Renouncing citizenship: Who can apply

To be eligible to renounce your Canadian citizenship, you must:

• be a Canadian citizen
• prove that you are or that you will become a citizen of a country other than Canada if your application to renounce is approved
• not live in Canada
• be at least 18 years old
• not be a threat to Canada’s security or part of a pattern of criminal activity and
• understand the significance of renouncing your Canadian citizenship.

Note: If you acquired or reacquired your citizenship as a result of changes to the Citizenship Act that took effect on April 17, 2009, you may be eligible to apply to renounce your citizenship through the streamlined process. See the guide, Application to Renounce Canadian Citizenship for certain persons who acquired citizenship on April 17, 2009 (R7.1).