Under the Citizenship Act, a person born in Canada is generally a Canadian citizen at birth, subject to limited exceptions.

This includes the following locations:

• Canadian soil
• The internal waters of Canada and the territorial sea of Canada
• Canadian airspace
• A Canadian vessel or aircraft

This will be regardless of the citizenship or residency status of the biological or legal parents. Because of this, it is entirely possible for non-Canadian foreign nationals to travel to Canada and give birth in order to confer Canadian citizenship to their child.

However, although the child would technically have right of residence in Canada in this instance, the parents will still have to adhere to the specific immigration permission that they’ve been granted by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC). This is because having a Canadian-born child will not confer any special residence or immigration permissions to the parents.

Parents visiting Canada temporarily must leave when their authorised stay ends unless they obtain an extension or another status allowing them to remain.

After a child is born in Canada, they would be granted the same full rights and privileges as any other Canadian child citizen.

These include the following:

• The right to carry a Canadian passport
• The ability to freely travel to and from Canada without being subject to immigration control or restrictions
• The right to vote (upon reaching 18)
• The right to take up certain jobs that require high security clearance (upon reaching the appropriate age)
• The ability to spend as much time outside of Canada without losing any of the above rights and freedoms

It is likely that the Canadian-born child will return to their parents’ home country after being born, particularly if the parents were only in Canada on limited immigration permission.

Because of this, the child would normally be able to reap the benefits of dual citizenship, with the option to return to Canada in later life to live, work and study there if they wish.

A Canadian-born parent can generally pass Canadian citizenship to a child born abroad, subject to the rules governing citizenship by descent.

The Canadian ‘jus soli’ principle only has a few exceptions.

A child born in Canada will not be conferred citizenship if neither parent was a citizen or lawfully admitted to Canada for permanent residence, and either parent was any of the following:

• A diplomat or a consular officer of a foreign government (or an employee in the service of these persons)
• An employee or another representative of a foreign government (or an employee in the service of these persons)
• An officer or an employee of a specialized agency of the United Nations
• An officer or an employee of any other international organization with diplomatic privileges and immunities

If any of these situations apply, a child born in Canada will likely only obtain the citizenship of either or both parents.

Proving Canadian Citizenship After Birth

In most cases, you can use a birth certificate issued by a Canadian province or territory as proof of Canadian citizenship. You can also apply for a citizenship certificate if you want one.

You cannot use your Canadian birth certificate as proof of citizenship if both of the following were true when you were born:

• Neither of your parents was a Canadian citizen or permanent resident of Canada.
• At least one parent worked in Canada for a foreign government or international organisation and held diplomatic privileges and immunities.

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) also does not accept DND 419 birth certificates as proof of citizenship. The Department of National Defence issued these certificates to children born outside Canada to Canadian Armed Forces personnel before November 1979. If either exception applies and you are a Canadian citizen, you can apply for a citizenship certificate as proof.

If you were born abroad to a Canadian parent, you can apply for an official Canadian citizenship certificate to confirm your status. For children born abroad on or after December 15, 2025, a Canadian parent who was also born abroad generally needs to show that they spent at least 1,095 days in Canada before the child was born to pass on citizenship. A parent can apply for a citizenship certificate on the child’s behalf.

You can apply online through IRCC if eligible, or by completing and mailing a paper application. The fee is $CAN 75.

Along with your application, you must provide documents supporting your claim to Canadian citizenship. These may include a long-form birth certificate showing the parent-child relationship, proof of your parent’s Canadian citizenship, and a marriage or adoption record if applicable. Include translations that meet IRCC’s requirements for any documents that are not in English or French.

You can use a citizenship certificate as proof of citizenship when applying for a Canadian passport, a Social Insurance Number (SIN), or government benefits. A citizenship certificate cannot be used as ID, and neither a birth certificate nor a citizenship certificate can be used as a travel document. For travel to and from Canada, you need a valid passport or other accepted travel document.

Getting a Passport for Your Canadian-born Child

You can apply for a Canadian passport for your child through the Passport Program. To apply for a child’s passport, you must be:

• One of the child’s parents.
• The parent with custody and decision-making responsibilities for the child (if you’re separated or divorced).
• The child’s legal guardian.

You must complete and sign the child passport application form (PPTC 155). Both parents or legal guardians must sign section 2 of the application. You will also need a guarantor to sign one of the child’s photos. The guarantor must be an adult Canadian citizen who has known you for at least 2 years and knows the child.

You can submit the application by mail or in person at a passport office, a Service Canada Centre, or at the nearest Government of Canada office if you’re applying abroad. You’ll need to submit the following documents along with the application:

• Proof of the child’s Canadian citizenship.
• Proof of parentage or legal guardianship.
• 2 identical passport-sized photos of the child.
• The child’s previous Canadian passport or travel document (if applicable).
• All legal documents containing any valid clauses related to custody, parental responsibilities, and mobility.

A child’s passport costs $58.50 when applying within Canada and $102.50 when applying outside of Canada. It is valid for up to 5 years and remains valid until it expires, even if the child turns 16.

What Status Do the Child’s Parents Have?

You do not automatically receive Canadian residency rights, work authorization, permanent residency, or citizenship just because your child is a Canadian citizen.

Children born in Canada automatically receive Canadian citizenship regardless of whether their parents were visitors, foreign students, or out of status. The child’s citizenship does not change the parents’ legal status or permits. They’re separate legal matters.

A Canadian citizen child can only sponsor their parents for Canadian permanent residency after they become adults (at least 18 years old). Even then, the child must reside in Canada and meet strict financial requirements to be able to sponsor their parents.

Non-resident parents of Canadian children can pursue Canadian residency on their own merit by applying for one of Canada’s immigration pathways, provided they meet the eligibility criteria. Alternatively, they can wait until the child reaches adulthood and can sponsor them for permanent residency or a Super Visa.