Form CIT 0001 — Application for Citizenship Certificate for Adults and Minors (Proof of Citizenship)

What is CIT 0001 citizenship certificate (proof)?

A citizenship certificate is the document that proves you are a Canadian citizen. Most people born in Canada never need one, because a Canadian birth certificate does that job. If you were born outside Canada to a Canadian parent, though, the certificate is usually the proof you need, for example before applying for a first Canadian passport. CIT 0001 is the paper application for that certificate. It's for adults and for minors, and you also use it to replace a lost, stolen or destroyed certificate, update an existing one, or find out for sure whether you are Canadian.

The form starts with a short check of whether it fits your situation, then asks for the reason for the application and the kind of certificate you want, paper or electronic. Next come your details as they appear on your birth certificate and any changes you want shown. Because citizenship by descent depends on your family, a large part covers your parents and, in some cases, your grandparents: where and when they were born, and how they became Canadian. Further sections apply only if you were born before 1977, before 1950, or on or after December 15, 2025, when new rules for children born outside Canada took effect.

FileIt follows the form's own skip logic, so a question disappears when the answer before it says to skip ahead. It also checks your birth-date answers against the cut-off dates in IRCC's guide. Names with accents print correctly, and the section 9 parent names come straight from section 8. You sign the finished PDF by hand inside the box, in black ink, and send it with your documents. FileIt keeps a copy in your vault and never submits it to IRCC.

Who needs to fill out CIT 0001 citizenship certificate (proof)?

• People born outside Canada to a Canadian parent who have never had a citizenship certificate.
• Canadian parents applying for proof of citizenship for a child born abroad.
• Anyone whose citizenship certificate was lost, stolen or destroyed, or who wants to update it.
• People who think they may be Canadian, for example through a parent or grandparent, and want to know for sure.

When to use CIT 0001 citizenship certificate (proof)

• Before applying for a first Canadian passport, if you were born outside Canada.
• When you need to replace or update your certificate, for example after a legal name change.
• Not for a permanent resident seeking a grant of citizenship, and not for a person adopted abroad, except to replace a certificate they already have.

What you need before you start

• Your birth certificate, and an explanation if it was ever changed or replaced.
• Your old certificate's number and date, if you're replacing one, plus a police report number if it was stolen.
• Each parent's names, date and country of birth, marriage and death dates, and how they became Canadian.
• Your grandparents' details, if a parent was born outside Canada and one of your grandparents was Canadian.
• Dates you lived in Canada or were away before 1977, if they apply to you.
• An email address if you want an electronic certificate.

What’s on CIT 0001 citizenship certificate (proof)

The 2026 edition has 14 pages. FileIt asks for it in 13 parts:

1. Before you startApplicant (or the parent or guardian of a minor)
2. 1 to 4: Language, UCI, reason and certificate typeApplicant (or the parent or guardian of a minor)
3. 5 to 7: About you (or the minor), and your birth certificateApplicant (or the parent or guardian of a minor)
4. 8: Parent 1Applicant (or the parent or guardian of a minor)
5. 8: Parent 2Applicant (or the parent or guardian of a minor)
6. 9: Parent 1's parents (your grandparents)Applicant (or the parent or guardian of a minor)
7. 9: Parent 2's parents (your grandparents)Applicant (or the parent or guardian of a minor)
8. 10 and 11: Time in Canada, and before 1977Applicant (or the parent or guardian of a minor)
9. 12: Born before 1950Applicant (or the parent or guardian of a minor)
10. 13: Born on or after December 15, 2025Applicant (or the parent or guardian of a minor)
11. 14 and 15: Contact information and representativeApplicant (or the parent or guardian of a minor)
12. 16: Declarations and signatureApplicant (or the parent or guardian of a minor)
13. 16: Parent or guardian's signature (applicant under 14)Applicant (or the parent or guardian of a minor)

How to fill out CIT 0001 citizenship certificate (proof), step by step

1 Before you start, and sections 1 to 4

Confirm the form fits your situation, choose English or French, enter your UCI or 'NA', and say whether you're replacing a certificate. If so, give its number, date and names, and the reason. Then choose a paper or electronic certificate.

2 Sections 5 to 7: About you

Give your name, date and place of birth and gender as on your birth certificate, with your height, eye colour and other names. Section 6 is for asking for a different name, date of birth or gender on the certificate, with the documents the guide lists. Section 7 asks whether your birth certificate was changed or replaced.

3 Section 8: Your parents

For each parent, give their names, birth, marriage and death details, whether they're your biological, adoptive or legal parent at birth, and their citizenship status. Then say how they became Canadian, whether they lived abroad before 1977, and how they relate to the pre-1947 British subject rules. The form asks for 'unknown' or 'NA' rather than a blank.

4 Section 9: Your grandparents

Needed only if a parent was born outside Canada and one of that parent's parents was Canadian or a Crown servant. Then you give each grandparent's names, birth details, certificate numbers and how they became Canadian.

5 Sections 10 to 13: Your history

Say whether and since when you've lived in Canada. If you were born before February 15, 1977, list long absences and other citizenships before 1977. If you were born before April 1, 1949, answer the 1947 questions. If you were born on or after December 15, 2025, answer the questions on parents born or granted citizenship in Canada, Crown service abroad and the parent's 1,095 days in Canada.

6 Sections 14 to 16: Contact, help and signatures

Give contact details and addresses, say who helped you or whether you're naming a representative, tick the six declarations, and sign with the city and date. A parent or guardian signs too when the applicant is under 14.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Using CIT 0001 when you're a permanent resident applying for citizenship. That needs a grant application.
• Leaving questions about parents or grandparents blank. The form asks for 'unknown' or 'NA' instead.
• Giving the certificate number instead of the registration number from a parent's Canadian birth certificate.
• Choosing an electronic certificate without an email address.
• Keeping an old electronic certificate after applying to replace it. The form asks you to delete every copy.

After you fill it out

Print the PDF, check each page, and sign inside the box in black ink. A parent or guardian signs too for a child under 14.

Include the documents and photos the instruction guide lists, plus CIT 0555 if a Canadian parent's days in Canada matter for a child born on or after December 15, 2025.

Keep a copy of the full application in your FileIt vault, and send several family applications together in one envelope, as the form asks.

CIT 0001 citizenship certificate (proof): frequently asked questions

Official sources

• Blank form (PDF), published by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC): https://www.canada.ca/content/dam/ircc/documents/pdf/english/kits/forms/cit0001/01-08-2026/cit0001e.pdf
• Official instructions and guidance: https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/application/application-forms-guides/application-citizenship-certificate-adults-minors-proof-citizenship-under-section-3.html
• Edition shown on this page: CIT 0001 (08-2026) E (checked 2026-10-19).

FileIt is not affiliated with or endorsed by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) or any government. This page explains the form in general terms and is not legal, tax or immigration advice. Always read the official instructions, and check that you are using the edition the recipient accepts. Page last reviewed 2026-10-19.

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