Doing Business in Quebec

This Guide provides non-Canadians with an introduction to the laws and regulations that affect the conduct of business in the province of Quebec. Because of Canada’s federal structure, the authority to make laws and regulations is divided between the federal and provincial governments by the Canadian Constitution, although in some areas of shared jurisdiction, both federal and provincial laws may apply.

For reasons rooted in history, Canada has two legal traditions, the civil law tradition of codified law in the province of Quebec, and the common law tradition of judge-made law in the other provinces of Canada. The province of Quebec, as Canada’s only province whose majority population is French speaking, has also adopted the Charter of the French Language making French the official language of Quebec. Quebec also collects its own income taxes and has shared jurisdiction with the federal government over immigration to Quebec. This publication focuses on the laws of the province of Quebec as well as the federal laws of Canada applicable in Quebec.

For a discussion on the laws of other Canadian provinces, please consult Blakes Doing Business in Canada Guide. The discussion under each heading in this Guide is intended to provide only general guidance and is not an exhaustive description of all provisions of law with which a business might be required to comply. Particular businesses or industries may also be subject to specific legal requirements not referred to in this Guide. For this reason, the reader should not rely solely upon this Guide in planning any specific transaction or undertaking, but should seek the advice of qualified counsel.

Unless otherwise noted, the law is stated as of July 1, 2019.

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