You have been living in Dubai, Paris or Beirut, and you are thinking of coming home. Good news: as a Canadian citizen or permanent resident, you can buy in Québec. But a few rules change when you have lived elsewhere. Here are the essentials, step by step.

1. Your credit file: check it before you come back

Your Canadian credit file does not disappear because you left. But closed accounts eventually drop off: Equifax keeps a closed account in good standing for 6 to 10 years, depending on the source, and TransUnion keeps positive information for up to 20 years (Financial Consumer Agency of Canada). If you no longer have any active account, your file may become too "thin" for a lender.

• Order your credit file for free from Equifax and TransUnion a few months before you return. You will have time to correct an error or a forgotten old debt, and to see whether you still have active accounts. If your file is almost empty, start rebuilding a history early (for example with a Canadian credit card).
• If possible, keep a Canadian credit card active and paid on time.
• Equifax and TransUnion now offer tools that import a foreign credit history. They are mainly designed for newcomers, and not every lender accepts them: ask your lender.

2. Your mortgage: talk to a lender before you come back

No official rule says you must have a job in Canada. But every lender has its own requirements: employment letter, income for the last 2 years, foreign income accepted or not. The safest approach: contact a mortgage broker or your financial institution before you return.

The basic rules in 2026:

• Minimum down payment: 5% on the first $500,000; 10% on the portion between $500,000 and $1,500,000; 20% at $1,500,000 and more (FCAC, Finance Canada).
• Mortgage loan insurance is required with less than 20% down. In Québec, the tax on the premium is paid in cash at the notary's office.
• Stress test for an uninsured mortgage (federally regulated lenders): you must qualify at the higher of your rate + 2% or 5.25% (OSFI).
• Pre-approval: it gives you an idea of how much you can borrow, but it does not guarantee final approval. A rate guarantee is not automatic: it depends on the lender, so ask clearly.

3. Are you still a "first-time buyer"?

This is a common trap. A home you owned and lived in abroad counts for several federal measures (Canada Revenue Agency).

What matters is having lived in a home that you (or your spouse) owned, as your principal residence, in the current year or the 4 preceding calendar years. You do not need to have sold it: if you moved out (for example to rent it out) more than 4 calendar years ago, you are a first-time buyer again. A home bought to rent out, where you never lived, does not count.

If you are in this situation, you are not a first-time buyer for:

• the FHSA (you must also be a resident of Canada to open one);
• the Home Buyers' Plan (withdrawal of up to $60,000 from your RRSPs; you must be a resident of Canada at the time of the withdrawal);
• the home buyers' amount (line 31270, a federal tax credit);
• the GST rebate on a new home (up to $50,000).

You declare this status yourself. The Canada Revenue Agency can check it, for example during an audit, and if there is an error you may have to repay the benefit, with interest and sometimes penalties. Once you are a resident again, you must also report your foreign rental income and, if the total cost of your specified foreign property exceeds $100,000 during the year, file form T1135 (a rental home abroad counts; a personal-use home does not).

For CMHC mortgage loan insurance (30-year amortization for first-time buyers), only a home in Canada is taken into account. Other insurers (Sagen, Canada Guaranty) and lenders may have their own criteria.

Québec's refundable tax credit for access to home ownership (up to $5,875 of welcome tax, starting with the 2026 tax year): you must reside in Québec on December 31 of the year of the purchase. Revenu Québec does not specify whether a home abroad counts: check with Revenu Québec or a tax specialist before counting on it.

4. Health insurance (RAMQ): plan for private insurance

When you come back from another country, there is generally a waiting period of up to 3 months before RAMQ coverage starts, even for Canadian citizens. Children under 18 have no waiting period, and some social security agreements between Québec and other countries remove it. RAMQ recommends private insurance from the day you arrive.

5. Taxes: becoming a resident again

You generally become a resident again on the date you return. Some property you own (investments, for example) is deemed acquired at its fair market value on that day. If you own a home or investments abroad, see a tax specialist before you come back.

6. Signing at the notary's office

In Québec, a mortgage must be signed before a notary. Remote signing is possible only if the notary agrees. If you buy before you arrive, discuss it early with the notary (power of attorney, documents to be authenticated if needed).

Summary: your checklist before you return

1. Order your credit file (Equifax and TransUnion).
2. Talk to a lender or mortgage broker about your income.
3. Check your first-time buyer status (a home abroad?).
4. Plan private health insurance for the first 3 months.
5. See a tax specialist if you own property abroad.
6. Choose your area: our city guides can help.

I can help you remotely, in French, English or Arabic, to prepare your search before you arrive.

Hania Merhi, real estate broker (courtière immobilière) — eXp agence immobilière

This article provides general information, as of October 2026. It does not replace the advice of a tax specialist, a notary or your financial institution.

Sources checked on October 20, 2026: Financial Consumer Agency of Canada, Canada Revenue Agency, Finance Canada, OSFI, CMHC, Revenu Québec, RAMQ, Éducaloi and Chambre des notaires du Québec.