Toronto is one of the most popular destinations for UAE-resident families relocating to Canada in 2026. Here is what UAE families consistently need to know.
The freight side: container scheduling matters
With the Strait of Hormuz closed to commercial shipping since February 2026, containers go by road to a port outside the strait, such as Khor Fakkan or Fujairah on the UAE's east coast or Sohar in Oman, and sail from there to an eastern Canadian port such as Halifax or Montreal, with Toronto reached by road or rail in the final mile. Sailing schedules are longer and less predictable than before, so routing and dates are confirmed at the survey. From Halifax, the road leg to Toronto takes a further three to five days.
The single most common scheduling mistake we see is families arriving in Toronto in late summer expecting the container to be there for the school start. That math rarely works. If the school year starts in early September, the household container needs to leave the UAE months before term starts; we work back from that date at the survey to set the latest departure. Air-split everything time-critical for the family's first weeks at the destination, until the container arrives.
Alternative routing through the Port of Montreal can be faster but tends to carry a small premium and slightly more variable customs handling. For Toronto-bound goods, we generally route through Halifax for cost and through Montreal only when timing is critical.
Customs: the B4 and what to bring on arrival
Canada Border Services Agency requires new permanent residents and returning citizens to complete a Form B4 (now numbered BSF186) at first arrival. This form lists every item being imported now and every item to follow by sea. Most UAE-origin families land in Toronto first and then receive the container weeks later, which means the to-follow list on the B4 is critical.
What we strongly advise: bring a complete printed inventory in your hand baggage on the landing flight. Two copies. One for the immigration officer, one for your own records. The officer will stamp and return your copy. That stamped copy becomes the basis for duty-free clearance of the sea container when it arrives at Halifax. Without it, every item on the container is potentially dutiable.
Winter clothing: the often-missed line
UAE families consistently underestimate how cold Toronto gets. The first January is hard for anyone arriving from Gulf summers and mild winters. Our recommendation is to set aside a proper budget for Canada-grade winter outerwear, boots and accessories for the whole family, and to buy them within the first two weeks of arrival.
Do not try to source this in Dubai before the move: UAE shops rarely carry the right grade of cold-weather clothing. MEC, Canada Goose and Sporting Life in Toronto carry what you actually need. Plan a single Saturday shopping trip in the first weekend after landing.
Schools: the calendar drives everything
Toronto's public school year runs early September to late June. The Toronto District School Board (TDSB) takes in students arriving from outside Canada throughout the year, but for a September start it pays to register as early as you can. Catholic and private schools have their own admission timelines, so check those early too.
If schooling is the constraint, work backwards from the school registration date to set the family landing date, and from the landing date to set the container sailing date. In our experience, the school calendar is almost always the binding constraint, not the freight schedule.
Housing: the first three months
Toronto's rental market has eased modestly from its 2023 peak but remains tight. Typical family-suitable options within commuting distance of downtown, in rising order of rent, are:
- Two-bedroom apartment in Mississauga or Etobicoke
- Three-bedroom townhouse in Markham, Richmond Hill or Vaughan
- Three-bedroom detached house in the same suburbs
Most landlords require first and last month's rent upfront plus credit checks that newcomers cannot pass on day one. Plan to either offer several months' rent in advance or arrange a corporate guarantor through your employer.
Banking, healthcare and the SIN number
Three administrative tasks need to happen in the first week:
- Apply for a Social Insurance Number (SIN) at any Service Canada office. Required for employment and most banking.
- Open a chequing account with one of the major banks — RBC, TD, Scotiabank and BMO all have newcomer programmes that waive the usual credit history requirement.
- Apply for the Ontario Health Insurance Plan (OHIP). Check when your coverage will start, and arrange private health insurance to bridge any gap.
What surprises UAE families most
Three things consistently catch our DXB-YYZ clients off guard. First, utilities and, for owners, property tax add meaningfully to the total housing cost in Ontario. Second, the absence of household help — cleaners, nannies, drivers — that families had taken for granted in the UAE means a real reorganisation of family logistics. Third, the volume of paperwork. Canada is a documentation-heavy country, and every interaction (school, bank, doctor, utility) generates more forms than its UAE equivalent.
None of this is bad. It is just different. The families who adapt fastest are the ones who plan the first ninety days deliberately and accept that the move is not finished when the container is unpacked — it is finished when the family is enrolled, employed, insured, banked and settled into a rhythm.
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