Canada has about 100 banks including domestic banks, foreign banks and foreign banks’ representative offices.

Canadian banks offer a wide range of banking services such as consumer/retail banking, private banking, corporate banking and investment banking.

Whether you want to compare and choose the best bank in Canada or expand your knowledge about the Canadian banking industry, knowing the full list of banks in Canada is worthwhile.

Here I present the complete list of banks in Canada ranging from the big banks, schedule 1-3 banks and online banks.

Let’s explore them!

Full List of Banks in Canada

There are currently 34 domestic banks in Canada split across different parts of the country with most of them residing in Toronto, Ontario.

The following is the full list of Canadian domestic banks that are regulated under the Bank Act.

NameHead Office
B2B BankMontreal, Quebec
Bank of MontrealToronto, Ontario
Bank of Nova Scotia (Scotiabank)Toronto, Ontario
Bridgewater BankEdmonton, Alberta
Caisse populaire acadienne ltรฉe (UNI)Caraquet, New Brunswick
Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce (CIBC)Toronto, Ontario
Canadian Tire BankOakville, Ontario
Canadian Western BankEdmonton, Alberta
Coast Capital Savings Federal Credit UnionSurrey, British Columbia
Concentra BankSaskatoon, Saskatchewan
CS Alterna BankOttawa, Ontario
Digital Commerce BankCalgary, Alberta
Equitable BankToronto, Ontario
Exchange Bank of CanadaToronto, Ontario
First Nations Bank of CanadaSaskatoon, Saskatchewan
General Bank of CanadaEdmonton, Alberta
Haventree BankToronto, Ontario
Home BankToronto, Ontario
HomeEquity BankToronto, Ontario
Laurentian Bank of CanadaMontreal, Quebec
Manulife Bank of CanadaWaterloo, Ontario
Motus BankToronto, Ontario
National Bank of CanadaMontreal, Quebec
Peoples Bank of CanadaVancouver, British Columbia
President’s Choice BankToronto, Ontario
RFA Bank of CanadaToronto, Ontario
Rogers BankToronto, Ontario
Royal Bank of CanadaToronto, Ontario
Tangerine BankToronto, Ontario
Toronto-Dominion (TD) Bank Toronto, Ontario
Vancity Community Investment BankVancouver, British Columbia
VersaBankLondon, Ontario
Wealth One Bank of CanadaToronto, Ontario

Full List of Foreign Banks in Canada

There are currently 15 foreign banks in Canada that operate as subsidiaries of eligible foreign institutions. 

The following is the current list of foreign banks in Canada that are also regulated under the Bank Act:

NameHead Office
Amex Bank of CanadaToronto, Ontario
Bank of China (Canada)Markham, Ontario
Cidel Bank CanadaToronto, Ontario
Citco Bank CanadaToronto, Ontario
Citibank CanadaToronto, Ontario
CTBC Bank Corp. (Canada)Vancouver, British Columbia
Habib Canadian BankMississauga, Ontario
HSBC Bank CanadaVancouver, British Columbia
ICICI Bank CanadaToronto, Ontario
Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (Canada)Toronto, Ontario
J.P. Morgan Bank CanadaToronto, Ontario
KEB Hana Bank CanadaToronto, Ontario
SBI Canada BankToronto, Ontario
Shinhan Bank CanadaToronto, Ontario
UBS Bank (Canada)Toronto, Ontario

HSBC Bank Canada has discontinued operation following its complete acquisition by RBC.

Full List of Foreign Bank Branchesย in Canada

The Canada Bank Act authorizes eligible foreign banks to establish branches in the country. 

One of the limitations of foreign bank branches in Canada is that their deposit limit is usually $150,000 and above. Anything less than that may not be accepted.

That said, there are currently 27 full-service foreign bank branches in Canada highlighted below: 

NameHead Office
Bank of America, National AssociationToronto, Ontario
Bank of China LimitedToronto, Ontario
Bank of New York Mellon (The)Toronto, Ontario
Barclays Bank PLCToronto, Ontario
BNP ParibasMontreal, Quebec
Capital One Bank (USA), N.A.Toronto, Ontario
China Construction BankToronto, Ontario
Citibank, N.A.Toronto, Ontario
Comerica BankToronto, Ontario
Deutsche Bank AGToronto, Ontario
Fifth Third Bank, National AssociationToronto, Ontario
First Commercial BankRichmond, British Columbia
JPMorgan Chase Bank, National AssociationToronto, Ontario
M&T BankToronto, Ontario
Maple Bank GmbHToronto, Ontario
Mega International Commercial Bank Co., Ltd.Toronto, Ontario
Mizuho Bank, Ltd.Toronto, Ontario
MUFG Bank, Ltd.Toronto, Ontario
Northern Trust Company (The)Toronto, Ontario
PNC Bank, National AssociationToronto, Ontario
Coรถperatieve Rabobank U.A.Toronto, Ontario
Sociรฉtรฉ GรฉnรฉraleMontreal, Quebec
State Street Bank and Trust CompanyToronto, Ontario
Sumitomo Mitsui Banking CorporationToronto, Ontario
U.S. Bank National AssociationToronto, Ontario
United Overseas Bank LimitedVancouver, British Columbia
Wells Fargo Bank, National AssociationToronto, Ontario

Full List of Foreign Bank Representative Offices in Canada

As the name implies, foreign bank representative offices serve as the representatives of foreign banks in Canada. 

Since they are offices, they are usually not allowed to perform any banking activity in the country beyond representation and liaison with the clients of foreign banks in Canada.

The following are the current 18 foreign bank representative offices in Canada and their locations.

NameHead Office
Agricultural Bank of China LimitedVancouver, British Columbia
Attijariwafa BankMontreal, Quebec
Banco Base, S.A., Instituciรณn de Banca MรบltipleToronto, Ontario
Bank of Communications Co., Ltd.Toronto, Ontario
Banque Centrale Populaire du MarocMontreal, Quebec
Banque Degroof Petercam Luxembourg S.A.Montreal, Quebec
Banque Marocaine du Commerce Extรฉrieur S.A.Montreal, Quebec
Banque Transatlantique S.A.Montreal, Quebec
Caixa Economica Montepio GeralToronto, Ontario
Caixa Geral de Depรณsitos, S.A.Toronto, Ontario
CaixaBank, S.A.Toronto, Ontario
Crรฉdit Agricole Corporate and Investment BankMontreal, Quebec
Crรฉdit Industriel et Commercial S.A.Montreal, Quebec
Doha BankToronto, Ontario
JN Bank LimitedToronto, Ontario
Landesbank Baden-WรผrttembergToronto, Ontario
MetaBankPickering, Ontario
NatixisMontreal, Quebec

Top Categories of Banks in Canada

We can roughly group Canadian banks into three categories – big banks, Schedule banks, and online banks. Let’s take an overview of each of the categories below.

Big Banks in Canada

Big banks in Canada refer to banks with high market capitalization. The common categorizations of big banks in Canada cut across “The Five Big Banks” and “The Six Big Banks”. 

Below is a highlight of “The Five Big Banks” and “The Six Big Banks” in Canada.

The Big Five Banks in Canada

The Big Five Banks refers to the top five Canadian banks with the leading market capitalization. 

The following are The Big Five Banks in Canada and their market capitalization:

  • Royal Bank of Canada (RBC)
  • Toronto-Dominion (TD) Bank 
  • Bank of Nova Scotia (Scotiabank)
  • Bank of Montreal (BMO)
  • Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce (CIBC)

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The Big Six Banks in Canada

The Five Big Banks including the National Bank of Canada constitute “The Six Banks” in Canada. The following is their highlight:

  1. Royal Bank of Canada (RBC)
  2. Toronto-Dominion (TD) Bank 
  3. Bank of Nova Scotia (Scotiabank)
  4. Bank of Montreal (BMO)
  5. Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce (CIBC)
  6. National Bank of Canada

READ ALSO: How to Close TD Bank Account

Schedule Banks in Canada

Domestic and foreign banks in Canada are differentiated under three schedules as discussed below.

List of Schedule 1 Banks in Canada

Schedule 1 banks in Canada refer to domestic banks that are regulated under the Federal Bank Act. These banks are allowed to perform eligible banking activities including deposit collections. 

The following is the current list of Schedule 1 banks in Canada:

  • ADS Canadian Bank
  • B2B Bank
  • BMO Financial Group
  • The Bank of Nova Scotia
  • Bridgewater Bank
  • Caisse populaire acadienne ltรฉe (UNI Financial Cooperation)
  • CIBC
  • Canadian Tire Bank
  • Canadian Western Bank
  • Coast Capital Savings Federal Credit Union
  • CS Alterna Bank
  • Duo Bank of Canada
  • Equitable Bank
  • Exchange Bank of Canada
  • General Bank of Canada
  • Haventree Bank
  • Home Bank
  • HomeEquity Bank
  • Laurentian Bank of Canada
  • Manulife Bank of Canada
  • motusbank
  • National Bank of Canada
  • Peoples Bank of Canada
  • President’s Choice Bank
  • RFA Bank of Canada
  • Rogers Bank
  • Royal Bank of Canada
  • Tangerine
  • TD Bank Group
  • Vancity Community Investment Bank
  • VersaBank
  • Wealth One Bank of Canada
  • Wyth Financial

List of Schedule 2 Banks in Canada

Schedule 2 banks refer to the banks that operate as the subsidiaries of foreign banks in Canada. The following is the current list of Schedule 2 banks in Canada:

  • Amex Bank of Canada
  • Bank Of China (Canada)
  • Citibank Canada
  • Habib Canadian Bank
  • HSBC Bank Canada
  • ICICI Bank Canada
  • Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (Canada)
  • J.P. Morgan Bank Canada
  • KEB Hana Bank Canada
  • SBI Canada Bank
  • Shinhan Bank Canada
  • UBS Bank (Canada)

List of Schedule 3 Banks in Canada

Schedule 3 banks refer to the branches of foreign institutions that are regulated under the Federal Bank Act. The following is the current list of Schedule 3 banks in Canada:

  • Bank of America National Association
  • Bank of China, Toronto Branch
  • The Bank of New York Mellon
  • Barclays Bank PLC, Canada Branch
  • BNP Paribas
  • Capital One Bank (Canada Branch)
  • China Construction Bank, Toronto Branch
  • Citibank N.A.
  • Comerica Bank
  • Deutsche Bank A.G.
  • Fifth Third Bank, Canada Branch
  • JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A. – Toronto Branch
  • Mega International Commercial Bank Co. Ltd. Canada Branch
  • Mizuho Bank, Ltd., Canada Branch
  • MUFG Bank, Ltd., Canada Branch
  • PNC Bank Canada Branch
  • Rabobank Canada
  • State Street Bank and Trust Company
  • Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation, Canada Branch
  • U.S. Bank National Association
  • Wells Fargo Bank, N.A., Canadian Branch 

Online Banks in Canada

Online banks operate through the Internet as direct banks or stand-alone digital banks.

While some online banks have physical branches, most of them don’t have any. Due to their low operational costs, online banks offer more affordable banking solutions than traditional brick-and-mortar banks. 

This is in addition to their competitive savings and investment rates, low minimum balance, convenience and easy access. 

If you’re to bank the modern way and save more banking costs, online banking is the way to go. The following are some of the best online banks to choose from in Canada:

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Takeaways 

Canada hosts a considerable number of banks with some of them competing significantly with the world’s best banks.

Knowing the available banks in Canada will help you compare and choose the best option without stress.

But if you’re looking to save costs along the way, I recommend you check out some of the best online banks because of their low-cost and competitive rates.

What is your favourite bank in Canada? Kindly let me know in the comment section.

FAQs on the List of Banks in Canada

What is the oldest bank in Canada?

The Montreal Bank (BMO) is regarded as the oldest bank in Canada having been founded in 1817.

How many banks are in Canada?

There are currently 96 banks in Canada with 35 being domestic banks, 16 foreign banks, 27 full-service foreign bank branches and 18 serving as foreign bank representative offices.

Who is the number 1 bank in Canada?

The Royal Bank of Canada (RBC) is currently the number 1 bank in Canada based on market capitalization.

What are the top 3 banks in Canada?

The top 3 banks in Canada are the Royal Bank of Canada (RBC), Toronto-Dominion (TD) Bank, and the Bank of Nova Scotia (Scotiabank). They rank in the top 3 based on their market capitalization.

Which is the best bank of Canada?

For traditional brick and mortar banks, all the big banks constitute some of the best banks in Canada based on their range of services, security, customer support and so on.

The Five Big Banks in Canada comprise the Royal Bank of Canada (RBC), Toronto-Dominion (TD) Bank, Bank of Nova Scotia (Scotiabank), Bank of Montreal (BMO) and Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce (CIBC).

But if you’re looking for the best online bank in Canada, consider EQ Bank, Tangerine Bank, Neo Financial, Simplii Financial or Saven Financial.

What is the safest bank in Canada?

The Royal Bank of Canada, TD Bank, BMO, Scotiabank and CIBC are some of the safest banks in Canada.

Have more questions on the list of banks in Canada? Kindly drop them in the comment section below.


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