid passport
  • Have a confirmation of admission from your Canadian school in a PDF or JPEG format

  • Hong Kong
  • China
  • India
  • Philippines
  • Vietnam
  • Antigua & Barbuda
  • Costa Rica
  • Saint Vincent & the Grenadines
  • Trinidad & Tobago
Transfer your money

Once opened, you can send up to $75,000~ to fund your new account in Canada and get the proof of funds you need for your visa requirement.

Activate your account

Visit your local branch after you land as confirmed in your appointment email. Activate your account and start banking.

Start your studies in Canada with proof of funds in place

Begin your studies with your finances in place

Transfer up to $75,000~

No program or application fees

Choose your GIC after you arrive

Get Your Student GIC in a Few Simple Steps

A GIC for international students can help provide you with the proof of financial support required for your Canadian study permit application.

Start the process from your home country and choose a GIC upon arrival.

Apply online

Open your RBC Advantage Banking Account for students in under 15 minutes.º

No program or handling fees apply.

Apply Now

Must be from an eligible country and arriving in the next 12 months.

  • Hong Kong
  • China
  • India
  • Philippines
  • Vietnam
  • Antigua & Barbuda
  • Costa Rica
  • Saint Vincent & the Grenadines
  • Trinidad & Tobago

To qualify, you must:

  • Be a legal resident living in one of the eligible countries
  • Be at least 13 years of age (14 years if settling in Quebec)
  • Have a valid passport
  • Have a confirmation of admission from your Canadian school in a PDF or JPEG format

  • Once activated, choose one of the following options – whichever is best for you:
    • Invest in a GIC with guidance from an advisor at competitive available rates
    • Invest some of your funds into a GIC and use the rest as needed.
    • Start using all your funds immediately
  • If you are choosing option a or b, please refer to Guaranteed Investment Certificates (GICs) - RBC Royal Bank for further details.
Transfer your money

Review the IRCC proof-of-funds requirement to decide how much to send before applying.

Once funds are received, you’ll get a Confirmation of Deposit that you can submit with your study permit application.

Activate your account

Visit your local branch after you land as confirmed in your appointment email. Activate your account and start banking.

An RBC advisor will help you activate your account and select your GIC.

Support For Every Step of Your Financial Journey

From study permit planning to your move to Canada, RBC helps you get ready early and feel confident about your finances.

Security

Bank with confidence

Transfer and manage your funds knowing you’re banking with one of Canada’s most trusted financial institutions4.

Cost savings

Your money goes further

Your student bank account comes with $0 monthly fee1 and unlocks even more perks to help you save on everyday banking costs.

Convenience

Bank on campus, near home or on the go

Enjoy easy access to your money, with over 4,000 RBC branches and ATMs across Canada.

Digital banking

Built for digital-first student life

RBC Online Banking and the RBC Mobile app2 make it easy to manage your money anytime – wherever student life takes you.

Rewards

Get more from your everyday banking

Enroll your account in the Value Program and earn Avion Rewards3 points when you shop online or in-store with your debit card.

Studying in Canada

There’s more to student life than what’s taught in the classroom. Before you arrive, get practical tips for living, studying and working in Canada.

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How to Find the Best Bank Account for International Students?

To help you find the best student account for your needs, here are a few things to consider.

Learn More
Advice For Your First Months in Canada

Hear from international students who have been through the same journey.

Learn More
To Do: Your First Month in Canada

Find out what tasks to cover off once you arrive.

Learn More
Calculate Your Student Budget

Use our Student Budget Calculator to figure out how much you may need to get through the school year.

Learn More

Our Advisors Are Here to Help

Let us answer any questions you may have.

Need help in your language? Our phone services are available in up to 200 languages.

Call us:

Toll-Free: 1-866-756-1107

Collect: 1-506-864-2275

Connect online with our team of newcomer advisors
Find Your Local Branch

Frequently Asked
Questions

Yes, you can open a Canadian bank account with RBC before arriving in Canada. This lets you set up your account online and transfer money ahead of time, so you can access funds as soon as you arrive. Ready to get started? Open an account online before you arrive.

Yes. You can enroll in the RBC Student GIC program without any handling or setup fees. Open an account while you are in your home country. At your post-arrival branch appointment, an RBC advisor will:

  • Help activate your account, and
  • Help you open your GIC, if eligible

Yes, once you wire funds into your account, you will receive a confirmation of deposit by email that can be used as proof of funds for IRCC purposes.

The RBC Student Advantage is a banking solution designed for international students. It includes a chequing account with no monthly fee for full-time students, plus access to a credit card with a limit of up to $2,000 and up to 12% cashback for the first three months – no credit history required.

For more answers, visit our pre-arrival FAQs

Subject to applicable foreign exchange regulations, capital controls, and other transfer restrictions in your country of origin.
The application takes approximately 10-15 minutes. To avoid delays, make sure you have:
  • Your passport
  • Your immigration or study/ work documents ready before you begin
  • Ensure your name and birth date details match the government-issued document and ID
Monthly fee will be waived for the first twelve months upon account opening of the RBC Advantage Banking account or RBC VIP Banking account. Thereafter the monthly fee will be charged: monthly fee of $12.95 for the RBC Advantage Banking account or monthly fee of $30.00 for the RBC VIP Banking account. For RBC VIP Banking account, $10,000 CAD must be deposited into the account within 20 days of account opening to qualify for the promotional offer, and offer expires October 31, 2026. Other account transaction fees may apply. Monthly fee waiver for the first twelve months may be replaced with any in-market offer that applies to the RBC Advantage Banking or RBC VIP Banking account. Available only to newcomers; please see the eligibility requirements in above note *. Offer may be withdrawn or amended at any time without notice. See complete terms and conditions (PDF opens in new window) that apply to this promotional offer. The monthly fee waiver for newcomers is offered as part of the Commitment on Low-Cost and No-Cost Accounts from the Financial Consumer Agency of Canada (FCAC).
RBC Online Banking is provided by Royal Bank of Canada. RBC Mobile is operated by Royal Bank of Canada, RBC Direct Investing Inc. and RBC Dominion Securities Inc. RBC Mobile Student Edition is intended for clients under the age of 22. RBC Online Banking is operated by Royal Bank of Canada.
When you enrol your eligible RBC personal bank account into the RBC Value Program, you will be eligible to earn Avion points within the Avion Rewards Program as an Eligible Personal Banking Client, and any such points earned will be deposited into the Avion Rewards account tied to your enrolled account. Purchases from your account refers to using your RBC Client Card to pay for items at a merchant or service provider with the amount electronically debited directly from your enrolled account or using your RBC Virtual Visa Debit for purchases online. Avion points are governed by the Avion Rewards Terms and Conditions available on our website, or a copy may be provided to you by contacting us. For complete details on the Value Program, please see the Value Program Terms & Conditions
Our guarantee to you: We will reimburse you for monetary losses to your Account(s) resulting directly from the following unauthorized transactions on your Account(s) using Digital Banking or Mobile Payments (collectively, Unauthorized Transactions):
  • transactions that occur after you notify us that you believe that any of your Passwords may have become known by someone, or that you noticed unusual, suspicious or fraudulent activity on any of your Accounts;
  • transactions where it can be shown that you have been a victim of fraud, theft or have been coerced by trickery, force or intimidation, so long as you report the incident to us immediately and cooperate and assist us fully in any investigation;
  • transactions resulting from negligent conduct by us, our employees or Third-Party Service Providers;
  • Interac‡ Online Payment transactions resulting from negligent conduct by any Third Party participating in Interac‡Online Payment; and
  • any failure, error, malfunction, or technical problem of our system or equipment or that of any Third-Party Service Provider or any Third Party participating in Interac‡ Online Payment.
Your responsibilities: Despite the above, we are not responsible for and we will not reimburse you for losses to your Account(s) if:
  • you do not comply with any of your obligations under this Agreement or you do not comply with any instructions we may provide to you in connection with Digital Banking or Mobile Payments;
  • you engage in any fraudulent, criminal or dishonest acts related to Digital Banking or Mobile Payments;
  • you access Digital Banking or Mobile Payments via a Device that you know or reasonably should know contains software that has the ability to reveal or otherwise compromise any of your Passwords, Personal Verification Questions or an e-Transfer Question and Answer;
  • you carry out the transaction, including if the transaction is a result of any mistake, error, omission, inaccuracy or other inadequacy of, or contained in any data or information that you give to us;
  • you share any of your Passwords or Personal Verification Questions; or
  • you consent to, contribute to or authorize a transaction in any way.
Exceptional Losses: In no event, even if we are negligent, will we be liable for any loss of data, or any indirect, consequential, special, aggravated, punitive or exemplary damages, in whole or in part, (including any business interruption, loss of profits, data, information, opportunity, revenues, goodwill or any other commercial or economic loss), caused to you, regardless of the cause of action, even if we were advised of the possibility of such damages. For full details regarding the protections and limitations of the RBC Digital Banking Security Guarantee, including your responsibilities in ensuring the safety and security of your transactions, please see your Electronic Access Agreementand your Client Card Agreement for personal banking clients, and the Master Client Agreement for business clients. This guarantee is given by Royal Bank of Canada in connection with its Online and Mobile Banking services. Formerly known as the RBC Online Banking Security Guarantee.