A Canadian money services business (MSB) registration with FINTRAC, the Financial Transactions and Reports Analysis Centre of Canada, is not permanent. It is valid for two years, must be renewed before it expires, and must be kept accurate throughout. A business whose registration lapses may not continue to provide money services, and an acquirer of a registered corporation inherits whatever the previous owner failed to report. This guide explains the renewal cycle and what our FINTRAC registration renewal service covers.
The guide is general information, not legal advice. FINTRAC decides on registrations; we cannot promise acceptance or timing.
The two-year cycle
FINTRAC states that an MSB registration is valid for two years and must be renewed before its expiry date, and that changes to the registration information must be reported within 30 days of the change (FINTRAC — update, renew or cancel your registration). FINTRAC does not charge registration or renewal fees.
A renewal is not a formality. It confirms the business's current information — its owners and directors, its activities, its agents and locations, its compliance officer — and FINTRAC may ask questions or refuse or revoke a registration in the cases set out in the Proceeds of Crime (Money Laundering) and Terrorist Financing Act. A renewal that reveals unreported changes invites exactly those questions.
What must be kept current between renewals
- the names of the owners and of the persons who control the business;
- the directors and the compliance officer;
- the money services actually provided and the places where the business operates;
- agents and branches.
The same period is also the rhythm of the compliance programme: a registered MSB must run a compliance programme with a compliance officer, a documented risk assessment, written policies and procedures, training, and a review of the programme's effectiveness at least every two years (FINTRAC — compliance program requirements). Our risk assessment and two-year effectiveness review is timed to fit the renewal.
After an acquisition
If you bought an existing FINTRAC-registered corporation, the registration stays with the corporation and its changes must be reported. The first renewal after the acquisition is the moment FINTRAC sees the new structure as a whole. We check that every change after the closing was reported in time before the renewal is prepared. See our guide on buying a ready-made Canada MSB.
What you receive
The FINTRAC registration renewal costs and includes:
- the renewal prepared from your current information;
- a check of the changes that had to be reported during the registration period.
Not included: changes of business that require a new registration, and provincial licences, which some provinces require separately. It is available for an MSB we registered and for one you acquired.
How to request it
Use the quote form on the Canada MSB page: choose the route (new corporation or acquisition) and tick "FINTRAC registration renewal". We confirm the timing and the information we need by email. No payment is taken on the page, and all communication takes place by email.
Frequently asked questions
How often must a FINTRAC MSB registration be renewed?
Every two years, before its expiry date. Changes to the registration information must be reported to FINTRAC within 30 days. FINTRAC does not charge registration or renewal fees.
Can you renew the registration of an MSB we acquired?
Yes. We check that every change after the acquisition was reported in time and prepare the renewal from the current information. Changes that require a new registration, and provincial licences, are not included.