The time you have to live in a Canadian province to be considered a resident varies somewhat depending on context, but generally:

• For most provinces, you must reside there for at least 3 months continuously before you can change your driver's license or health card to that province, which are key steps for officially establishing residency. This 3-month period is a common threshold to demonstrate intent to reside there.

• For tax purposes and government benefits, residency is often determined as of December 31 of the year. Your province of residence is where you had the most significant residential ties (home, spouse, dependents, vehicle registration, bank accounts, driver's license) at that date. So even if you moved shortly before December 31, if your primary ties are in that province at year end, you are considered resident there for that tax year.

• Certain provinces have specific residency requirements for programs and financial aid, such as living in the province for 12 consecutive months without being a full-time student, or living there now with less than 12 months in Canada for some categories.

In summary, physically living continuously for at least 3 months is often the minimum for basic identification as a resident for healthcare or licensing, while for tax and benefits purposes residency depends on your ties as of December 31, which can be established even with a shorter stay if significant connections exist. Thus, typically 3 months living in a province signals residency status for many provincial purposes, but specific rules may vary by province and context including tax and education.