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Born Outside Canada to a Canadian Parent

Is one of your parents Canadian? Were you born outside Canada? Are you a Canadian who had a child outside Canada?

Find out if you are a Canadian citizen. Learn about what you might have to do to keep your citizenship.

Born Outside Canada after
February 14, 1977

You are a Canadian citizen
You are a Canadian citizen if you were born outside Canada and:

• you were born after February 14, 1977; and
• you had a parent who was Canadian at the time of your birth.

Was your parent also born outside Canada to a Canadian parent?
If your Canadian parent was also born outside Canada to a Canadian parent (your grandparent), you may need to take steps to keep your citizenship. You need to take these steps before you turn 28 years old. If you do not take these steps, you could lose your Canadian citizenship. This is true even if you are living in Canada.

Find out about keeping your Canadian citizenship in the brochure Retention of Citizenship. Use the worksheet to find out if retention applies to you. If you are ready to make an application to retain, go to Application to Register and Retain Canadian Citizenship.

Find out about proving your Canadian citizenship.