Guidelines for Incorporating in Quebec

Numbered vs. named

• The company name must be French, but may have an English version, the English version must be a direct translation of the French name. The legal ending must be ‘Inc’ or ‘ltée’ / ‘Ltd’.
• The more distinctive the name, the more likely it is to be accepted. Common words, or names confusingly similar to another company in the province, may be rejected.
• A numbered company has its number assigned automatically and incorporates faster, since no name search is required.
• Once your Quebec numbered company is incorporated, you can also register a trade name and operate under it, though for all legal and government paperwork the company is recognized by its number.

Designate a Head Office in Quebec

The company must designate a residential or commercial address as the Head Office, it cannot be a PO Box. If you don’t have such an address, consider our virtual offices in Montreal.

Choose your directors and officers

At least one director is required, aged 18 or over, and directors must be individuals. You’ll provide each director’s address. Officers are the senior management (e.g. President, Secretary, Treasurer), each company must appoint a President and a Secretary, and one person can hold several roles. Directors of a Quebec company need not be Canadian residents.

Select your shareholders

Shareholders own the company’s shares and can be individuals or corporations. You must appoint between 1 and 50 shareholders, entering their full names and residential addresses on the application.

Provide company information for registration

You’ll provide the number of employees your corporation will have, if any, along with your business activities.

Determine capital stock structure, restrictions & limitations

At incorporation you must determine: (a) share structure, (b) restrictions on stock transfer, (c) limitations on business activities, and (d) other provisions. This is presented in separate Schedules filed with the government. Upload your own PDFs (each clearly labelled, e.g. “Schedule 1 – Share Structure”), or use our standard schedules available during the application.