How to apply

When you apply for the Canada child benefit (CCB), you don't need to apply separately for related provincial and territorial programs. The Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) will determine your eligibility for these programs when you apply for the CCB.

On this page

• When to apply
• Apply for the benefit

When to apply

You should apply for the CCB as soon as you or your spouse or common-law partner meet the eligibility criteria, and any of the following happens:

• Your child is born
• A child starts to live with you, or returns to live with you after a temporary period with someone else
• You begin, end, or change a shared custody arrangement
• You get custody of a child

Apply for the benefit

Before you apply, make sure you or your spouse or common-law partner meet the eligibility criteria.

1. Gather supporting documents

   You may need to provide additional documents based on your situation when you apply:

   • Child's proof of birth is required

     You must provide proof of birth for a child with your application if the CRA has never paid benefits for this child, and you are applying online using your CRA account or by mail. If you apply through birth registration, you do not need to provide proof of birth for your child as it’s securely shared with the CRA by your province or territory.

     Proof of birth, such as a birth certificate, must include the child’s last name, given name, and date of birth. For a complete list of supporting documents, go to Supporting documents.

     To send us your documents:

     1. Upload the proof of birth using "Submit documents" in your CRA account
     2. Mail the proof of birth with Form RC66, Canada Child Benefits Application to your tax centre
   • Other parent is designated as primarily responsible

     When a child resides with individuals who are spouses or common-law partners, the female parent is presumed to be primarily responsible for the care and upbringing of all the children in the home.

     If you are the other parent and are primarily responsible for the care and upbringing of all the children in the home, you must:

     1. Include a signed letter from the female parent stating that you are primarily responsible for the care and upbringing of all the children in the home
     2. Mail the letter and Form RC66, Canada Child Benefits Application to your tax centre

     A letter is not required if both parents residing with the child are of the same sex.

   • Applying for a period that started more than 11 months ago

     If you are applying for a child that started living with you more than 11 months ago, you must:

     1. Provide supporting documents for
        1. Your citizenship status (1 of the following) such as:
           • Canadian birth certificate
           • Canadian passport
           • permanent residence card
           • Canadian immigration status documents for you and your spouse or common-law partner
        2. Proof that you live in Canada (at least 3 of the following document types) such as:
           • lease agreement
           • rent receipt
           • household bill (gas, electricity, cable television, telephone)
           • driver's licence, vehicle registration, or car insurance
           • membership in social or professional organizations
        3. Proof of birth for each child you are applying for
        4. Proof that you are primarily responsible for the care and upbringing of the child (at least 3 of the following document types) such as:
           • a letter from the nursery or school authority showing the contact information on file for the child
           • a copy of the child's report card, showing the contact information on file for the child
           • a copy of the child's school registration or enrolment document, or information or emergency contact sheet, signed and certified by the school
           • if your child is being home-schooled, a letter from the school board or appropriate educational authority confirming that you have a home school arrangement
           • a registration form or a receipt from an activity or club the child is enrolled in
           • a complete and signed court order, decree, or separation agreement; the document must explain the type of custody arrangement you have (for example, shared custody) and clearly show the living arrangements for the child
           • any other document showing that the child lived with you during the period being reviewed
     2. For a complete list of all supporting documents, go to Supporting documents
     3. Mail all supporting documents and Form RC66, Canada Child Benefits Application to your tax centre
   • Newcomers or returning residents to Canada

     You must:

     1. Fill out and sign Schedule RC66SCH, Status in Canada/Statement of Income
     2. Mail Schedule RC66SCH and Form RC66, Canada Child Benefits Application to your tax centre

     If your spouse or common-law partner is a non-resident of Canada during any part of the year, you must fill out Form CTB9, Canada Child Benefit – Statement of Income for each year, or part of a year, that they are a non-resident of Canada.

   • Leaving an abusive or violent situation

     Get benefit and credit payments without putting yourself, or your family, in danger. For more information, go to Getting benefits and credits when in an abusive or violent situation.

   If you are providing original documents in a language other than English or French, you need to include an acceptable translation with a copy of the original.

2. Choose how you want to apply

   You can register for the CCB through:

   • Birth registration

     You can apply for the CCB at the same time as when you register the birth of your newborn using the Automated Benefits Application at the hospital or birthing centre.

     Note: This service is currently not available for Nunavut.

     1. Complete the birth registration for your newborn with your province or territory
        Provinces with online registration

        Residents living in the following provinces have the option to register online:

        • Ontario
        • Quebec
        • British Columbia
        • Alberta
     2. Apply for the CCB within the birth registration form
     3. Give your consent to allow your province or territory to securely share your information with the CRA
        If you do not give consent to share information

        If you do not give your consent, your information will not be sent to the CRA. You will need to use another option to apply for the CCB.

     4. Enter your Social Insurance Number (SIN)
     5. Submit the birth registration form (which includes your CCB application) to your province or territory

   • Your CRA account

     If you didn't apply for the CCB when you registered the birth of your newborn, you can apply online using your CRA account.

     1. Sign in to your CRA account
     2. Choose your Individual account
     3. Select Benefits and credits on the Overview screen
     4. In the "Child information" section, select + Add and complete the following sections:
        • Confirm account information (contact, marital status, and citizenship)
        • Enter child information
        • Review and submit your application
     5. Print or save your confirmation
     6. Select the Submit documents button if you're asked to provide additional documents, such as proof of birth of a child, to complete your application

   If you are unable to apply through the other methods

   Send a form to the CRA by mail

   1. Fill out and sign Form RC66, Canada Child Benefits Application
   2. Include any additional supporting documents needed based on your situation
   3. Mail the form to your tax centre

3. Check the processing times for your application

   You can sign in to your CRA account to view the status of your application using the progress tracker.

   You can also check general processing times for your CCB application based on how you applied:

   1. Choose the option you used to apply
   2. Select the Show targeted processing times button to find the current processing time.
      Check processing times

      How did you apply: 

      • My Account, using "Apply for child benefits"
      • When registering the birth of your newborn with your province or territory (Automated Benefit Application)
      • Canada Child Benefit application form (RC66)
      Go to: Check CRA processing times