Register for My Service Canada Account in Canada: who can register, the GCKey, bank Sign-in Partner, and provincial sign-in options, identity verification with the Interac verification service or a Personal Access Code, multi-factor authentication, and what you can do once signed in for Employment Insurance, Canada Pension Plan, Old Age Security, the Canadian Dental Care Plan, and the Canada Disability Benefit.
Applies in: CA
My Service Canada Account (MSCA) is the Government of Canada portal for Service Canada services and benefits. My Service Canada Account (MSCA) states that signing in lets you access and manage a wide range of government services and benefits, and lists the Canadian Dental Care Plan, Employment Insurance, Canada Pension Plan, Old Age Security, Canada Disability Benefit, Social Insurance Number, National Student Loans Service Centre, Canada Apprentice Loan, and debt statements as the services available once you sign in. This guide covers the portal only: registering, signing in, verifying your identity, and reaching each service through the dashboard. It states no benefit amount, rate, eligibility test, or payment date, and it does not cover whether you qualify for any benefit. For that, use the benefit page linked beside each dashboard section, or contact Service Canada.
Creating an account is a one-time action. Create My Service Canada Account states that creating an account takes just a few steps, that it is a one-time action, and that the next time you visit, all you have to do is sign in. Work through the registration steps in order, and request a Personal Access Code before you start if that is the verification route you will use, since you must have received it first.
You can register if you are at least 12 years old and will use the account only as yourself. Create My Service Canada Account states both conditions, and adds that no one is authorized to use or create an account on your behalf. The same conditions appear on the GCKey, bank, and provincial registration pages.
You will need your Social Insurance Number (SIN) to create your profile. My Service Canada Account: How to register with GCKey states that to start creating your profile you will need to provide your SIN. If you recently applied for a SIN online, that page states you can instead use your Birth Registration Number from your Canadian birth certificate, or your Unique Client Identifier (UCI), also known as the client identification number issued by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada. Create My Service Canada Account puts the same choice in its own words: you will need your SIN, Birth Registration Number, or Unique Client Identifier.
If you have already applied for Canada Pension Plan or Old Age Security benefits, check for a Personal Access Code before requesting one. My Service Canada Account (MSCA) states that Personal Access Codes are used to verify your identity when registering, and that if you already applied for Canada Pension Plan or Old Age Security benefits, your code has been sent to you by mail. If no code has arrived, step 3 explains how to request one, or how to verify your identity another way instead.
There are three ways to register and sign in, and you use the option you registered with each time you return. Create My Service Canada Account lists them as using your online banking sign-in information, using your username and password issued by the Government of Canada or signing up for a GCKey, and using your Alberta.ca Account or BC Services Card.
GCKey is a username and password credential issued by the Government of Canada for online government services. My Service Canada Account: How to register with GCKey states that a GCKey is a unique electronic credential issued by the Government of Canada for use with online Government services, that if you have an existing GCKey you sign in with it and are redirected to create your account, and that if you do not have one, you select Sign up on the Welcome to GCKey page to create a username and password.
A Sign-in Partner lets you use the same sign-in information you use for online banking. My Service Canada Account: How to register with your bank states that using a Sign-in Partner allows you to use the same sign-in information you use for your online banking, and lists the participating partners on that page, so check the list before choosing this route to confirm your bank or credit union is on it. The same page notes that you will temporarily leave the Government of Canada website to use your Sign-in Partner. My Service Canada Account (MSCA) adds that the Interac Sign-In Partner allows you to register or sign in using your online banking information, and that if you move to a new financial institution you may be able to switch your Sign-in Partner from the Select a Sign-In Partner page.
The provincial option is only for residents of Alberta and British Columbia. My Service Canada Account: Sign in or register with your province states that the service is only available for residents of Alberta and British Columbia, names the Alberta.ca Account and the BC Services Card, and states that if you live outside those provinces you can register with GCKey or with your bank. Create My Service Canada Account states that, for this route, you will need your Alberta.ca Account or BC Services Card, and that if you do not have one you should choose another sign-in method.
Pick the option you will still be able to use later. A bank sign-in follows your banking relationship, a GCKey follows the credential you create, and a provincial sign-in follows your provincial account, so choose the one least likely to change on you, and keep its recovery details somewhere you can find them.
Identity verification happens during registration, after you sign in with your chosen option, and the route you pick decides whether registration finishes in real time or waits on the mail. For GCKey and bank registration, My Service Canada Account: How to register with GCKey and My Service Canada Account: How to register with your bank present the same three options.
The first option is the Interac verification service, which the pages mark as recommended. My Service Canada Account: How to register with GCKey states that the Interac verification service will allow you to register in real time, and that to use it you must use your online banking information. The same page lists BMO, CIBC, Desjardins, RBC, Scotiabank, and TD as participating financial institutions for this service, so if your institution is not among them, choose another verification option. My Service Canada Account: How to register with your bank adds an important detail for bank registration: you will be asked to enter your online banking credential twice, the first entry is anonymous with no information shared with Employment and Social Development Canada, and the second entry shares basic personal information with Employment and Social Development Canada for verification.
The second option is a Personal Access Code (PAC). My Service Canada Account: How to register with GCKey states that Personal Access Codes are used to help verify your identity, and that to verify your identity with this option you must ensure you have received your code before registering, entering it when creating your profile. If you do not already have one, request it before you start registration. Create My Service Canada Account states the three request routes and their timing: online, by mail in 5 to 10 business days; in person, right away at a Service Canada location; and by phone, only for returning clients of the Canada Pension Plan. The GCKey page gives the same online mailing time, and states that an online request needs your SIN, your parent's family name at birth, and your postal code if you are a Canadian resident or your country of residence if you are a foreign resident. An in-person request needs the same details plus valid, not expired, acceptable proof of identity, such as a Canadian passport, a driver's licence, a health card, a permanent resident card, or a provincial identification card, on the same page. A phone request is narrower: the same page states it is only available for returning clients of the Canada Pension Plan, that the agent will let you know when you could receive your code, and that you can call Service Canada at 1-800-277-9914, Monday to Friday between 8:30 am and 4:30 pm local time, to check the status of a request or disable a code.
The third option is a SIN Application Number, and it is narrow. My Service Canada Account: How to register with GCKey states that you can only use this option if you have recently applied for a SIN online, that you receive a SIN Application Number once you submit your application, and that you must have received an email confirming your SIN application has been processed before registering. If that email has not arrived, do not start registration on this option.
If you registered with a provincial sign-in, verification works through the province. Multi-factor authentication to access MSCA states that provincial sign-in users are asked to confirm their identity on the provincial sign-in pages. Check the official page for the route you chose before you start, and have the code or banking details for that route ready, so registration does not stall partway through.
Multi-factor authentication is mandatory for GCKey and bank sign-in, and it applies every time you access the account. Multi-factor authentication to access MSCA states that it is a mandatory step that helps prevent unauthorized access, and that you will need to enter a security code to confirm your identity each time you access the account. The GCKey and bank registration pages both state that, once you have verified your identity, you will be directed to secure your account, with a link to the multi-factor authentication page.
Choose one security method, then register a backup. Multi-factor authentication to access MSCA lists four methods: an authenticator app on a smartphone, tablet, laptop, or desktop; a text message to a local or international cell phone number; a voice message to a local or international cell phone or landline number; and an MSCA Passcode Grid, a table of numbered rows and lettered columns with unique values in each cell, for use if you do not have a telephone or a smart device, which expires after 24 months. The same page states that you must register a backup security method, that you will be prompted to set it up during sign-in, and that you can use any of the listed methods as the backup except the authenticator app, which can only be used once. Register the backup before you need it: a changed phone number or a lost grid with no backup method is the route to a locked account.
Provincial sign-in users do not do this step in the same way. Multi-factor authentication to access MSCA states that this step does not apply to provincial sign-in users, who are asked to confirm their identity on the provincial sign-in pages. If you sign in with GCKey or your bank and need to change methods later, the same page states to sign in, select Security settings from the Account menu on your dashboard, select the method you want to replace, and follow the on-screen instructions. If the account is locked due to the security code, the same page directs you to the Registration and Authentication Help Desk; see the final FAQ for the number and hours.
Once signed in, go to the Employment Insurance section on your dashboard. Employment Insurance services in My Service Canada Account states that, once registered or signed in, you go to the Employment Insurance section on your dashboard, and that to apply for Employment Insurance benefits you visit the Employment Insurance benefits page instead, since applying is not done from this section.
Check claim status and messages first. Employment Insurance services in My Service Canada Account states that, from your dashboard, selecting Employment Insurance benefits and then View my status updates and messages lets you check your claim status, details about your claim, and messages you have received, and that this information is only available once your claim is finalized. The same page states that View my latest claim shows information about your current claim, and View my past claim shows past claims including payment information, with information about past claims remaining available for at least 7 years. You can also register for Alert Me email notifications from the same section; the same page states you will not receive more than one alert per 24-hour period, and that subscribing or unsubscribing does not affect your security notifications.
Understand the reporting split before your first report is due. Reports themselves are submitted through the Internet Reporting Service or by telephone, not from inside the account, as set out in the FAQ above. Employment Insurance reporting states that while receiving benefits you complete a report every 2 weeks, that you need your four-digit access code and SIN to submit reports, and that, signed in to the account, you can check that banking, address, and telephone details are up to date and review claim status and messages. Employment Insurance services in My Service Canada Account states that report and payment details are available through View my payments if you submit reports online or by telephone, that payment information is updated the next business day after a report is processed, and that processing occurs each evening from Sunday to Thursday, so a report filed on Friday or Saturday appears on Monday. If you realize you made a mistake on a report or form, or your circumstances changed, the same page states to select Report a mistake from the Employment Insurance benefits section and notify Service Canada as soon as possible.
View Records of Employment and tax slips from the same section. Employment Insurance services in My Service Canada Account states that selecting View my records of employment lets you access and print your electronic Records of Employment and verify information about paper ones, and that Records of Employment are available for 7 years following the date they are issued. The same page states that you can access, save, and print your T4E slips in the account if you received benefits in the current year or the last 6 years, or repaid an overpayment from a previous tax year, by selecting View my tax slips, and that you can change the delivery option for T4E slips to mail or online from the same section. For any other tax slip, the same page directs you to your Canada Revenue Agency account or the Canada Revenue Agency. You can also submit supporting documents with the secure upload tool and send information with eForms from this section, on the same page, and view letters Service Canada has mailed to you through View my letters, noting that some letters you received may not appear there.
Go to the Canada Pension Plan section on your dashboard for pension information. Canada Pension Plan in MSCA states that, once registered or signed in, you go to the Canada Pension Plan section on your dashboard. The same page lists the benefits you can apply for in the account by name only: the Canada Pension Plan retirement pension, Canada Pension Plan disability benefits, children's benefits, the death benefit, the survivor's pension, pension sharing, and credit splitting. This guide states none of the tests for those benefits; use the benefit pages themselves to check them.
From the dashboard you can view application status, payment information, estimates, and contributions. Canada Pension Plan in MSCA states that selecting View my status updates shows messages about the status of an application for Canada Pension Plan or disability benefits, that View my payments shows payment details and lets you print an official proof of payment report for the current year and the past 2 years, that you can view estimated monthly benefits if you have contributed by selecting View my benefit estimates, and that you can view or request your official statement of contributions by mail by selecting View my contributions. The same page states that you can view, save, and print official T4A(P) and NR4 tax slips in the account if you received benefits in the current year or the last 6 years, by selecting View my tax slips, and that you can change the delivery option for those slips from your dashboard. You can also submit supporting documents for recent disability, death, or survivor applications, request the child-rearing provision, and submit a request for reconsideration of a decision, on the same page.
For Old Age Security, go to the Old Age Security section instead. Old Age Security in MSCA states that, once registered or signed in, you go to the Old Age Security section on your dashboard and select Apply for Old Age Security and manage my benefits. The same page lists, by name only, the Old Age Security pension and Guaranteed Income Supplement, the Guaranteed Income Supplement, the Guaranteed Income Supplement — Allowance, and the Allowance for the Survivor as the benefits you can apply for in the account. From your Old Age Security dashboard, the same page states you can view application status in the Follow up items and Notifications sections, view and print payment information for payments made after March 17, 2025, in the Payments section, submit supporting documents, submit a request for reconsideration, and view, save, and print T4A(OAS) and NR4-OAS tax slips if you received benefits in the current year or the last 6 years.
Keep the personal-information split from the FAQ in mind for both programs. Change your personal information states that Canada Pension Plan changes cannot be made in the account at this time, while Old Age Security changes can. For Canada Pension Plan, Canada Pension Plan in MSCA states that banking and address updates are made by requesting a call back, visiting a Service Canada Office, or calling, that telephone numbers can be viewed, changed, or deleted in the account under Update my profile and apply automatically to both Canada Pension Plan and Old Age Security benefits, and that name, marital status, or date of birth updates cannot be made in the account and need a phone call to an agent. For Old Age Security, Old Age Security in MSCA gives Profile steps for banking, address, email, telephone, marital relationship, authorized person, income, voluntary tax deductions, and communication preferences, and states that residential address is automatically applied to both Old Age Security and Canada Pension Plan benefits.
The Canadian Dental Care Plan section is managed inside the account. Canadian Dental Care Plan in MSCA states that you can access and manage your plan information in the account, and that once signed in you can verify your eligibility, apply, view your letters, and update your personal information. The same page states that, once signed in, you go to the Canadian Dental Care Plan section on your dashboard, that the plan is shown at the top of the dashboard page, and that you click Apply for the Canadian Dental Care Plan and follow the instructions. It also states to find out if you are eligible before applying, and points to the Canadian Dental Care Plan web page for eligibility, renewal, and application status information, so check that page first rather than treating this guide as an eligibility check. From the same section, the same page states you can view current and next-year benefits by selecting View member eligibility, view your letters by selecting View my letters, and update your access to other dental benefits, contact information, and communication preferences under Personal information. If you have already applied, the same page states to use the status checker for the latest update, without signing in.
The Canada Disability Benefit section works differently: the account holds the invitation letter, not the application. Canada Disability Benefit in MSCA states that if you qualify for the Canada Disability Benefit, you will find your invitation to apply letter in the account, and states plainly that you cannot apply for the benefit in the account, directing you to the Canada Disability Benefit page to apply or find more information. Once registered or signed in, the same page states you go to the Canada Disability Benefit section on your dashboard. Do not look for an application form inside the account; open the invitation letter, then follow the application route on the benefit page it points to. Change your personal information also states that Canada Disability Benefit personal-information changes cannot be made in the account at this time, and must go through a call back, an in-person visit, or a call centre.
For direct deposit and contact details, follow the split in step 6 and the FAQ, not a single rule for the whole account. Change your personal information is the page to check before changing anything: Canadian Dental Care Plan and Old Age Security changes are made in the account from the dashboard, while Employment Insurance, Canada Pension Plan, and Canada Disability Benefit changes go through Service Canada assistance. For Old Age Security banking changes, Old Age Security in MSCA states to select Profile and then Manage my payment destination, that the updated banking information appears on the Payment details section of the Profile page once confirmed, and that it can take up to 30 days for banking changes to take effect, so submit new banking information at least 30 days before your payment date. For Employment Insurance, Employment Insurance reporting states that signing in lets you check that banking, address, and telephone details are up to date, and that signing up for or updating direct deposit, banking, address, or telephone details is done through the eServiceCanada request form, the call centre, or a Service Canada Office.
Finish each visit safely. My Service Canada Account (MSCA) states that Service Canada will never ask for your password or personal information by email, text message, or link, that you should not click suspicious links or open attachments from unknown senders, that you should sign out when you are done and then close your browser, that you should not bookmark secure pages seen after signing in, and that you should not share passwords or security codes. The same page lists Google Chrome, Safari, Microsoft Edge, and Mozilla Firefox as browsers to use, and states to enable cookies and JavaScript in your browser. If a message claims to be from Service Canada and asks for a password or code, delete it and sign in only through the official account page you reached yourself.
Wait for the mailing time for the route you chose, then use another verification route or check the request. [My Service Canada Account: How to register with GCKey](https://www.canada.ca/en/employment-social-development/services/my-account/gckey.html) states that a code requested online arrives by mail within 5 to 10 business days, and [Create My Service Canada Account](https://www.canada.ca/en/employment-social-development/services/my-account/registration.html) adds that a code requested in person at a Service Canada location is available right away. The GCKey page also states that you can call Service Canada at 1-800-277-9914, Monday to Friday between 8:30 am and 4:30 pm local time, to check the status of a code request or disable a code, and that requesting a code by phone is only available for returning clients of the Canada Pension Plan. If waiting does not suit you, register with the Interac verification service instead, which verifies your identity in real time with online banking information, on the same GCKey page. Do not start registration with the code option until the code is in your hands, since that page states you must have received it before registering.
No. They are two different codes for two different jobs, and the official pages keep them apart. [Employment Insurance reporting](https://www.canada.ca/en/services/benefits/ei/employment-insurance-reporting.html) states that Service Canada mailed you a benefit statement when you applied for benefits, and that statement included a four-digit access code, which you need with your Social Insurance Number to submit your reports. A Personal Access Code, by contrast, is used to verify your identity when registering for My Service Canada Account, according to [My Service Canada Account (MSCA)](https://www.canada.ca/en/employment-social-development/services/my-account.html). The reporting page also states to keep your access code safe and store it separately from your Social Insurance Number. Do not enter one code where the other is asked for, and do not share either code.
Submit the report through the Internet Reporting Service or by telephone, and use My Service Canada Account to check what surrounds it. [Employment Insurance reporting](https://www.canada.ca/en/services/benefits/ei/employment-insurance-reporting.html) states that you submit reports by Internet or by telephone, using your Social Insurance Number and four-digit access code, and that if you stay on a page for more than 10 minutes you will be disconnected. The same page states that, signed in to My Service Canada Account, you can check that your banking information, address, and telephone number are up to date and review your claim status and messages. [Employment Insurance services in My Service Canada Account](https://www.canada.ca/en/employment-social-development/services/my-account/ei.html) adds that you can view report and payment details through View my payments if you submit reports online or by telephone, and that payment information is updated the next business day after a report is processed, with processing each evening from Sunday to Thursday.
It depends on which benefit you receive, and the split is stated plainly on the official change page. [Change your personal information](https://www.canada.ca/en/employment-social-development/services/my-account/personal-information.html) states that you can change your personal information directly in My Service Canada Account if you receive benefits from the Canadian Dental Care Plan or Old Age Security, by selecting the benefit from your dashboard, and that for Employment Insurance, Canada Pension Plan, and Canada Disability Benefit you cannot use My Service Canada Account to change your information at this time, and must instead request a call back, go in person, or contact a call centre. The same split appears on the service pages: [Old Age Security in MSCA](https://www.canada.ca/en/employment-social-development/services/my-account/oas.html) gives Profile steps for banking, address, email, and telephone changes and states that banking changes can take up to 30 days to take effect, while [Employment Insurance services in My Service Canada Account](https://www.canada.ca/en/employment-social-development/services/my-account/ei.html) lists a call back, the call centre, or a Service Canada Office for address, telephone, and direct deposit updates. Two narrower updates do work inside the account for Employment Insurance and Canada Pension Plan: province of residence and language of correspondence for Employment Insurance, and telephone number for Canada Pension Plan, on those same service pages.
No. [Create My Service Canada Account](https://www.canada.ca/en/employment-social-development/services/my-account/registration.html) states that you must be at least 12 years old and must access and use the account only as yourself, and that no one is authorized to use or create an account on your behalf. The same rule appears on each registration page. That does not leave a family member or representative with no route at all: [Canada Pension Plan in MSCA](https://www.canada.ca/en/employment-social-development/services/my-account/cpp.html) states that you can view, add, change, or delete an authorized person who can communicate with Service Canada on your behalf about your Canada Pension Plan benefit, from your own dashboard, and [Old Age Security in MSCA](https://www.canada.ca/en/employment-social-development/services/my-account/oas.html) gives the same authorized-person step for Old Age Security. For tax slips, the limit is stricter: [Employment Insurance services in My Service Canada Account](https://www.canada.ca/en/employment-social-development/services/my-account/ei.html) states that a registered trustee, guardian, or other legal representative cannot access tax slip services online in the account and must complete transactions on another person's behalf by contacting Service Canada. Do not hand over your sign-in or security codes to anyone.
Use your backup method first, change your methods from Security settings if you can sign in, and contact the help desk if the account is locked. [Multi-factor authentication to access MSCA](https://www.canada.ca/en/employment-social-development/services/my-account/multi-factor-authentication.html) states that multi-factor authentication is mandatory, that you enter a security code each time you access the account, and that you must register a backup security method in case the first method is not available. The same page states that to change your methods you sign in, select Security settings from the Account menu on your dashboard, and follow the on-screen instructions. It also states that if your account is locked due to the security code, you should contact the Registration and Authentication Help Desk at 1-866-279-5238, Monday to Friday from 8:30 am to 4:30 pm local time. Provincial sign-in users are the exception to the code step: the same page states that multi-factor authentication does not apply to Alberta.ca Account and BC Services Card users, who confirm their identity on the provincial sign-in pages.
No benefit amount, rate, eligibility test, or payment date is stated in this guide. Where a number appears, it is a portal mechanic from an opened official page named beside it, such as the 5 to 10 business day mailing time for a Personal Access Code, the four-digit Employment Insurance access code, or the 24-month Passcode Grid expiry. Check the official page linked beside any rule before relying on it.