Credit cards for international students in Canada: what you can get with no credit history

You've just arrived on a study permit. You have no Canadian credit history, maybe no job yet, and every bank seems to want both. The good news is that most big Canadian banks have a way for international students to get a first credit card anyway. This guide compares what each one offers, what you need to bring, and how to use your first card so it builds your credit instead of costing you money.

At a glance: student cards at the big banks

We checked these against each bank's own website on November 12, 2026. Offers, limits and rules change often, so confirm with the bank before you apply.

Why student cards start small

When you first arrive, Canada's credit bureaus, Equifax and TransUnion, have no file on you. That isn't bad credit. It's no credit yet. Banks get around it with special programs for newcomers and students, but they protect themselves with low starting limits. The Financial Consumer Agency of Canada (FCAC) notes that student cards often have lower credit limits than standard cards.

A low limit is fine. What builds your credit is paying on time every month, not how much you can spend.

Bank by bank

RBC

• Limit: up to $2,000 with no credit history required. RBC says the limit depends on your application, including your program of study.
• Who can apply: international students who arrived in Canada in the last 12 months, hold an RBC personal bank account, and can show a valid study permit and proof of enrollment. You can't already have an RBC personal credit card.
• Fees: some RBC student cards have an annual fee, but RBC rebates it while you hold an eligible RBC student bank account, until that account closes or your expected graduation year, whichever comes first. For example, the rebate on the RBC ION+ Visa is $48 a year.
• Watch out: when the rebate ends, the regular annual fee starts. Put a reminder in your calendar for your graduation year.

Scotiabank

• Card: the Scotiabank Scene+ Visa, offered to international students through the StartRight program. No annual fee.
• Limit: up to $5,000, with no Canadian credit history required.
• What to bring: your study permit (IMM 1442) or temporary resident visa, one more piece of government photo ID such as your passport, and proof of enrollment such as a student ID card or course timetable.

CIBC

• Cards: student cards such as the CIBC Classic Visa for Students and the CIBC Adapta Mastercard for Students. Both have a $0 annual fee, and the Classic Visa for Students has no minimum income requirement.
• Limit: international students can get up to $2,000. CIBC sets the final limit, and it may be lower.
• How to apply: CIBC's Best Student Life Bundle lets you open a chequing account, a savings account and a credit card in one application.

TD

• Package: the TD International Student Banking Package includes a student chequing account and lets you add the TD Cash Back Visa, which has no annual fee.
• Who can apply: full-time post-secondary students at an accredited Canadian university or college who have reached the age of majority in their province, hold an unexpired study permit and can show proof of enrollment.
• What to bring: your study permit, one piece of ID such as your passport, proof of enrollment and, in Quebec, your Quebec Acceptance Certificate (CAQ).
• Interest: the TD Cash Back Visa charges 21.99% on purchases and 22.99% on cash advances (rates TD lists as of September 1, 2026).
• Limit: TD's package page doesn't state a limit or say whether credit history is needed, so ask when you apply.

BMO

BMO says international students can choose from its no-annual-fee student credit cards. Its page doesn't state a limit for students, and its list of documents for a card application is written for permanent residents and foreign workers. If BMO is your bank, ask a branch which documents and limits apply to you.

Plan B: a secured credit card

If you're not approved for a regular card, a secured card is a reliable way to start. You give the bank a security deposit, usually somewhere from a few hundred to a few thousand dollars, and your limit is normally equal to or higher than that deposit. If you don't pay, the bank can keep the deposit to cover what you owe. When you close the card and pay the balance in full, you get the deposit back.

FCAC suggests sticking to secured cards with a recognized brand such as Visa or Mastercard, checking whether there's an application or set-up fee (it's separate from the deposit), and checking that your deposit is insured.

Before you apply

• Open a bank account first. Most of these cards are easiest to get through the same bank's student account or bundle, and RBC requires one.
• Bring the same documents everywhere: passport, study permit and proof of enrollment. Make sure your name is spelled the same way on all of them.
• Apply for one card. Each application adds a hard inquiry to your new credit file. Get one card, use it well for six months to a year, then think about a second.
• You don't need a SIN to apply for a credit card. Read more in our guide on bringing your credit history to Canada.

Use your first card to build credit, not debt

• Pay the full balance on time every month. FCAC calls payment history the most important part of your score. Set up an automatic payment from your chequing account.
• Keep your balance low. On a $2,000 limit, try to stay under about $600 (30%). One phone bill or grocery shop a week on the card is plenty.
• Avoid cash advances. They start charging interest right away, at a higher rate than purchases.
• Watch foreign currency charges. Many cards add about 2.5% to purchases in another currency, including online orders from home.
• Check your report for free. Equifax and TransUnion both let you see your own report online at no cost, and checking it doesn't lower your score. A score usually appears after a few months of using the card.

Quick questions

Updated November 12, 2026. This guide is general information, not personal financial advice. Confirm current terms with the bank before you apply. New Canadian Finance may earn a commission if you apply through our links, at no extra cost to you.