How to Become a Canadian Citizen
To become a Canadian citizen, you generally need permanent resident status and 1,095 days of physical presence in Canada in the 5 years before you apply. You must file taxes for 3 of those years if the Income Tax Act required you to and, if you are 18 to 54, show CLB 4 English or French and pass the citizenship test. Then you take the oath.
$653
The adult grant fee
$100
The grant fee for a minor under 18
1,095 days
Physical presence in the 5 years before you apply
CIT 0002
The adult application form
Who can become a citizen by grant?
Most adults become Canadian citizens through a grant of citizenship. Citizenship gives you the right to vote, to hold a Canadian passport, and the Charter right to enter, remain in and leave Canada (s.6(1)). IRCC makes all decisions.
You must be a permanent resident of Canada, with valid status: no removal order and no unfulfilled conditions on your status, such as medical screening. If you are under review for immigration or fraud reasons, IRCC may suspend your application.
Under Citizenship Act s.22 and IRCC’s rules, you cannot become a citizen:
- While you are in prison, on parole or on probation, or serving a sentence outside Canada.
- While charged with, on trial for or appealing an indictable offence or a Citizenship Act offence.
- If convicted of such an offence in the 4 years before you apply.
- While under a removal order.
- While under investigation for, or charged with, a war crime or crime against humanity.
- If a citizenship application was refused for misrepresentation in the past 5 years.
- If your citizenship was revoked for fraud in the past 10 years.
How many days in Canada do you need?
The count covers the 5 years immediately before the day you apply. Only days you were actually in Canada count.
How the days count:
- Each day as a PR counts as 1 full day.
- Each day as a temporary resident or protected person before becoming PR counts as half a day (0.5), up to a maximum credit of 365 days.
- Days in prison, on parole or on probation do not count (Citizenship Act s.21), nor time waiting for a decision on a refugee claim (IRCC).
- Days outside Canada do not count, with limited Crown servant exceptions.
The Presence Calculator counts your days in Canada, including partial credit for time as a temporary resident before PR.
The rule
You must generally have been physically present in Canada for at least 1,095 days (3 years) during the 5 years immediately before the day you apply.
What else must you show?
- Income tax filing
- Returns for 3 tax years that are fully or partially within the 5 years before you apply, if the Income Tax Act required you to file. The application asks whether you had to file taxes and whether you did.
- Language, ages 18 to 54
- Adequate English or French, generally CLB/NCLC level 4 or higher in speaking and listening. One official language is enough. Proof can include results from approved language tests (such as IELTS General Training, CELPIP-General, PTE Core, TEF or TCF), certain secondary or post-secondary education in English or French, or certain government-funded language programs. Applicants 55 and older are exempt.
- The citizenship test, ages 18 to 54
- A knowledge test on the rights and responsibilities of citizens and Canada’s history, geography, economy, government, laws and symbols. IRCC bases every question on the free study guide Discover Canada. The citizenship test guide covers the format.
How do you apply?
Confirm eligibility
Check that you meet every requirement: PR status, 1,095 days of physical presence, 3 years of tax filing (if required), language ability (CLB 4+, if 18 to 54) and no prohibitions.
Gather documents
For an adult who applies on paper, IRCC lists the document checklist (CIT 0007), your physical presence calculation and colour photocopies of the identity pages of your passports from the past 5 years. It also lists 2 pieces of personal identification (a PR card is one option), 2 citizenship photos, proof of language (if 18 to 54) and the fee receipt. IRCC does not ask for tax documents.
CIT 0002, or CIT 0003 for a minor under subsection 5(2)
Apply and pay
Most adults apply online through IRCC. Some must apply on paper. After you submit and pay, you receive an acknowledgement of receipt (AOR) with your application number.
$653 adult, $100 minor
Wait for processing
IRCC checks your application against the Act, including your physical presence and whether a prohibition applies, and may invite you to an interview. Processing times vary and change over time, so check the current estimate on canada.ca.
Take the citizenship test
If you are 18 to 54, you are invited to the online test: 20 questions, 45 minutes, 15 correct to pass, with up to 3 attempts within a 30-day test period. The citizenship test guide covers what follows a fail.
Take the oath
Take the Oath of Citizenship at an in-person or virtual ceremony. Taking the oath is the step that makes an applicant aged 14 or older a citizen (Citizenship Act s.3(1)(c)). The ceremony guide covers the interview, the ceremony and the certificate.
What does it cost, and how long does it take?
- Adult grant fee
- $653, a processing fee plus the right of citizenship fee.
- Minor (under 18) grant fee
- $100
- Citizenship test
- Included in the application, with no separate fee.
- Replacement citizenship certificate
- $75, through a proof of citizenship application.
- Processing times
- They vary. Check canada.ca, or our processing times dashboard, for current estimates.
Confirm the current fee on canada.ca before you pay.
How do children apply, and can you keep another citizenship?
Minors under 18:
- Can apply with a parent, or on their own if they are a PR. A Canadian citizen parent can apply on behalf of a minor child who is a PR.
- Take no citizenship test and meet no language requirement.
- Physical presence depends on how the minor applies. A minor with a Canadian parent, or with a parent applying at the same time, applies under s.5(2) and has no day count. A minor with neither applies under s.5(1) and must meet the 1,095 days.
- Under 14, do not take the oath. Aged 14 to 17, take it themselves at the ceremony (Citizenship Act s.3(1)(c) and Citizenship Regulations s.20(1)), unless IRCC approves a waiver.
A person born in Canada after February 14, 1977 is a citizen (s.3(1)(a)), with exceptions in s.3(2), such as some children of foreign diplomats.
Canada fully allows dual (or multiple) citizenship. When you become a Canadian citizen, you are not required to renounce your existing citizenship. Not every country allows it, and you may lose your current citizenship: check with that country’s embassy or consulate (IRCC).
A dual Canadian citizen needs a valid Canadian passport to board a flight to Canada, or a special authorization in some cases (IRCC).
Which free tool checks your own case?
- Language ConverterIELTS, CELPIP, PTE Core, TEF and TCF to CLB
- Fee CalculatorCurrent government fees, itemized
- Citizenship by DescentThe 2025 rules for a birth or adoption abroad
Free, with no account. What you enter in a tool stays in your browser.
What do people ask?
How soon after becoming a permanent resident can I apply for citizenship?
Once you have 1,095 days of physical presence in Canada in the 5 years before you apply. Days as a PR count in full, and each earlier day as a temporary resident or protected person counts as half, up to 365 days of credit. The Physical Presence Calculator finds your date.
What happens at the Canadian citizenship interview?
IRCC may invite you to an interview after you pass the test, to verify your identity, authenticate your documents and check your eligibility. If you fail the test 3 times, IRCC invites you to a hearing, where an official asks questions out loud. The test itself, which most applicants aged 18 to 54 take, has 20 questions, 15 to pass. The Canadian Citizenship Test guide covers the format.
Do I need a police certificate for Canadian citizenship?
Yes, from each country outside Canada where you spent 183 days or more in a row, since age 18, in the 4 years before you apply. Time in your country of origin right before you landed as a PR is exempt when it falls in those 4 years. If you cannot get one, IRCC asks you to explain why in question 10b of the form. The Police Certificate guide explains how to get one.
Can an American become a Canadian citizen and keep US citizenship?
Yes. Americans follow the same path as everyone else: permanent residence first, then 1,095 days in Canada, tax filings if required, and the language and test rules if 18 to 54. Canada allows dual and multiple citizenship. Check the US rules with the US State Department. The Moving to Canada from the US guide covers the PR step.
Can I become a Canadian citizen through marriage?
No, marriage alone never grants citizenship. IRCC states that you do not automatically become a citizen when you marry a Canadian, and a spouse must meet the same requirements as any other adult. The usual route is spousal sponsorship to permanent residence, then 1,095 days in Canada before you apply for citizenship. The Spousal Sponsorship 2026 guide explains the first step.
Can I become a Canadian citizen by descent?
Possibly, if a parent is Canadian. A child born abroad to a Canadian parent born in Canada is generally a citizen automatically. Under Bill C-3, in force December 15, 2025, a parent born or adopted abroad can pass citizenship to a child born or adopted abroad on or after that date if the parent has 1,095 days of physical presence in Canada before the birth. The Citizenship by Descent guide covers older cases.
How do I become a Canadian citizen after age 55?
The same way, minus two steps. Applicants 55 and older still need PR status, 1,095 days of physical presence in the last 5 years and the tax filings if required, and they take the oath. They do not need to prove English or French and do not take the citizenship test. The Physical Presence Calculator checks the day count.
How much does Canadian citizenship cost?
The grant fee is currently $653 for adults (18+) and $100 for minors (under 18). There is no separate fee for the citizenship test or the ceremony. If you need a language test, you pay that fee to the test provider. Fees change, so confirm the current amount on canada.ca before you pay. The Fee Calculator on this site adds up the government fees for your family.
Part of:Already a permanent resident
- Canadian Citizenship Ceremony: What Happens
- PR Card Renewal: Step-by-Step Guide
- PR Residency Obligation: The 730-Day Rule
- The Canadian Citizenship Test
The textbook on this subject
Volume 2: Immigrating to Canada $79
The economic and family pathways to permanent residence, explained from the published criteria.
Follow on Facebook to hear when the library opens (opens in a new tab)Official sources
This page is based on law and policy published by the Government of Canada.