How to show proof of Canadian citizenship for adult passport applications

You must provide proof of Canadian citizenship if you’re applying for a new adult passport.

  • It has to be the original proof of citizenship document.
    • We do not accept photocopies, even if they’re signed.
  • We’ll return it to you once we verify it.
    • If you apply in person, we may verify the document and return it to you right away.

You don’t need to provide proof if you’re applying to renew your passport.

On this page

If you were born in Canada

Submit 1 of the following:

If you were born outside of Canada

Submit 1 of the following:

  • a Canadian citizenship certificate
  • a certificate of naturalization
  • a certificate of registration of birth abroad
  • a certificate of retention of Canadian citizenship
A laminated proof of citizenship may not be accepted

We accept laminated proof of citizenship documents if they were laminated by the provincial, territorial or federal government agency that issues them.

We do not accept a laminated proof of citizenship document if

  • it wasn’t originally laminated when you got it
  • it says “void if laminated”

This is because lamination changes and hides the document’s original security features. We need those features to validate the document.

If you need a new proof of Canadian citizenship

How to get a Canadian birth certificate

Contact the vital statistics office in the province or territory where you were born to ask for a birth certificate.

Certain provinces have different documents that we also accept as proof of Canadian citizenship:

  • British Columbia: Certified True Copy of a Registration Document – Registration of Live Birth
    • Given in cases where the name of the bearer is more than 30 characters for the surname(s) or 30 characters for the given name(s).
  • New Brunswick: certified extract of a registration document
    • Given in cases where the name of the bearer is more than 39 characters for the surname(s) and 30 characters for the given name(s).
  • Northwest Territories: Registration of Birth, Certificate of Registration of Birth, or Registration of Live Birth
    • Given in cases where the surname(s) and given name(s) of the bearer are more than a total of 58 characters.
  • Nova Scotia: certified photocopy of a Live Birth Registration
    • Given in cases where the name of the bearer is more than 30 characters for the surname(s) and 38 characters for the given name(s).
  • Ontario: certified copy of birth registration
  • Quebec: birth certificate or copy of an act of birth issued after January 1, 1994, from the Directeur de l’état civil

If your name has changed

Your proof of citizenship can have either your new name or your previous name.

If you updated your gender identifier

You need to submit a completed Request – Sex or gender identifier – Adult 16 years or older [PPTC 643] (PDF, 1.07 MB) form if

  • your proof of Canadian citizenship doesn’t have a sex field and
  • your gender identifier isn’t supported by your previous passport

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