International students

Welcome Service

During the fall and winter intakes, a personalized airport welcome service is offered to international students to facilitate their arrival. For more information and to register, visit the Welcome Plus service website.

Transportation to Downtown

Montreal-Trudeau Airport is located about 25 km from downtown Montreal. Several options are available to get to downtown (taxi, shuttles); the most economical is the 747 bus line of the Société de transport de Montréal.

Housing

Get information and helpful advice on choosing your neighborhood and housing in Montreal by visiting the housing section.

If you wish to live in UQAM’s University Residences, reserve your place as soon as possible.

Quebec Climate

Quebec experiences four seasons. While fall and spring have more temperate temperatures, summer can be very hot in Montreal (temperatures can exceed 30°C, with an average of 25°C), while winter is quite cold (temperatures can drop to -25°C, but the average is around -5°C to -10°C).

Therefore, you should prepare clothing suitable for each season.

For current conditions and weather forecasts, you can consult Environment Canada’s website.

Watch our video capsules on winter here! (Coming soon)

Once admitted to one or more study programs at UQAM, you must proceed with your registration, i.e., choosing courses for the first term in one of the programs.

This registration is important as it confirms that you accept the admission offer to this study program. Course registration is done online via your My Portal. You will be able to know the registration periods and modalities.

International students must study full-time, so make sure you have the necessary number of credits.

Course registration and tuition fees: nothing comes from nothing! (Undergraduate)

Important Dates: To know all the important dates of each term, please regularly consult the academic calendar.

UQAM Email

The university’s preferred mode of communication will be your UQAM email. To use it, you must first proceed with your course registration, then you can retrieve your MS code (permanent code and PIN required). Afterwards, you can check your messages on the Web.

It’s important to check your mailbox regularly as your instructors will use this means to communicate with you. Important messages from the administration or various UQAM services are also sent this way.

For more information on UQAM email, consult the IT Services FAQ.

Discover now how to pay your tuition fees.

For international transfers and international credit cards, UQAM uses the secure portal of CIBC Bank, allowing tuition fee payment in the currency of your choice. It is not necessary to have a CIBC account to proceed with payment.

In the case of an international transfer, you will receive instructions and a reference code to provide to your personal financial institution within 72 hours of initiating the transfer on the CIBC portal. The instructions to give to the bank are complete and clear, which minimizes the risk of errors in the transfer process between countries.

To help, you can watch the tutorial by clicking on this link: https://cibccm.com/fr/cibc-isp/

To proceed with the payment, go to the CIBC portal of UQAM.

Tuition Fee Exemptions

If you are an international student from a country or international organization that has signed an agreement on student mobility, you could potentially be eligible for an exemption from additional tuition fees.

To know the eligibility conditions and how to proceed, consult the following link: etudier-quebec/aide-financiere-etudiants-internationaux/exemption-droits-scolarite-ententes

Money

To settle in and be immediately functional, it would be wise to plan and have enough Canadian currency on you.

Opening an Account

To open a bank account, most Canadian banks require that you present at a branch with the following documents:

• Your passport;
• A proof of local address (example: your UQAM bill or your lease);
• A proof of enrollment in the educational institution;
• Any other proof of identification (CAQ, study permit).

Choosing an Institution

The best choice will always be the institution closest to you and/or UQAM. To welcome you, several banks also offer advantageous packages for newcomers and international students. Here are some examples:

• Desjardins
• Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce (CIBC)
• Lauretian Bank of Canada (LBC)
• Bank of Montreal (BMO)
• National Bank of Canada (NBC)
• Royal Bank of Canada (RBC)
• Toronto-Dominion Bank (TD)
• Scotiabank

Note that several financial institutions offer the option to open a bank account online, from your home country. Upon arrival, you just need to schedule an appointment with an advisor at the institution to finalize the opening of your account.

Mobile telephony in Quebec operates similarly to many other countries. An important distinction to know is that Quebecers commonly use the term “cell” to refer to their phone!

Providers

There are a wide variety of mobile telephony providers in Quebec, and it can be challenging to navigate and make the right choice based on your needs.

To assist you, you can use the 2019 cell phone plan comparator designed by the team at Protégez-Vous, a Quebec magazine specializing in consumer protection advice.

SIM Card

To use a mobile phone in Quebec, you need a SIM card. This small card is inserted into your phone and contains important information, including your phone number and account details with your carrier.

To save money, it’s better to bring your phone instead of buying a new one in Canada. Just make sure to unlock your phone with the company you deal with before you leave. To check if the operation was successful, you can insert a SIM card from someone you know whose provider is different from yours.

Wifi

Montreal has one of the most efficient free public wireless networks in the world. This means that residents and visitors to Montreal have access to free Wi-Fi in many places across the city.

Visit the MTLWifi website for more information.

Public transport in Montreal is primarily managed by the Société de transport de Montréal (STM).

Metro Network: Montreal has an efficient metro network consisting of four main lines (green, orange, yellow, and blue) that serve the city and its suburbs. The stations are strategically located throughout the city, linking residential neighborhoods, business centers, and tourist areas.

Bus Network: STM also operates an extensive bus network that complements the metro by serving areas not directly accessible by metro. Buses cover the entire city and operate on regular schedules throughout the day, with limited night services in some areas.

Here are some useful apps for tracking public transit in real-time. With these apps, you’ll have no excuses for being late to your classes!

• Transit App
• Chrono
• CityMapper
• Google Maps
• Mon Transit

Fares: STM’s fare system uses individual tickets, rechargeable smart cards called Opus, and daily, weekly, and monthly passes. Rates vary depending on the number of zones crossed and the passenger’s age. There are also special prices for students!

Accessibility: Most metro stations and buses are accessible to people with mobility impairments, with elevators, ramps, and other facilities to facilitate access for people with disabilities.

BIXI – For Those Who Like to Cycle!

BIXI is a self-service bike-sharing system that allows users to rent bicycles on demand throughout the city. It is a convenient, affordable, and environmentally friendly way to get around the metropolis.

Discover how BIXI works!