Main banks guide for expats
Banks of Canada
Canada has an excellent banking system that is very customer friendly and safe. While most banking business is conducted in English or French in Canada, many branches & ATMs offer service in a variety of languages. Canadian banks pride themselves on being amongst the most secure in the world and take great pains to ensure that your money will not be stolen and any confidential information is kept private between the bank and its clients.
Banking hours in Toronto are generally 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM, Monday to Fridays, 12:00 PM to 5:00 PM on Saturdays, with most major banks closed on Sundays. All major Canadian banks maintain extensive ATM service, with locations throughout the city. Candian banks provide a very wide range of services, including internation transfers. Every major bank in Canada provides safe and reliable internet banking.
There are several highly reputable banking corporations in Canada. Most of these have several locations throughout the GTA. HSBC (http://www.hsbc.ca) specializes in international banking, so is worth looking up first. The following are some other banks in Canada.
- Royal Bank of Canada: http://www.rbcroyalbank.com
- Toronto Dominion Bank (TD): http://www.tdcanadatrust.com
- Scotia Bank: http://www.scotiabank.com
- Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce (CIBC): http://www.cibc.com
International Banks
In addition to national banks, there are several international banks that have branches in or around Toronto. Click the websites below to find a location nearest you.
Ambro Bank
Bank of America
Bank of New York Mellon
Capital One Bank (Canada Branch)
Citibank, N.A.
Comerica Bank
Deutsche Bank
Dexia Crédit Local
Fifth Third Bank
Glitnir banki
Landsbanki Canada
Mizuho Corporate Bank, Ltd., Canada Branch
Northern Trust Company, Canada Branch
Rabobank Nederland
Société Générale (Canada Branch)
State Street
U.S. Bank National Association
UBS AG Canada Branch
United Overseas Bank Limited
The following banks do not have branches in Canada, but do offer lending only services. Click the link for more information.
AmTrust Bank
Credit Suisse
Merrill Lynch International Bank Limited
Union Bank of California
WestLB
International transfers can easily be done at any national or international bank in Canada. Just stop in at your local branch to find out additional information.
Convenience ATMs
A great deal of gas stations and convenience stores have independently owned ATM’s in their place of business for a quick, convenient way to check your account or take out cash. The service fees for these ATM’s can be quite high, often charging an additional $2 to $5 on top of your usual bank fees. These ATMs are also often targets of theft and bank card fraud. Any ATM not run by a major bank in Canada should be used with extreme caution. Remember to always cover your pin when using any ATM.
