Valid proofs of Canadian citizenship
You can use these documents to prove your Canadian citizenship:
- citizenship certificates
- citizenship cards
- other documents like birth certificates and naturalization certificates
A proof of citizenship (such as a citizenship certificate) is not a travel document. If you’re travelling abroad, you must have a valid passport or travel document.
Exception: Children 15 and under don’t need a passport to enter the United States or return to Canada by land or sea.
Documents children 15 and under can use instead of a passport:
- original or copy of their birth certificate
- It should be issued by the vital statistics department from the province or territory where they were born.
- original Canadian citizenship certificate
- Canadian citizenship card
When they turn 16, they need a passport if they’re going to enter the US.
Learn more about travelling to the US from Canada.
Citizenship certificates
A citizenship certificate is a paper or electronic document that proves your Canadian citizenship.
Paper certificates
A paper certificate is an 8½ x 11-inch document that has
- the certificate number (starts with “K”)
- your family name and given name(s)
- your date of birth
- your gender (male, female or another gender)
- the effective date of citizenship
How to get a citizenship certificate
Example of a paper citizenship certificate
Older paper citizenship certificates
We gave out different citizenship certificates in the past. These older certificates are still valid as proof of Canadian citizenship.
Examples of older citizenship certificates
Electronic certificates (e-certificates)
Starting January 4, 2023, you can choose to receive an e-certificate or a paper certificate if you
- apply to become a Canadian citizen (grant of Canadian citizenship)
- apply for a citizenship certificate (proof of citizenship)
- apply to resume your Canadian citizenship (after giving it up)
- are a member of the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) and apply to resume your Canadian citizenship (after giving it up)
Applications submitted before January 4
We’re offering the e-certificate option to some applicants who submitted their applications before January 4, 2023.
If we offer you the e-certificate option, you
- will receive an invitation by email
- may accept or decline the invitation
- If you accept the invitation, follow the email’s instruction for your next steps.
- If you decline the invitation, you’ll get a paper certificate (if we approve your application).
You’ll only receive an e-certificate if
- you accept the invitation
- you meet the application requirements
- we approve your application
We cannot guarantee that we’ll approve your application or process it faster.
Citizenship application for an adopted person born outside Canada
We’re still testing the e-certificate with some applicants who already submitted an application for an adopted person who was born abroad(opens in a new tab) .
How the pilot (test) works
If we select you to participate in the pilot, you
- will receive an invitation by email
- may accept or decline the invitation
- If you accept the invitation, follow the email’s instructions for your next steps.
- If you decline the invitation, you’ll get a paper certificate (if we approve your application).
You’ll only receive an e-certificate if
- you choose to participate in the pilot
- you meet the application requirements
- we approve your application
You do not need to contact us. We’re working to make the e-certificate available to all successful applicants in the future.
Participating in the pilot does not mean we’ll approve your application or process it faster.
The new e-certificate is an electronic version of the current paper citizenship certificate. It’s a valid proof of Canadian citizenship that has
- a certificate number (starts with “X”)
- your unique client identifier (UCI)
- your family name and given name(s)
- your date of birth
- your gender (male, female or another gender)
- the effective date of citizenship
If you have an e-certificate, you can
- always access it online
- download and save it to any digital devices, such as a mobile phone, laptop, desktop, or tablet
- print it
- use it as you would use a paper certificate to access services and benefits, for example, when applying for a pension or Canadian passport
Accessing your e-certificate
- If your application is successful, we’ll give you a letter with instructions to download the certificate. We’ll either send the letter to your email or add it to your IRCC secure account.
| Citizenship application | How you’ll receive the letter |
|---|---|
|
We’ll send it to the last email address you gave us. |
| Citizenship certificate (online application) | We’ll send you a message in your IRCC secure account(opens in a new tab)
|
- Follow the letter’s instructions to download your e-certificate.
If you applied online for a citizenship certificate, the letter in your IRCC secure account will tell you to create an IRCC portal account. These are 2 different online accounts.
To download the e-certificate, you must create an IRCC portal account(opens in a new tab) .
When you create an IRCC portal account, you must use the last email address you gave us.
After you’ve successfully downloaded your e-certificate for the first time, you can access your e-certificate from your IRCC portal account(opens in a new tab) at any time.
Printing your e-certificate
Print both pages of your certificate
- on white letter size (8.5 x 11 inches) paper
- in colour or black ink
- in portrait orientation
The information on the printed certificate must be
- legible (clear and easy to read)
- fully visible (not cut-off)
If you have any issues with your e-certificate
If you’ve already received an e-certificate, it will always be available in your IRCC portal account(opens in a new tab) .
- Follow the instructions to access the e-certificate.
- If you forget your account’s password, you can recover it(opens in a new tab) .
Other issues
Email us at IRCC.ECertificatePilot-PiloteCertificatE.IRCC@cic.gc.ca if you
- experience other technical issues
- have trouble accessing benefits and services with your e-certificate
- For example, you can’t get service from an organization because they’re unfamiliar with the electronic format of the certificate.
When you email us, describe the issue in detail.
We’ll respond to emails
- from Monday to Friday, Eastern time (except for statutory holidays)
- between 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Example of an e-certificate
Citizenship cards
We stopped giving citizenship cards and the commemorative certificates that came with them in February 2012.
- The cards are still valid as proof of Canadian citizenship.
- The date on your citizenship card is not the date you became a Canadian citizen (it’s the date we produced the card).
- To update or replace your citizenship card, apply for a citizenship certificate.
Example of a citizenship card
Do not re-laminate your citizenship card
A re-laminated card is not valid as proof of citizenship because it
- blurs the security features of the original laminate
- makes it difficult to detect a fake card
Other documents we accept
- Birth certificates from a Canadian province or territory (there are exceptions)
- Naturalization certificates issued before January 1, 1947
- Registration of birth abroad certificates issued between January 1, 1947 and February 14, 1977
- Certificates of retention issued between January 1, 1947 and February 14, 1977
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