Document checklist
Canada student visa documents
10 documents an Indian student needs for a Canada student visa, 8 of them required of every applicant. Each one says what it is, how to actually get it (where to book, the fee, the lead time), and links to the official page behind it. Where the authority states the requirement in its own words we quote that sentence, so you can confirm it yourself rather than taking our word or an agent’s.
Identity
Valid Passport Information Page
RequiredA copy of the information page of your valid passport. The original passport will need to be submitted if the visa is approved.
How to get it
Upload a copy of the information page when you apply online, and note the sting in the tail: if you are approved you must then send IRCC your original passport for the visa to be placed in it. Check the expiry before you start, since a renewal through Passport Seva takes weeks and your permit cannot be issued beyond your passport's validity.
“Upload a copy of the information page of your passport when you apply online.”
Read the official pagePassport-Size Photos
RequiredTwo recent passport-size photos. The name and date of birth must be written on the back of each photo.
How to get it
Two recent photos from any passport-photo studio in India, typically a few hundred rupees and ready the same day, with your name and date of birth written on the back of each. No IRCC fee applies to this item. Get spares: biometrics and other steps ask for their own.
“The name and date of birth of the person must be written on the back of each photo.”
Read the official pagePolice Clearance Certificate (PCC)
If it appliesIRCC may request a police certificate to prove you do not have a criminal record. It is highly recommended to obtain one early.
How to get it
Not always requested. IRCC says it may ask for one, and that if you think you might need it you should apply as early as possible. In India that means the Passport Seva portal and an appointment at a Passport Seva Kendra, fee around Rs 500, plus police verification that can add weeks if your address has changed recently.
“In some cases, we may ask you for a police certificate.”
Read the official page
Academic
Letter of Acceptance (LOA)
RequiredYou must have a Letter of Acceptance from a Canadian Designated Learning Institution (DLI) to apply for a study permit.
How to get it
Issued by a Designated Learning Institution once you accept, usually after a tuition deposit that the school sets; there is no IRCC fee for the letter. IRCC asks the institution to confirm it directly, so an agent's offer letter is not a substitute. Canadian admission cycles run months ahead of intake, and nothing downstream can begin until this exists.
“Your school will give you a letter of acceptance. Upload this to your online application.”
Read the official pageProvincial Attestation Letter (PAL)
RequiredMost post-secondary students need a PAL from their province or territory, usually provided by the DLI after a tuition deposit is paid.
How to get it
Issued by the province through your institution, free to you, usually after you accept and pay the deposit. Provinces hold limited allocations released in batches, so the timing is out of your hands: confirm with the school that yours is coming before you pay the CAN$150 permit fee, because applications needing a PAL are returned unprocessed without one. Quebec uses the CAQ instead.
“Get a provincial or territorial attestation letter (PAL/TAL) from your school.”
Read the official pageQuebec Acceptance Certificate (CAQ)
If it appliesIf you are studying in Quebec, you must obtain a Certificat d'acceptation du Québec (CAQ) instead of a standard PAL.
How to get it
Only for Quebec. Apply online at the Ministere de l'Immigration, de la Francisation et de l'Integration website, which charges its own CAQ fee and takes its own processing weeks, both set by Quebec rather than IRCC. Do it before the federal application, since the study permit form asks for the CAQ number, and note Quebec sets a separate proof-of-funds amount.
“If you’re studying in Quebec, you need a Quebec Acceptance Certificate”
Read the official page
Financial
Proof of Financial Support (GIC)
RequiredProof you can cover a year of living costs, on top of tuition and travel. From 1 September 2025 the federal figure for a single applicant is CAN$22,895 a year, up from CAN$20,635 for applications made before that date. Quebec sets its own amount.
How to get it
A Guaranteed Investment Certificate bought from a participating Canadian bank is the usual route from India; the bank sets its own charges and the account can take a week or two to open and fund from abroad. You must cover CAN$22,895 for a single applicant for applications from 1 September 2025, excluding tuition and travel. Proof of paid first-year tuition and housing can form part of the picture but never the whole of it.
“This chart tells you how much money you will need to support yourself and your family members in Canada”
Read the official page
Visa
Study Permit Application Fee
RequiredThe processing fee for a standard study permit application is CAN $150.
How to get it
CAN$150 per person, paid online in the IRCC portal when you submit. Restoring student status later costs far more, CAN$396.25 including a new permit, which is the argument for not letting status lapse.
“Restore your status ($246.25) and a get a new study permit ($150)”
Read the official pageBiometrics Collection Fee
RequiredYou must pay a biometrics fee of CAN $85 and provide your fingerprints and digital photo at a Visa Application Centre.
How to get it
CAN$85 per person, capped at CAN$170 for a family of two or more applying together. Pay it with the application, then wait for the Biometric Instruction Letter before booking: the appointment is made at a VFS Global centre in India and you cannot attend without that letter. Biometrics stay valid for 10 years, so a previous set may still count.
“You must pay the biometrics fee when you submit your application. Otherwise you may experience delays.”
Read the official page
Health
Upfront Medical Examination
RequiredIndian nationals planning to stay for more than 6 months require a medical exam by an IRCC-approved panel physician.
How to get it
Needed if you plan to stay in Canada more than 6 months, have recently spent time in certain countries, or intend to work in a job where public health matters, which covers most Indian students on a full degree. It must be done by an IRCC panel physician, not your own doctor; panel clinics operate in the major Indian cities and you book directly with them. Doing it upfront, before you submit, avoids IRCC writing to you later and adding weeks. The clinic sets its own charge, so ask when booking.
“You may need a medical exam if any of these situations apply to you”
Read the official page
2 of these are conditional: needed only if the situation described applies to you. Read each one rather than assuming, since the conditions are where applications get delayed.
This list is the same for everyone
Your marks, your budget and your subject are not. Run a free eligibility check to see where you actually qualify across 13 countries and the real programs open to you in each, then track your own progress through this checklist.
Bramica takes no commission from any university, recruiter or agency. This is information, not immigration advice. Requirements change; confirm anything you are about to act on at the official source linked against it.