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Who can apply

Find out if you can apply for Canadian citizenship as an adult or a minor.

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Eligibility for adults (18 and above)

Learn about the eligibility criteria for adult applicants. You can also check your eligibility by answering some questions.

To be a Canadian citizen as an adult, you must:

be a permanent resident

All applicants must have valid permanent resident (PR) status in Canada.

This means you must not have

  • a removal order (asked by Canadian officials to leave Canada)
  • unfulfilled conditions related to your PR status (for example, medical screening)
If you’re under review for immigration or fraud reasons

You can apply for citizenship, but we may not process (suspend) your application while you’re still under review.

Before applying, check that you haven’t lost your PR status. If you’re not a PR anymore

  • we would have sent a letter confirming the loss of your status
  • when travelling abroad, a Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) agent would have told you (for example, at the border or an airport)

You can apply with a valid or expired PR card.

Learn more about PR status

have enough physical presence or time lived in Canada

You must have been physically in Canada for at least 1,095 days (3 years) during your 5-year eligibility period.

The eligibility period

  • is 5 years before the date you sign your application
  • must include at least 730 days as a permanent resident
  • does not include time in prison, on parole, on probation, or the time you wait for a decision on a refugee claim

In your calculation, you may be able to include some of the time spent in these situations:

Time in Canada as a temporary resident or protected person

Each day as a temporary resident or protected person during your eligibility period counts as 0.5 days of physical presence in Canada.

  • You can use a maximum of 365 days of physical presence as temporary resident or protected person.
  • This is equal to 730 calendar days (730 days x 0.5 = 365 days of physical presence).

A temporary resident is someone with a valid status to stay in Canada as a

  • visitor
  • student
  • worker or
  • temporary resident permit holder

A protected person is someone who received approval on their

  • refugee or asylum claim (including as part of a family member’s claim) or
  • pre-removal risk assessment (PRRA) application

If you include time as a protected person in your calculation, you can count it only

  • from the time your claim or application was approved
  • until 1 day before you became a permanent resident
Time outside Canada as a Crown servant or as a family member of a Crown servant

Each day employed outside Canada as a Crown servant or as their family member counts as 1 day of physical presence in Canada.

A Crown servant

  • is a person employed in or with the Canadian Armed Forces, the federal public administration or the public service of a province or territory
  • is not a locally engaged employee (a foreign citizen hired in their own countries by the Canadian government to support Canadian offices abroad).

A family member of a Crown servant includes their

  • spouse
  • common law partner
  • child

We encourage you to apply with more than 1,095 days of living in Canada in case there’s a problem with the calculation.

How to calculate your physical presence

have filed income taxes in Canada if needed

You may need to file taxes in Canada for at least 3 years during the 5 years right before the date you apply.

Follow these steps:

  1. Check if you need to file your taxes.
  2. Tell us in your online or paper application
    • if you had to file your taxes and
    • whether you actually filed your taxes or not

prove your language skills in English or French (adults 18 to 54 only)

English and French are Canada’s 2 official languages. If you’re between 18 and 54 years old on the day you sign your application, you must show that you have an adequate knowledge of English or French. This means you can

  • take part in short, everyday conversations about common topics
  • understand simple instructions, questions and directions
  • use basic grammar, including simple structures and tenses
  • show you know enough common words and phrases to answer questions and express yourself

These speaking and listening skills are equivalent to level 4 of the

We measure your language skills by

  • reviewing the language proof that you send with your application
  • noting how well you speak when talking to a citizenship official at any time during the application process
  • assessing your language level during a citizenship test with an official if necessary

We accept various certificates, diplomas and tests as proof of your language skills.

Need help or a waiver (exemption)? Find out how to get an accommodation or a waiver.

Check the language proof we accept

pass the citizenship test (adults 18 to 54 only)

If you’re between 18 and 54 years old on the day you sign your application, you must take the citizenship test.

The test will ask questions about

  • the rights and responsibilities of Canadian citizens
  • Canada’s history, geography, economy, government, laws and symbols

We’ll invite you to the test after you submit your application.

Need help or a waiver (exemption)? Find out how to get an accommodation or a waiver.

Learn more about the citizenship test

take the oath of citizenship

You must take the oath of citizenship at the citizenship ceremony if

  • you’re at least 18 years old and
  • we approve your application

Need help or a waiver (exemption)? Find out how to get an accommodation or a waiver.

Learn more about taking the oath of citizenship

not be under a prohibition

We won’t approve your citizenship application if you’re under a prohibition. Most prohibitions are due to criminal and security reasons (inside and outside Canada).

Before applying, wait until the situation no longer affects your eligibility.

  • In some cases, a prohibition will apply for only a certain period of time.
  • Time spent serving a term of imprisonment, on parole, or on probation doesn’t count as time in Canada.

Find out more about situations that may prevent you from becoming a citizen.

Eligibility for minors (under 18)

Depending on their parents, a minor can apply through the minor 5(2) or 5(1) process.

Requirements for Minor 5(2)

Applicants must:

be permanent residents

All applicants must have valid permanent resident PR status in Canada.

This means the minor must not have

  • a removal order (asked by Canadian officials to leave Canada)
  • unfulfilled conditions related to your permanent resident (PR) status (for example, medical screening)
If the minor is under review for immigration or fraud reasons

The minor can apply for citizenship, but we may not process (suspend) their application while they’re still under review.

Before applying, check that the minor hasn’t lost their PR status. If the minor’s not a PR anymore

  • we would have sent a letter confirming the loss of the status
  • when travelling abroad, a Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) agent would have told the minor or the person they travel with (for example, at the border or an airport)

The minor can apply with a valid or expired PR card.

Learn more about PR status

take the oath of citizenship (minors 14 to 17 only)

A minor must take the oath at the citizenship ceremony if

  • they’re between 14 and 17 years old, and
  • we approve their application

Need help or a waiver (exemption)? Find out how to get an accommodation or a waiver.

Learn more about taking the oath of citizenship

not be under a prohibition

We won’t approve a minor’s application if they’re under a prohibition. Most prohibitions are due to criminal and security reasons (inside and outside Canada).

Before applying, wait until the situation no longer affects the minor’s eligibility. In some cases, a prohibition will apply for only a certain period of time.

Find out more about situations that may prevent the minor from becoming a citizen.

Requirements for Minor 5(1)

Applicants must:

be permanent residents

All applicants must have valid permanent resident PR status in Canada.

This means the minor must not have

  • a removal order (asked by Canadian officials to leave Canada)
  • unfulfilled conditions related to your permanent resident (PR) status (for example, medical screening)
If the minor is under review for immigration or fraud reasons

The minor can apply for citizenship, but we may not process (suspend) their application while they’re still under review.

Before applying, check that the minor hasn’t lost their PR status. If the minor’s not a PR anymore

  • we would have sent a letter confirming the loss of the status
  • when travelling abroad, a Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) agent would have told the minor or the person they travel with (for example, at the border or an airport)

The minor can apply with a valid or expired PR card.

Learn more about PR status

have enough physical presence or time lived in Canada

The minor must have been physically in Canada for at least 1,095 days (3 years) during their 5-year eligibility period. The eligibility period

  • is 5 years before the parent or guardian signs the application
    • Minors between 14 and 17 years old must also sign the application.
  • must include at least 730 days that the minor spent as a permanent resident

In the calculation, the minor may be able to include some of the time spent in these situations:

Time in Canada as a temporary resident or protected person

Each day as a temporary resident or protected person during the eligibility period counts as 0.5 days of physical presence in Canada.

  • The minor can use a maximum of 365 days of physical presence as a temporary resident or protected person.
  • This is equal to 730 calendar days (730 days x 0.5 = 365 days of physical presence).

A temporary resident is someone with valid status to stay in Canada as a

  • visitor
  • student
  • worker or
  • temporary resident permit holder

A protected person is someone who received approval on their

  • refugee or asylum claim (including as part of a family member’s claim) or
  • pre-removal risk assessment (PRRA) application

If the minor includes time as a protected person, they can count it

  • from the time their claim or application was approved
  • until 1 day before they became a permanent resident
Time outside Canada as a family member of a Crown servant

This applies to minors whose parents are Crown servants. Each day the minor spent outside Canada with this parent counts as 1 day of physical presence in Canada.

A Crown servant

  • is a person employed in or with the Canadian Armed Forces, the federal public administration or the public service of a province or territory
  • is not a locally engaged employee (foreign citizen hired in their own country by the Canadian government to support Canadian offices abroad).

A family member of a Crown servant includes their

  • spouse
  • common law partner
  • child

We encourage the minor to apply with more than 1,095 days of living in Canada in case there’s a problem with the calculation.

How to calculate the minor’s physical presence

have filed income taxes if needed

The minor may need to file taxes in Canada for at least 3 years during the 5 years right before the date they apply.

Follow these steps:

  1. Check if the minor needs to file their taxes.
  2. Tell us in the online or paper application
    • if they had to file they taxes and
    • whether they actually filed their taxes or not
take the oath of citizenship (minors 14 to 17 only)

A minor must take the oath at the citizenship ceremony if

  • they’re between 14 and 17 years old, and
  • we approve their application

Need help or a waiver (exemption)? Find out how to get an accommodation or a waiver.

Learn more about taking the oath of citizenship

not be under a prohibition

We won’t approve a minor’s application if they’re under a prohibition. Most prohibitions are due to criminal and security reasons (inside and outside Canada).

Before applying, wait until the situation no longer affects the minor’s eligibility.

  • In some cases, a prohibition will apply for only a certain period of time.
  • Time in prison, on parole or on probation doesn’t count as time spent in Canada.

Find out more about situations that may prevent the minor from becoming a citizen.

Accessibility options and exemptions

If you need assistance to meet certain requirements for accessibility reasons (like a disability), you can request:

  • help to meet a requirement (an accommodation) or
  • permission to skip a requirement that you can’t meet (a waiver)

Find the option that’s right for you:

Accommodations

If you need help to meet a requirement for accessibility or other reasons, you can request an accommodation.

For example

  • you can get sign language interpretation
    • when we assess your language skills at a language hearing
    • at a citizenship ceremony
  • for the citizenship test, we can
    • provide a Braille, large-print or oral version of the test
    • give you extra time to complete the test
    • arrange for you to take the test in person (if you can’t take it online due to poor Internet connection)

Learn more about accommodations

Waiver (exemption)

If your situation prevents you from meeting a requirement, you can request a waiver (exemption).

  • If we approve your waiver request, you don’t need to meet that requirement (for example, you don’t need to take the citizenship test).
  • Before you make a request, check if you qualify for a waiver.

Adult (18 and above) applicants can request a waiver for these requirements only:

  • proving language skills in English or French (adults 18 to 54 years old)
  • taking the citizenship test (adults 18 to 54 years old)
  • taking the oath of citizenship (all adults)

Minors between 14 and 17 years old can request a waiver for the oath of citizenship only.

Automatic exemptions for some applicants

These applicants are already exempt from certain requirements and don’t need to request a waiver:

  • Adults aged 55 and above don’t need to prove their language skills or take the citizenship test.
  • All minors under 18 don’t need to prove their language skills or take the citizenship test.
  • Minors under 14 don’t need to take the oath of citizenship.

Learn more about the waiver

Spouses of Canadian citizens

You don’t automatically become a citizen when you marry a Canadian.

If you’re the spouse of a Canadian citizen, you must meet the same requirements for adults or minors above.

Children and grandchildren of Canadian citizens

If you have a Canadian parent or grandparent, you may be a Canadian citizen.

Possible loss of current citizenship

Canada allows dual citizenship, but not every country allows this.

  • You may lose your current citizenship if you become a Canadian citizen.
  • If you’re not sure, contact the embassy, high commission or consulate of your current country of citizenship.

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