How do I report my change of address to public bodies?

When you move, you must give your new address to Québec government departments and bodies as soon as possible. The Service québécois de changement d'adresse (SQCA), an online service, lets you send it in a single step to the following seven departments and bodies: the CNESST, Élections Québec, the ministère de l'Emploi et de la Solidarité sociale, the RAMQ, Retraite Québec, Revenu Québec and the SAAQ. It does not cover everything: some Québec services have their own procedure, and federal bodies (taxes, employment insurance, immigration, etc.) do not receive your new address automatically. Canada Post is also a separate service.

Key facts

Service québécois de changement d'adresse (SQCA)

Online service: a single step for the following seven Québec government departments and bodies: the CNESST, Élections Québec, the ministère de l'Emploi et de la Solidarité sociale, the RAMQ, Retraite Québec, Revenu Québec and the SAAQ.

SAAQ deadline

Within 30 days of the moving date; a sticker to put on the driver's licence is sent.

Aide financière aux études deadline

Notify within 30 days of the move, to avoid payments being suspended.

Federal

No automatic update: procedure with each department or agency (CRA, Service Canada, IRCC, etc.).

Mail

Canada Post's mail forwarding service is a separate procedure (Québec.ca points to it).

Steps

1. Use the Service québécois de changement d'adresse (SQCA), the online service recommended by Québec.ca when the option is available. A single step sends your new address to the seven departments and bodies it covers.
2. For the RAMQ, the SQCA covers the health insurance card. For the SAAQ, it covers the driver's licence, the registration certificate and the disabled parking permit. Revenu Québec (for example the solidarity tax credit and the work premium) and Retraite Québec (for example the Québec Pension Plan) are also covered, for a former address in Québec in the case of Retraite Québec.
3. Respect the SAAQ deadline: you must send it your new address within 30 days of your moving date. It will send you a sticker to put on your driver's licence.
4. Do the procedures for services the SQCA does not cover, depending on your situation. For example: the Québec Parental Insurance Plan (QPIP online service, with clicSÉQUR), Aide financière aux études (to be notified within 30 days of your move). The official page lists others (for example for construction trades or the hunter's certificate). If you contribute to a supplemental pension plan, also notify its administrator.
5. Think about the federal level: your new address is not updated automatically, because government systems do not communicate with each other. You must change it with each department or agency, for example the Canada Revenue Agency (personal income tax, Canada Child Benefit), Service Canada (employment insurance, Canada Pension Plan, Old Age Security) and IRCC (immigration and citizenship applications in progress, passport).
6. Do not look for a federal change of address for the health insurance card or the driver's licence: these are documents issued by the province, so the procedure is with Québec (see the previous steps).
7. Also think about Canada Post: Québec.ca points to its mail forwarding service, which is a separate procedure.