Do you qualify for a Canadian citizenship certificate?
The Canadian citizenship certificate is an official document from the Government of Canada that serves as proof of one’s Canadian citizenship.
If you were born outside Canada, you may qualify for a Canadian citizenship certificate if at least one of your parents was a Canadian citizen by birth or naturalization prior to your birth.
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Although you gain citizenship at birth automatically, you’ll need this proof of citizenship certificate as an official document to apply for a Canadian passport.
A Canadian citizenship certificate is not a travel document and will not be accepted as such.
This article will delve into who can apply for a citizenship certificate and how to do so, as well as proposed changes to the first-generation limit to citizenship by descent.
Who is eligible for a Canadian citizenship certificate?
If you were born outside Canada and have at least one parent—biological or legal—who was born in Canada or became a naturalized citizen before your birth, you are likely a Canadian citizen and can apply for a certificate.
Being born outside Canada and automatically inheriting citizenship from a Canadian parent is known as citizenship by descent, and is gained by the child automatically under Canadian citizenship law.
Under current Canadian law, citizenship by descent is limited to the first generation born abroad, meaning that children of citizens by descent do not obtain citizenship by descent. This restriction to citizenship by descent is referred to as the first-generation limit (FGL).
Aside from citizens by descent, Canadians might also apply for a new citizenship certificate if their original certificate has been lost, stolen, or damaged, or if updates are required—for instance, due to a legal name change.
Changes to the FGL to citizenship by descent
Some people affected by the FGL may still be able to gain Canadian citizenship, although they do not currently gain it automatically.
On March 13, 2025, the federal government introduced interim measures enabling certain individuals impacted by the FGL to request discretionary grants of citizenship, contingent upon their parent meeting a “substantial connection to Canada” test.
A substantial connection is defined as having spent a minimum of three years (1,095) days) in Canada prior to their child’s birth or adoption.
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Bill C-3 was introduced on 5 June, 2025, and if signed into law in its current form, would eliminate the FGL for children of parents meeting the substantial connection to Canada test, thereby automatically granting citizenship to thousands of lost Canadians.
This bill has entered its first reading, and must still proceed through two more, be passed by both houses of Parliament, and receive royal assent to become law.
First-generation limit exceptions
Certain individuals may be exempt from the current FGL and may be eligible for a citizenship certificate.
The FGL does not apply to individuals born outside Canada in the second or later generation if, at the time of their birth, their Canadian parent was employed abroad as a Crown servant with
The Canadian Armed Forces;
The federal public administration; or
The public service of a province or territory.
The same applies if at the time of the parent’s birth or adoption, the Canadian grandparent held such a position.
How to apply for a Canadian citizenship certificate
Prior to submitting a citizenship certificate application, you can use IRCC’s “Am I a Canadian?” tool to check if you or your child may be a Canadian citizen.
This tool offers preliminary guidance only. For an official confirmation of Canadian citizenship status, one must apply for proof of citizenship.
The immigration department accepts both online and paper applications.
Generally, submitting a citizenship certificate application consists of the following steps.
Step 1: Obtain the application package, which consists of the instruction guide, document checklist, and applicable forms.
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Step 2: Gather and attach the relevant documentation outlined in the document checklist, including the following:
A dated and signed Application for a Citizenship Certificate form (CIT 0001).
Two pieces of valid government-issued ID (such as a driver’s license, passport, or health card) featuring your name and date of birth—one of which must include a photo.
Two identical photos of yourself, taken by a commercial photographer, which meet citizenship application photo specifications:
Online applications only require you to include one photo.
Translations (accompanied by affidavits from the translator(s)) for any documents not in English or French.
A signed and dated use of a Representative form (IMM 5476), if you used a paid or unpaid representative.
Additional documents pertaining to your personal situation:
IRCC includes seven possible scenarios and details the documentation required for each.
Include in your application a letter of explanation for any documents that are missing, not submitted, or require clarification.
If a section of a form does not apply to you, write “Not applicable” or “NA.”
Step 3: Pay the non-refundable citizenship certificate fee, which is $75 per person. For families submitting multiple applications for citizenship certificates, pay all the fees simultaneously.
You must pay this fee online or directly to the Canadian embassy, high commission, or consulate where you are submitting your application (only if you are living outside Canada and the US or have no internet access).
Include a copy of the receipt in your application and keep another for your personal records.
Step 4: Submit your application.
Paper applications: If you apply from within Canada or the US, you will get an Acknowledgement of Receipt (AOR) via email or mail (if no email address was included) with a 10-digit Unique Client Identifier (UCI).
Those who applied outside these regions will get an AOR from their location of submission or through email, if provided.
Online applications: You will receive an AOR letter from IRCC in your online account, which will contain your UCI.
Processing time
The processing time for citizenship certificates at the time of writing is at least five months.
It may take longer for those who
Live outside Canada and the US and applied through a Canadian embassy, high commission, or consulate (add three to four months); or
Are submitting an application to the Case Processing Centre in Sydney, Nova Scotia, for a minor who lives outside Canada and the US (add six to eight months).
Some time may pass prior to IRCC beginning to process your application.
For more complex cases, they may request additional documents or details, which can extend the processing timeline.
Urgent processing of citizenship applications may be requested for certain scenarios, such as needing access to social benefits, for employment or education purposes, or avoiding potential harm or hardship due to race, religion, or sexual orientation.
Such requests must be accompanied by an explanation letter and supporting documentation.
IRCC does not guarantee certificates will arrive on time even if an applicant is eligible for urgent processing.
How to apply for a discretionary grant
To get a discretionary grant under the interim measures implemented on 13 March, you must first submit a complete application for a citizenship certificate.
If you are affected by the FGL to citizenship by descent but believe you do qualify under the interim measures, IRCC will review your application and
Send you a letter confirming the FGL is still in effect; and
Invite you to request a discretionary grant of citizenship.
This means your application will be reviewed and IRCC will decide whether to grant you citizenship.
You may also be asked to provide additional information about your parents’ connection to Canada.
You cannot request a discretionary grant of citizenship without first being invited to do so.
Citizens who need not apply for certificates
Children born in Canada automatically gain citizenship at birth.* For these Canadians, their birth certificate serves as proof of Canadian citizenship, so they need not apply for citizenship certificates.
Naturalized Canadian citizens automatically receive citizenship certificates upon acquiring Canadian citizenship, so they need not apply for certificates either.
*There are a few exceptions, such as children of foreign diplomats.
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