Proof of citizenship

Sometimes you need to prove that you are a Canadian citizen. You may need to do this when you:

• vote
• apply for a passport
• apply for certain jobs or
• apply to obtain certain government entitlements.

If you were born in Canada, a birth certificate issued by the province or territory of your birth is often enough to prove that you are a Canadian citizen.

If you were born outside Canada, you get a citizenship certificate when you become a Canadian citizen.

If you were born outside Canada and one of your parents was a Canadian citizen when you were born, you need to apply for a citizenship certificate to prove you are a Canadian citizen.

On April 17, 2009, the law changed for people born outside Canada. It limits Canadian citizenship to the first generation of children born outside Canada to Canadian citizens. This means:

• a child born outside Canada in the second or subsequent generation after the new law comes into effect will not become a Canadian citizen automatically at birth, and
• a person born in the second or subsequent generation outside Canada before the new law comes into effect and who is not already a citizen will not become a citizen under the new law.

However, no one who is a citizen when the new law comes into force will lose citizenship as a result of the new law.

Find out more about the new law and who is affected.

A citizenship certificate is proof of citizenship. It is not a travel document. Any Canadian citizen wanting to travel outside Canada should obtain a Canadian passport.

The citizenship certificate is a wallet-sized card that has your photograph on it. It looks like this:

Learn about:

• Who can apply
• How to apply
• After applying