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Pathway

Canadian Citizenship by Birth in Canada

Canada Citizenship
Pathway overview

At a glance

If you were born in Canada, you are generally a Canadian citizen from birth. Your parents do not need to be citizens or permanent residents. Being born to visitors, temporary residents, or parents without valid immigration status does not normally change your citizenship.

Citizenship at birth
Most people born in a Canadian province or territory
Records needed
A Canadian birth certificate; parent status matters mainly for the narrow foreign-official exception
Limits
This route does not give immigration status to the child's parents or other relatives.

Summary

Canadian birth usually establishes citizenship without an application to become Canadian. For most people born in a province or territory on or after January 1, 1947, a birth certificate is the main evidence. A narrow exception applies to certain children of foreign officials.

If the exception could apply, the parents’ status at the time needs to be reviewed before relying on the birth record as proof of citizenship. The child’s citizenship does not itself give the parents or other relatives permission to live in Canada.

Could this pathway work for you?

Eligibility

You are likely a Canadian citizen by birth if you were born in a Canadian province or territory and the foreign-official exception below does not apply.

The exception applies only when both of these points were true at the time of birth:

In other words, having one diplomat parent does not prevent citizenship if the other parent was a Canadian citizen or permanent resident. A parent who was simply a foreign national, visitor, student or worker is not enough to trigger the exception.

Citizenship for people born before the first Canadian Citizenship Act took effect in 1947 can depend on historic status and transition rules. Newfoundland and Labrador also has a separate April 1, 1949 reference date in some historic cases. If your birth is affected by those dates, ask IRCC to determine your status rather than assuming the modern rule applies unchanged.

Start with the Canadian birth record
  1. Get the birth certificate Request the official certificate from the province or territory of birth.
  2. Check the foreign-official exception Review the parents' citizenship, permanent residence, and any diplomatic privileges at the time of birth.
  3. Confirm citizenship if needed Use the citizenship-certificate process if the person's status is uncertain.

Having a parent who was an ordinary visitor, student, or worker does not trigger the exception. Older births may need a review of the law at that time.

What This Route Allows

Citizenship by birth is a status acquired automatically; it is not an immigration application. A person who is a citizen by birth may live and work anywhere in Canada, apply for a Canadian passport, vote when eligible, and use the other rights and services available to Canadian citizens.

For most people born in Canada, an original provincial or territorial birth certificate is valid proof of citizenship. A person may also apply to IRCC for a citizenship certificate if they want federal proof or want IRCC to determine an uncertain case.

What This Route Is Not

This route does not give immigration status to the child's parents or other relatives. A Canadian-born child cannot simply add a parent to their citizenship claim; parent sponsorship has separate rules, including age and eligibility requirements for the sponsor.

A hospital record, baptismal record or commemorative document is not the same as an official birth certificate. A provincial or territorial birth certificate may also be insufficient if the foreign-official exception could apply.

Next Steps

  1. Order an official birth certificate from the vital statistics office in the province or territory of birth. For a passport application, check the current passport instructions for the accepted version.
  2. If a parent worked for a foreign government or international organization, check whether that parent actually held diplomatic privileges and whether either parent was a Canadian citizen or permanent resident at the time.
  3. If status remains uncertain, apply for a citizenship certificate. IRCC will review the facts and issue a certificate if the person is a citizen.
  4. Once you have acceptable proof, follow the current Canadian passport instructions if you need to travel as a Canadian citizen.
  5. Get individual advice for a pre-1947 birth, a birth connected to diplomatic service, a missing civil record, a renunciation or revocation, or another unusual status history.

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Other routes in Canada.

Sources