A first look at whether a person born or adopted outside Canada may be a Canadian citizen by descent, using the rules in force since December 15, 2025 (Bill C-3). The rules were checked on October 18, 2026 on IRCC’s pages and in the Citizenship Act. Only a citizenship certificate proves status: treat the result as a planning aid.
Check if you may already be a citizen (IRCC) · Apply for proof of citizenship (IRCC)
The rules in short
| Situation | What IRCC says |
|---|---|
| Born in Canada | Likely a citizen. A provincial or territorial birth certificate is valid proof. Exception: a parent had diplomatic privileges in Canada at the birth and neither parent was a citizen or permanent resident (Citizenship Act s.3(2)). |
| Born abroad before December 15, 2025 to a Canadian parent | In most cases automatically a citizen, including the second generation and later. This also covers people born to someone who became Canadian because of the 2025 changes. |
| Born abroad on or after December 15, 2025; parent born in Canada or naturalized | First generation born abroad: a citizen if the parent was a citizen at the birth. |
| Born abroad on or after December 15, 2025; parent also born or adopted abroad | A citizen only if that parent spent at least 1,095 days in Canada before the birth. Where both parents are such citizens, the Act asks whether either of them has the 1,095 days. |
| Adopted abroad by a Canadian citizen | Not automatic. The adoptee or parent can apply for a direct grant. Before December 15, 2025, second-generation-or-later adoptees are likely eligible. On or after that date, a parent who was born abroad needs 1,095 days in Canada before the adoption. |
| A parent became a citizen after the birth | Not automatic. But a person born abroad may be a citizen if a parent became a citizen because of the 2025 changes, even after the birth. |
Counting generations
Canadian citizen
Born in Canada, or granted citizenship through an application (naturalization).
First generation
Born or adopted outside Canada to a citizen who was born in Canada or naturalized.
Second generation or later
Born or adopted outside Canada to a person from the previous generation.
What changed
Before the change, citizenship by descent stopped at the first generation born abroad. Since December 15, 2025, later generations can be citizens, with the 1,095-day test for births and adoptions on or after that date.
The 1,095-day test
For a person born abroad on or after December 15, 2025 in the second generation or later, the Canadian parent (who was also born or adopted outside Canada) must have spent at least 1,095 days in Canada before the birth. That is about three years. IRCC’s briefing material says the days are cumulative, not consecutive, and lists border entry and exit records, school records or transcripts, and proof of residence as examples of evidence. A certificate application must prove the parent’s days in Canada, and the application guide includes a physical presence calculator.
Adoption abroad
A person adopted abroad by a Canadian citizen is not automatically a citizen. After the adoption is complete, the adoptee or the parent can apply for a direct grant of citizenship. The adoption must meet the conditions in section 5.1 of the Act, such as being in the child’s best interests, creating a genuine parent-child relationship, following the laws of the place of the adoption and of the adoptive parent’s country of residence, and not being entered into primarily to gain immigration or citizenship status.
- Adopted before December 15, 2025, born and adopted abroad, second generation or later: likely eligible to apply for a direct grant.
- Adopted on or after December 15, 2025: where the adoptive parent was also born abroad, at least 1,095 days in Canada before the adoption.
Proof, passport and travel
- Apply for a citizenship certificateIRCC advises this if you think the 2025 changes made you a citizen, and even if you became a citizen automatically, because the certificate is your proof. The fee is $75. Adults and children who qualify can apply online (within 60 days of starting); others, for example anyone born in Canada on or before February 14, 1977 or a family with 4 or more children, apply on paper. A person adopted abroad does not apply for a certificate but for the direct grant (see Adoption abroad above).
- Gather proof of every generationFor a child born abroad, IRCC asks for proof of parentage and citizenship for each generation, issued by the original authority, such as a provincial or territorial birth certificate or a citizenship certificate. If a record is missing, IRCC may accept other original records (for example a hospital or midwife record) with a written explanation of your efforts to get the official one. Third-party records alone are not enough. Documents not in English or French need a translation with the translator’s sworn affidavit; family members cannot translate.
- Apply for a Canadian passportIf you are a citizen, use the certificate to apply for a passport.
- Prepare before travelling to CanadaGet your proof of citizenship and passport first, and read IRCC’s guidance for dual citizens entering Canada, to avoid delays at the border.
If you do not want to be a citizen
If the 2025 changes made you a citizen automatically and you do not want to be one, you can apply to renounce your Canadian citizenship. IRCC’s briefing material says the renunciation process is simplified for these people.
What this checker cannot decide
- It does not know your documents. A parent’s birth certificate or citizenship certificate decides the generation count.
- It does not model renunciation, revocation, older law before 1977, diplomats, unknown parents or a Canadian grandparent.
- A parent’s death before December 15, 2025 does not stop the child from being recognized as a citizen, according to IRCC’s briefing material, but proof is still needed.
- Citizens by descent under Bill C-3 are not required to pass security checks or show language ability or knowledge of Canada, according to the same briefing material. The application for proof still needs complete documents.
Frequently asked questions
I was born abroad in 2019. My Canadian parent was also born abroad. Am I a citizen?
In most cases yes. A person born outside Canada to a Canadian parent before December 15, 2025 is automatically a citizen, including the second generation and later. Apply for a certificate to get proof.
Our child will be born abroad in 2027. I was born abroad to a Canadian parent. What do we need?
A birth after December 15, 2025 to a parent who was born abroad needs that parent to have spent at least 1,095 days in Canada before the birth. If the other parent was born in Canada or naturalized, the test is not a barrier.
Do the 1,095 days have to be consecutive?
No. IRCC’s briefing material says they are counted cumulatively. You must be able to show them with records.
Does marrying a Canadian, or years as a permanent resident, make me a citizen?
No. IRCC lists marriage to a citizen, an accepted refugee claim and living in Canada for many years as a permanent resident as situations that do not make you a citizen automatically. You may be eligible to apply for citizenship through the normal route.
Official sources
- IRCC: Change to citizenship rules in 2025
- IRCC: Citizenship certificate for people born or adopted abroad (first generation and later)
- IRCC: Check if you may already be a citizen
- IRCC: Who can apply for proof of citizenship
- IRCC: Apply for proof of citizenship
- IRCC briefing material: Bill C-3 (committee, October 2, 2025)
- Justice Laws: Citizenship Act, section 3
- Justice Laws: Citizenship Act, section 5.1