Apply for Membership

Apply for Membership

The CPA Act reserves the use of the titles “Chartered Professional Accountant” and “Professional Accountant” to CPABC members in good standing and registered firms. Select a membership pathway below to get started.

Please note that application and/or administration fees are non-refundable and must be paid in full to submit your application. Incomplete membership applications will not be processed.

Estimated processing times for complete membership applications is 6 to 8 weeks but may vary depending on an applicant’s individual circumstances*.

Please refer to the CPABC Bylaws for more information about specific membership requirements.

*In order to be admitted to membership in the Organization of Chartered Professional Accountants of British Columbia (CPABC), a person must, among other things, satisfy the Board that they are of good character [see section 35(1)(b) of the BC Chartered Professional Accountants Act (the CPA Act) and CPABC Bylaw 500(3)(a)].

CFE Passer (CPA Certification Program)

Review the Membership Application Guide for CFE Passers before beginning your application. Access to the online membership application will be available on your CPA Profile once you have successfully completed all of the following:

To apply, click on the button below to login to CPABC. If you have any questions, please contact us at cpabcapplications@bccpa.ca.

Log into CPABC to Apply

Application fee ($750 plus applicable taxes) must be paid in full to submit your application and is non-refundable.

Newly admitted members going into Public Practice - please be aware that an application for a practice license must be made separately to the CPABC Public Practice department. Please contact them at publicpracticelicensing@bccpa.ca for enquiries.

Other Provincial, Territorial or Bermuda CPA Body (CPABC)

If you are an active member in good standing with another Canadian Provincial, Territorial or Bermuda CPA body and would like to apply for membership with CPABC, you will need to submit the following:

  • Online membership application for CPAs from other Province, Territory or Bermuda.
  • Provincial Confirmation form(s) for each Provincial, Territorial, or Bermuda CPA body in which you are currently a member.

Contact CPABC per the Membership Application Guide to create your online profile, then click on the button below to apply.

Log into CPABC to Apply

Application fee ($250 plus applicable taxes) must be paid in full to submit your application and is non-refundable.

Once your online application has been submitted, email a completed Provincial Confirmation Form (CPABC) to each Provincial, Territorial, or Bermuda CPA body in which you hold membership. Your CPA body will complete the form and submit it to CPABC on your behalf.

Please be aware that if you wish to be engaged in the practice of public accounting in BC, you will need to submit a separate application to the CPABC Public Practice department to obtain a public practice license. Please contact them at publicpracticelicensing@bccpa.ca for enquiries.

Other Provincial, Territorial or Bermuda CPA Body (CPAYT)

To apply for membership to CPA Yukon (CPAYT), please download and complete:
CPAYT Membership Application for CPAs from other Provinces, Territories, or Bermuda.

Payment of a $250 application fee (plus applicable taxes) will be required to complete your membership application and is non-refundable.

Applicants to CPA Yukon will need to provide a valid government-issued ID with their application for legal name verification. Please review the Membership Application Guide for a list of valid government-issued IDs.

Please contact us at cpabcapplications@bccpa.ca if you have any questions about your CPABC or CPAYT application.

Mutual Recognition Agreement (MRA) or Reciprocal Membership Agreement (RMA)

Note: CPABC has a new online application available for applicants applying under an MRA or RMA. CPABC will no longer accept paper applications under this membership pathway.

Applicants who submitted a paper MRA/RMA application to CPABC prior to July 1, 2024 do not have to re-submit an online application.

To apply for membership with CPABC under an MRA or RMA; confirm the eligibility requirements for your international accounting body then complete the following:

  1. Review the Membership Application Guide for MRA/RMA Applicants and click on the button below to create a profile and start your application.
Start MRA/RMA Application

Application fee ($750 plus applicable taxes) must be paid in full to submit your application and is non-refundable.

  1. Forward the appropriate Certification and Practical Experience form(s) to your international accounting body to complete and submit to CPABC (cpabcapplications@bccpa.ca) on your behalf:
  2. MRA Applicants Only: Forward an International Practical Experience Form to each employer where you obtained relevant practical experience and/or post qualification experience as required by your MRA. This form should be completed by the employer and submitted to CPABC directly by the signatory. If necessary, you may complete the form and submit a notarized copy to CPABC.

Once CPABC has received all required documents noted above, CPABC will contact you to discuss if additional documentation is required under your specific MRA/RMA agreement. Membership applications with outstanding documents or requirements in progress will not be processed.

Note that qualifying members of international accounting bodies who wish to practice in public accounting within Canada must complete the education and experience requirements as set out by each provincial and territorial body. Please visit the CPA Western School of Business for more information about the CPA Reciprocity Examination (CPARE).

Please contact us at cpabcapplications@bccpa.ca if you have any questions about your application.

Readmission of Former Member to CPABC

Former members who wish to apply for readmission* to membership in CPABC will be required to meet the requirements in force at the time of application including, but not limited to:

  • Payment of outstanding amounts due to CPABC
  • Payment of current year’s dues (plus applicable taxes)
  • Payment of membership readmission fees for years cancelled (plus applicable taxes)
  • Reporting of Continuing Professional Development for years cancelled
  • Support from two Canadian CPA references

Please refer to the Membership Readmission Form for further details on the above. If you are a former member and are considering readmission, please contact CPABC at members@bccpa.ca to confirm your individual readmission requirements.

Download and complete the Membership Readmission Form and return to CPABC as instructed on the form. Payment of a non-refundable application fee of $250 (plus applicable taxes) will be required to complete your membership application.

Please contact us at members@bccpa.ca if you have any questions about your application.

*Pursuant to Bylaw Regulation 500/1(1)(a), in respect of a former member who applies for readmission, only the Membership Committee may admit that person to CPABC membership, with the exception of an applicant who is currently a member in good standing of another provincial CPA body.

Signature Requirements for All Membership Applications

All applicants are required to submit a Character Declaration with their application. An original (wet) signature is required for the Character Declaration form. If you are having difficulty providing an original signature; please contact cpabcapplications@bccpa.ca for further assistance.