Quebec

By Dana Hall

Posted on March 29, 2021

Official Language: French
Age of Majority: 18
Legal Drinking Age: 18

Getting a Health Card

Health care in Quebec is called RAMQ. In order to qualify, you will need to be in Quebec for at least six months of your first year in the province. You should apply within the first 15 days of arriving in Quebec. If your application is accepted, you will receive RAMQ at the start of your third full month in Quebec. This means that if you arrive on May 25, June and July will be your first and second full months in Canada, and your coverage will start on August 1.

It is recommended to have private health insurance during your first three months in Quebec.

• If you are a student, you might be able to apply for RAMQ. This depends on where you are from. Quebec has a social security agreement with some countries. If you qualify, you cannot leave Quebec for more than 21 days at a time. You will need to answer these questions to know if you can apply.
• If you have a work permit that is valid for more than six months, you can apply for RAMQ. If you qualify, you cannot leave Quebec for more than 21 days at a time. If your permit is less than six months, you can apply for RAMQ if:
  • You are participating in the Seasonal Agricultural Worker Program
  • You are participating in the Temporary Foreign Worker Program and come from Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, or Mexico

To register for RAMQ, you will need to answer a few questions. When you are finished, you will be told which documents you need in order to apply. Most people will need to submit their immigration documents with two pieces of ID. One piece of ID will need to have a photo.

When you have all of the documents, you can call RAMQ and ask them to send you an application form. If you are in Québec City or Montréal, you can go to an office to get a form in person.

When your form is complete, visit a service point. Some service points will take your picture for your health card and charge a fee. Other service points will ask you to bring your own picture.

Driving Information

How to get a licence: The legal age to drive in Quebec is 16. Non-citizens will need to provide proof of their right to live in Canada for at least six months in order to qualify. To get started, fill out this form and register for a driving course that is recognized by the Association quebecois des transports. You will need to call 514-954-7771 (Montréal) or 1-888-356-6616 (elsewhere in Quebec) to schedule an appointment before registering for the course.

The course is divided into 12 modules and includes 24 hours of theory, 15 hours of driving lessons, and 12 self-study lessons. After you complete the fourth module, you will be allowed to take a test to get your learner’s licence. This will allow you to drive with someone who has had their licence for at least two years. You cannot drive between midnight and 5 a.m. and must have a zero-alcohol level at all times.

Your learner’s licence will cost $72.58 and is valid for 18 months. To get your licence, you will need the following documents:

• You will need to provide two official documents, one of which must show your right to live in Canada such as a Canadian passport or a record of permanent residency.
• Your second document will need to be an official identification such as a health card or foreign driver’s licence. At least one of these documents needs to have your photo.
• You will also need confirmation from your driving school that you have completed up to phase four. If you are under 18, you will need to fill out this form and have it signed by a parent or guardian.

When you have had your licence for 10 months, you can register for a knowledge test which costs $11.70. It is recommended that you use the Quebec Driver’s Handbook to prepare. You can book the test online or by phone.

When you have had your licence for a minimum of 12 months and have passed the knowledge test, you can book your road test. You can book the test online or by phone. This costs $29.25. If you pass your road test, you will be granted your probationary licence, which costs $181.06. You must provide your own vehicle for the road test. If you do not pass the test, you will need to wait 28 days before taking it again.

You will have your probationary licence for two years. You will then be granted a full licence if you have kept a good driving record.

How to transfer a licence: When you move to Quebec, your foreign licence will be valid for six months. After this time, you will need to change it to a Quebec licence.

If your licence was issued by one of the following countries, you need to make an appointment by calling 514-954-7771 (Montréal) or 1-888-356-6616 (elsewhere in Quebec) to request that your foreign license be exchanged for a Quebec license. You can then go to a service outlet with your licence, proof of your right to live in Canada, and proof of address in Quebec. If the licence was obtained in the past three years, you will need to provide proof that you were a resident of the country where it was issued. The licence must be in French or English or have an official translation to accompany it.

• Austria
• Belgium
• France
• Isle of Man
• Germany
• Japan
• South Korea
• Switzerland
• The Netherlands and the Dutch Antilles (Sint Maarten, Aruba, Bonaire, Curacao, Saba, and Sint Eustatius)
• Taiwan
• United Kingdom
• United States

If you are not from one of these countries and have had your licence for more than a year, you will need to take a knowledge test and a road test. If you pass both of these tests, you will be granted a Quebec licence. Please refer to the section above for information on how to book these tests.

If you have had your licence for less than a year, you will need to go through the official process for getting a licence in Quebec, which is outlined in the section above.

Quebec Public School Information

Children in Quebec can start school as early as age four, but it is not mandatory until age six. There are four levels of education. These four levels are also divided into cycles. Children and teenagers will need to take an exam at the end of each cycle to determine if they have achieved the expected outcomes.

Elementary school (Pre-kindergarten to Grade 6)

• Preschool (pre-kindergarten and kindergarten): Ages 4–5
• Cycle One (Grades 1 and 2): Ages 6–7
• Cycle Two (Grades 3 and 4): Ages 8–9
• Cycle Three (Grades 5 and 6): Ages 10–11

Secondary school (grades 7–-11)

• Secondary 1 and 2 (grades 7 and 8): Ages 12–13
• Secondary 3, 4, and 5 (grades 9, 10 and 11): Ages 14–16

Your child’s grade is determined by how old they will be on September 30. For instance, if a child turns six before September 30, they will be sent to first grade. If they are still five, they will be sent to kindergarten.

In Quebec, secondary school ends at age 16. Students are given a diploma and are not required to complete further studies. However, many students go on to complete CEGEP, a program that is unique to Quebec. CEGEP stands for Collège d’enseignement général et professionnel (in English, College of General and Vocational Education). The program is two years long and specializes in a variety of subjects. People who want to go to university must complete a CEGEP program unless they apply as a mature student. Students who take CEGEP can complete a university degree in three years.

If you are interested in homeschooling your child, please visit this website for more information.