Get your territorial and municipal business licences

Nunavut requires a territorial business licence, and Iqaluit adds its own.

Time

1–2 hours, plus processing

Cost

$50 a year territorial, plus a municipal fee (seen October 2026; confirm current fees)

Government of Nunavut — get a business licence ↗

Territorial licence

Nunavut requires a territorial business licence. It costs $50 and runs for one fiscal year, from April 1 to March 31, so it has to be renewed every spring.

Municipal licence

Your community may need its own licence as well. Iqaluit does. Its fee depends on how many hours a week you operate: $50 for a new licence under 30 hours a week, or $100 for 30–90 hours. Renewals cost half that. These fees date from 2018, so confirm them with the City.

Home-based business

Check the zoning rules for your address before you start. Iqaluit's home business rules were not confirmed, so ask the City what applies to storing stock and shipping orders from home.

Keep the licences

Save both licences. Banks and suppliers sometimes ask to see them.

Your checklist

Apply for a Nunavut territorial business licence
Check whether your community also needs a municipal licence
In Iqaluit, apply for a City business licence through its online permit portal
Pay both fees and renew them every year
Save both licences