Birth Registration - Consular Affairs

If you were born in Canada, you are probably a Canadian citizen. If you were born outside Canada to a Canadian parent, you may also be a Canadian citizen; however, your registration and Canadian citizenship is not automatic in this case. You must apply for Canadian citizenship.

Child Born Outside Canada to a Canadian Parent

A child born outside Canada, one or both of whose parents have Canadian citizenship, is a Canadian citizen. Citizenship and Immigration Canada provides an on-line Application for Citizenship Certificate. Information on the procedures to be followed can be obtained from the nearest Canadian government office abroad. For authoritative information on Canadian citizenship, consult Citizenship and Immigration Canada.

Persons born outside Canada to a Canadian parent may be entitled to Canadian citizenship. The transitional provisions of the Citizenship Act which allow a person born outside Canada to a Canadian parent between January 1st, 1947 and February 14th, 1977 access to Canadian citizenship if eligible. These provisions will expire on August 14th, 2004. Applications under these provisions will no longer be accepted after that date.

Canadians born outside Canada to a Canadian parent may be subject to loss of citizenship after February 14th, 2005, if certain conditions are not met. Canadians born outside Canada after February 14th, 1977 who are part of the second or a subsequent generation born abroad (i.e. born outside Canada to a Canadian parent who was also born outside Canada to a Canadian parent) can lose their Canadian citizenship at age 28 if they do not take the necessary steps before turning 28 years of age to retain it. Further information is available on the Citizenship and Immigration Canada Web site.

See Canadian Citizenship and Dual Nationality for additional details.

Application for Citizenship Certificates

Any Canadian can apply for a citizenship certificate. New Canadians get a certificate when they are granted citizenship. For information and application forms, consult the Citizenship Certificate section of the Citizenship and Immigration Canada site.

Provincial Vital Statistics Offices

To obtain a copy of a birth certificate, contact the Vital Statistics Office of the province in which you were born. There is no central registry for births in Canada.

Alberta
Registration Services Alberta Registries
3rd floor, 10365 - 97 Street
Edmonton, AB T5K 2P2
Tel: (780) 427-7013
Fax: (780) 423-2567
http://www3.gov.ab.ca/gs/information/vs/birth_info.cfm

British Columbia
Division of Vital Statistics Ministry of Health
818 Fort Street P.O. Box 9657,
Station Provincial Government Victoria, BC V8W 9P3
Toll Free: 1 800 663-8328 (BC only)
Tel: (250) 952-2681
Fax: (250) 952-2527
http://www.vs.gov.bc.ca/

Manitoba
Vital Statistics Agency
Consumer and Corporate Affairs
254 Portage Avenue
Main Floor
Winnipeg, MB R3C 0B6
Tel: (204) 945-3701
Fax: (204) 948-3128
http://web2.gov.mb.ca/cca/vital/

New Brunswick
Department of Health and Community Services
Centennial Building
670 King Street P. O. Box 6000
Fredericton, NB E3B 5H1
Tel: (506) 453-7411
Fax: (506) 444-4139
http://www.gnb.ca/0051/0379/index-e.asp

Newfoundland and Labrador
Vital Statistics Division
Government Services and Land
5 Mews Place, P. O. Box 8700
St. John's, NF A1B 4J6
Tel: (709) 729-3308
Fax: (709) 729-0946
http://www.gov.nf.ca/gsl/gs/vs/

Northwest Territories
Department of Health and Social Services
Government of Northwest Territories
Bag #9
Inuvik, NT X0E 0T0
Tel: (867) 777-7420
Fax: (867) 777-3197
http://www.hlthss.gov.nt.ca/Features/Programs_and_Services/progandserv.htm

Nova Scotia
Registrar General Division of Vital Statistics
1690 Hollis Street P. O. Box 157
Halifax, NS B3J 2M9
Tel: (902) 424-4381
Fax: (902) 424-0678
http://www.gov.ns.ca/snsmr/vstat/

Nunavut
Nunavut Health & Social Services
Bag #3
Rankin Inlet, Nunavut X0C 0G0
Tel: (867) 645-8001
Fax: (867) 645-8092
Toll Free :1 888 252-9869

Ontario
Office of the Registrar General
Ministry of Consumer & Business Services
189 Red River Road, 3rd Floor
Thunder Bay, ON P7B 6L8
Tel: 1 800 461-2156 (Ontario Residents Only)
Tel: (416) 325-8305
Fax: (807) 343-7459
http://www.cbs.gov.on.ca/mcbs/english/general_info.htm

Prince Edward Island
Vital Statistics
Department of Health and Social Services
35 Douses Road P. O. Box 3000
Montague, PEI C0A 1R0
Tel: (902) 838-0880
Fax: (902) 838-0883
http://www.gov.pe.ca/infopei/Government/GovInfo/Health/Birth,_Death_and_
Marriage_Certificates/

Quebec
Le Directeur de l'état civil
Ministère des Relations avec les citoyens et de l'Immigration
2535 boul. Laurier
Sainte-Foy (Québec) G1V 5C5
Tel: (418) 643-3900
Fax: (418) 646-3255
http://www.etatcivil.gouv.qc.ca/English/index.htm
etatcivil@dec.gouv.qc.ca

Saskatchewan
Vital Statistics
1942 Hamilton Street
Regina, SK S4P 3V7
Tel: (306) 787-3092
Fax: (306) 787-2288
http://www.health.gov.sk.ca/ps_vital_statistics.html

Yukon
Department of Health and Human Resources
Government of Yukon P. O. Box 2703
Whitehorse, YT Y1A 2C6
Tel: (867) 667-5207
Fax: (867) 393-6486
http://www.hss.gov.yk.ca/prog/vs/index.html