Dual Citizenship in Canada: Document Requirements & Notarization Guide

Understanding Dual Citizenship in Canada

Canada allows dual citizenship, meaning you can be a citizen of Canada and another country simultaneously. This guide covers the document requirements for:

• Applying for Canadian citizenship while keeping your original nationality
• Maintaining foreign citizenship while becoming Canadian
• Proving citizenship for various legal and travel purposes

One point up front, because it saves money: IRCC's own citizenship applications are built around photocopies, not notarized copies. A notary comes into the picture when a foreign government asks for a certified copy or an apostille, when a translation needs a sworn affidavit, or when a specific checklist or officer asks for a notarized document. Where this guide says "photocopy", that is what the IRCC checklist asks for unless it tells you otherwise.

Who Can Have Dual Citizenship?

Becoming a Dual Citizen

You can become a dual citizen if:

1. You're a Canadian citizen acquiring another country's citizenship
2. You're a foreign citizen becoming Canadian without renouncing your original citizenship
3. You were born with dual citizenship (e.g., Canadian parent abroad, or born in Canada to foreign parents)

Important: While Canada allows dual citizenship, your other country may not. Some countries require you to renounce previous citizenship when naturalizing. Check your home country's laws.

Canadian Citizenship Application Documents

To become a Canadian citizen, you'll need extensive documentation. The application guide and document checklist on canada.ca list the current requirements; the items below are the usual ones.

1. Identity Documents

A certified copy is only needed if the checklist or an officer asks for one.

2. Proof of Permanent Residence

You must prove you've been a PR for sufficient time:

3. Physical Presence Calculation

You need 1,095 days of physical presence in Canada within the 5 years before applying. Documents to prove this include:

• Employment records (pay stubs, T4s, contracts)
• Tax returns (CRA documents)
• School records
• Rental agreements or mortgage statements
• Utility bills
• Bank statements showing Canadian transactions

Tip: Keep detailed records of all your travel. You'll need to account for every day you were outside Canada.

4. Language Proficiency

If you're 18-54, you must prove English or French proficiency:

Accepted proof:

• IELTS General (CLB 4+ in speaking and listening)
• CELPIP General
• TEF Canada
• Canadian high school/post-secondary diploma
• Foreign degree from English/French instruction (may need evaluation)

5. Tax Filing Compliance

You must have filed taxes for at least 3 years within the 5-year period:

• Notice of Assessment (NOA) from CRA
• Tax returns
• Non-filing letters (if you weren't required to file)

Proof of Canadian Citizenship Documents

If you're already a Canadian citizen and need to prove it:

Citizenship Certificate

The primary document proving Canadian citizenship. If you've lost yours, apply for a replacement through IRCC. The proof-of-citizenship application on canada.ca lists what to include — typically photos, identity documents and an explanation of the loss. A notarized document is only needed if the application asks for one.

Birth Certificate + Passport

For citizens born in Canada:

• Birth certificate (a certified copy only if the receiving organisation asks for one)
• Valid Canadian passport

Certificate of Citizenship for Children Born Abroad

If your child was born abroad to a Canadian parent:

Renunciation and Retention Documents

Retaining Canadian Citizenship

Canada doesn't require you to do anything special to retain citizenship when acquiring another nationality. Your Canadian citizenship remains valid unless you formally renounce it.

Renouncing Canadian Citizenship

If you choose to renounce (for countries requiring single citizenship):

IRCC's guide lists the current requirements; a notary is only involved if it asks for a notarized document.

Resuming Canadian Citizenship

If you previously renounced and want to resume:

Foreign Citizenship Requirements

When applying for citizenship in another country while maintaining Canadian status, you'll typically need:

Common Documents for Foreign Naturalization

Authentication for Foreign Use

Documents used abroad often need:

1. Notarization — we certify the copy or witness the signature
2. Apostille — if the destination is a Hague Apostille Convention country, the notarized document goes to Ontario's Official Documents Services (ODS) for an apostille ($16 per notarized document). Canada joined the Convention on January 11, 2024, and the apostille replaces the old authentication-and-legalization chain
3. Authentication, then embassy legalization — if the destination is not a Convention member, ODS issues an authentication certificate instead and the destination country's embassy or consulate legalizes it

Federal documents (an RCMP police certificate, for example) are apostilled or authenticated by Global Affairs Canada rather than ODS. See our guides on Apostille vs Notarization and the apostille process in Ontario for details.

Citizenship by Descent Documents

If you're claiming citizenship based on ancestry:

Canadian Citizenship by Descent

For children born abroad to a Canadian parent:

Note: The rules on who is a citizen by descent have changed. The "first generation born abroad" limit that applied from 2009 was amended by Bill C-3 in 2025, and whether a child or grandchild born abroad is a citizen now depends on the current Citizenship Act rules. Check IRCC's citizenship pages on canada.ca before assuming a child is, or is not, a citizen.

Foreign Citizenship by Descent

Many countries offer citizenship to descendants of their nationals. Common requirements:

Countries offering citizenship by descent include: Ireland, Italy, Poland, Germany, Hungary, Greece, Israel, and many others.

Notarized Documents for Citizenship

A notary is involved only when a checklist asks for it. The usual cases:

Documents That May Need Notarization

• Certified copies of birth certificates, passports, and marriage certificates, when a foreign consulate or a specific checklist asks for them
• Statutory declarations of:
  • Name variations
  • Relationship to ancestors
  • Lost documents
• Affidavits for special circumstances
• Consent forms if applying on behalf of minors, where the form must be signed before a notary

Bring the document prepared and unsigned; the notary commissions the declaration or certifies the copy but does not draft the contents.

Translation Requirements

Documents that are not in English or French must be translated. For IRCC, the translation must be done either by a certified translator, or by any translator plus an affidavit of translation sworn before a commissioner or notary — one or the other, not both. Your package is:

• Original document or copy, as the application directs
• The complete translation
• The translator's certification, or the translator's sworn affidavit

Foreign governments set their own translation rules; check the consulate's checklist.

Common Dual Citizenship Scenarios

Scenario 1: Indian Citizen Becoming Canadian

India doesn't allow dual citizenship, but offers OCI (Overseas Citizen of India) status:

1. Complete Canadian citizenship process
2. Apply for OCI card
3. Surrender Indian passport
4. Keep copies of Indian documents (certified copies if the OCI checklist asks)

Scenario 2: Canadian Seeking Irish Citizenship

Through the Foreign Births Register if you have an Irish grandparent:

1. Gather birth certificates proving lineage
2. Check the current Foreign Births Register checklist for which documents must be certified or notarized, and whether an apostille is required
3. Apply through the Irish embassy

Scenario 3: Child Born Abroad to Canadian Parent

Apply for a Canadian citizenship certificate:

1. Gather parent's Canadian citizenship proof
2. Get child's foreign birth certificate
3. Photocopy the documents as the application directs (certified copies only if asked)
4. Apply through IRCC

Costs to Budget

Canadian Citizenship Fees

IRCC sets the processing fee and the right-of-citizenship fee for adult and minor applications, and the fee for a replacement certificate, and changes them periodically. Confirm the current amounts before you budget: IRCC — pay your fees.

Document Preparation Costs

Note: pricing is per notarial act; the first signer is included, and each additional signer on the same document is charged an additional-signer fee of $24.95.

Processing Times

Note: Times vary significantly and change frequently. Check IRCC for current estimates.

Tips for Dual Citizenship Applications

✓ Start Document Gathering Early

Some documents take months to obtain:

• RCMP police certificates: 3-10 weeks
• Foreign documents: Varies widely
• Birth certificate replacements: 2-8 weeks

✓ Keep Multiple Copies

Keep clear photocopies or scans of everything. Pay for a certified copy only when a checklist or receiving organisation asks for one.

✓ Document Your Travel History

Keep detailed records of:

• All trips outside Canada
• Entry and exit dates
• Countries visited

✓ Maintain Tax Compliance

File Canadian taxes every year, even if you owe nothing.

✓ Understand Both Countries' Laws

Some countries:

• Require military service
• Have different tax obligations
• May not recognize dual citizenship in all contexts

How We Can Help

At Minute Notary, we assist with dual citizenship documentation:

• Certified True Copies — When a foreign authority or checklist asks for one
• Statutory Declarations — For name variations, lost documents, family history
• Affidavits — For special circumstances, including the translator's affidavit
• Notarized Signatures — Where a form must be signed before a notary

We commission and certify; we do not draft the documents or advise on citizenship eligibility. A lawyer or a Regulated Canadian Immigration Consultant (RCIC) can advise on your application.

Ready to Prepare Your Documents?

Whether you're becoming a Canadian citizen or claiming citizenship elsewhere, we're here to help. Book an appointment with Minute Notary today.

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