When to arrive in Montréal?

We recommend that our international students arrive within two to four weeks of starting their program.  This should provide you enough time to ease into the adaptation process, to find a place to live and to complete the necessary administrative procedures. You should also never underestimate culture shock: even for very good students, adapting to a new educational environment in a new country takes time. 

Avoid arriving more than four weeks before school starts however, since some Canadian Border Services Agents might question your motives for arriving this early.  Note that international students are not allowed to work or to conduct research activities in Polytechnique Montréal's facilities before the start of their program.  

Be mindful of the dates

It is important to consult the academic calendar before you book your plane ticket. You must ensure that you are present at the welcome activities that take place before the start of classes, until the last day of your final exams, the dates of which should be communicated to you around mid-session (i.e. mid-October and mid-February).

Late arrival

There are plenty of administrative procedures to complete upon arrival and arriving late could lead to academic and personal integration issues. In addition, your registration for the first term cannot be retained if you arrive in Canada after the deadline indicated in the table below, approximately two weeks after the start of classes.

If you are unable to arrive by the deadline or if you prefer to postpone the start of your program in order to begin under the right conditions, please read the information regarding the postponement of admission for students in preparatory and bachelor's programs and graduate students.  Exchange and double degree students should contact the person responsible for exchange programs instead.

If you postpone the start of your program, you will also have to postpone your arrival in Canada.

University calendar - main dates

Below you will find a summary of the most important dates for planning your stay.   A detailed calendar is available on this page.                                                                                                 

*We strongly advise against late arrivals, given the negative effects this could have on your personal and academic integration.  Please note that the School does not make any special accommodations for missed assessments due to a late arrival.