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How do I apply for a SIN, replace my card or amend my SIN record (e.g., a name change)?

Note: if you need to replace your card, a $10 fee may be required.

Applying at a Service Canada Centre

Service Canada has made it easy for you to apply for a Social Insurance Number (SIN), to replace your card, or to amend your SIN record.

Simply gather the documents you need and take them to your nearest Service Canada Centre. If your application and documents are in order, you will get a Social Insurance Number in one visit and receive your card within 10 business days.

Take advantage of our improved service... it's fast, simple, and secure! Plus, by applying in person at a Service Canada Centre, you won’t have to send your personal documents in the mail.

Applying by Mail

If you need to apply by mail, please follow these steps:

  • Download an application form from our Web site, or order the form by phone at 1-800-206-7218. Select Option "3".
  • Send us your completed application, original documents and payment, if required to:

Service Canada
Social Insurance Registration Office
P.O. Box 7000
Bathurst, New Brunswick
E2A 4T1

If you send your application by registered mail, we will return your documents and SIN card in the same way. We are not responsible for documents lost in the mail.

If your SIN application meets the requirements, you will receive your SIN card by mail within 20 business days from the date we receive the application.

Through the Newborn Registration Service

The Newborn Registration Service is available in Ontario, British Columbia, Alberta and Nova Scotia only.

New Brunswick residents only

Some New Brunswick residents can apply by phone. If you were:

  • born in New Brunswick after 1915 and have on hand a New Brunswick Birth Certificate, OR
  • born outside Canada, entered Canada after 1971 and have on hand an appropriate identity document issued by Citizenship and Immigration Canada,

You may be eligible to apply for a Social Insurance Number by calling toll-free at 1-888-428-0888.