See if you may already be a citizen

There are several ways to automatically become a Canadian citizen. In these cases, you do not need to apply for citizenship, but you may want to consider obtaining proof of citizenship.

There are also situations in which someone might think they became a citizen but did not. However, this person may be eligible to apply for citizenship.

This chart may help determine if you already are a Canadian citizen.

You may already be a citizen if… You may not be a citizen if…
  • you were born in Canada.
  • you naturalized in Canada.
  • you were born outside Canada after April 17, 2009, but one parent was born in Canada or naturalized in Canada.
  • you marry a Canadian citizen.
  • you are adopted by a Canadian citizen (FAQs about adoption).
  • your refugee claim is accepted.
  • you have lived in Canada as a permanent resident for many years.
  • you renounced your citizenship and never applied to resume your citizenship. (See information on resuming citizenship.)
  • you were born outside Canada on or after April 17, 2009, and neither of your parents was a Canadian citizen born or naturalized in Canada. You were born outside Canada before April 17, 2009, to a Canadian parent, you are not already a citizen or you lost your citizenship in the past, and you were born in the second or next generation abroad (this includes people who failed to retain citizenship.)
  • your citizenship was revoked by the Canadian Government.

Take the test

Use the Am I a Canadian Citizen? tool to determine if you are a citizen under Canada’s citizenship laws. These questions should take 15-20 minutes to complete.

At any point in this questionnaire, you can bookmark your current page and return to complete it later.

In certain complex cases, this questionnaire may not be able to determine whether a person is a Canadian citizen. It is important to note that people who were Canadian citizens the day before the 2009 changes when the law came into effect keep their citizenship.

Legal Disclaimer: This questionnaire is intended solely for general guidance and reference purposes. In the event that any part of this questionnaire conflicts with any provision contained in federal legislation (for example, the Citizenship Act, the Citizenship Regulations, the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act, or the Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations), federal legislation will apply.

No personal information will be collected or disclosed by Citizenship and Immigration Canada in the event you decide to use this questionnaire in order to evaluate the likelihood of whether you are a Canadian citizen.

You also have the option of applying for proof of Canadian citizenship which will result in a formal decision as to whether you are a citizen. Should you decide to make an application for proof of citizenship and pay the prescribed fee, your application will be assessed by a citizenship officer, in accordance with the requirements of the Citizenship Act, without regard to any outcome you may have attained through completion of this informal questionnaire.

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Study for your citizenship test and learn about the rights and responsibilities of citizenship

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