After you apply: get next steps – Give up citizenship

Once your application to renounce your Canadian citizenship is received at the Case Processing Centre in Sydney, Nova Scotia, it will be reviewed and processing will begin.

Some applications may encounter delays. For example, if documents are missing or if your case is complex, we may contact you to get more information or to ask you to send us additional information. Such cases may take longer to process.

You can check the status of your application on-line or by contacting the CIC Call Centre.

You may have to be interviewed by a citizenship judge. If so, we will notify you by mail of the time and place of your interview. If you live outside Canada, the Canadian embassy, high commission or consulate responsible for your area will contact you to let you know how the interview will be conducted.

If your application is approved, we will send you a certificate of renunciation.

Note: If you acquired or reacquired your citizenship as a result of changes to the Citizenship Act that took effect on April 17, 2009, and you applied to renounce your citizenship through the streamlined process, you will receive a document confirming your citizenship was renounced, instead of a certificate of renunciation. See the Application to Renounce Canadian Citizenship for certain persons who acquired citizenship on April 17, 2009 (R7.1).