Canadian Citizenship by Descent: Do Family Records Need to Be Certified?

12 Aug 2026

Canadian Citizenship by Descent: Do Family Records Need to Be Certified?

If you are applying for Canadian citizenship by descent, you may be wondering whether old family records must be certified before you submit them to Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC).

New guidance shared by IRCC suggests that documents do not always need to be certified. What matters more is where the document came from and whether it can be connected to the original authority that created or maintains the record. An immigration officer can still request a certified copy if there are concerns about the document’s authenticity.

This information comes from an IRCC presentation delivered to the Association of Canadian Archivists (ACA) on citizenship by descent and documentary evidence. Applicants should still check IRCC’s official website before applying because requirements may change.

Do Documents for Citizenship by Descent Need to Be Certified?

According to the IRCC presentation, documents submitted with a proof of Canadian citizenship application do not automatically need to be certified.

Instead, IRCC focuses on the source of the document.

The record should ideally come from the authority that originally created, issued, or now maintains it. This could include:

A provincial or territorial vital statistics office
A civil registry
An archive holding historical records
Another official organization responsible for maintaining the record

For paper applications, copies should be clear, readable and in colour. Online applicants should provide high-quality colour scans or digital images.

However, an officer may still request a certified copy if there are questions about whether a document is genuine.

Primary and Secondary Documents for Canadian Citizenship by Descent

IRCC divides documentary evidence into two main categories:

Primary Documents

Applicants are generally expected to provide one or more primary documents for each ancestor in the family chain.

Examples include:

Canadian provincial or territorial birth certificates
Foreign birth certificates showing the parent-child relationship
Canadian citizenship certificates
Canadian naturalization certificates
Certificates of Registration of Birth Abroad
Certificates of Retention of Canadian Citizenship
Certain British naturalization records
Evidence of British subject status in applicable historical cases

These documents help establish the connection between the applicant and their Canadian ancestor.

Secondary Documents

Secondary documents may also support an application.

Examples include:

Baptismal records
Hospital birth records
Physician or midwife records
Census records
Marriage certificates
Death records
Military records
Immigration records
Boat manifests
Passports
Canada Gazette records

Secondary evidence can help strengthen an application, especially where historical records are difficult to obtain.

However, secondary records generally should not replace primary documents where primary documents are available.

Third-Party Records May Not Be Enough

Applicants should understand the difference between an official secondary document and a third-party record.

For example, a baptismal record obtained from the church or diocese that maintains the original register may be considered relevant evidence.

On the other hand, a screenshot or printout from a genealogy website is considered a third-party record and should not normally be relied upon as the only evidence supporting the application.

Where possible, applicants should obtain records directly from the organization that created or officially maintains them.

IRCC Can Consider Other Relevant Evidence

The list of secondary documents is not exhaustive.

IRCC officers must assess the evidence submitted in each individual application and consider relevant documents provided by the applicant.

This can be important for older citizenship-by-descent cases where standard records may no longer exist or may be difficult to obtain.

Applicants should provide as complete a documentary history as possible and explain any missing information.

Canada Gazette Records May Help Some Applicants

The Canada Gazette can also be useful for certain citizenship-by-descent applications.

According to the IRCC presentation, the Gazette published the names of people who were naturalized in Canada up until 1952. It also recorded certain cases involving the loss of citizenship or British subject status.

Library and Archives Canada maintains historical records covering the period from 1915 to 1951.

These records may be particularly useful where an ancestor became a naturalized Canadian but the original naturalization certificate is no longer available.

However, Canada Gazette records are considered secondary evidence rather than primary evidence.

How Does IRCC Decide Citizenship by Descent Applications?

IRCC assesses citizenship-by-descent applications using the balance of probabilities standard.

In simple terms, the officer must be satisfied that the information and evidence show that the citizenship claim is more likely to be true than not.

The officer considers the documents and information submitted with the application before making a decision.

However, this does not mean applicants can ignore required documentation.

If important documents required under IRCC’s application instructions are missing, the application may still be returned.

What If an Important Historical Record Cannot Be Found?

In some cases, applicants may not be able to obtain an old birth, naturalization or other historical record.

According to the ACA summary of the IRCC session, applicants may not necessarily need a formal or certified “No Record Found” letter.

Email correspondence from an archive or evidence showing that a search was completed may help demonstrate that the applicant made reasonable efforts to locate the record.

Applicants should also provide a written explanation describing: