Proof of citizenship or immigration status in Canada

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Canadian citizen

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You must submit proof of Canadian citizenship with your passport application unless you are applying to renew a passport. You must provide original documents; photocopies are not accepted.

If you were born in Canada, provide one (1) of the following:

If you were born outside of Canada, provide one (1) of the following documents issued by Citizenship and Immigration Canada:

Please indicate in section 4 of the application form if you acquired citizenship of another country before January 1, 1947.

Documents in a language other than English or French must be translated into English or French by a certified translator.

More information

Birth certificates

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

For Canadians born in the province of Quebec, only a birth certificate or a copy of an act of birth issued after January 1, 1994, by the Directeur de l'état civil of Quebec or a certificate of Canadian citizenship are accepted as proof of Canadian citizenship.

The following documents are also accepted as proof of Canadian citizenship:

  • Nova Scotia—a certified photocopy of Live Birth Registration issued by the Province of Nova Scotia in cases where the name of the bearer exceeds 30 characters for the surname(s) and 38 characters for the given name(s).
  • Northwest Territories—a Registration of Birth, a Certificate of Registration of Birth, or a Registration of Live Birth issued by the Northwest Territories in cases where the surname(s) and given name(s) of the bearer exceed a total of 58 characters.
  • New Brunswick—a certified extract of a registration document issued by the Province of New Brunswick in cases where the name of the bearer exceeds 39 characters for the surname(s) and 30 characters for the given name(s).
  • Ontario—a certified copy of birth registration issued by the Province of Ontario.
  • British Columbia—A “Certified True Copy of a Registration Document” – “Registration of Live Birth” issued by the province of British Columbia may be accepted as a Documentary Evidence of Citizenship (DEC) in cases where the name of the bearer exceeds 30 characters for the surname or 30 characters for the given names.
Birth certificates for children under 16 years of age

In accordance with new proof of parentage requirements, parents must provide with the child’s application either a detailed (long-form) birth certificate (from Canada or a foreign country where the child was born) that indicates the names of the parent(s) or an order of adoption indicating the name of the adoptive parent(s). To obtain a detailed Canadian birth certificate, contact the vital statistics office of the province or territory where the child was born.

Citizenship certificates

Contact Citizenship and Immigration Canada to request a citizenship certificate.

Passport Canada will confirm the authenticity of all certificates of citizenship issued on or after February 1, 2012, through Citizenship and Immigration Canada’s new electronic validation system.

Dual citizenship

Canadian law permits Canadians to have more than one nationality. However, your Canadian citizenship may not be recognized in the country of your other citizenship and the authorities of that country may prevent Canada from providing you with consular assistance. This is especially true if you did not use your Canadian passport when entering that country. Learn more about dual citizenship.

Failure to provide the proper documentation will result in the application being rejected.