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Part of Incorporate a business or organization

Register an out-of-province corporation

If your corporation was formed in another province or country, it must be registered to do business in Alberta.

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Incorporate a business or organization

Overview

Registering your corporation in Alberta removes the need to have separate corporations in every place your corporation does business.

Your corporation is considered to be carrying on business in Alberta if:

  • it solicits business in Alberta
  • its name, or any name under which it carries on business, is listed in an Alberta telephone directory or appears in any advertisement with an Alberta address
  • it has a resident agent, representative, warehouse, office or place of business in Alberta
  • it is licensed or registered, or required to be licensed or registered, under any Act of Alberta allowing it to carry on business
  • it owns land in Alberta

If your corporation’s home jurisdiction is British Columbia, Manitoba or Saskatchewan, there are special streamlined processes for you. You can register your corporation in Alberta through Alberta’s Online Extra-provincial Registration. There is no cost to register or update your corporation in Alberta.

Cost

The service provider that processes your application will charge a government fee and a service fee.

See the Registry agent product catalogue.

How to apply

Step 1. Get an Alberta NUANS Report

You need to get an Alberta NUANS report and review it to make sure there are no corporations with identical names or names that are too similar to the name of your out-of-province corporation.

If your corporation's name is too similar to other corporation names in Alberta, you can use an ‘assumed name,’ which will require a separate NUANS report.

Find a NUANS service provider.

The NUANS report reserves the proposed name for 90 days. The complete report, whether an original or fax copy, must be submitted with the registration details and must be less than 91 days old.

You do not need a NUANS report when your out-of-province corporation has a number name (assigned by its home province or country) or was formed under the Canada Business Corporations Act.

If another corporation feels your corporation’s name is too similar to theirs, they can file an objection with the Registrar of Corporations. If the Registrar agrees with the objection, your corporation can be forced to change its name.

Step 2. Appoint an agent for service in Alberta

An agent for service is an individual located in Alberta who can accept notices and documents in person or by mail on behalf of the corporation. The agent for service does not need to be a lawyer.

You will need to supply:

  • the name
  • firm name (if applicable)
  • street address or legal land description
  • mailing address
  • email address
  • appointment date for the agent for service

The agent must consent to their appointment.

You can also appoint an alternative agent for service. The same details are needed.

Agents for service and alternative agents for service do not need to be part of the same firm and can be located at different addresses within Alberta.

Step 3. Gather supporting documents

You will need to gather copies of your charter or formation documents.

These documents include one of the following:

  • a statute, ordinance or other law incorporating an extra-provincial corporation
  • letters patent of incorporation and any supplementary letters patent
  • memorandum of association, including changes to the memorandum
  • any certificate, licence or other instrument that provides proof of incorporation and all changes to those documents
  • if the charter is from outside Canada and has not been written in English, you’ll also need to provide a notarized translation of the documents
  • proof of current corporation status in your home registration; this is usually a document issued by the Corporate Registry office in your home jurisdiction

These documents must be certified by a:

  • company official
  • notary public
  • government official

Step 4. Fill out the forms

Statement of Registration

Notice of Agent for Service for Alberta or Extra-provincial Corporation

Notice of Assumed Name

Fillable PDF forms may not open properly on some mobile devices and web browsers. For help opening the forms, contact PDF form technical support.

Step 5. Submit your application package

You need to take your forms to a registry agent or authorized Alberta service provider. You will need to bring:

  • registration forms
  • charter documents
  • NUANS report
  • valid ID
  • fee payment

If your information meets requirements, the service provider will enter it into the Corporate Registry and give you a certificate of registration.

Publication

Contact

Connect with Corporate Registry:

Hours: 8:15 am to 4:30 pm (Monday to Friday, closed statutory holidays)
Phone: 780-427-7013
Fax: 780-422-1091
Email: [email protected]

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