Canadian Citizenship for Children: How It Works
Canadian citizenship for children: a parent applies for the minor, with no test or language proof, and usually a Canadian-citizen parent involved.
A child under 18 can become a Canadian citizen. In practice, a parent or legal guardian applies on the child's behalf using the minor application. The child does not take the citizenship test and does not have to prove language ability. These rules are part of the citizenship eligibility requirements. This is a general guide: the official source stays canada.ca.
Who applies for a child
A parent or legal guardian completes and signs the application on the minor's behalf. This is called a minor application, separate from an adult's application. The child does not need to sign if they are very young, but a minor aged 14 and older takes the Oath of Citizenship at the ceremony, just like adults.
What is not required of a minor
A child's application is lighter than an adult's. Several obligations do not apply:
- No knowledge test about Canada for those under 18.
- No language proof at CLB/NCLC 4.
- A parent or guardian submits and signs the application for the child.
- The oath is required from age 14, at the ceremony.
The age thresholds that trigger or lift each obligation are gathered in our guide on citizenship age requirements.
The citizen-parent condition
In most cases, the child must have a parent who is already a Canadian citizen, or who is applying for citizenship at the same time. This rule links the child's application to a parent's, which is why many families apply together. Some special situations exist: always check the details on canada.ca before you file.
If you are preparing your own adult application at the same time, you can already practise for the citizenship test while the family file comes together.
Frequently asked questions
Does my child have to take the citizenship test? No. Minors under 18 do not take the knowledge test and do not have to prove their ability in English or French.
Can a child get citizenship if no parent is a citizen? In most cases the child must have a parent who is already a citizen or who is applying at the same time. Check canada.ca for special situations.
Who signs a minor's application? A parent or legal guardian submits and signs the application on the child's behalf, using the minor application form.