Doing business outside your home province?
If your corporation is carrying on business in a province or territory where it wasn’t originally incorporated, the law requires it to register there as an extra-provincial (or extra-territorial) corporation first. We handle the registration for Canadian companies expanding across provinces and foreign companies entering the Canadian market.
registration types
- Filed in every Canadian province & territory
- Name clearance handled if your name is already taken locally
- Attorney/agent for service arranged where required
Wherever your corporation was formed, we register it locally.
Extra-provincial registration requirements differ depending on whether your company was originally incorporated in Canada or outside the country. We handle both.
Canadian Company
Expanding a federally or provincially incorporated Canadian company into a new province? Register it there as an extra-provincial corporation.
Foreign Company
From new market to registered and compliant.
Confirm the target province
Tell us where you’re carrying on business, and whether your company is Canadian or foreign.
Name clearance
We confirm your corporate name is available locally, or register an assumed name if it isn’t.
Registration filed
Extra-provincial application, required corporate documents, and agent for service arranged and filed.
Confirmation delivered
Certificate of registration sent to you, authorizing you to legally operate in the new jurisdiction.
Carrying on business unregistered carries real legal risk.
Most provinces bar an unregistered corporation from bringing a lawsuit in their courts until it registers extra-provincially.
Operating unregistered in a province where you\u2019re carrying on business can trigger fines against the corporation and its directors.
Client requirements
We handle collisions
If your name is already taken locally, we register an assumed or adopted name so you can still operate.
Every jurisdiction
We register extra-provincially in any Canadian province or territory, for domestic or foreign companies.
What each registration type covers.
Canadian Company
- Covers corporations incorporated federally or in any Canadian province
- Includes a name search to confirm availability in the target province
- Attorney or agent for service arranged where the province requires one
Foreign Company
A company incorporated outside Canada — in the United States or anywhere else — that wants to carry on business in a Canadian province typically must register there as an extra-provincial or extra-territorial corporation. This usually requires a certified copy of your home-jurisdiction incorporation documents, translated where necessary, and a Canadian attorney or agent for service.
- Registers companies incorporated anywhere outside Canada
- Handles certified and translated copies of your foreign incorporation documents
- Arranges the Canadian attorney or agent for service most provinces require
Extra-provincial registration, explained.
What does "extra-provincial registration" actually mean?
It’s the process of registering a corporation that was formed in one jurisdiction — another Canadian province, federally, or a foreign country — with a different province where it now carries on business. It doesn’t create a new corporation; it authorizes your existing one to legally operate there.
How do I know if I need to register extra-provincially?
Generally, if you have a physical location, employees, or are regularly soliciting business in a province other than where you’re incorporated, you need to register there. Occasional or isolated transactions usually don’t trigger the requirement — we can help you assess your specific situation.
What happens if I don’t register and I’m required to?
You risk fines against the corporation and its directors, and in most provinces you lose the right to bring a lawsuit in that province’s courts until you register. Some provinces apply the requirement retroactively once discovered.
Does a foreign company need a Canadian office to register?
No, but most provinces require a Canadian attorney or agent for service — a person or firm within the province who can accept legal documents on your behalf. We can arrange this as part of the registration.
Can I keep my original corporate name if it’s already taken in the new province?
If your name conflicts with an existing registered name, most provinces let you register and operate under an assumed or adopted name locally, while your legal corporate name stays the same elsewhere.
How long does extra-provincial registration take?
Canadian company registrations are typically approved within 2-5 business days. Foreign company registrations can take longer, generally 5-10 business days, depending on document certification and translation requirements.