Applying for citizenship
Canadian citizenship ceremony: the oath and the final step
Enter the day your invitation arrives: the timeline shows the earliest ceremony date and what follows, up to the passport. Below it, count who takes the oath in your family.
It comes at least one week before the ceremony.
End of the pathset by IRCC, no delay estimated
1. Past · milestone
Ceremony invitation
Oct 19, 2026
It gives the date, the format (in person or virtual) and what to bring. A new date must be requested within 30 days of the ceremony.
IRCC: when your ceremony is2. In progress · 7 days
Ceremony and oath, at the earliest
Oct 26, 2026
At least 1 week after the invitation. Oath from age 14, form signed the same day.
IRCC: what to expect at the ceremony3. Ahead · milestone
PR card handed in
Oct 26, 2026
The card is destroyed or collected at the ceremony (you cut it yourself at a virtual one).
IRCC: what to bring to the ceremony4. Ahead · date set by IRCC
Citizenship certificate
date set by IRCC
Electronic or paper: it proves citizenship but is not a travel document.
IRCC: citizenship certificate5. Ahead · milestone
Passport application possible
date set by IRCC
Only once you have the certificate.
IRCC: the citizenship ceremony
The citizenship ceremony is the final step of a grant: you take the oath of citizenship there and sign the oath form the same day. IRCC sends the invitation at least 1 week before the date. Ceremonies are held either by video conference or in person, and switching from one to the other counts as rescheduling. Adults aged 18 or over take the oath, and so do teenagers aged 14 to 17; children under 14 do not, but they are welcome to attend. A request to reschedule must reach IRCC within 30 days of the ceremony date; the first request is generally approved and leads to a final invitation. Missing a ceremony once leads to an automatic final invitation; missing it a second time closes the application as abandoned, adults get the right of citizenship fee of $123 refunded, and a new application is needed. Bring the invitation, your permanent resident card (even expired) or confirmation of permanent residence, two pieces of identification and the signed release and consent form. The card is destroyed or collected during the ceremony.
Who takes the oath at the ceremony?
People taking the oath
3
| Pieces of ID to bring | 8 |
| Children attending without the oath | 1 |
| Time to ask for a new date | within 30 days of the ceremony |
Two pieces each; for adults, at least one with photo and signature.
Questions, counts and fees by Radif Partners · Editorial policy · How questions and dates are built
From the invitation to the ceremony
After the test, any interview and the final checks, IRCC invites you to a ceremony at least 1 week in advance. The invitation states the format, virtual or in person, the date and time, and what to bring. Read it on the day it arrives: if the date does not work, you must ask for a new one within 30 days of the ceremony date. The first rescheduling request is generally approved and produces a final invitation. Asking to switch from virtual to in person, or the reverse, is treated the same way as a rescheduling request.
What to bring
| Item | Who | Note |
|---|---|---|
| The invitation | everyone | |
| Permanent resident card, or confirmation of permanent residence | everyone becoming a citizen | the card even if expired; record of landing if PR before June 28, 2002 |
| Two pieces of identification | adults | at least one with photo and signature |
| Two pieces of identification | minors | |
| Signed release and consent form | as the invitation asks | |
| Scissors, seat number, device with camera | virtual ceremony | Chrome, Edge or Firefox |
The family calculator under the summary counts the pieces of identification for a family and separates the people who take the oath from the children who attend without it. The confirmation of permanent residence can be form IMM 5292 or IMM 5688; the record of landing is form IMM 1000.
The oath
The oath is short. In the version shown by IRCC, you swear or affirm faithful allegiance to His Majesty King Charles the Third, King of Canada, his heirs and successors; you promise to observe the laws of Canada faithfully, including the Constitution, which recognizes and affirms the Aboriginal and treaty rights of First Nations, Inuit and Métis peoples; and you promise to fulfil your duties as a Canadian citizen. You say it aloud with the other candidates, then sign the oath form the same day. The Citizenship Act keeps its own text in a Schedule, which still names Queen Elizabeth the Second in the consolidation current to September 30, 2026.
Who takes it
Adults aged 18 or over take the oath, and so do minors aged 14 to 17. Teenagers in that age group can request a waiver of the oath; it is the only waiver they can ask for. Children under 14 do not take it and are welcome to attend with their family. Adults inside the test age band can request waivers too, as explained on the age exemptions page, but the oath is otherwise part of every grant.
If you miss it
A first missed ceremony is not the end: IRCC reschedules automatically and sends a final invitation. A second miss closes the application as abandoned. Adults then receive a refund of the right of citizenship fee, $123, the only refund IRCC describes, and becoming a citizen means applying again from the start. The fee page sets out what that costs. The detail is on IRCC’s page about the ceremony date.
After the ceremony
Your permanent resident card is destroyed or collected during the ceremony, since you no longer need it. You leave with your citizenship certificate, electronic or on paper, and only with that certificate can you apply for a Canadian passport. IRCC’s pages do not state the exact legal moment at which you become a citizen, so we do not claim one. The certificate page explains replacements and corrections. Practical details about the day are on IRCC’s page on what to expect.