Canadian Citizenship Card vs Certificate (2026)

Two common questions IRCC receives every year:

1. *"I have an old citizenship card from the 1990s — is it still valid?"*
2. *"I just naturalized and got a paper certificate — where's my card?"*

The short answers: yes the card is valid, and no there are no new cards. The longer story is about a 2012 administrative switch that ended a 35-year card-issuance program, and what it means for you in 2026.

From February 15, 1977 to January 31, 2012, IRCC (and its predecessor departments) issued Canadian citizenship as a wallet-sized plastic card. Two main designs:

• The original 1977 card (white background, simple text format).
• The "commemorative" maple leaf design used through the 1990s and 2000s.

Both fit in a wallet, both had your name, date of birth, certificate number, and a small photo on the back. They were printed by the Citizenship Commission at IRCC and mailed to you after your oath ceremony (or, before 1977, after a longer paper-based grant process).

If you have one of these cards in your wallet today, it is still valid Canadian proof of citizenship. It does not expire. It cannot be "renewed" — there is no renewal program. It does not need to be replaced unless it is lost or damaged.

On February 1, 2012, IRCC ended the card program and replaced it with a paper certificate. The certificate is:

• 8.5 × 11 inches (letter size), printed on watermarked security paper.
• Contains your name, date of birth, certificate number, date of issuance, and IRCC seal.
• No photo — the certificate is purely textual.
• Comes folded in a presentation envelope after the citizenship ceremony.

The certificate is the only currently-issued proof of citizenship. New citizens naturalizing in 2012 or later have never held a card.

A combination of factors led to the change:

The 2012 transition was generally welcomed but did create a generation of citizens who have only a paper certificate and were unsure whether it was equivalent to the card. It is.

Yes. Section 12 of the Citizenship Act says any "certificate" issued under the Act is proof of citizenship. The wallet-sized card was a certificate under the Act — just printed on plastic. The paper certificate is the same legal instrument in a different format.

In every Canadian context where citizenship proof is required — applying for a passport, claiming benefits, registering for government services, dual-citizenship verification — both documents are accepted equally.

You cannot get a new card. IRCC stopped producing them. The replacement is a paper certificate, requested via form CIT 0001 (Application for a Citizenship Certificate):

• Fee: $75 CAD for adults, $100 for adult + child combo applications.
• Documents required: two pieces of acceptable photo ID, names of your Canadian parent(s) at the time of your citizenship, and the previous card's certificate number if you have a photocopy.
• Processing time: 5–8 months (sometimes longer in surge periods).
• Apply through your online IRCC account at [canada.ca/citizenship](https://canada.ca/citizenship).

If you have no photocopy of your old card and cannot remember the certificate number, IRCC can still locate the record using your full name, date of birth, and date of the citizenship ceremony.

"My parents have cards, I have a certificate."

This is normal. They naturalized before Feb 2012; you naturalized after. Both documents are valid.

"I'm applying for a passport and the form asks for my citizenship document. Which do I bring?"

Whichever you have — card or certificate. The Passport Office accepts both. Bring the original, not a photocopy. (You can use either for [first-time passport applications](/blog/how-to-apply-for-canadian-passport-first-time).)

"My card has my old name (pre-marriage). Should I update it?"

You cannot "update" the card — IRCC has stopped issuing them. You can request a replacement certificate in your current legal name with form CIT 0001 + your marriage certificate or change-of-name document. Otherwise, for most services, your old card + your marriage certificate together prove identity.

"I lost both my card and my certificate."

Apply for a replacement certificate via CIT 0001. You may need to provide additional supporting evidence (birth certificate, school records) if IRCC cannot find your file from name + date of birth alone.

"My child was naturalized but I never received their certificate."

Contact IRCC's call centre to verify the file. The certificate may have been mailed to an outdated address or lost in transit. A replacement can be requested.

If you are a long-term Canadian citizen or were citizenship-by-descent under older rules, you may have one of these less common documents — all still valid as proof of citizenship:

• Certificate of Naturalization — issued before 1947, when Canadians were British subjects.
• Certificate of Registration of Birth Abroad — issued 1947–2007 to children born abroad of Canadian parents.
• Certificate of Retention of Canadian Citizenship — issued before 1977 to citizens who would otherwise have lost citizenship under earlier laws.

All of these documents predate even the wallet card and continue to be accepted by IRCC and Passport Canada.

People who became citizens automatically under Bill C-3 (in force December 15, 2025) — the Lost Canadians restored by removing the first-generation limit — receive their proof via the standard CIT 0001 paper certificate, not a card and not a special document. The certificate looks identical to one issued to any other naturalized citizen. See [Bill C-3 & Lost Canadians: Who Qualifies (Full Guide)](/blog/bill-c3-lost-canadians-complete-guide) for the full eligibility picture.

• Old card (pre-Feb 2012): still valid forever, do nothing.
• Paper certificate (Feb 2012 onwards): the only current format.
• Lost the card? Replacement is a paper certificate via form CIT 0001 ($75, 5–8 months).
• Both work for passport applications and any context requiring citizenship proof.

For the passport side of the journey, see [How to Apply for a Canadian Passport (First-Time) 2026](/blog/how-to-apply-for-canadian-passport-first-time) and [Canadian Passport Renewal 2026](/blog/canadian-passport-renewal-2026).