Change of Address Checklist for BC: What Most People Forget When They Move
Most people remember to book the truck and pack the kitchen. The address changes are what slip, usually because they feel like a five-minute job you can do "after the move." Some of them are not optional, though. In BC, two of them come with a 10-day deadline, and a few common shortcuts do less than people assume.
This checklist covers who needs to know when you move within British Columbia, what each one-stop tool actually updates, and the changes people most often forget.
This is general information based on the government and Canada Post pages listed at the end, checked on November 3, 2026. Rules and processes change, so confirm anything important with the organization itself.
The two 10-day deadlines
ICBC. ICBC says that if you move within BC, you are required to update it with your new home address within 10 days. That covers your driver's licence, and ICBC adds that your vehicle licence, registration and insurance should be kept up to date to maintain your coverage.
MSP (Health Insurance BC). The Province says the Medicare Protection Act requires you to update your address within 10 days of the change, and you must give both your former and new addresses.
If you are moving at the end of November, that means having both done by about December 10. The easiest way is to do them the week you move, not when the next bill arrives.
Address Change BC: useful, but not everything
The Province's Address Change BC service lets residents moving within BC update their address with ICBC and MSP in one online session. You can also do it by phone: 604-775-0011 in Vancouver or 1-866-775-0011 elsewhere in BC, Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Pacific Time.
For the ICBC part, have your driver's licence number, your ICBC security keyword, your move date, and both old and new residential and mailing addresses ready. For MSP, you need the account holder's Personal Health Number.
What people miss is what the service does not do. According to its own FAQ:
- Your Autoplan insurance is separate. If you have vehicle insurance, you must contact your Autoplan broker directly to change the address.
- A BCID card cannot be updated through it. You have to contact ICBC directly.
- Enhanced driver's licences (EDL) and enhanced identity cards cannot be changed online. You must reapply in person.
- Only the MSP account holder can change the MSP address. A spouse on the account cannot submit it. The upside is that one change covers everyone on the account.
- It does not notify your doctor or PharmaCare. You have to contact both yourself.
- It only works for moves within BC. If you are arriving from another province or leaving BC, you contact each agency directly.
If you update your licence through Address Change BC, an updated address label for your licence is mailed to your new address within three weeks after your move date.
If your MSP is through a group plan run by your employer, union or pension office, the Province says to contact that plan administrator rather than using the online MSP form.
Federal agencies do not share with each other
It is easy to assume that telling one level of government tells the rest. It does not.
Canada Revenue Agency. The CRA asks you to update your address as soon as possible so benefit payments and letters reach you. Changing it online in your CRA account takes effect immediately, by phone the same day, and by mail (Form RC325) about 4 to 6 weeks. The CRA says plainly that it will not share your change of address with other government departments.
Service Canada. If you get Old Age Security or the Canadian Dental Care Plan, you can change your address in My Service Canada Account. For Employment Insurance, Canada Pension Plan and the Canada Disability Benefit, you cannot change it online at this time. You request a call back, call, or visit a Service Canada office.
Elections BC and Elections Canada. Provincial voter registration is updated through Elections BC's online voter registration. Elections BC says to choose "Register" even if you think you are already on the list, and to allow up to five business days. It shares voter information with Elections Canada at least once a year, so if a federal election is called, check your federal registration directly. You can also update it by answering "Yes" to the Elections Canada questions on your tax return.
Mail forwarding has gaps
Canada Post Mail Forwarding is worth setting up, but two details catch people out.
- Order it ahead. Online residential orders can start as early as 5 days after purchase, or 3 days if you buy at a post office. If Canada Post cannot verify your identity online, you have to finish the order at a post office with a barcode.
- It does not forward parcels. Canada Post also excludes prepaid envelopes, flyers and newspapers from other carriers, and mail marked "Do not forward." Canada Post says that if you are expecting parcels, you must tell the senders your new address even with forwarding in place.
That second point is why the saved addresses in your online shopping accounts matter. Update the default shipping address in every store and app you use, and check any open orders before moving day.
The ones people forget
These are not government deadlines, but they cause the most hassle when they are missed:
- Your employer's payroll. Payroll needs your current address for your records and tax slips such as your T4.
- Banks, credit cards, loans and investment accounts. Check each account, not just your main bank.
- Home or tenant insurance. Call your insurer before the move about the new address. What your policy covers during and after a move depends on the policy, so ask them rather than assuming.
- Utilities. Arrange to close BC Hydro, FortisBC and internet at the old address and start them at the new one, so you are not paying for the next resident.
- Your doctor, dentist, pharmacy and vet. Remember that PharmaCare is separate from MSP.
- Schools, daycare and activity programs for children.
- Dog licences. These are municipal. In the City of Vancouver, for example, you update the licence if you move within the city and cancel it if you move out. If you are moving into Vancouver with a valid licence from another municipality, the City offers a licence transfer. Other Lower Mainland cities have their own rules, so check with your new city.
- Subscriptions, memberships and loyalty programs that still send anything by mail.
- Your landlord or strata. If you are renting, give your old landlord your forwarding address in writing. In BC, that starts the clock on returning your deposit. Our guide to the BC move-out inspection and deposit explains how.
A small tax point
If you move for work and your new home is at least 40 km closer to your new workplace by the shortest public route, the CRA may let you deduct eligible moving expenses. Many moves within Metro Vancouver will not meet that distance test. If yours does, note that the CRA lists the cost of changing your address on legal documents as an eligible incidental expense, but mail-forwarding costs are specifically not eligible. Check the CRA's line 21900 page or ask a tax professional before you claim.
A simple timeline
| When | Do this |
|---|---|
| 2 to 3 weeks before | Order Canada Post Mail Forwarding. Book utility shut-off and start dates. Tell your employer's payroll. |
| 1 week before | Update banks, cards and insurance. Change saved shipping addresses and check open orders. |
| Moving week | Use Address Change BC for ICBC and MSP. Call your Autoplan broker. |
| Within 10 days of moving | Confirm ICBC and MSP are done. Update CRA, Service Canada and Elections BC. |
| First month | Tell your doctor, pharmacy, PharmaCare, vet and schools. Sort out your dog licence. Watch for anything still arriving at the old address. |
Planning a move in the Lower Mainland?
The paperwork is yours, but the heavy lifting does not have to be. In & Out Express handles home moves with two movers and a 26 ft truck across the Lower Mainland and Fraser Valley. See our residential moving service, request a move, or contact us. If you are still packing, our guides to what you should never put in a moving truck and moving in the rain may help.
Sources: ICBC, Moving and your licence; Province of BC, Address Change BC and Address Change BC FAQ; Province of BC, MSP: Moving within B.C.; Canada Revenue Agency, Change your address and Line 21900: Moving expenses; Service Canada, Change your personal information; Elections BC, Online Voter Registration FAQ; Elections Canada, Voter registration; Canada Post, Mail Forwarding and Mail Forwarding service limitations; City of Vancouver, Dog licences and tags (all accessed November 3, 2026).
