Pre-Departure + Arriving in Canada

Make sure you have all your documents before you arrive in Canada

• A valid travel document, such as a passport.
• The port of entry Letter of Instruction or a valid study permit if you are a returning student.
• Letter of Acceptance (not applicable for one-term exchange students).
• A valid eTA (Electronic Travel Authorization) for visa exemption countries students, or a valid TRV (Temporary Resident Visa) for visa required countries students. US citizens and permanent residents are exempt from eTA or TRV.
• Valid medical exam results (not applicable for one-term exchange students).
• Proof of financial support for your study.
• Any other documents you were instructed by the visa officers to bring.

Once you arrive in Canada

• Use your Letter of Instruction to get your study permit at the Canadian border.
• Don’t forget to apply for the Medical Services Plan (BC MSP) when you arrive in Canada. Apply for your MSP here. Expect three months to receive your BC MSP card. Find out more about BC MSP here.
• Get to know more about life in BC at the Welcome BC website.

Transportation from the airport

When you arrive in Vancouver, you will have many options to get to wherever you need to go.

You can take a taxi, or a rideshare service like Uber or Lyft to get to your hotel or residence. Or, you can take the SkyTrain public transit system.

The Canada Line route of the Skytrain goes directly from Vancouver International Airport (YVR) to downtown Vancouver. We recommend planning your trip from YVR to your destination ahead of time, so you are familiar with the route.

Find the Translink Trip Planner here.

You can also visit the Translink site to familiarize yourself with Vancouver’s public transit zoning system and fare prices, as well as the U-Pass BC program.

The U-Pass BC Program is a subsidized transit program for students studying at a post-secondary level.