Buy a Canadian SIM card from the Philippines, before you fly
Short answer: order before you fly and your Canadian number is working 24 hours before you land. From the Philippines you have a choice most countries do not: a physical SIM posted to your address at home, or an eSIM by email.
See the plans that ship to the Philippines or read the detail first.
Why the number has to exist before you land
Your Canadian bank account, your rental application, your SIN appointment, your employer's onboarding portal and every verification code in between all want a Canadian mobile number. A Philippine number will not receive most of them. Codes sent internationally cost the sender money and fail often enough that Canadian services stopped relying on them.
So the order matters. Number first, then the bank, then everything else. People who arrive without one spend their first week queueing rather than settling.
From the Philippines, the SIM can be in your hand before the flight
Canada ships to three countries and the Philippines is one of them.
A physical SIM, posted to your address in the Philippines
Order at least a week before you travel. You put the card in before you leave, and the line switches on 24 hours before your arrival date.
An eSIM, by email
The QR code arrives within 24 hours of ordering. Scan it with your camera, and the same 24-hour activation applies. Check your handset supports it by dialling *#06# and looking for an EID number. Most recent iPhone, Samsung and Pixel models have one.
Airport pickup
If you would rather collect on arrival: Toronto Pearson Terminals 1 and 3, Ottawa, Calgary, Edmonton, Halifax and Winnipeg.
What it costs
Staying under 90 days, prepaid starts at $25 CAD with no credit check, no contract and no setup fee.
Staying longer, the postpaid plans, Fido 50 GB at $30 CAD a month or Rogers 100 GB at $40 CAD a month, include a Canadian number, unlimited Canada-wide calling and unlimited local and international texting, so messages home to the Philippines are covered, and data covers your calls home on WhatsApp, Viber or Messenger. The $80 setup fee is waived when you order before arrival, and there is no credit check, which matters because a Canadian carrier will run one on you in-store and you will have no Canadian credit history on day one.
Everything is billed in Canadian dollars.
Pick your plan. Moving for work or study rather than visiting? The worker and student pages cover what applies to you. Filipino nurses and healthcare workers have their own page.
The order to do things in
Order a week before the flight if you want the physical SIM, or any time before you fly for the eSIM. Give your arrival date at checkout, because that is what the activation is timed to. Put the new number on your bank pre-registration, your rental applications and your employer paperwork while you are still in the Philippines. Land with it already working.
Common questions
Will my phone from the Philippines work in Canada?
If it is unlocked, yes. Canada runs on the same bands you already use. If it is locked to a Philippine carrier, get it unlocked before you leave.
Can I keep my Philippine number active?
Yes. With an eSIM, your Philippine SIM stays in its slot for texts from home while the Canadian line carries your calls and data.
Does the postpaid plan build Canadian credit?
Yes. A postpaid plan in your name, paid on time, is the earliest credit history most newcomers can get, and prepaid travel eSIMs cannot do it.
Ordering from somewhere else? India · Brasil · América Latina · Colombia · Việt Nam