Saskatchewan

By Dana Hall and Kathleen Charlebois

Posted on May 24, 2021

Official Language: English
Age of Majority: 18
Legal Drinking Age: 19

Getting a Health Card

You will be eligible for health coverage at the beginning of your third full month in Saskatchewan. This means that if you move to Saskatchewan on July 14, your coverage will start on Oct. 1. It is recommended that you purchase a private health insurance during this time. You can apply online or by mail. If you would like to apply by mail, please print and complete this form and send it to the address at the bottom of the last page.

You will need to bring proofs of your legal right to live in Canada, your identity, and your address in Saskatchewan. A list of acceptable documents is available here.

• If you are a student, you might be eligible for health coverage if you are studying full-time. You will need to submit a confirmation of enrollment letter from the Registrar of your institution which contains your full name and date of birth and confirms your full-time studies.
• If you have a work permit, you are eligible for health coverage. In some cases, you might need to provide confirmation of employment from your company, but it is usually not necessary.

Driving information

How to get a licence: You must be at least 16 years old to legally drive in Saskatchewan There are four stages to earn your licence.

You need to pass a knowledge test, a sign test, and a vision test at a SGI Driver Exam Office. Walk-in tests are available at the offices in Regina and Saskatoon. You will need to book a test ahead of time if you live elsewhere. You can download the driver’s handbook to help study. You can take the practice test here. You must have parental or guardian consent if you are under 18 years of age.

If you are at least 15 years old, you have the option to enroll for free in the High School Driver Education Program. If you are enrolled in this program, you will need to take all three of the required tests after 10 hours of in-class training.

Once you pass all three tests, you will receive a Class 7 Learner’s licence. You must drive with another passenger who has had a valid Class 5 licence for at least 12 months in the last three years.

You will then have to complete the required driver education.

• If you are studying on your own, you will need to find an SGI driver educator in order to complete your Class 5 driver training. You will need to spend at least six hours studying in class and six hours practicing in a car with your educator.
• If you are enrolled in the High School Driver Education Program, you will have to complete five hours of in-car practice as well as 30 hours of class time by the end of the program.

The next step is to get your Class 5 Novice 1 driver’s licence. You must be at least 16 years old and have held a learner’s licence for at least seven months as well as have successfully completed the mandatory driver education. You must also pass a Class 5 road test.

Once you’ve passed the road test, you can practice driving as a “Novice 1” driver for at least six months, while keeping track of your in-car hours in a practice log.

Once you’ve driven for six months as a Novice 1 driver, the Novice 2 driver’s licence will be mailed to you. You will be able to practice driving for 12 months. During this time, you must not cause any collisions, get your licence suspended, or receive any traffic convictions.

After 12 months with no incidents, the experienced Class 5 driver’s licence will be mailed to you.

How to transfer a licence: If you have a licence from another country, you will need to transfer it to a Saskatchewan licence. You should do this within 90 days of living in the province.

In order to exchange your licence for a Saskatchewan licence, you must hand in your valid licence, if it is equivalent to or higher than a Saskatchewan licence, at any motor licence issuer. You must also provide proof that you have two or more years of driving experience. You also need to provide proof of residency in Saskatchewan.

If you’re exchanging a valid driver’s licence from a country with an exchange agreement, you can get a Saskatchewan licence without having to take a knowledge or road test if you have two or more years of driving experience.

The following countries have exchange agreements with Saskatchewan:

• Australia
• Austria
• Belgium
• France
• Germany
• Isle of Man
• Japan
• Jersey
• Netherlands
• New Zealand
• Republic of Ireland
• South Korea
• Switzerland
• Taiwan
• United Kingdom
• United States

If your country isn’t on the exchange agreement list, you will be classified as a new driver, and you will have to complete the province’s GDL program. The province may waive the required learning program and mandatory education if you can show that you have driven for more than two years.

For more detailed information on the application process and to see a list of documents you will need to bring to your appointment, click here.

Saskatchewan public school information

Public school starts at age five, but it is not mandatory until age seven. These are the different levels of education in Saskatchewan:

• Kindergarten: Age 5
• Elementary school (Grades 1–6): Ages 6–11
• Junior high school (Grades 7–9): Ages 12–14
• High school (Grades 10–12): Ages 15–17

Your child’s grade is determined based on whether they were born before or after Jan. 31. This means that a child can start Kindergarten in September 2021 if they turn five before Jan. 31, 2022. If they turn five after Jan. 31, they will need to wait until September 2022 to start Kindergarten.

The school year starts in early September and goes until the end of June. There is a two-week break at the end of December. There is also a week break in February and a week break in April.

Here is some more information for newcomers to help get you familiar with the Saskatchewan public school system.

For information on registering your child as homeschooled, click here.