Settling in Prince Edward Island

Newcomers who move to PEI to live, work or study apply for a PEI Health Card to receive publicly funded health services.

The card is handled by PEI Medicare, part of Health PEI, in Montague.

The basic rule is that you must be legally in Canada and make PEI your primary residence for at least six months plus a day each year.

You must be physically in PEI to apply, and you can apply as soon as you arrive.

Permanent residents arriving from outside Canada may get coverage from their first day (no waiting period) if they submit their permanent residence document or both sides of their PR card.

For contrast, people moving from another Canadian province wait until the first day of the third month after they start living in PEI (their old province covers them meanwhile).

Work permit holders get a Temporary PEI Health Card if their work permit lets them work in PEI for at least 183 days; they submit the work permit and passport.

PEI Medicare may also ask a worker for a proof-of-employment letter and proof of residency such as a lease or utility bill.

A worker's temporary card is valid only for the period approved for work in PEI.

A worker's spouse and dependent children under 18 who live with them may be included in the application.

International students get a Temporary PEI Health Card only if their study permit allows off-campus work; they submit a passport, that study permit and proof of enrolment at a designated learning institution.

International students who cannot work off campus, and tourists or visitors, are not eligible.

A student's spouse and dependent children under 18 living with them may be included, with their visitor or work permit and marriage or birth certificates.

The temporary card for students and workers lasts for the length of the study or work permit; the regular card for permanent residents lasts five years.

You can apply online, or print the application form and bring it to any Access PEI location or mail it to PEI Medicare in Montague.

The printable form can be taken to Access PEI with the supporting documents, or mailed to PEI Medicare.

Applications other than same-day Access PEI appointments can take up to eight weeks.

A permanent resident moving from another province where they had coverage can get same-day approval at an Access PEI location.

A health card does not give you a family doctor: the Provincial Patient Registry is a separate waiting list you must join.

Newcomers may drive on their existing licence for up to four months after becoming PEI residents, longer if they have started the exchange.

Full-time students at a PEI university or college may drive on a valid home licence, with an International Driver's Permit if required.

Visitors holding a 6-month visitor visa are neither required nor eligible to get a PEI licence.

The exchange is done in person at an Access PEI office.

Licences from other Canadian jurisdictions and from the reciprocal countries are exchanged without a written knowledge exam or driving test.

The reciprocal countries and classes are: Austria, Australia, Belgium, Germany, Japan, South Korea, Switzerland and the United Kingdom (Class 5 and 6); France and Taiwan (Class 5); Ukraine (Class 5, from August 15, 2022); United States (Class 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6, written on the page as "3.4").

For PEI, the United Kingdom includes England, Wales, Northern Ireland, Scotland and the Isle of Man.

A one-way ("unilateral") exchange, in effect since January 24, 2022, lets Class 5 holders from Denmark, Ireland, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, Spain and Sweden skip the tests if they show a valid licence and one supporting document (an International Driving Permit, a driver abstract, or a letter from the licensing agency or embassy, each issued within 30 days where stated).

Drivers from all other countries can still get a PEI licence but must pass a written knowledge test, complete the Novice Driver Course for Newcomers and pass a driving test.

For an exchange you bring your valid licence, two documents showing your PEI address, a translation if needed, and immigration documents showing your status and length of stay.

A translation can be a certified translation or one provided by the Immigrant and Refugee Services Association of PEI.

To register, contact the school in your zone; children born outside Canada or who speak a language other than English or French at home register first at the EAL/FAL Reception Centre.

Children start kindergarten if they turn five by December 31 of that year.

The province gives free school supplies from kindergarten to grade 9.

The Public Schools Branch says these children must contact the PEI Student Welcome Centre (85 Fitzroy Street, Charlottetown) before registering, whether or not they need language services, and families must already be living in PEI to book.

The Welcome Centre asks for immigration documents for the child and parents, the child's birth certificate and previous school records (translated if needed) and proof of address.

Families must be living in PEI with their children before booking the Welcome Centre appointment.

The Office of Immigration's "Immigrate" section links newcomers to pages including Prepare to Come to PEI, Be Ready to Work in PEI, Coming to Canada and Adjusting to Life in PEI.

The province points newcomers to the Immigrant and Refugee Services Association PEI (IRSA) for English training information and language assessment, and to the CIF for French.

Holland College offers Language Instruction for Newcomers to Canada (LINC) in partnership with IRCC.