Applying for citizenship
Citizenship for minors: how a child becomes Canadian
Enter the child’s age and whether a parent is a citizen or applies at the same time: the fee, the test, the language proof and a possible interview are shown.
What my child’s application involves
Fee
$100
| Citizenship test | no, only for ages 18 to 54 |
| Language proof | no |
| Possible interview | not expected |
A child under 18 who is a permanent resident becomes a Canadian citizen through one of two routes, and the fee is $100 in both, with no right of citizenship fee. The usual route, under section 5(2) of the Citizenship Act, is for a minor whose parent is already a citizen or applies at the same time: the parent or legal guardian files the application (form CIT 0003 with checklist CIT 0008), and IRCC’s eligibility page lists no physical presence or tax condition for it. The second route, under section 5(1), is for a minor with no Canadian or co-applying parent: the person with custody applies, or the minor applies alone by ticking the waiver box, with form CIT 0403 and checklist CIT 0560, and the adult rules on presence apply: 1,095 days in 5 years, 730 of them as a permanent resident. In both routes no minor takes the citizenship test or sends language proof. From age 14, the child signs the application and takes the oath at the ceremony.
Questions, counts and fees by Radif Partners · Editorial policy · How questions and dates are built
Two routes for children
| Section 5(2) | Section 5(1) | |
|---|---|---|
| Situation | a parent is Canadian or applies at the same time | no Canadian or co-applying parent |
| Who files | parent or legal guardian | person with custody, or the minor alone with the waiver box |
| Forms | CIT 0003 and checklist CIT 0008 | CIT 0403 and checklist CIT 0560 |
| Physical presence | none listed | 1,095 days in 5 years, 730 as a PR |
| Taxes | none listed | if a return was required |
| Test and language | no | no |
| Oath | ages 14 to 17 | ages 14 to 17 |
| Fee | $100 | $100 |
Both routes require permanent resident status and the absence of any prohibition. The first matches the usual family situation: the children become citizens in the same round as their parents, on the strength of the parent's application. The second covers children whose parents cannot or do not apply, for example because a parent does not yet meet the days or is not a permanent resident.
Applying as a family
Online, the parents can submit their own applications together, and one parent can attach up to 20 children to the same account. Each person is still a separate file with a separate fee. For two parents and two children, IRCC’s fees come to $1,506: $653 for each adult and $100 for each child. The second calculator on this page adds up any household, and the fee page breaks the adult amount into its two parts.
A child under 18 at the date of signature applies as a minor. Since minors never take the test, what matters for the family's timing is usually the parents' days, which the days calculator works out.
Signatures and the oath from age 14
Teenagers aged 14 to 17 sign their own application, even when a parent files it. At the ceremony they take the oath with the adults; they are the only minors who do, and they may ask to be excused from it, the one waiver open to them. Younger children attend if the family wishes, without taking the oath. Each child brings two pieces of identification and the permanent resident document requested in the invitation. The ceremony page lists the documents in detail.
What a child never has to do
IRCC is explicit: all minors under 18 are exempt from proving language skills and from the citizenship test. A teenager curious about the test can still try our mock test: it is a good way to learn the country’s history with the family, without anything riding on it.
Children born abroad to a Canadian
None of this applies to a child who is already Canadian. A child born outside Canada to a Canadian parent may be a citizen by descent, and the process is then a certificate, not a grant. The page on citizenship by descent explains the rules since Bill C-3, and IRCC’s eligibility page sets out both routes for minors who are permanent residents.