How to obtain proof of Canadian citizenship

• Why you may need proof of citizenship
• What documents are accepted as proof of citizenship
• What a citizenship certificate is
• Who can apply for a citizenship certificate
• How to apply for a citizenship certificate

Why might I need proof of my Canadian citizenship?

Sometimes you need to prove you are a Canadian citizen. You might need a proof of Canadian citizenship:

• to vote;
• to obtain a passport;
• to obtain an enhanced driver’s licence or enhanced identity card;
• to get a job; or
• to access government services such as health care or a pension, or to obtain a Social Insurance Number.

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What documents are accepted as proof of citizenship?

• Provincial or territorial birth certificate (for people born in Canada, unless at the time of your birth, your parents were neither Canadian citizens nor permanent residents, and at least one parent had diplomatic status in Canada)
• Naturalization certificate (issued before January 1, 1947)
• Registration of Birth Abroad certificate (issued between January 1, 1947, and February 14, 1977 inclusively)
• Certificate of Retention (issued between January 1, 1947, and February 14, 1977, inclusively)
• Citizenship certificates*
  
  
  * Some people born outside Canada between February 15, 1977, and April 16, 1981, inclusively, to a Canadian parent who was also born outside Canada to a Canadian parent were required to take steps before their 28th birthday in order to keep their citizenship. This is known as “retention” of one’s citizenship. If they did not take the necessary steps to retain their citizenship, it was automatically lost according to the 1977 Citizenship Act. If you think this may apply to you and you need more information, please contact us.

What is a citizenship certificate?

A Canadian citizenship certificate is a document that proves that a person is a Canadian citizen. It can be issued to a person born in Canada, to a person born outside Canada to a Canadian parent, or to a permanent resident (a landed immigrant) who is granted Canadian citizenship. The citizenship certificate is a wallet-sized card. It contains your name, date of birth, height, eye colour and gender, and includes your photograph and signature. It is not a travel document. Any Canadian citizen wanting to travel outside Canada should obtain a Canadian passport.

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Who can apply for a citizenship certificate?

Any Canadian citizen is entitled to apply for a citizenship certificate. Citizens born in Canada may apply for a citizenship certificate if they wish, although provincial or territorial birth certificates are frequently sufficient to establish Canadian citizenship.

If you wish to confirm your status as a Canadian citizen, update your citizenship certificate, or replace a lost, destroyed or stolen certificate, you must apply.

How do I apply for a Canadian citizenship certificate?

To apply for a Canadian citizenship certificate, you must complete the form Application for a Citizenship Certificate.

You can visit the CIC website at www.cic.gc.ca to download and print the application form or contact us to order the forms you need.

Carefully follow the instructions in the application guide, complete the form, pay the fees, provide the required photographs and include the requested documents that are specific to your situation.

Is it possible that I am not a Canadian citizen?

In general, if you were born in Canada, you are a Canadian citizen (unless at the time of your birth, your parents were not Canadian citizens or permanent residents, and at least one parent had diplomatic status in Canada).

If you were born in another country:

• In general, you are a Canadian citizen if you became a citizen through the naturalization process in Canada (i.e., you were a permanent resident [a landed immigrant] before you became a citizen).
• In general, you are a Canadian citizen if you were born outside Canada and one of your parents was a Canadian citizen at the time of your birth because the parent was either born in Canada or naturalized in Canada (i.e., the parent was a permanent resident [a landed immigrant] before becoming a citizen). You are the first generation born outside Canada. For more information, please see the section on “First generation limit to citizenship by descent.
• You may be a Canadian citizen if you were born outside Canada between January 1, 1947, and April 16, 2009, inclusively, to a Canadian parent who was also born outside Canada to a Canadian parent (you are the second or subsequent generation born outside Canada). If you think this may apply to you and you need more information, please contact us.
• If you were a British subject residing in Canada when the Canadian Citizenship Act came into force on January 1, 1947, or you were born outside Canada to a British subject parent who might have become a citizen on that date, contact us to find out how to confirm whether or not you are a citizen (see the “Contact Information” section at the end of this publication).

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First generation limit to citizenship by descent

As of April 17, 2009, citizenship by descent, that is citizenship through a parent, is limited to the first generation born or adopted outside Canada.

In general, people born outside Canada to a Canadian citizen on or after April 17, 2009 are Canadians at birth only if one of their parents:

• was born in Canada, or
• became a Canadian citizen by immigrating to Canada (becoming a permanent resident) and being granted citizenship (also known as naturalization)*.

This first generation limit also applies to children adopted by a Canadian parent outside Canada, if the parent was born outside Canada to a Canadian parent, or if the parent had become a citizen under the citizenship adoption process. The first generation limit will not apply to children adopted by a Canadian parent who become citizens through the regular grant process after immigrating to Canada.

This first generation limit will not apply to a child born outside Canada in the second or subsequent generation, or adopted outside Canada in the second or subsequent generation, if, at the time of the child’s birth or adoption, their Canadian parent is working outside Canada as an employee of the Canadian government or a Canadian province or serving outside Canada with the Canadian Forces.

It is important to note that the first generation limit will not take citizenship away from a person who is a citizen on April 16, 2009.

* Some naturalized citizens became citizens by descent by operation of law on April 17, 2009. If you think this may apply to you and you need more information, please contact us.

How much does it cost to apply for a citizenship certificate?

The fee is $75 (Canadian). This charge covers the cost of processing.

Why does my citizenship certificate have an expiry date?

Beginning January 1, 2007, expiry dates were included on the citizenship certificates of people born outside Canada on February 15, 1977 or after, to a Canadian parent who was also born outside Canada to a Canadian parent. This was to serve as a reminder to these people that they were required to take steps before their 28th birthday in order to retain their citizenship. On April 17, 2009 the law changed and people who had not already turned 28 by that date no longer had to take any steps to retain their citizenship.

If your citizenship certificate has an expiry date of April 17, 2009 or after, you do not have to take any steps to retain your citizenship. You will still have Canadian citizenship even after the expiry date on your certificate. However, your certificate will not be valid after this date. You should apply for a new citizenship certificate before your present one expires. Please refer to the section “How do I apply for a Canadian citizenship certificate?”

If you have a certificate with an expiry date of before April 17, 2009, you may not have taken the necessary steps to retain your citizenship and you may no longer be a citizen. To obtain more information, contact us.

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What should I do if I need a citizenship certificate urgently?

Citizenship certificates may be issued to Canadian citizens who demonstrate an urgent need to have their application processed. Every urgent application will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis.

For more information on this subject, contact us (see the Contact Information section at the end of this publication).

How can I find out if a citizenship certificate was ever issued to me?

A search of citizenship records can confirm if you were or were not issued a citizenship certificate. To apply for a search of citizenship records, you should complete the form Application for a Search of Citizenship Records and follow the instructions provided in the form. The fee for the search is $75 (Canadian).

For more information on this subject or to obtain the Application for a Search of Citizenship Records, contact us.

Contact Information

You can obtain information on CIC’s programs and services by consulting the Department’s website at www.cic.gc.ca. You can also download and print application forms.

If you are in Canada, you can contact the CIC Call Centre at 1-888-242-2100 (toll-free) for more information. The automated voice response system can provide you with answers to general questions 24 hours a day. You can also speak to an agent during normal business hours. If you are hard of hearing and you use a text telephone, you can access the TTY service at 1-888-576-8502 from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. your local time.

If you are outside Canada, contact the Canadian embassy, high commission or consulate responsible for your region.

CIC publications can be found on the Department’s website at www.cic.gc.ca.

Help us serve you better! Tell us what you think of this publication at www.cic.gc.ca/feedback.

The material in this publication is provided solely for general information purposes. In the event that any information in this publication conflicts with any provision contained in federal legislation (e.g., the Citizenship Act, the Citizenship Regulations, the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act or the Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations), federal legislation will apply.

© Minister of Public Works and Government Services Canada, 2009
ISBN 978-0-662-06577-7
Cat No.: Ci51-202/2009