How to apply for a Canadian passport with inherited citizenship
Even if you were born outside Canada, you may be eligible for Canadian citizenship by descent if you have a Canadian parent or grandparent.
When applying for a Canadian passport, you must provide a document proving your Canadian citizenship.
As a citizen by descent, you must have obtained a Canadian citizenship certificate to apply for a passport.
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In this article, we’ll cover who can apply for a Canadian citizenship certificate, who can apply for a discretionary grant of citizenship under the current interim measures, and how to apply for a Canadian passport.
Who qualifies for a Canadian passport?
While Canadian citizens can enter Canada with or without a passport, having one makes the reentry process smoother, helping travelers avoid (often lengthy) immigration screening.
If you were born outside Canada to a parent who was born within Canada, you qualify for Canadian citizenship by descent, and can apply for a Canadian citizenship certificate as proof of citizenship.
But under Canada’s current legislation, there is a first-generation limit (FGL) on citizenship by descent.
This means that if you were born outside Canada, and your parent was also born outside Canada and inherited their Canadian citizenship from their parent (your grandparent), you do not automatically qualify for Canadian citizenship by descent.
Under the FGL, only the first generation of children born abroad to a Canadian citizen may qualify for citizenship by descent under current legislation.
Interim measures
If you’re affected by the first-generation limit, you may be able to apply for a discretionary grant of citizenship under interim measures introduced by the federal government in March of 2025.
In late 2023, the Ontario Superior Court of Justice ruled that the FGL is unconstitutional in its current form. After having missed multiple deadlines to amend the Citizenship Act, the federal government introduced interim measures to reduce the hardship of those affected by the current unconstitutional legislation.
Under these measures, you can apply for a discretionary grant of citizenship if you fall within one of four scenarios:
Scenario one: Individuals who were born or adopted before December 19, 2023, and have been affected by the FGL.
Scenario two: Individuals who were born or adopted on or after December 19, 2023, have been affected by the FGL, and have a Canadian parent who met the “substantial connection to Canada test”* at the time of their birth or adoption.
Scenario three: Individuals who were born before April 1, 1949, and have been affected by the FGL.
Scenario four: Individuals who lost their citizenship as a result of unmet retention requirements (under the former section 8 of Citizenship Act).
*To meet the substantial connection to Canada test, an individual’s Canadian parent must have spent at least 1,095 days within Canada before the individual’s birth or adoption.
How to get a discretionary grant of citizenship
If you fall under one of the scenarios outlined above, you may apply for a discretionary grant of citizenship.
To obtain a discretionary grant, you must first apply for a citizenship certificate.
After you apply, Canada’s immigration department, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), will review your eligibility based on your situation.
If the immigration department finds you to be eligible, you will receive an invitation to request a discretionary grant of citizenship under subsection 5(4) of the Citizenship Act.
Should you be granted citizenship through this discretionary grant, you will become a Canadian citizen and can then apply for a Canadian passport.
Applying for a Canadian citizenship certificate
To find out whether you should apply online or on paper, visit the government website and answer a few questions about your unique situation.
Generally, you can follow the following steps to submit a proof of citizenship application:
Step 1: Get the application package, which includes the instruction guide, document checklist (auto-generated by IRCC if applying online), and the applicable forms.
Step 2: Submit the primary and supporting documentation required for your situation.
Step 3: Pay the citizenship certificate application fee of $75, and attach a copy of your receipt in your application.
Step 4: Submit your complete application to the correct location based on your country of residence—you will be informed where this is by IRCC.
If you are successful in your application, you’ll receive a citizenship certificate once your application has been processed.
The current processing time for citizenship certificates is seven months.
A citizenship certificate is not a travel document; it is merely a document proving that you are a Canadian citizen.
In contrast, a Canadian passport is a travel document and universally accepted identification document that proves you have the right to return to Canada.
If you intend to travel to and from Canada, you should apply for a Canadian passport.
Applying for a Canadian passport
With your citizenship certificate in hand you can apply for a five-year or 10-year Canadian passport at a Service Canada location or by mail.
The application form (PPTC 153) can be found online or obtained in person at a Service Canada centre.
In addition to the application form, you will need a guarantor, two references, and the following documents:
Canadian citizenship certificate (proof of citizenship);
Proof of identity, such as your foreign passport; and
Two passport photos.
Passport fees depend on whether you are getting a five-year or 10-year (adult) passport:
5-year passport fee10-year passport fee
$120$160
The typical processing time for a Canadian passport is approximately 10 to 20 business days.
Proposed changes to the Citizenship Act
In June 2025, the federal government introduced Bill C3: An Act to Amend the Citizenship Act (2025) to extend citizenship by descent beyond the FGL.
Under the draft legislation in Bill C3, citizens by descent who pass a substantial connection to Canada test would be able to pass on their citizenship by descent.
Bill C3 has been tabled, and entered its second reading this past September.
For a bill to become law, it must go through three readings, be passed by the House of Commons and the Senate, and receive royal assent.
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