Resume Canadian citizenship: How to apply

You can now choose to receive an electronic citizenship certificate (e-certificate) or a paper certificate. In your application form

  • select the certificate type you want
  • make sure you provide an email address if you want an e-certificate
Applications submitted before January 4, 2023

We’re offering the e-certificate option to some applicants who submitted their applications before January 4, 2023.

If we offer you the e-certificate option, you

  • will receive an invitation by email
  • may accept or decline the invitation
    • If you accept the invitation, follow the email’s instructions for your next steps.
    • If you decline the invitation, you’ll get a paper certificate (opens in a new tab)  (if we approve your application).

You’ll only receive an e-certificate if

We cannot guarantee that we’ll approve your application or process it faster.

If your application is successful, the certificate proves that you’re a Canadian citizen.

Learn more about the e-certificate

Get the application package

The package includes the instruction guide and all the forms you need to fill out. Download and print the application package. If you qualify for the fast-track process as a member of the Canadian Armed Forces, download and print the Application to Resume Canadian Citizenship – Canadian Armed Forces.

Read the guide carefully before you complete the application form.

The application package contains instructions. Read those instructions, and be sure to provide the required documents. If information or documents are missing, your application may be delayed.

First-time applicants

If this is the first time you have applied for citizenship, you will need to send the original or a clear and easily readable certified copy of the required documents.

If those documents are not in English or French, you must provide the original documents or clear and easily readable certified copies, a translation of them, and an affidavit from the person who did the translation. Translations by family members are not acceptable.

Previous applicants

If you have applied for citizenship in the past, you may provide photocopies of the required documents.

Apply to resume your citizenship urgently

We can only process requests to resume Canadian citizenship urgently in special cases. Every urgent request will be checked to see if it meets the conditions for urgent processing. If an application does not meet the conditions, it will be processed normally.

To apply for urgent processing, you must meet all the conditions to resume your Canadian citizenship.

Apply to resume your citizenship urgently

Pay your application fees

Your fees depend on your age.

If you’re submitting more than one application in the same envelope, you can pay all the fees together.

You have to pay your fee online (opens in a new tab). You can’t get a refund once we start processing your application.

Submit your application

Mail your completed application form and the required documents to

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada
Case Processing Centre – Sydney
Resumption
P.O. Box 10000
Sydney, Nova Scotia B1P 7C1

If your application is signed more than three months before we receive it or if it is dated into the future, we will send it back to you.

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