On This Page, You Will Find:
- Quebec’s 2026 financial capacity amounts
- What the amounts do and do not cover
- How Quebec compares with the rest of Canada
- Health and hospitalisation insurance
- Accepted proof of funds
- CAQ fees, processing times and application limits
- A worked example
- Frequently asked questions
Quebec sets its own financial requirements for international students, separate from the federal cost-of-living figures used everywhere else in Canada.
Those amounts rose sharply on 1 January 2026 following regulatory changes adopted on 17 December 2025. A single student now has to show CAN$24,617 for basic needs for one year, well above the previous figure.
Because the amounts are set by the ministère de l’Immigration, de la Francisation et de l’Intégration (MIFI), meeting the federal number is not enough. If you are heading to a Quebec institution, the Quebec figure is the one that governs.
Quebec’s 2026 financial capacity amounts
These are the amounts, in Canadian dollars, you must show for basic needs for one year if you apply on or after 1 January 2026. They cover food, housing and installation costs, clothing, transport, health and hospitalisation insurance, and other necessities.
- 1 person: CAN$24,617
- 2 persons: CAN$34,814
- 3 persons: CAN$42,638
- 4 persons: CAN$49,234
- 5 persons: CAN$55,045
- 6 persons: CAN$60,299
- Each additional person beyond six: add CAN$5,254
MIFI has confirmed these amounts are not indexed for 2026, because the December 2025 regulatory change already increased them substantially. Expect the usual annual adjustment to resume in 2027.
Note the structure. Unlike the older Quebec tables, which split figures by adult and child, the current table is based purely on the number of persons covered.
What the amounts do not include
The basic needs figure is only one of three cost categories you must demonstrate. To obtain a Quebec Acceptance Certificate (CAQ) for studies, you must show financial capacity for all of the following:
- Tuition fees – the amount your institution charges. This varies widely by level, institution, program and your status, so use the figure on your letter of admission rather than an average.
- Transportation costs – the round trip from your country of origin.
- Basic needs – the table above, for you and any accompanying family members.
Health and hospitalisation insurance is included within the basic needs amount, but the obligation to hold that insurance is separate and enforceable.
How Quebec compares with the rest of Canada
The federal cost-of-living requirement applies in every province and territory except Quebec. For applications made on or after 1 September 2026, IRCC requires a single applicant to show CAN$23,448 for living expenses for the first year, excluding tuition and transportation. That figure replaced the CAN$22,895 that applied to applications filed between 1 January 2025 and 31 August 2026.
The federal scale for larger families runs to CAN$29,192 for two people, CAN$35,888 for three and CAN$43,572 for four, with CAN$6,318 for each person beyond seven.
So Quebec sits roughly CAN$1,200 above the federal figure for a single student, and the gap widens for couples, where Quebec asks CAN$34,814 against the federal CAN$29,192. IRCC updates its numbers each September; Quebec updates on 1 January. The two are never in step, which is a common source of confusion.
Students bound for institutions outside Quebec should follow the federal financial requirements instead and, in most cases, obtain a provincial or territorial attestation letter.
Health and hospitalisation insurance
You must be covered for the entire duration of your study stay, and so must any accompanying family members. Failing to maintain coverage breaches your CAQ conditions and can lead to the CAQ being revoked.
If your country of origin has a social security agreement with Quebec, you can join the public plan run by the Régie de l’assurance maladie du Québec at no cost. Contact RAMQ immediately on arrival. A waiting period of about three months usually applies.
If there is no agreement, check whether your institution offers a group plan for international students. If not, you must arrange private coverage. You have only five to 30 days after arrival to do so.
Services not covered by RAMQ are billed with a 200 per cent surcharge, so top-up coverage for medication, dental, pregnancy and mental health care is strongly advised.
Accepted proof of funds
MIFI accepts one or a combination of the following:
- bank statements from Canada or abroad covering the last six months, showing all transactions, the current balance and proof you hold the account
- a guaranteed investment certificate issued by a participating Canadian financial institution
- proof of a student loan from a bank, specifying amount and duration
- official confirmation of a scholarship, indicating amount, payment schedule and duration
- proof of payment of tuition fees
- a recent authorisation of funds transfer from your country’s currency exchange control office, if your country limits outflows
- work income, where a person residing in Quebec is taking financial responsibility for your stay
Six months of statements is also what IRCC now asks for on study permit applications elsewhere in Canada, having moved up from four months, so the same statements will usually serve both files. Read each set of instructions anyway: Quebec wants the statements to show every transaction, the current balance and proof that the account is yours.
If someone else is paying, they must sign MIFI’s Declaration of financial support form and supply their own detailed financial proof. Documents in any language other than French or English need a certified translation, and signatures must be handwritten, including scanned or stylus signatures. Typed digital signatures are refused.
Where to submit your proof
This depends on where you live. If you reside in Austria, Canada, the United States, France, Greenland, Hong Kong, Reunion Island, Monaco, Mexico or Saint-Pierre-et-Miquelon, you upload your proof of financial capacity through your Arrima account.
If you live anywhere else, you present it to the Canadian visa office handling your study permit application. Federal officers then assess your financial capacity against Quebec’s criteria before issuing the permit.
CAQ fees, processing and application limits
The fee to process an application for temporary selection for studies is CAN$135 as of 1 January 2026. It is adjusted each 1 January, must be paid in full by credit card within one hour of submitting the application, and is non-refundable even if the application is refused.
You then have 15 days to upload your documents through Arrima. MIFI aims to decide within 25 business days for 80 per cent of complete applications, though as of 17 July 2026 it reported an actual figure of 29 business days.
Quebec also caps intake. For the period 17 December 2025 to 16 December 2027, an order in council sets a maximum number of applications for temporary selection for studies for each institution, school service centre and school board, covering vocational, college and university studies. A further order on 22 July 2026 revised those institutional maximums.
If your institution’s quota is full, you cannot apply unless you qualify for an exemption. Exemptions include continuing your current program at the same institution and level, asylum seekers, dependent children of temporary workers or students, refresher training required by a health professional order, and certain scholarship holders. Freed places are reallocated on scheduled Thursdays at 2 p.m.
If your application is accepted, the letter confirming your CAQ doubles as your provincial attestation letter for the federal study permit application.
A worked example
A single student admitted to a Montreal university with tuition of CAN$18,000 and a return airfare of CAN$1,500 would need to demonstrate roughly:
- Basic needs: CAN$24,617
- Tuition: CAN$18,000
- Transportation: CAN$1,500
- Total: about CAN$44,100, plus the CAN$135 CAQ fee and the CAN$150 federal study permit fee
Build in a margin. Showing only the bare minimum, or funds that appear in your account days before filing, is a common cause of refusal.
Practical tips
- Use the tuition figure stated on your letter of admission, not a published average.
- Keep your balances stable for the full six-month statement window and explain any large deposit.
- Convert foreign currency figures to Canadian dollars clearly in your submission.
- Apply early. Institutional quotas can fill, and reallocations happen only on set dates.
- If you plan to remain after graduation, check the Quebec Experience Program graduate stream conditions before choosing your program.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much money do I need to study in Quebec in 2026?
A single student must show CAN$24,617 for basic needs for one year, plus tuition and the cost of a return trip from their country of origin. For a couple the basic needs figure is CAN$34,814, and for four persons it is CAN$49,234.
Are Quebec’s amounts different from the rest of Canada?
Yes. Quebec sets its own figures through MIFI, and they took effect on 1 January 2026. The federal requirement that applies in all other provinces and territories is CAN$23,448 for a single applicant for applications made on or after 1 September 2026.
How many months of bank statements does Quebec want?
Six months, showing all transactions, your current balance and proof that you hold the account. IRCC now asks for six months on study permit applications outside Quebec as well, so one set of statements will usually cover both.
Do I still need health insurance if the funds figure already covers it?
Yes. Holding health and hospitalisation insurance for your whole stay is a separate condition of your CAQ. If your country has a social security agreement with Quebec you can join the public RAMQ plan; otherwise you need a group or private policy within five to 30 days of arrival.
What does the CAQ application cost and how long does it take?
The fee is CAN$135 as of 1 January 2026 and is non-refundable. MIFI targets 25 business days for 80 per cent of complete applications, but reported 29 business days as of 17 July 2026.
Can I be refused because my school has reached its quota?
Yes. Quebec caps applications per institution for the period 17 December 2025 to 16 December 2027. If the cap is reached you cannot apply unless you qualify for a listed exemption and submit supporting proof. Freed places are reallocated on scheduled dates.