Moving to BC From Another Province: Buying a Home Here

If you are moving to BC from Alberta, Ontario or another province, a few of BC's rules, dates and costs may be new to you. Here is what to expect when you buy here, from subjects and the rescission period to property transfer tax, MSP and ICBC, and how to buy from a distance and time your move.

The short version

How an offer works in BC

• Subjects. BC contracts call the conditions in an offer subjects, such as financing, an inspection or a review of strata documents. You remove each one by written notice to the seller by its date, and once all are removed, the purchase is firm; see Subject Clauses in BC.
• The rescission period. Most home buyers in BC can rescind an accepted offer within three business days, not counting weekends and holidays, by notifying the seller in writing and paying 0.25% of the price. You don't need a reason.
• Where it doesn't apply. The right can't be waived, and it doesn't cover leased land, leasehold interests, auctions, court-ordered sales or most presales, which have a seven-day right to cancel.

Deposits, completion and possession

• The deposit. Your contract sets when it is due: BCFSA's sample clauses include a deposit payable within a set time after acceptance, one payable after all subjects are removed, and one increased on subject removal. BCFSA says it is usually held in your REALTOR®'s brokerage trust account; see When a Home Sale Falls Through.
• Completion. On the completion date, ownership passes to you in exchange for the purchase price, and your lawyer or notary has you registered as the owner with the Land Title and Survey Authority.
• Possession. You move in on the possession date in your contract, which BCFSA notes isn't necessarily the completion date, so book your movers for possession day.
• A lawyer or a notary. BCFSA says it is normal practice for the buyer to hire a lawyer or a notary public to prepare the transfer documents. In BC, notaries are legal professionals who can handle a home purchase, though they work only on non-contentious matters; see Notary or Lawyer?

Property transfer tax and the BC residency test

BC charges property transfer tax when your purchase is registered: 1% of the fair market value up to $200,000, 2% from $200,000 to $2 million and 3% above that, with a further 2% on the residential portion over $3 million. Your lawyer or notary usually files the return. On an example $750,000 home, the tax is $13,000.

• The first-time buyer exemption. It removes the tax on the first $500,000 of a home worth up to $835,000, so you would pay $5,000 instead of $13,000 on that $750,000 home, with a partial exemption up to $860,000. You must be a citizen or permanent resident who has never owned a principal residence anywhere in the world, so it doesn't apply if you owned the home you lived in before.
• The residency test. When the purchase is registered, you must have lived in BC for at least a year immediately before that date, or have filed at least two income tax returns as a BC resident in the last six taxation years.
• Timing. CRA treats your province of residence for a tax year as the one you lived in on December 31. If you moved to BC on September 1, 2026 and had never filed a BC return, a purchase registered before September 1, 2027 would meet neither test, since you could have filed only one BC return, for 2026. Both tests apply on the registration date, so check them before you set a completion date.
• Coming back. If you filed at least two returns as a BC resident in the last six taxation years, you may meet the test as soon as you return.
• The newly built home exemption. On a newly built home that will be your principal residence, this exemption can remove the whole tax up to a fair market value of $1,100,000, with a partial exemption up to $1,150,000. You must be a citizen or permanent resident, but there is no residency test and you don't have to be a first-time buyer. On an example $1,000,000 new condo, it saves $18,000.

Both exemptions require you to move in within 92 days of registration and live there as your principal residence for the rest of the first year.

MSP, your licence and your car

• MSP. All BC residents must enrol in the Medical Services Plan, and new residents wait for the rest of the month they arrive plus two months. Apply as soon as you arrive, and arrange coverage with your former province's plan for the wait. Most adults then visit an ICBC driver licensing office for a BC Services Card, which shows your Personal Health Number.
• A family doctor. BC residents looking for a family doctor or nurse practitioner can sign up with the Health Connect Registry.
• Your driver's licence. You have 90 days after moving to switch to a BC licence, and you can drive on your valid licence until then. Book an appointment at an ICBC driver licensing office with ID, your licence, the fees and proof of driving experience, and surrender your old licence, since BC allows only one.
• Your vehicle. You have 30 days after arriving to register, license and insure it in BC. Vehicles from other provinces generally need to pass an inspection at a designated facility first, though new vehicles and qualified private vehicles from Alberta, Saskatchewan or Manitoba are among the exemptions.

Buying from a distance

• Viewings. Ask for a live video walk-through, and ask your REALTOR® about what a camera can miss, such as noise, smells and what is planned next door.
• Inspections. Make your offer subject to an inspection, and if you can't be there, ask the inspector to go through the report by phone or video.
• ID checks. Federal anti-money laundering rules require the brokerage acting for you to verify your identity, but not necessarily in person: FINTRAC allows a remote check of your government-issued photo ID if the brokerage authenticates the document, for example by scanning its security features, and confirms the photo is you. Holding up your ID on a video call isn't enough.
• Signing and paying. Ask your lawyer or notary early how you will sign documents from out of the province, and confirm any payment instructions by calling their office on a number you already know.
• An empty home. If the home will sit empty until you move, check the speculation and vacancy tax: owners in the taxable areas declare every year, by March 31.

Mortgages and timing your move

• A new job. If you are moving for work, ask your lender early what it needs to confirm your new income, such as your offer letter, and whether a probation period matters.
• Your current mortgage. If you are partway through a term, ask your lender whether you can port it, taking your rate, terms and conditions to your new home instead of breaking the contract, and if not, what breaking it would cost. I explain the options in Moving Before Your Mortgage Term Ends.
• Selling back home. If you still have a home to sell, you can line up the two completion dates or use bridge financing to cover a gap, as I explain in Buying and Selling at the Same Time.
• Moving expenses. If you move for work and your new home is at least 40 km closer to your new work location, CRA lets you deduct eligible moving expenses from the employment or self-employment income you earn there, including the commission and legal fees on selling your old home and, if you sold it because of the move, the legal fees and transfer taxes (other than GST/HST) on buying the new one. Ask an accountant.

Questions buyers often ask me

Do I qualify for BC's first-time buyer exemption if I just moved here?

Only if you meet its residency test when the purchase is registered: at least a year of living in BC immediately before, or two income tax returns filed as a BC resident in the last six taxation years, which can help if you lived here before. You must also be a citizen or permanent resident who has never owned a principal residence anywhere in the world.

How long is the MSP wait period?

The rest of the month you arrive plus two months. Apply as soon as you arrive, and arrange coverage with your former province's plan for the wait.

How long can I drive on my licence from another province?

Up to 90 days after you move, as long as it is valid. Within that time, switch to a BC licence at ICBC and surrender your old one. Your vehicle must be registered, licensed and insured in BC within 30 days of arriving.

Can I buy a home in BC before I move?

Yes. You can view by video, make your offer subject to an inspection, have your ID verified remotely and work with a lawyer or notary from a distance. If the home will sit empty, check the speculation and vacancy tax.

Can I back out after my offer is accepted?

For most homes, yes, within three business days: you notify the seller in writing and pay 0.25% of the price. After that, the purchase is firm once your subjects are removed.

Planning your move? Read From Offer to Keys for each step after acceptance, Closing Costs in BC for your budget and, if you are coming from outside Canada, Buying a Home in BC as a Newcomer.

This article is general information, not legal or tax advice. The details come from the Province, BCFSA, ICBC, FINTRAC, the CRA and other official sources, and were current at the time of writing. For the Province's guide, see the First Time Home Buyers' Program.