Applying for citizenship
Renounce Canadian citizenship: who can, and at what cost
Enter how many people are renouncing and whether they became citizens automatically: the fee to pay is shown, with what giving up citizenship means for coming back.
What does renouncing cost?
Fees to pay
$100
| Per person | $100 |
| To live in Canada again | you would need a permanent resident visa |
To renounce Canadian citizenship in the general case, under section 9(1) of the Citizenship Act, you must hold the citizenship of another country, or be about to obtain it if your renunciation is approved, and you must not live in Canada. You must be at least 18, not be a threat to Canada’s security or part of ongoing criminal activity, not be prevented by a mental disability from understanding what renouncing means, and not be the subject of revocation proceedings. The fee is $100 in most cases, and it is not refunded once processing has started. The application uses form CIT 0302 with checklist CIT 0402, and urgent processing exists. A second, lighter route serves people who became citizens automatically through the changes to the Act in 2009, 2015 or 2025: under section 7.1 of the Regulations they only need another citizenship and the capacity to understand the decision, with no age or residence condition and no fee, using forms CIT 0496 and CIT 0501. If approved, you receive a renunciation certificate or a confirmation of renunciation. To live in Canada again later, you would need a permanent resident visa.
Questions, counts and fees by Radif Partners · Editorial policy · How questions and dates are built
Two routes, two sets of conditions
| General route, s. 9(1) of the Act | Automatic citizens, s. 7.1 of the Regulations | |
|---|---|---|
| Who | any citizen | people who became citizens automatically in 2009, 2015 or 2025 |
| Other citizenship | held, or obtained on approval | required |
| Living outside Canada | required | no condition |
| Minimum age | 18 | none |
| Other conditions | no security threat, capacity to understand, no revocation proceedings | capacity to understand |
| Forms | CIT 0302 and checklist CIT 0402 | CIT 0496 and CIT 0501 (and CIT 0556) |
| Fee | $100 in most cases | none |
The calculator above follows this split: tick the box if the people renouncing became citizens automatically, and the fee drops to zero. Otherwise it multiplies $100 by the number of people.
Why the other citizenship comes first
Both routes rest on the same starting point: you must have, or be about to have, another nationality. Under the general route, it is enough that you will obtain it if your renunciation is approved, which matters to anyone whose other naturalization depends on giving up Canadian citizenship first. Under the simplified route, you must already hold it. Keep proof of the other citizenship ready for the application.
Who uses the simplified route
Successive changes to the Citizenship Act, in 2009, 2015 and most recently with Bill C-3 in force since December 15, 2025, made some people citizens without any application, often people born abroad to a Canadian parent. Some may never have thought of themselves as Canadian, and some may have obligations in their other country that make dual nationality a problem. For them, IRCC created a route under section 7.1 of the Regulations with only two conditions and no fee. The page on citizenship by descent explains who became a citizen through the 2025 changes, and IRCC’s page on the rules since 2025 gives the background.
Applying
The application is made with the forms listed above and the fee where one applies. IRCC offers urgent processing when there is a reason for it. An officer may interview you. If the application is approved, you receive either a renunciation certificate or a confirmation of renunciation. The fee, when due, is not refunded once processing has started, so the time to reconsider is before you pay. The steps are on IRCC’s page on how to renounce.
What you give up
Renouncing ends the rights of a citizen, including the right to live in Canada. IRCC’s eligibility page is clear on the consequence: to live in Canada again, you would need a permanent resident visa like any other foreign national. If you later regain permanent resident status, a path back exists, as the page on resuming citizenship explains, with 365 days of presence as a permanent resident in 2 years and a fee of $530 for an adult. That is a long way round, so weigh the decision with the full picture of IRCC’s conditions in front of you.