--- title: "Citizenship certificate: proof of Canadian citizenship" url: "https://canadaservicemap.ca/services/citizenship-certificate" description: "Get proof of Canadian citizenship in Canada: handled by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada. The fee for a citizenship certificate is $75." site: "Canada Service Map" author: "Mahmoud Halat" publisher: "Space & Story" lastReviewed: "2026-10-13" licence: "Built entirely from public data: open data and official government pages. Each record keeps the licence of its source, listed at https://canadaservicemap.ca/data." --- # Citizenship certificate: proof of Canadian citizenship Federal service ยท Identity and documents Compiled by Mahmoud Halat, checked 13 October 2026. Not a government website. The official page always has the final word. ## Short answer A citizenship certificate is the federal document that proves you are a Canadian citizen. You can apply online or on paper to get one for the first time, replace a lost one or update your name. The fee is $75. People born in Canada can usually use their birth certificate instead, and the certificate is not a travel document. Who handles it: [Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada](https://canadaservicemap.ca/bodies/immigration-refugees-and-citizenship-canada). Handles it everywhere in Canada. ## Official links - [Apply for proof of citizenship](https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/canadian-citizenship/proof-citizenship.html), checked 12 October 2026 - [Apply for proof of citizenship](https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/canadian-citizenship/proof-citizenship/about.html), checked 12 October 2026 ## Who can apply - A citizenship certificate proves you are a Canadian citizen. You can use it to get services and benefits, such as a pension, or to apply for a passport. Source: [canada.ca](https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/canadian-citizenship/proof-citizenship/about.html), checked 13 October 2026. - Citizens apply to get proof of citizenship, to replace a lost, destroyed or stolen certificate, or to update a certificate after a legal name change. Source: [canada.ca](https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/canadian-citizenship/proof-citizenship/eligibility.html), checked 13 October 2026. - If you were born in Canada, a provincial or territorial birth certificate is usually enough to prove citizenship, though you may still apply for a certificate. Source: [canada.ca](https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/canadian-citizenship/proof-citizenship/eligibility.html), checked 13 October 2026. - If you were born outside Canada, you may be a citizen if a parent was a Canadian citizen when you were born, with some limits. For births on or after December 15, 2025, a Canadian parent born abroad must have spent 1,095 days in Canada before the birth. Source: [canada.ca](https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/canadian-citizenship/proof-citizenship/eligibility.html), checked 13 October 2026. ## Steps 1. You may be able to apply online. If you cannot or prefer not to, apply on paper with the application package, which has the guide, forms and document checklist. Source: [canada.ca](https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/canadian-citizenship/proof-citizenship/apply.html), checked 13 October 2026. ## What you need - Send clear colour copies of every document on the checklist. Documents not in English or French need a translation and a sworn statement from the translator, who cannot be a family member. Source: [canada.ca](https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/canadian-citizenship/proof-citizenship/apply.html), checked 13 October 2026. ## Cost - The fee for a citizenship certificate is $75. Source: [canada.ca](https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/canadian-citizenship/proof-citizenship/about.html), checked 13 October 2026. ## How long it takes - If you live outside Canada and the US and apply through a Canadian embassy, high commission or consulate, add 3 to 4 months to the processing time for mailing. Source: [canada.ca](https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/canadian-citizenship/proof-citizenship/about.html), checked 13 October 2026. ## Good to know - People who become citizens through the regular citizenship process get their certificate at the citizenship ceremony and do not need to apply separately. Source: [canada.ca](https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/canadian-citizenship/proof-citizenship/eligibility.html), checked 13 October 2026. - Citizenship cards are no longer issued. If you apply to update or replace a card, you get a citizenship certificate instead. Source: [canada.ca](https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/canadian-citizenship/proof-citizenship/about.html), checked 13 October 2026. ## Questions people ask ### How much does a Canadian citizenship certificate cost? The fee is $75 for each certificate. Source: [canada.ca](https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/canadian-citizenship/proof-citizenship/about.html), checked 13 October 2026. ### Do I need a citizenship certificate if I was born in Canada? Usually not. A birth certificate from your province or territory should be enough to prove you are a citizen, but you can still apply for a certificate if you want one. Source: [canada.ca](https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/canadian-citizenship/proof-citizenship/eligibility.html), checked 13 October 2026. ### Can I travel with my citizenship certificate? No. It is not a travel document, so you need a valid passport or travel document to travel abroad. Children 15 and under can use it to enter the US or return to Canada by land or sea. Source: [canada.ca](https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/canadian-citizenship/proof-citizenship/about.html), checked 13 October 2026. ### How do I find out if I am a Canadian citizen? If you are not sure, for example because you were born abroad to a Canadian parent, you can apply for a citizenship certificate. The decision tells you for sure. Source: [canada.ca](https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/canadian-citizenship/proof-citizenship/eligibility.html), checked 13 October 2026. ### Can I get an electronic citizenship certificate? Yes. If you ask for an e-certificate, the link to it appears in your IRCC secure account when your application is approved. Source: [canada.ca](https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/canadian-citizenship/proof-citizenship/after-apply-next-steps.html), checked 13 October 2026. ### Do I get my fee back if I am not a citizen? No. If IRCC finds you are not a Canadian citizen, you get a refusal letter and the fee is not refunded. Source: [canada.ca](https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/canadian-citizenship/proof-citizenship/after-apply-next-steps.html), checked 13 October 2026. ## More - [Get or renew a passport](https://canadaservicemap.ca/services/passport) - [Get a Social Insurance Number (SIN)](https://canadaservicemap.ca/services/sin) - [Apply for Indian status or a status card](https://canadaservicemap.ca/services/status-card) - [Order a birth certificate](https://canadaservicemap.ca/services/birth-certificate) - [Order a death certificate](https://canadaservicemap.ca/services/death-certificate) - [Order a marriage certificate](https://canadaservicemap.ca/services/marriage-certificate) ## Cite this page Canada Service Map, "Citizenship certificate: proof of Canadian citizenship", checked 13 October 2026, https://canadaservicemap.ca/services/citizenship-certificate