CANADA
Canada is widely recognized for its high standard of living, welcoming immigration system, and diverse multicultural environment.
It’s one of the top destinations for international students due to its globally ranked universities, post-study work opportunities, and pathways to permanent residency.
For people moving to Canada, the country offers strong public healthcare, clean cities, and a strong job market, particularly in tech, engineering, and healthcare. Tourists are drawn to Canada’s vast natural beauty—from the Rocky Mountains and Niagara Falls to vibrant cities like Toronto, Vancouver, and Montreal.
What’s taking YOU there?
General Etiquette & Culture you should know
Politeness
Canadians are famously polite and value courtesy, respect and kindness. Saying “please” and “thank you”, “sorry” and “excuse me” is very common and expected in daily interactions.
First names
While Canadians are friendly, it is best to begin with formal titles until invited to use first names, especially in professional or older age groups.
Tipping
Tipping is customary in Canada. In restaurants 15-20% of the total bill is expected. Tips are also given to taxi drivers, hairdressers and hotel staff.
Legal and Safety Rules
Drinking age
The legal drinking age is 18 in Alberta, Manitoba and Quebec. 19 in the rest of the country.
Drugs
Cannabis is legal for recreational use across Canada, but other drugs remain illegal and strictly controlled.
Smoking
Smoking tobacco and cannabis is banned in indoor public places, restaurants, public transport and within certain distance of entrances, parks or schools. Rules vary by province.
Practical Tips
Emergency Phone numbers
911 is the emergency phone number across Canada for police, fire and medical emergencies. Operators speak both English and French
What type of chargers do they use for phones/laptops?
They use a flat parallel pinned charger with a grounding pin
What is the currency?
They use CAD. This converts to EUR 1 and USD $0.72. Coins are called “loonies” for $1 and “toonies” for $2.
How to pay for parking?
There is a wide range of ways to pay for parking in Canada, from apps like Passport Parking or PayByPhone, or conventional methods such as parking meters with the use of cash/coins