From climbing Via Ferrata to exploring Canmore Caverns, Alberta is a gorgeous province for visitors and residents alike. With low cost of living and a booming job market, the call is alluring. When moving to Alberta from another province, making a smooth transition is easy with these five simple tips:

Obtain Paperwork for AHCIP Coverage

AHCIP (Alberta Health Care Insurance Plan) provides health care coverage to residents of Alberta. You will be able to apply for AHCIP after three months of residency. (There is also a condition that you must have the intention to remain in Alberta for at least a year.) Prior to moving, Canadian citizens should speak with their current province’s health care plan. You should confirm where and what will be covered in Alberta during that three month waiting period. Start planning for health care coverage before you move.

Create a Budget

Moving to Alberta offers significant financial savings. With the lowest personal taxes in Canada and lucrative career options, creating a budget to funnel extra money into savings is a great way to start life in your new home. Before moving, sit down with a current budget and adjust your cost of living. While you may not be able to predict food prices prior to the actual moving, there are other costs you can assess in advance. You’ll be able to get on track for financial success by budgeting: the cost of rent; the removal of provincial sales tax; and current gasoline prices ahead of your move.

Get the Kids Ready for School

By law, Alberta requires children between the ages of six and sixteen to enroll in school. When moving to Alberta, choosing between the public, separate, francophone, and charter schools that make up Alberta’s public education system can be a challenge. Get the jump on making those important decisions by gathering children’s essential documents: identification; vaccination records; and previous school records.

Make Sure Mail is Forwarded

Moving to a different province is a big step and one of the easiest ways to make that step catastrophic is simply forgetting to forward the mail. Not only is forwarding vital for receiving important, time-sensitive documents, it also prevents identity theft by ensuring all documents go directly to your new home. The Canada Post mail forwarding service charges movers a fee for forwarding mail. Ultimately, the cost is well worth it, during that transition period from previous province to Alberta residence. To ensure that cheques, identifying documents, and personal correspondence safely make it to a new address, set up mail forwarding.

Hire the Movers

Moving province requires more time and effort packing and unpacking than a move down the street. Fragile goods need to be carefully packed, bulky furniture needs to be safely moved, and boxes need to be stacked, to prevent breakages. Rather than wasting time and damaging household goods with DIY moving, hire a professional moving company to safely and efficiently move your household goods across the country.