Top Tips for Moving to Banff (From a Brit Now Living in Banff)

I have been lucky enough to call Banff home for four years in total, a town that people spend thousands of dollars to visit for just a week or two.  

This place is truly one of a kind. 

If you’re reading this, you likely have the same spark of inspiration to pack your bags and make the trip, much like I had a decade ago.   

In 2015, I moved to Canada and spent two years working and playing in Banff.  

I then spent several years living in Iceland and New Zealand before making my return back to Banff in 2022.  

I have been living here ever since and plan to make this my forever home. 

I write this to give you the first-hand insights I wish I had that would have saved me hours of stress during the buildup to the best decision I ever made. 

The First Step in Getting To Banff: Visas 

I have lost count (and sleep) of how many visas I have had to apply for in the last 10 years. 

Obtaining a visa can be a headache, but it isn’t that difficult. 

If you’re from the UK, you can apply for a two-year work visa that allows you to work in almost any field within Canada. 

This is the first visa you should apply for and is by far the quickest and easiest way to get yourself to the Great White North. 

Other countries may have different time frames, so be sure to check out the immigration website to see what is available to you. 

This link will direct you to that website, where any preliminary questions can be answered. 

You can also fill out a questionnaire to see exactly what visas you’re eligible for and the criteria needed to apply.  

If two years isn’t enough, there are a number of ways to extend your stay. 

UK citizens can extend their open work visas for an extra 12 months, and there are a number of other visas available to you whether you’re from the UK or not. 

The Young Professional Visa allows you to stay in Canada if you have a job offer that will count towards your professional development, and finding an employer who is willing to sponsor you can lead to an LMIA visa, which stands for Labor Market Impact Assessment.  

If, after all this, you still don’t want to leave, you’ll be in a position where you can apply for Permanent Residency.   

The first work visa I got took around six months to obtain from start to finish, and once you have the visa, you have 365 days to arrive in Canada. Obviously, timeframes might vary, so just know you’ll need to plan your trip in advance.  It’s not something that can happen overnight. 

I worked with a company called BUNAC, which helped with the whole process, including visas, flights, and securing a job with housing 

The peace of mind knowing that professionals were helping greatly offset the fees they charged. 

(Note: this article is not sponsored by BUNAC; I’m just simply sharing my experience). 

There are a number of companies similar to BUNAC in the UK and other countries, and they can be a great tool if you think that going through the process by yourself is daunting.  

Once You Arrive in Banff: The Stuff Nobody Tells You

This section is the most important and should be done in the first few days you arrive. 

Keep all your documents with you because you’ll need some form of ID (passport preferably), proof of address, and a visa, at the very least, to open accounts.  

Also, I would obtain everything below in the order I’ve outlined. 

SIN Number

This is the most important thing to get sorted. 

This number is used for tax and benefits purposes and is needed to work. 

Head to the Service Canada office in Canmore to get yours. (Note: Canmore is a neighboring town from Banff, about 20 minutes away).

Pro tip: Arrive 30 minutes before the office opens to save yourself from waiting in a long queue.  

Banking

Any of the major banks will be fine. I have always used CIBC (you can book an appointment with this link), and they have been great for me. 

Places like hotels or car rental companies will likely ask for a credit card for payment, so look into what is available to you when opening a checking account.  

Phone Plans

Again, most are fine. Freedom and Fido are considered some of the cheapest plans available. 

You can only get a contract for the length of your visa, so keep that in mind when checking out prices.  

Alberta Health Care

Free healthcare! This is available for anyone living and working in Alberta and covers any trips to the doctor's office or hospital. 

Without it, you can find yourself out of pocket for even the smallest of medical events. 

Pick your card up at the Registry Office in Banff.  

Driving License

Note that you can only drive on a foreign license for up to one year. 

For people from Commonwealth countries, switching to a Canadian license is as easy as paying a fee and swapping out your current license. 

Unfortunately, anyone else has to pass a theory and driving test to be able to switch. 

You can do this at the Registry Office in Banff, which is the same place where you’ll get your Alberta Health Care card. 

Working & Where To Live in Banff

I have bundled work and housing together because they can often come hand in hand in Banff. 

Staff Accommodation

Many of the more prominent hospitality companies, such as Banff Lodging Co. or Banff Hospitality Collective, offer staff accommodation as part of the deal when working for them, so starting here can kill two birds with one stone. 

If you’re looking to arrive in winter, also think about applying for a job at one of the three ski hills close by, as they also offer staff housing, albeit on a temporary basis. 

Other companies also have staff housing, so make sure to check if they have any available when applying for jobs.  

Arrive During “Non-Peak” Periods For Better Success

One thing people often overlook is their arrival date in Banff. 

This can have a huge impact on the likelihood of finding a job and housing, and it should definitely be a big consideration for you. 

Arriving during peak winter or summer months can be a frustrating time to be job or house hunting as employers have likely hired up for the season and won’t be taking resumes. 

Banff sees a biannual mass exodus right as summer and winter draw to a close, so arriving in August/September or April/May, respectively, will increase your chances of finding a job or housing.  

Don’t Expect To Find a Job Before Moving

Finding a job before arriving may seem like you’re planning ahead, but it may actually hinder your chances. 

Places hiring will much rather interview someone face to face, especially if they tend to trial any potential employees. 

That being said, a quick search on Indeed or the much more local Job Resource Centre will give you an insight into any openings that would be of interest to you. 

Don’t let this deter you from applying before you arrive, though, as setting up contacts early makes it easier when you do finally arrive. 

Speaking from experience, simply walking around town and looking for help wanted posters in the door is the best way to find work once you arrive. 

A Few Tips on Housing

Finding housing yourself can be tricky, as I've mentioned before. 

There are a number of Facebook groups to join, such as here, here, and here that can be a good place to start, but please be aware that there are numerous scam accounts offering places to live. 

If anyone asks for money before seeing the house or tells you a tale of how they don’t live in town but can send the keys if you wire them a deposit, ignore them and move on. 

Word of mouth is also an excellent way to secure a room. If you know anyone already living in town, ask them to put the word out, and you might get lucky. 

Hostel bills quickly rack up and hope quickly runs out if you don’t have something secured in the first few weeks. 

And, I have personally seen many people move on to other parts of the country after not finding somewhere to live. 

Arrive in Banff With Some Savings

Because you will be arriving in Banff without a job secured, it’s beneficial to have some savings–around $3000-5000 would be fine.  

Remember how I said you need to apply for a SIN number to work once you arrive?  Well, it takes 20 business days to get the number after you apply.  

Also, if you have savings that can last you not having a job for a month or so, you can then prioritize all your time and effort to looking for a room, especially if you’re not having success finding jobs with housing included.  

The Exciting Stuff: Why You Should Move To Banff?

Alright, enough of the boring stuff. Let’s talk about why you should move to Banff! 

Winter

It’s joked that the four seasons in Canada are as follows: almost winter, winter, still winter, summer. 

If you only take one piece of advice from this article, let it be this: winter in the Rockies is cold, so be ready. 

Temperatures rarely get above zero and can drop to as low as –40 during colder snaps. Have your gear ready before you arrive, and make sure it’s good stuff. 

Factor in the wind chill, and even a 5-minute walk can be torture. Once you get used to the cold, though, the magic of Banff shows itself.  

Millions of people flock to Banff in winter for good reason; you won’t find many better places than this for all things snow-related. 

There is a certain buzz that goes around town when the ski hills open, and a walk down Banff Ave proves it. 

Most people will have skis on their shoulders or snowboards in hand, and an endless fleet of free busses ferry people to the Sunshine, Lake Louise or Norquay ski resorts. 

Morning chatter of runs to conquer and evening exchanges of the day's antics create a spark in town that is easily contagious. 

As well as world-class ski hills, the Bow Valley is home to other amazing winter activities like cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, and ice skating on frozen lakes. You won’t be short of things to do; just make sure to stay warm.  

Summer

Canada is infamous for its cold, but many don’t realize just how nice it gets in summer. 

With an average temperature of 25 degrees, the summer days here are long and hot. 

The Bow Valley is home to an endless number of hikes, from beginner-friendly to expert, so there's a peak for everyone to summit. 

The handful of lakes close to Banff are all at the perfect temperature to cool off in after tanning on their shores, and floating the Bow River from Sunshine to the docks in town is an amazing way to spend half the day relaxing in the sun. 

Banff and its surrounding areas are also home to some of the most stunning camping spots, from sites you can drive to and areas that can only be accessed on foot. 

Either way, there's no better way to experience the wilderness of the Rockies than packing up your tent and heading out to the backcountry.  

Honestly, there are so many adventures to be had; you’ll just have to come and find out for yourself!

What’s Life Like in Banff?

Meeting Friends & Staying In The Know

One of the more daunting sides of moving away from home is leaving behind friends and family. 

Luckily, finding new friends, social groups or hobbies in Banff is easy. 

There are many Facebook groups for all kinds of hobbies in town, and joining one specific to your interests is a great way to meet like-minded people. 

The Fenlands Recreation Centre has a vast number of drop-in sessions for any sports enthusiasts, and the climbing walls at the Sally Borden or Elevation Place rec centers are always full of people looking for partners to climb with. 

You should also join Bow Valley Insider, which is a 3X per week email that shares everything going on in town from events, important updates, local news, and any general information that could be useful to you in one way or another.  

Also, this and this Facebook group are a good way to stay in the know, too. 

Getting Around

Getting around without a car is relatively easy in Banff, with a couple of bus routes that cover most places in town. 

Proof of address in Banff gets you a 6-month free bus pass, so be sure to take advantage of that. 

There is also a bus that takes you to Canmore, Lake Louise, and Johnston Canyon, but these aren’t free.  

The library is a good place to find books, of course, but the library here in Banff is also home to computers and printers, useful for printing out resumes or other important documents, as well as a ‘library of things,’ a rental system where you can find things like booster cables, air fryers and construction tools that can come in handy in many situations. 

They also offer many other services, all of which can be found on their website. You can get a free library card with proof of address.  

Food

Banff has two grocery stores, IGA and Nesters. 

Both are good, but I and a lot of people in town make use of Save-On in Canmore for more variety and cheaper prices. 

Activities

Getting a Banff Ambassador Pass is a great way to try out new things for free, such as canoe or bike rentals in the summer, ski and snowboard rentals in winter, and a bunch of things in between. 

The pass is worth $1,400 and a 1-hour session where you learn all things Banff is all that's needed to get your hands on one.  

Wrapping Up

Banff is truly one of a kind, the type of place that can’t be found anywhere else in the world. 

Do yourself a favor after you read this, pack your bags, and book a plane ticket. You won’t regret it.  

See you around!