- Articles and certificate
- Name search report
- Business number (BN)
- Extra-provincial registration (1 province)
- Real-time tracking
- PDF documents for life
ServiceCanada Business Corporations Act
Federal incorporation: your name protected coast to coast
Incorporate under the CBCA with Corporations Canada. Certificate the next business day in most cases, $200 government fee, flat fees from $149.
- 4.9 · [n] verified reviews
- Median time to certificate: 24 h
- No payment before review
- Fee
- $200
- Turnaround
- 1 bus. day
- Residency
- 25% CA
Why federal
The right choice when your market, name or investors go beyond one province.
Name protected across CanadaCorporations Canada checks your name against every name in the country. A provincial company is only protected in its province.
Canada-wide credibilityFederal “Inc.” status reassures clients, banks and investors outside your province.
Among the lowest fees$200 filing fee, vs. $300 in Ontario, $350 in B.C. and $397 in Quebec. Annual return: [amount].
Movable head officeChange provinces without re-incorporating: a simple amendment does it.
The process
From first question to certificate
Ten minutes on your side, one business day at Corporations Canada.
See “How it works” in detail →- 1Name checkLive Nuans search. A named or numbered company (e.g. 12345678 Canada Inc.).You · 2 min
- 2Directors, officers, shareholdersAt least 25% resident Canadian directors. One person can hold every role.You · 4 min
- 3Share capital and head officeDefault two-class structure (common and preferred) or custom. Head office in the province of your choice.You · 3 min
- 4Review, sign, payTotal shown: our fee + $200 federal fee. E-signature by each signatory.You · 2 min
- 5Review and filingHuman review, then same-day electronic filing with Corporations Canada in business hours.Incorpo · same day
- 6Certificate, organization, registrationsCertificate and BN received; by-laws and resolutions generated; extra-provincial registration where you operate.Registry · 1 bus. day
What’s included, plan by plan
Flat fees. Corporations Canada’s $200 fee is added at cost, shown separately.
- Everything in Essential
- By-laws and organizational resolutions
- Digital minute book
- Share certificates
- GST/HST registration (and QST in Quebec)
- Register of individuals with significant control
- Everything in Complete
- Year-1 annual return (registry fee extra)
- Shareholders’ agreement
- 30 min with an expert
- 60 / 30 / 7-day reminders
- Extra-provincial registration (2 provinces)
Living outside Canada?The Non-resident plan ($699) adds a registered office, agent for service and bank onboarding. Federally, 25% of directors must be Canadian residents; if that’s not you, we suggest provinces without that rule.See Non-resident →
One federal company, operating everywhere
Once incorporated, a federal company must register in each province or territory where it operates (extra-provincial registration). We handle it in all 14 jurisdictions.
- Canada (federal)Incorporation · $200
- QuebecREQ registration · [amount]
- OntarioRegistration · [amount]
- British ColumbiaRegistration · [amount]
- AlbertaRegistration · [amount]
- SaskatchewanRegistration · [amount]
- ManitobaRegistration · [amount]
- New BrunswickRegistration · [amount]
- Nova ScotiaRegistration · [amount]
- Prince Edward IslandRegistration · [amount]
- Newfoundland and LabradorRegistration · [amount]
- YukonRegistration · [amount]
- Northwest TerritoriesRegistration · [amount]
- NunavutRegistration · [amount]
« I had 40 client companies to set up across three provinces. Federal with automatic extra-provincial registration saved me three separate procedures per file. »
Before you chooseFederal or provincial? Answer 4 questions.Market, director residency, name, investors: the simulator recommends a jurisdiction and shows the total cost.Run the simulator
Federal incorporation FAQ
Reviewed by David Roy, lawyer (Barreau du Québec), and Sophie Lemieux, CPA.
What’s the difference between federal and provincial?
Name scope and director residency. A federal company’s name is protected Canada-wide but needs 25% resident directors; Quebec, Ontario and B.C. have no residency rule and protect the name in-province only.
Do I also register in my province?
Yes. A federal company operating in Quebec registers with the REQ; elsewhere, extra-provincial registration applies. One province is included from Essential.
What is the 25% residency rule?
At least a quarter of directors must be resident Canadians. With one to three directors, at least one. If none live in Canada, choose Quebec, Ontario or B.C.
How long until I get the certificate?
One business day in most cases for a clean online filing. A Nuans name refusal is the top cause of delay — hence the live check before filing.
Does the name need to be bilingual?
No, but you can file French and English forms of the name. In Quebec, the French version is required for registration and signage.
What does the federal annual return cost?
[amount] in Corporations Canada fees per year, due within 60 days of the anniversary. Watch ($9/mo) and Compliance ($29/mo) handle it.
Further reading
All resources →Incorporate federally today
From $149 + $200 fee. Filed the day you sign, certificate the next business day in most cases. No payment before review.