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Prepare to Open Your Account | Skip to Step 3: Opening your Account >>

To obtain the free Canada Learning Bond (CLB) money for your child’s future education, you must open an RESP account with a registered provider. Before going to meet with the provider:

  1. Make sure you have the required identification
  2. Make an appointment with the provider

1. What ID Do I Need?

Your SIN


Your Child's SIN


Your Child’s Birth Certificate

If you already have these, that's great! You can move on to the next step.

What is a SIN?

A SIN, or Social Insurance Number, is a unique nine-digit number assigned to a person living in Canada who wishes to work in Canada or receive benefits and services from Government programs.

There is NO FEE to apply for a SIN.

What is a SIN for your child?

Like yours, the SIN for your child is a Social Insurance Number, which is a unique nine-digit number assigned to a person living in Canada who wishes to work in Canada or receive benefits and services from Government programs.

SIN cards now only exist in a paper format so do not be surprised that your child does not receive a plastic card like yours.

There is NO FEE to apply for a SIN.

Why do I need my child’s birth certificate?

The Birth Certificate is an official document issued to record a person's birth and it is required as identification to apply for other important personal documents.

If your child was born outside of Canada, you can bring their confirmation of permanent residence, certificate of Canadian citizenship, or other form of ID listed as a primary document below.

There is a FEE of $25 dollars minimum. Or you could pay $35 to obtain the longer version of the birth certificate but that is not necessary to apply for the RESP and the CLB or A-CESG.

How Do I Get the ID?

Online

To apply online, you need to fill out an online form and provide the required documents listed below.

SIN and Birth Certificate Application
Birth Certificate Application
SIN Application

In Person

To apply in person, you need to go to a Service Canada location and bring the required documents listed below.

Service Canada Locations

For a SIN Number, you must bring:

The original copy of your primary document. This could be any one of the following:

  • Canadian Birth Certificate
  • Certificate of Canadian Citizenship
  • Certificate of Registration of Birth Abroad issued prior to 1977 by CIC.
  • Permanent Residence Card
  • Confirmation of Permanent Residence: accompanied by either a travel document (for example, a foreign passport) or an alternate photo identification issued by a provincial/territorial authority (for example, a driver’s license).
  • Record of Landing issued by CIC before June 28, 2002.
  • Work permit
  • Study permit

For a birth certificate, you must bring:

The form from your hospital signed by your doctor that records the birth of your child. Your hospital will have a record of this so do not worry if you don’t have it.

There is a FEE of $25 dollars minimum. Or you could pay $35 to obtain the longer version of the birth certificate but that is not necessary to apply for the RESP and the CLB or A-CESG.

To review this information in a different language, visit the SmartSAVER Website.

2. Make an Appointment

To open the RESP account that will get your child the Canada Learning Bond (CLB), you will need to make an appointment with an RESP provider, which is a bank, credit union, insurance company or scholarship trust. If you just want to apply for the CLB, we recommend account-open a no-fee RESP savings account offered by the banks and credit unions listed on the right.

What should I bring to the appointment?

Make sure you bring the 3 types of Identification from above plus a Government issued ID for yourself (this might be a passport, driver’s license, or any one of the primary documents listed above).

This means you need 4 types of identification:

  • Government issued ID for yourself
  • Your SIN
  • Your child’s SIN
  • Your child’s Birth Certificate

We recommend bringing this list of questions with you to the bank to make sure you’re account-open an account that suits you.

Who needs to come with me?

  • If you are not the primary caregiver of the child, the primary caregiver will need to go with you to the appointment. They will need to provide their SIN and sign a permission form to apply for the CLB.
  • If you would like your partner or spouse to have access to the account, they will need to be at the appointment with you. They will also need to bring their SIN with them.

Move on to the next step

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RESP Quick Checklist

Download and print this .pdf document as a handy checklist for your RESP process

Open it here.

Frequently Asked Questions

Read a list of frequently asked questions here.

Beware!

Not all Service Canada locations provide SINs. Double check that the one you’re going to offers this service.

Since you cannot make appointments at Service Canada, try to go early on a weekday to avoid long lines. If this is impossible to do, try to apply online.

Service Canada does not have childcare. If you bring your kids, be prepared with toys, books, snacks, etc. to keep them entertained while you are waiting.

Banks and credit unions that offer a no-fee RESP savings account:

  • Royal Bank of Canada
  • Bank of Montreal
  • Bank of Nova Scotia
  • TD Canada Trust
  • Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce
  • Canadian Scholarship Trust Plan