Certificate or passport: which comes first?

People often say they want "a Canadian passport" when what they need first is a different document. If you are a citizen by descent, the order is fixed: certificate, then passport.

Two documents, two jobs

A citizenship certificate is proof that you are a Canadian citizen. It is not a travel document. Its job is to settle the question of your status once.

A passport is a travel document. It is issued to people who have already shown they are citizens.

Why the certificate comes first

To get a passport, you have to prove citizenship. People born in Canada do that with a provincial or territorial birth certificate. People born outside Canada can't, so they use a citizenship certificate.

That makes the certificate application the real test of a claim by descent. It is where your family line is examined. Once the certificate exists, the passport application is routine.

Applying for the certificate

• Who decides: Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada.
• What it rests on: records showing each link between you and your Canadian ancestor.
• The government fee: $75 at the time of writing.
• How long: it varies. The government publishes current processing times.

You can apply on your own. The forms and guides are free on the government's website.

Applying for the passport

With the certificate in hand, you apply to the passport program like any other citizen: an application form, photos that meet the specifications, proof of identity, and the fee. The government lists current passport fees.

Do you need the passport at all?

Your citizenship doesn't depend on holding one. But a passport is the practical way to use it. It is the document airlines and border officers expect from a Canadian, and it is what you will be asked for when you travel.

If you live in Canada, the certificate on its own already changes your position: it is what shows an employer, a school or a provincial office that you are a citizen.