Proof of Citizenship (17:VIII)

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This information applies to British Columbia, Canada. Last reviewed for legal accuracy by the Law Students' Legal Advice Program on July 19, 2023.



If you need to prove your Canadian citizenship, you can apply for a citizenship certificate if you:

  • are a Canadian citizen who was born outside Canada
  • were born in Canada and need proof besides your Canadian provincial or territorial birth certificate

The Government of Canada has stopped issuing citizenship cards. If you apply to update or replace a citizenship card, you will receive a citizenship certificate instead. There are other documents accepted as proof of citizenship, namely, birth certificates, naturalization certificates issued before Jan 1, 1947, registration of birth abroad certificates issued between Jan 1, 1947 and Feb 14, 1977 and certificates of retention issued between Jan 1, 1947 and Feb 14, 1977.

NOTE: Not knowing for sure whether you or your minor child are citizens does not mean you must apply for a certificate. A provincial or territorial birth certificate should generally be enough to prove Canadian citizenship, but a Canadian citizen born in Canada may still apply for a citizenship certificate. Other documents accepted as proof of citizenship include naturalization certificates issued before Jan 1, 1947, registration of birth abroad certificates issued between Jan 1, 1947 and Feb 14, 1977 and certificates of retention issued between Jan 1, 1947 and Feb 14, 1977. You may also use the “Am I Canadian?” tool on the IRCC website to check whether you or your minor children are Canadian citizens. Despite all the alternative ways of proof, you may still apply for a certificate if you want to.

If you want to apply for a citizenship certificate, you should first get the application package, which includes the instruction guide, forms, and document checklist. You must download and print the checklist and the forms, fill out all the forms and include all documents listed in the document checklist. If your documents are not in English or French, you will need to prepare a colour copy, clear and easy-to-read, a translation of the documents, and a sworn statement (affidavit) from the person who did the translation. You cannot have your family members translate for you.

Please check your eligibility before paying the application fee ($75). You can pay your application fee online, but you may also be able to pay by other ways depending on where you are applying from.

You can find information about submitting the application at this link. After submitting the application, you will need to wait for processing. If your matter is complex, IRCC may contact you for more information or documentation, and the processing time can be longer. If you want to make an urgent application or submit your application abroad, you can find relevant information on the same website.

NOTE: Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, processing times for citizenship certificates have increased.


© Copyright 2023, The Greater Vancouver Law Students' Legal Advice Society.