The Regulation respecting the issuance and renewal of representatives' certificates sets out the minimum qualifications required for each sector or sector class.

For financial planning:

• A diploma from the Institute of Financial Planning This link will open in a new window

A candidate must apply to the AMF for a certificate.

Conditions for obtaining a financial planner's certificate

An applicant may obtain a financial planner’s certificate if they passed the Institute of Financial Planning exam leading to a diploma from the Institute no more than six yearsIf the date the candidate passed the exam and the date the diploma was issued differ, then the date used to calculate the six-year period is the date on which exam was passed. prior to applying for a certificate.

An applicant may also obtain a financial planner’s certificate if they passed the Institute’s exam more than six years prior to applying for a certificate if they can demonstrate that they have applied the competencies acquired in obtaining the diploma. To do this, the applicant must, in addition to holding a diploma from the Institute,

• have held an AMF certificate in financial planning for at least two years in the last six yearsThe two-year period does not have to be continuous; when the various periods of certification over the past six years are added together, the total must come to two or more years. and have complied with the applicable compulsory professional development requirements,
• provide evidence that they have accumulated the equivalent of 40 professional development units (PDUs), apportioned in accordance with the Regulation respecting the compulsory professional development of financial planners, in the past six yearsIt is not necessary for the PDUs to have to been accumulated in a 24-month period. The candidate must, however, have accumulated 40 PDUs as apportioned in the Regulation respecting the compulsory professional development of financial planners., or
• have been authorized to use the title of financial planner for at least two years in the last six years under an agreement entered into between their professional orderThe Ordre des administrateurs agréés du Québec (Adm.A.), until March 31, 2025, or the Ordre des comptables professionnels agréés du Québec (CPA) (combines the former CA, CGA and CMA orders), until September 30, 2022. and the AMF.

Otherwise, the applicant will have to pass the Institute’s exam again.

The Ordre des administrateurs agréés du Québec entered into an agreement with the AMF to allow its members to use the title of financial planner. This agreement will end on March 31, 2025.

Provided they meet the requirements and comply with the rules determined by this order, members of the Ordre des administrateurs agréés who hold a diploma in financial planning issued by the Institute of Financial Planning will continue to be allowed use the title of financial planner until March 31, 2025. The Ordre des administrateurs agréés ceased to grant authorizations to use this title effective June 1, 2024.

The Ordre des administrateurs agréés regulates and supervises members of the order who use the title of financial planner or purport to offer financial planning services. Such members do not have to hold a certificate issued by the AMF in financial planning to use the title of financial planner or purport to offer financial planning services.

However, this agreement does not apply to a member of the Ordre des administrateurs agréés du Québec who

• is registered as a representative in accordance with Title III of the Derivatives Act or Title V of the Securities Act; or
• holds a certificate issued by the AMF under the Act respecting the distribution of financial products and services in a sector other than financial planning; or
• is an executive officer or employee of a firm registered in a sector other than financial planning, where the member acts in the field of financial planning for the firm.

Effective April 1, 2025, members of the Ordre des administrateurs agréés who wish to continue using the title of financial planner or purport to offer financial planning services will have to comply with the requirements of the AMF, including holding a certificate under the Act respecting the distribution of financial products and servicesThis link will open in a new window.