Canada · Company Registration
Entity types, registration process, required documents, costs, and official registries.
AI-drafted, editorially reviewed. Confirm specifics with the official authority.
Setting up from abroad
- Usual entity for foreign founders
- Inc
- Non-resident can be sole director
- No
- Can be completed remotely
- Yes
Official registry: ised-isde.canada.ca
Indicative costs and timing — Richbay estimates, not official figures
- Government fee
- $145
- Typical processing
- 1 business day
Director residency is the real gate on a federal corporation: at least 25% of directors must be resident Canadians, and with fewer than four directors at least one must be. You do not need to buy a separate Nuans report when incorporating online with a word name — the name search is part of the process.
You can incorporate federally (Corporations Canada) or provincially; many small businesses also register as a sole proprietorship or partnership. Incorporation is online, and you then register for a Business Number (BN) with the Canada Revenue Agency.
Businesses can incorporate federally with Corporations Canada or register provincially/territorially; a federal Business Number (BN) is then obtained from the Canada Revenue Agency.
- Incorporation can be federal (Corporations Canada) or provincial, depending on where you operate.
- A Business Number from the CRA is used for tax, payroll, GST/HST and import/export accounts.
- Provinces maintain their own corporate registries with separate requirements.
- Federal incorporation online costs CA$200 against a published service standard of 1 business day; express service adds CA$100 for 4 business hours.
- At least 25% of a federal corporation's directors must be resident Canadians; where there are fewer than four directors, at least one must be.
- The annual return costs CA$12 online and is filed with Corporations Canada — it is not the corporate tax return, which goes to the Canada Revenue Agency.
- 1
Choose federal or provincial incorporation
Decide whether to incorporate federally with Corporations Canada (name protection Canada-wide) or in the province/territory where you operate; alternatively you can register a sole proprietorship or partnership.
- 2
Run a NUANS name search
Choose a distinctive name and obtain a NUANS name-search report (federal and most provinces), or elect a numbered company to skip the name step.
- 3
Prepare the incorporation documents
Prepare the articles of incorporation and set out the registered office and first directors — federal incorporation requires at least 25% of directors to be resident Canadians (rules vary by province).
- 4
File the incorporation
File online through Corporations Canada or the provincial registry and pay the fee; you receive a certificate of incorporation and a corporation key.
- 5
Get a Business Number from the CRA
Register for a federal Business Number (BN) with the Canada Revenue Agency and open the program accounts you need — corporate income tax, payroll, and GST/HST if you will exceed the small-supplier threshold.
- 6
Complete provincial and ongoing registration
Register extra-provincially in each province where you carry on business, obtain any local licences, and file the annual return to keep the corporation in good standing.
- Federal (Corporations Canada) or provincial incorporation decided
- NUANS name-search report (or a numbered company)
- Articles of incorporation + registered office
- Director residency requirement met (federal: 25% Canadian-resident)
- Incorporation filing + fee
- Business Number (BN) from the CRA
- Program accounts (corporate tax, payroll, GST/HST as needed)
- Extra-provincial registration + annual return
- Corporations Canada (ISED)
Federal incorporation.
- Canada Revenue Agency — Business Number
Federal business-number registration.
- Corporations Canada — Services, fees and processing times
Published fee and service standard for every federal filing.
- Corporations Canada — Directors and officers
Director eligibility and the Canadian-residency proportion.
Frequently asked questions
Federal or provincial incorporation?
Federal incorporation gives name protection across Canada; provincial incorporation is simpler for a single province. You still register in each province where you do business.
Do I need Canadian-resident directors?
Requirements vary — federal and some provinces have director-residency rules, while others (e.g. British Columbia) do not.
What is a Business Number?
The BN is your business's identifier with the CRA, used for tax accounts such as GST/HST and payroll.
Do I need a Nuans name-search report to incorporate federally?
Not when you incorporate online with a word name — Corporations Canada states the corporate name search is now part of the online incorporation process. A separate Nuans report is only needed outside that path.
Can a non-resident be the only director of a federal Canadian corporation?
No. Corporations Canada requires at least 25% of directors to be resident Canadians, and at least one where the corporation has fewer than four directors — so a sole non-resident director does not satisfy the rule. Provincial corporate statutes set their own residency rules; check the province you are considering.
Government portals
- Government of Canada — Canada's federal service portal — immigration, taxes, benefits, and travel info
- Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada — Express Entry, Provincial Nominee Program, work/study permits, and PR card applications
- Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) — T1 personal tax returns, corporate taxes, GST/HST, and benefit applications (CCB)