- 1Count your days1,095 days in 5 years
- 2Apply and payOnline account, sign and submit
- 3Get your AORProcessing starts
- 4Test or interviewTest for ages 18 to 54
- 5Take the oathVirtual or in-person ceremony
- 6Get your certificateThen apply for a passport
Overview
A grant of citizenship (also called naturalization) is how a permanent resident (PR) becomes a Canadian citizen. The rules are in section 5 of the Citizenship Act. Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) decides the application, and for most adults the process ends when you take the oath of citizenship at a ceremony.
- Physical presence in the 5 years before you sign
- 1,095 days
- Maximum credit for time before PR
- 365 days
- Speaking and listening, ages 18 to 54
- CLB 4
- To mail a paper application after signing
- 90 days
The date that matters is the day you sign
Your 5-year eligibility period counts back from the date you sign your application. That date must match the application date in your physical presence calculation. If IRCC returns your application as incomplete, you recalculate and sign again, so your 5-year window moves. IRCC encourages you to apply with more than 1,095 days in case there is a problem with your count.
Who it fits
A good fit if
- You are a permanent resident with no removal order and no unfulfilled conditions on your PR status, such as medical screening.
- You have at least 1,095 days of physical presence in the 5 years before you sign, including at least 730 days as a PR.
- You filed any tax returns you were required to file for 3 taxation years in that period.
- You are 55 or older, or you can prove CLB or NCLC 4 in speaking and listening.
- You are not in prison, on parole or probation, charged with an offence, or convicted of an indictable offence in the last 4 years.
Look elsewhere if
- You were born outside Canada to a Canadian parent. You may already be a citizen and need a citizenship certificate instead. Proof of citizenship
- You are not yet a permanent resident. Citizenship comes after PR, for example through family sponsorship. Family Sponsorship
- You are close to losing PR status because of time abroad. Check your PR residency obligation first. PR card renewal
- Your count is only just above 1,095 days, or your travel records are incomplete. Waiting to build a margin is safer.
Eligibility
IRCC asks you to make sure you still meet the eligibility requirements on the day before you sign your application. The test and the oath come later in the process.
- Permanent resident statusYou must still have PR status. You can apply with a valid or expired PR card. If your status is under review for immigration or fraud reasons, you can apply, but IRCC may suspend your application until the review ends.
- Physical presenceAt least 1,095 days in Canada in the 5 years before you sign, counted as explained in the next section.
- Income tax filingYou must have met any requirement under the Income Tax Act to file a return for 3 taxation years that fall fully or partly within those 5 years. In the application, you say whether you had to file and whether you did.
- Language (ages 18 to 54)Adequate knowledge of English or French, equal to CLB 4 or NCLC 4 in speaking and listening, shown with accepted proof.
- Knowledge test (ages 18 to 54)Pass the citizenship test on the rights and responsibilities of citizens and Canada's history, geography, economy, government, laws and symbols.
- OathTake the oath of citizenship at a ceremony after IRCC approves your application.
- No prohibitionYou must not be under any prohibition in section 22 of the Citizenship Act (see below).
| Adult 18–54 | Adult 55 or older | Minor 5(1)No Canadian parent applying | Minor 5(2)Canadian parent or parent applying | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1,095 days of physical presence | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
| Tax filing, if required | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
| Language proof | Yes | No | No | No |
| Citizenship test | Yes | No | No | No |
| Oath of citizenship | Yes | Yes | Ages 14 to 17 | Ages 14 to 17 |
Prohibitions (section 22 of the Citizenship Act) include being in prison, on parole or on probation, or serving a sentence abroad; being charged with, on trial for or appealing an indictable offence; being under a removal order; an indictable conviction, or foreign equivalent, in the 4 years before you apply (foreign ones even if pardoned); a refusal for misrepresentation in the past 5 years; and revocation for fraud in the past 10 years. War crimes, terrorism, treason and spying offences are also prohibitions.
If a prohibition applies, wait until it no longer applies before you apply. If one arises during processing, such as a new charge, tell IRCC as soon as possible.
How to count your days
| Type of day | Credit |
|---|---|
| In Canada as a permanent resident | 1 day |
| In Canada before PR as a visitor, student, worker or temporary resident permit holder | Half a day, up to 365 days in total (730 calendar days) |
| In Canada as a protected person, from the approval of your refugee claim or pre-removal risk assessment (PRRA) until the day before you became a PR | Half a day, within the same 365-day maximum |
| Waiting for a decision on a refugee claim | No credit |
| In prison, on parole or on probation | No credit |
| Outside Canada as a Crown servant (Canadian Armed Forces, federal public administration or provincial or territorial public service, not locally engaged), or as their spouse, common-law partner or child | 1 day, but you must apply on paper |
Worked example: in the 5 years before you sign, you spent 800 days in Canada as a worker, then 750 days as a PR. The 800 days give 400 half days, capped at 365. Your total is 365 plus 750, or 1,115 days: eligible, with a 20-day margin and more than 730 days as a PR.
Free toolCitizenship residency calculatorEnter your PR date and trips abroad to see your total days, including the half-day credit for time before PR.OpenOnline applicants must complete the physical presence calculator inside their IRCC online account. Paper applicants include a printout from IRCC's online calculator or form CIT 0407. IRCC's travel journal is optional and helps you record trips; you do not send it in.
Count every absence, even short trips, and check your dates against your passports and travel records. Under section 23.1 of the Citizenship Act, IRCC can ask for more information or evidence, or ask you to appear, if your count needs to be checked.
Language proof
If you are 18 to 54 on the day you sign, you must show you can take part in short everyday conversations, understand simple instructions and directions, and use basic grammar. This equals CLB 4 in English or Niveaux de compétence linguistique canadiens (NCLC) 4 in French, in speaking and listening only.
| Test | Minimum result |
|---|---|
| CELPIP General (tested on or after April 1, 2014) | 4 in listening and speaking |
| IELTS General Training (tested on or after November 28, 2008) | Listening 4.5, speaking 4.0 |
| Pearson Test of English (PTE Core) | Listening 28, speaking 42 |
| TEF Canada (tested on or after July 1, 2012) | B1 in listening and speaking |
| TCF Canada | B1 or higher |
Results can be expired if the scores are high enough. IELTS Academic is not accepted. Other proof can include a diploma, transcript or certificate from a secondary or post-secondary program taken in English or French (in or outside Canada), Language Instruction for Newcomers to Canada (LINC) or Cours de langue pour les immigrants au Canada (CLIC) results at CLB 4, and some provincial language programs. IRCC returns the whole application if the proof is missing, unreadable, or not in English or French without a certified translation. Officials also note how well you communicate whenever you speak with them during the process.
Free toolLanguage score converterTurn IELTS, CELPIP, PTE Core, TEF or TCF results into CLB/NCLC levels and see which programs they meet.OpenStep by step
- 1
Choose online or paper
Most people can apply online. You must apply on paper if you count time abroad as a Crown servant or a Crown servant's family member, or if you want your representative to fill out and submit the application for you. Online, you sign and submit it yourself, even with a representative.
- 2
Apply alone or as a group
Each adult has their own linked online account and signs their own application. A parent or legal guardian can add up to 20 minors to one account; minors 14 to 17 also sign. One adult submits for the whole group.
- 3
Pay the fees
Pay online and upload or include the receipt. An unpaid or partly paid application is returned.
- 4
Sign and submit
Date the application on the day you sign it and make sure it matches the application date in your calculation. A paper application received more than 90 days after the signing date is returned.
- 5
Wait for the acknowledgement of receipt (AOR)
The online confirmation email is not the AOR. IRCC first checks that the application is complete; incomplete applications are returned without processing the fee. The AOR gives your application number and unique client identifier (UCI), and you can then track your status online.
- 6
Keep IRCC informed
Answer requests by the deadline, usually 30 days. Tell IRCC if you move, change your contact details, plan to leave Canada for more than 2 weeks in a row, or are charged with a crime. If asked for fingerprints, use a police service, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) or an RCMP-accredited company, not a Service Canada Centre.
- 7
Take the test and attend any interview
Applicants 18 to 54 get a test invitation, usually 1 to 3 months after the AOR. IRCC may interview you to verify identity, documents and eligibility, and its Quality Assurance Program selects some files at random for a detailed review.
- 8
Attend the ceremony
After approval, IRCC sends an invitation at least 1 week before the ceremony. You take the oath and become a citizen.
You can leave Canada after IRCC receives your application if you keep your PR status, can receive and answer IRCC's letters and emails on time (usually within 30 days), and are available for your test, interview and ceremony. IRCC's after-you-apply page says to be available in person in Canada for these, while its online test page says you do not need to be in Canada to take the online test. If you travel, plan to be able to return if IRCC asks you to attend in person. Days abroad after you sign do not change your eligibility period.
The ceremony and the oath
| Virtual ceremony | In-person ceremony | |
|---|---|---|
| Where | By videoconference, using the link in your invitation | At an IRCC office or a public venue such as a community centre |
| Devices | Laptop, desktop, tablet or phone with camera, audio and a reliable connection | Not needed |
| PR card | You cut it with scissors during registration | Collected at registration |
| Oath form | Sign it on the day of the oath and return it as your invitation explains | Signed at the ceremony |
| Paper certificate | Mailed 2 to 4 weeks after IRCC receives your signed form | Given at the ceremony |
Bring your invitation, your PR card (even if expired) or Confirmation of Permanent Residence, and 2 pieces of identification, at least one with your photo and signature. At registration, an official verifies your identity and asks questions to confirm that no prohibition applies to you.
You can swear the oath (with a religious reference) or affirm it (without one). You promise allegiance to the King of Canada, to observe Canada's laws, including the Constitution, which recognizes and affirms the Aboriginal and treaty rights of First Nations, Inuit and Métis peoples, and to fulfil your duties as a citizen.
Rescheduling: ask within 30 days after the ceremony date in your invitation, for example if you are sick, travelling or want the other format. You can change the format only once, and you get a new date. If you miss a first ceremony, IRCC sends a final invitation. Missing the final one without a reasonable explanation leads to abandonment; adults get the right of citizenship fee back and must reapply.
Costs and processing times
| Applicant | Fee | What it includes |
|---|---|---|
| Adult (18 and over) | $653 | $530 processing fee and $123 right of citizenship fee |
| Minor (under 18) | $100 | Processing fee only |
| Stateless adult born to a Canadian parent | $123 | Right of citizenship fee |
Refunds: if IRCC does not approve an adult application, it refunds the $123 right of citizenship fee. If you withdraw, or IRCC closes your file, you get everything back before processing starts (before the AOR); after that, adults get back $123 and minors get nothing. Overpayments are refunded automatically.
Other costs can include a language test, certified translations and fingerprints. IRCC processes applications urgently only in exceptional cases, for example if you need citizenship for a job, must travel because of a death or serious illness in the family and cannot get a passport from your current country, or won a Federal Court decision on a previous application. Even then, it may not finish in time.
The processing time below is IRCC's live figure for a citizenship grant. IRCC says non-routine applications can take longer.
Common refusal reasons
| Reason | What it means | Rule |
|---|---|---|
| Not enough physical presence | Under 1,095 days on the signing date, often because time before PR was counted in full or past the 365-day cap, or probation time was counted. | Citizenship Act, s. 5(1)(c)(i) and 5(1.001) |
| Trips that do not match records | Absences that do not match your records can lead IRCC to ask for more evidence or an appearance. Not responding without a reasonable excuse can lead to abandonment. | s. 23.1 and 13.2 |
| Tax filing not met | A required return was not filed for 3 taxation years in the period. | s. 5(1)(c)(iii) |
| Language proof problems | Missing, unreadable or untranslated proof, or IELTS Academic, leads to a returned application. An official can also find your skills below CLB 4. | s. 5(1)(d) |
| Failing the test and the hearing | After 3 failed test attempts, a hearing is held. Failing it means refusal. | s. 5(1)(e) |
| Prohibitions | A charge, sentence, probation, parole, removal order or recent indictable conviction, including new charges during processing. | s. 22 |
| Misrepresentation | Misrepresenting or withholding material facts brings a 5-year bar and can later lead to revocation. | s. 22(1)(e.1) |
| Losing eligibility before the oath | For example, losing PR status, or missing the final ceremony without a reasonable explanation. | s. 22 and 13.2 |
After a refusal, you can ask the Federal Court for leave for judicial review within 30 days of learning of the decision. This requires a lawyer. In many cases it is simpler to reapply, with new fees, once you clearly meet the requirements.
After you become a citizen
- Your certificateChoose an electronic or paper certificate in your application and confirm it at the ceremony. An e-certificate is in the IRCC Portal within 5 business days after IRCC receives your signed oath form. Do not laminate a paper certificate.
- Your passportApply for a Canadian passport after you have your certificate. Your PR card is cut or collected at the ceremony and the certificate is not a travel document, so wait for the passport before you travel.
- Dual citizenshipCanada allows it, but your other country may not. As a dual citizen, you need a valid Canadian passport, or a special authorization, to enter Canada.
- Voting and recordsRegister to vote. Keep your Confirmation of Permanent Residence, since you may need it later for benefits such as Old Age Security. You no longer need to tell IRCC when you move.
Current processing times
- Citizenship grantAbout 12 monthsSource: IRCC, Oct 9, 2026
Estimates published by IRCC, the IRB or ESDC, updated automatically. They are not a promise of how long your application will take.
See all processing timesFrequently asked questions
Look at the 5 years before the date you will sign your application. Each day in Canada as a permanent resident counts as 1 day, and each day in Canada before PR as a visitor, student, worker or protected person counts as half a day, up to 365 days. You need at least 1,095 days in total. Online applicants must use the calculator in their IRCC account.
Yes, in practice. Credit for time before PR is capped at 365 days, so at least 730 of your 1,095 days must be days in Canada as a PR. IRCC states that the eligibility period must include at least 730 days as a permanent resident.
You must have met any requirement under the Income Tax Act to file a return for 3 taxation years that are fully or partly within the 5 years before you apply. If you were not required to file in a year, that year does not count against you. The application asks whether you had to file and whether you did.
Yes. You can apply with a valid or expired PR card, as long as you still have permanent resident status. You will need the card, or your Confirmation of Permanent Residence, at the ceremony.
No. If you apply online, you must create your own account, fill out the application and sign and submit it yourself. A representative can help you answer the questions and deal with IRCC after you submit. If you want your representative to complete and submit it for you, you must apply on paper.
IRCC's fee list shows $653 for an adult ($530 processing fee plus the $123 right of citizenship fee) and $100 for a minor under 18. If an adult application is refused, the $123 right of citizenship fee is refunded. Check the fee list before you pay, because fees change.
IRCC chooses the format in your invitation, but you can ask to change it once, from virtual to in person or the reverse. You will get a new date, not the same one. Send the request by replying to the office that invited you, within 30 days after the ceremony date.
If it is your first missed ceremony, IRCC automatically sends a final invitation. If you miss the final one and do not give a reasonable explanation, IRCC starts to abandon and close your application. Adults get the right of citizenship fee refunded, and you would need to apply again.
Related programs
Official sources
We checked this page against these official sources on the review date above. Rules change often, so confirm with the official source before you apply.
- IRCC: Apply for citizenship, who can apply
- IRCC: Apply for citizenship, how to apply
- IRCC: Apply for citizenship, after you apply
- IRCC: Calculate your physical presence
- IRCC: Language proof for citizenship, test results
- IRCC: Situations that may prevent you from becoming a citizen
- IRCC: Citizenship ceremony, when to go and rescheduling
- IRCC: Citizenship ceremony, what to bring
- IRCC: Citizenship ceremony, what to expect
- IRCC: After the citizenship ceremony
- IRCC: Fee list and fee changes
- Justice Laws: Citizenship Act (R.S.C. 1985, c. C-29)
This page is general information, not legal advice. No immigration outcome can be guaranteed. For advice on your situation, book a consultation with a licensed consultant.
