This list is based on your most frequent on-line services inquiries as received by our call centre agents and is updated regularly. Information about our programs and benefits can be found on the Canada Pension Plan (CPP) and Old Age Security (OAS) Frequently Asked Questions pages or the Employment Insurance (EI) Frequently Asked Questions pages.
Using a Service Canada On-line Service
My Service Canada On-line Services
Access Codes - General Information
Personal Access Code
Employment Insurance Access Codes
Computer Issues
I received a message...
The problem may be that:
The "Date Modified" date at the bottom of each page is when we last changed the content or format of the page. The "Date Modified" does not refer to the personal information that appears on the page.
If you need more information, please go to the Service Canada main menu. If you can't locate the information you are looking for, please contact us.
If you are experiencing technical difficulties please review the FAQs relating to "Computer Issues" and "I received a message...". (Below)
Each time you select a hyperlink to help text in the application, a new window will open. We recommend that you close these windows after reading the help text. If you simply return to your main browser page, the additional windows will remain open.
Some of the services that we offer allow you to either view or make changes to your personal information. Before we can give you access to these services, we have to verify your identity. We do this through the login process for My Service Canada Account.
The login process for My Service Canada On-line Services is twofold:
In addition to obtaining a PAC and authenticating yourself, you will also be presented and asked to accept certain Privacy Notice Statements and Terms and Conditions pages which cover these registration components.
There are three main ways that we ensure the security of your transactions:
We also protect your information by not sharing it with unauthorized third parties.
When using our on-line service from a shared computer in a public area (i.e. public kiosk or library), please ensure that you do not leave the computer unattended while accessing the service. Also, be aware of individuals attempting to view your personal information while you are entering it into the computer.
Before leaving the computer, it is important that you fully log out of the application, clear the browser's cache and close down the browser. This will ensure that no one else can access any personal information you may have entered on the computer.
Make sure you pick up your printouts at the public printer as soon as you have logged out of the application.
Currently, you can view and change certain types of your personal information that is on file with Employment Insurance, Canada Pension Plan and Old Age Security.
Most Service Canada on-line services are available 24 hours a day every day, except for when system maintenance is taking place. These system maintenance windows vary based on the service.
Certain transactions (i.e. changing personal information) may only be done during the hours outlined below.
Changing your personal information for EI clients: Updates to your mailing address, telephone number and direct deposit information can only be accepted during the service times for your province or territory of residence, as indicated below:
No, for security reasons only the person with the social insurance number (SIN) associated with the Personal Access Code can use My Service Canada Account to access his or her information. If you would like someone to represent you, refer to Contact Us and the appropriate program area for additional information.
A Tax Information Slips access code was used for the 2003 and 2004 tax years to validate your identity so that you could use the Tax Information Slips service. It was a nine character code composed of one letter and eight numbers (for example: A99999999).
* Important - The Tax Information Slips access code was no longer valid as of February 1, 2006. All Tax Information Slip access codes have been disabled as of that date. The Tax Information Slips service is now part of My Service Canada Account. In order to access this service you will need a Personal Access Code or an EI Access Code.
The Personal Access Code is a unique 7 character identifier required, along with other personal information, to access on-line services related to CPP/OAS. It is an additional piece of information that we ask for to ensure the confidentiality of your personal information. You may apply for a Personal Access Code from Service Canada on-line or by telephone at 1 877 454-4051. Keep this code private and secure.
The Employment Insurance (EI) Access Code is a four-digit code mailed to you shortly after you apply for EI benefits and can be found at the bottom of your Benefit Statement in the shaded area. In order to access the on-line service you have selected, you must provide your four-digit EI Access Code. It is an additional piece of information that we ask for to ensure the confidentiality of your personal information.
An EI Access Code is a four-digit code issued by the Employment Insurance Program under Service Canada. It enables you to access on-line services such as the EI Internet Reporting Service. You can only receive an EI Access Code after having applied for EI benefits.
A Personal Access Code is a seven character code issued for the Canada Pension Plan and Old Age Security by Service Canada.
Your Personal Access Code lets you login to My Service Canada On-line Services which allow you to:
Your EI Access Code will let you login to My Service Canada Account as well as the EI Internet Reporting Service at this point.
There are two ways to get a Personal Access Code from Service Canada:
In order to receive your Personal Access Code you will have to provide the following information:
We ask for your address information so that we may confirm that the information we have for you is still accurate. This address is used to mail your Personal Access Code to you. If the postal code you provide does not match the postal code we have for you we will not mail your Personal Access Code.
Yes, you can get a Personal Access Code if you live outside of Canada.
No. Your Personal Access Code is designed to allow you to securely access our on-line services. We do not currently have the capability to send secure e-mail, so we must send you this code by mail. We also ask that you do not include any personal information in your e-mail correspondence with Service Canada.
You can contact us and speak to one of our service delivery agents.
Yes. To disable your Personal Access Code, please contact us and speak to one of our agents.
As a security feature, if you have disabled your Personal Access Code, the only way you can obtain a new one is to contact us and speak to one of our agents.
No. If you have disabled a Personal Access Code, you must obtain a new one. As a security feature, the only way you can obtain a new one is to contact us and speak to one of our agents.
If you lose your Access Code, call our automated telephone information service at 1 800 206-7218 between 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. (Monday to Friday) and press "0" to speak to a representative or go to your Service Canada Centre. In both cases, questions will be asked in order to verify your identity prior to issuing a new Access Code.
After applying for EI, you will receive a Benefit Statement in the mail indicating your Access Code and the date your first report is due. Your Access Code is the 4 digit number printed in the red shaded area at the bottom of your Benefit Statement.
Individuals who are receiving maternity, parental and compassionate care benefits or who have an interstate claim did receive an EI Access Code after applying for EI benefits. If you lose your Access code you can replace it by calling our automated telephone service at 1 800 206-7218 from 8:30 am to 4:30 pm and press "0" to speak to a representative. Questions will be asked to verify your identity and a new Access code will be reissued.
There is an increase-text-size button on the left side of your browser. This button enables you to change back and forth between the increased text size and the normal text size.
Most browsers, including Internet Explorer and Netscape, have a function that will allow the user to increase the size of text or fonts on the screen. Consult the browser help feature for information on how to increase or decrease the text size on the screen.
If the web page you are reading is in PDF (portable document format), adjusting the browser text size will not modify the size of the text in the document. The Adobe Acrobat PDF reader provides a "Zoom Tool" feature (magnifying glass icon with a plus or minus sign) that allows users to adjust the size of the display. Select this tool, and click on the document to increase or decrease the document display size.
For an explanation please visit our minimum computer requirements page.
If you did not receive a transaction confirmation, the information did not go through.
Most browsers have a "Help" option on the top tool bar that contains an "About" feature, which lists the browser information.
Cookies are small files that are placed on your computer to link information from one screen to another while you are using a Web site or on-line service. For example, we use cookies to remember which language you prefer to use during your on-line services session. The cookies we use do not collect any personal information (such as your social insurance number or date of birth). They do not take any information from your computer. The cookies are automatically deleted from your computer when you close your browser.
In most cases, a browser's default setting is set to accept cookies. If the cookies setting has been turned off, you will need to locate the cookie options and choose one that will allow your computer to accept cookies. Instructions for turning on cookies can be found on our minimum computer requirements page or through your browser's "Help" feature.
To protect your security, we recommend that you clear your browser's cache and close down your browser after you have finished with your on-line session.
If you are using ad-blocking software, you may experience some difficulty with our applications. You may need to disable the software. For assistance, please contact your service provider and/or your software manufacturer.
Our sites are best viewed when your browser is maximized. If your browser is not maximized, you may not be able to see everything on the page. To maximize (or enlarge) the size of your browser window, select the middle of the three small buttons in the extreme upper right corner (the one with the square on it). To de-maximize it, select the same button again.
You may also have difficulty seeing everything on the page if there are additional toolbars along the edges of the display, or within the browser window. To move these toolbars, select the toolbar with your mouse and drag the toolbar to another location on the page.
These are common Internet error messages:
If the above suggestions do not help, please contact your Internet Service Provider.
If you wish to access the PDF (Portable Document Format) files on this Web site, you may need to install a copy of Adobe Acrobat Reader software (if you don't already have it on your computer). A free download of Adobe Acrobat Reader is available on-line. After installation, you may have to close your browser or reboot your computer for Acrobat Reader to work.
This message may appear when you use your browser's "Back" button. It means that the information you are trying to view is no longer available or the session has expired due to inactivity. Try using your browser's "Refresh" button; if you get a message telling you that the page cannot be refreshed select "Retry". If the browser still does not allow you back into the on-line service, you will have to log in again.
You must enable JavaScript in your browser in order to use the on-line services. For instructions on how to enable JavaScript, go to our minimum computer requirements page.
The reason you did not receive a confirmation message is because you closed the login window before logging out of the service. The login window always appears on your status bar while your session is active. If the login page is closed before you logout of the on-line service, the logout confirmation message will not be displayed even though your session has successfully ended. Always logout of the on-line service before closing your browser.
You have received this message because we are experiencing technical difficulties with our servers or databases. The problem will be resolved shortly. Please try again later.
Your secure session has expired due to 15 minutes or more of inactivity. We have taken this security precaution in order to protect your information. You will have to login using your Access Code and start over.