In short
- Any interested person can apply: a shareholder, director, officer, employee or creditor, among others (section 209(1)).
- Corporations Canada revives a corporation that kept operating, still has property to deal with, or is in a court case; otherwise it expects a new corporation.
- The application is Form 15, Articles of Revival, sent by email or mail with a $250 fee that is not refunded.
- A revived corporation is treated as if it had never been dissolved, keeps its number, and can get back property that went to the Crown, or its value.
- Afterwards it files the two most recent annual returns, or it can be dissolved again in as little as 120 days.
Who can apply
Any interested person can apply to revive a dissolved corporation (section 209(1)): a shareholder, director, officer or employee, a creditor (the Canada Revenue Agency and Revenu Québec included), someone with a contract with the corporation, a trustee in bankruptcy or a liquidator. Corporations Canada also accepts people with a direct connection and a need, such as the executor of a shareholder's estate.
The person who signs must have that direct relationship with the corporation. A lawyer or an accountant can prepare the application, but cannot sign it for you, and a typed signature is not accepted.
When Corporations Canada agrees
The Act allows any corporation dissolved under its dissolution rules to be revived, whether its owners closed it, Corporations Canada dissolved it or a court did. In practice, Corporations Canada revives a corporation when it:
- kept operating after it was dissolved;
- still has to deal with property it owned; or
- is part of a court case.
In most other situations it refuses and expects a new corporation to be created. A corporation its owners closed themselves is revived only in extraordinary circumstances, and one dissolved a while ago, for example more than two years, that has not been carrying on business may be refused, especially if the public could be misled.
How to apply
Verify your identity
Through My ISED Account; it is required for this service even though the application goes by email or mail.
Complete Form 15, Articles of Revival
Signed by the interested person, by hand or electronically.
Write the cover letter
Give the corporation key, or explain why you do not have it; say why the corporation must be revived rather than a new one created; and include proof, such as bank statements since the dissolution, a land registry statement or the court filing.
Add a Nuans name search if needed
No more than 90 days old, unless the corporation was dissolved less than two years ago or had a numbered name.
Send it with the fee
$250, by email or mail. The fee pays for the review and is not refunded if the revival is refused. The service standard is 10 business days, with no express service.
What revival restores
The revival takes effect on the date on the certificate, usually the day a complete application arrives (section 209(3.1)). From then the corporation is restored as if it had never been dissolved, subject to any reasonable terms Corporations Canada sets and to rights other people gained while it was dissolved (section 209(4)). If someone registered its name or bought an asset in the meantime, revival does not undo that. Legal steps about its affairs taken while it was dissolved are valid (section 209(5)).
- Its number and anniversary stay the same, and its articles and directors are restored as they were at dissolution.
- Its name is restored too, unless it was dissolved more than two years ago and another business now has a confusing name. Then it gets a numbered name, which it can change later.
- Its property: anything that went to the Crown on dissolution comes back; if the Crown sold it, the corporation receives the lower of its value when the Crown took it and what the Crown received (section 228(2)). Ask for it in a letter with the application, with proof of ownership.
A bankrupt corporation can be revived, but revival does not change its bankruptcy.
After the revival
Bring the corporation up to date straight away: file the annual returns for the two most recent years, each with its fee and with the information on individuals with significant control, and update the registered office and the directors if they have changed. You do not file every missed year, and the overdue returns are filed after the certificate, not before.
If it does not get up to date, Corporations Canada can dissolve it again for non-compliance in as little as 120 days after the revival. The guide to annual returns covers the yearly filing.
An online revival is coming
Corporations Canada has proposed an online revival service with a five-day standard; its consultation closed on September 2, 2026, and the service is not available yet. The Regulations already set a lower fee for a revival sent online, so the cost may change when it opens. Check Corporations Canada's page before you apply.
Frequently asked questions
Who can apply to revive a corporation?
Any interested person: a shareholder, director, officer, employee, creditor, someone with a contract with it, a trustee in bankruptcy or a liquidator. The person signing must have a direct relationship with the corporation; a lawyer or accountant cannot sign for you.
How much does a revival cost and how long does it take?
The fee is $250, not refunded if the revival is refused, plus a Nuans report when one is needed. The service standard is 10 business days by email or mail, with no express service.
Do I have to file every missed annual return first?
No. After the revival you file the annual returns for the two most recent years, and update the registered office and the directors.
Will we keep our name and corporation number?
The number always stays the same. The name stays too, unless the corporation was dissolved more than two years ago and another business now has a confusing name; then it gets a numbered name you can change later.
We closed the company ourselves. Can we bring it back?
The law allows it, but Corporations Canada revives a corporation its owners closed only in extraordinary circumstances. In most cases it will ask you to create a new corporation.
Official sources
- Policy on reviving a business corporation(opens in a new tab)
When Corporations Canada agrees to a revival, and what follows.
- Instructions for Form 15(opens in a new tab)
Articles of Revival, the cover letter and the proof to include.
- Services, fees and processing times(opens in a new tab)
The revival fee and service standard.
- Proposed online revival service(opens in a new tab)
The online option Corporations Canada has proposed.
This guide explains the general rules for federal corporations. It is not legal or tax advice for a particular situation: for that, speak to a lawyer or an accountant. It was last checked against the Act and Corporations Canada's own pages on Oct 25, 2026.