Incorporate · By Province
You have two routes. Incorporate provincially through the BC Corporate Registry for a BC company, or incorporate federally under the CBCA and register extra-provincially in BC. CorpStart files the federal-plus-BC-registration route, not BC provincial incorporations. Both give you limited liability; BC, like federal-in-Ontario, has no director-residency requirement.
You have two routes. Incorporate provincially through the BC Corporate Registry for a BC company, or incorporate federally under the CBCA and register extra-provincially in BC. CorpStart files the federal-plus-BC-registration route, not BC provincial incorporations. Both give you limited liability; BC, like federal-in-Ontario, has no director-residency requirement.
Let's be upfront: CorpStart files Ontario incorporations and federal incorporations. We do not file BC provincial incorporations. So rather than pretend otherwise, here's an honest map of what a British Columbia founder can actually do.
Option A is to incorporate provincially in BC: a true BC company created through the BC Corporate Registry (BC Registry Services) under the Business Corporations Act. That's the right choice if your business is entirely BC-based and you want a provincial company. It's done directly through the BC Registry or a BC registry agent, not through CorpStart.
Option B is to incorporate federally under the CBCA and then register extra-provincially in BC so your federal corporation is authorized to carry on business there. This is the route CorpStart supports end-to-end, and it's a genuinely good fit if you want national name protection or expect to operate beyond BC.
British Columbia has no director-residency requirement, so you don't need a Canadian-resident director to run a BC company, which puts BC alongside Ontario as a founder-friendly province for non-residents and newcomers. That's a real advantage over a federal corporation, which requires at least 25% of directors to be resident Canadians.
A BC provincial incorporation involves a name approval request and the filing of an Incorporation Application through BC Registry Services, each carrying its own government fee. BC's registry fees are modest, and the province runs an online BC Registries system for filings. Because these fees and steps change and are handled directly by the registry, confirm the current amounts on the BC Registry site before you file that route.
Every BC company must keep its records current and file an annual report with the registry, the provincial equivalent of the annual return you'd file for an Ontario or federal corporation.
If you're going to work with CorpStart, the federal-plus-extra-provincial-registration path is the one we file for you, and it's a legitimately strong option, not a consolation prize. A federal CBCA corporation gives you a name protected across all of Canada, one federal home jurisdiction, and the ability to register extra-provincially in BC and any other province you expand into.
The honest trade-off is the residency rule and the registration step. Federal incorporation needs at least 25% resident-Canadian directors, and your federal corporation must register extra-provincially in BC (and each other province of operation) before doing business there. If your group can meet the residency rule and you value national name protection, that's a fair trade.
If, on the other hand, your business will live entirely in BC and you'd rather have a straightforward BC provincial company, the BC Corporate Registry is the place to do that, and we'll tell you so rather than steer you into a federal filing you don't need.
Think of it as national reach versus local simplicity. A federal corporation with BC extra-provincial registration is built to operate beyond one province and protects your name coast-to-coast, at the cost of the CBCA residency rule and a registration step in each province. A BC provincial company is the clean choice for a business that will only ever operate in BC.
There's no universally correct answer: it depends on where you'll actually do business and whether national name protection matters to you. What we can promise is honesty about which route we file: federal incorporation and its BC extra-provincial registration, yes; a BC provincial incorporation, no.
If you're unsure, tell us your plans. If federal fits, we'll file it and handle the BC registration; if a BC provincial company is genuinely the better call, we'll point you to the BC Registry rather than sell you the wrong thing.
For the federal route, you answer a short questionnaire: numbered or named, your directors and shareholders (with at least 25% resident Canadians), registered office, and share structure. We check the residency rule and flag anything off before you pay.
We prepare your Articles of Incorporation, By-law No. 1, organizational resolutions, and share registers, and file with Corporations Canada under the CBCA. Then we can add the extra-provincial registration in BC so your federal corporation is authorized to carry on business there. If a BC provincial incorporation is what you truly need, we'll say so plainly and direct you to BC Registry Services.
Federal incorporation plus BC extra-provincial registration, three steps.
Confirm the federal route fits
Tell us your plans. If national name protection and multi-province reach make sense, and you can meet the ≥25% resident-Canadian director rule, federal is a strong fit.
We file your federal corporation
CorpStart drafts your Articles, By-law No. 1, and resolutions and files under the CBCA with Corporations Canada, usually within about one business day.
Register extra-provincially in BC
We add your BC extra-provincial registration so your federal corporation is authorized to carry on business in British Columbia.
BC provincial company vs. federal + BC extra-provincial registration
| Factor | BC provincial company | Federal + BC registration |
|---|---|---|
| Who files it | BC Registry Services / registry agent | CorpStart (federal + BC registration) |
| Home jurisdiction | British Columbia | Canada (federal) |
| Director-residency rule | None | ≥25% resident Canadians (CBCA) |
| Name protection | Within BC | Coast-to-coast |
| Best when you… | Operate only in BC | Want national reach or expect to operate beyond BC |
| CorpStart files it? | No | Yes |
Can CorpStart incorporate a BC provincial company for me?
No, and we're honest about this. CorpStart files Ontario incorporations and federal incorporations, not BC provincial incorporations. What we can do for a BC founder is incorporate you federally under the CBCA and register your corporation extra-provincially in BC. A BC provincial company is filed through BC Registry Services.
Does British Columbia require a Canadian-resident director?
No. BC has no director-residency requirement, so a non-resident can be a director of a BC company, similar to Ontario. Note that the federal route CorpStart files does have a residency rule: at least 25% of a CBCA corporation's directors must be resident Canadians.
Should a BC business incorporate provincially or federally?
If your business will operate only in BC, a BC provincial company (filed through BC Registry Services) is often the simplest choice. If you want name protection across Canada or expect to operate beyond BC, federal incorporation plus extra-provincial registration in BC (the route CorpStart files) is a strong fit.
What does it cost to incorporate in BC?
A BC provincial incorporation involves a name approval fee and an incorporation application fee through BC Registry Services; confirm current amounts on the BC Registry site, as they're handled directly by the province. For the federal route CorpStart files, it's our $279 service fee plus the $200 federal fee, plus the BC extra-provincial registration cost.
Do I need to register my federal corporation in BC?
Yes, if you carry on business there. A federal corporation's national name protection doesn't authorize it to operate in a province by itself. It must register extra-provincially in BC (and any other province of operation). CorpStart can handle that BC registration for you as part of the federal route.
Based in BC?
$279 service fee + $200 federal government fee, plus BC extra-provincial registration. We file federal incorporations and BC registration, not BC provincial companies, and we'll always tell you which route fits.
Start my corporationCorpStart is a document preparation service, not a law firm. The information on this page is general in nature and does not constitute legal or tax advice. For advice specific to your situation, consult a licensed lawyer or accountant.