Minor children under 18 can apply for Canadian citizenship through two distinct pathways: subsection 5(2), which requires at least one parent to be (or to become) a Canadian citizen; and subsection 5(1), the same pathway available to adults, which requires meeting the physical presence requirement without a parent citizenship requirement. All minors under 18 are exempt from the official language test and the citizenship knowledge test. Minors under 14 are also exempt from the oath of citizenship — citizenship is granted without a ceremony; minors aged 14 and over must attend a ceremony and take the oath. A parent and a minor child can apply for Canadian citizenship together in a joint application. This page explains the two minor citizenship pathways, the exemptions from testing and the oath, and the practical considerations for applying for a child's citizenship.

For current application forms, fees, and processing times for minor citizenship applications, refer to the IRCC minors citizenship page.

• Citizenship Act, s 5(1) — the standard grant of citizenship pathway; applies to adults and to minors who do not have a Canadian citizen parent or who choose to apply independently; the physical presence requirement (1,095 days in 5 years), language, and knowledge test requirements apply under s 5(1), subject to the minor's exemptions from language and knowledge testing
• Citizenship Act, s 5(2) — the minor citizenship pathway requiring a Canadian citizen parent; the minor must be a permanent resident of Canada and must have at least one parent who is a Canadian citizen (or who is simultaneously applying for citizenship); the physical presence requirement of s 5(1) does not separately apply under s 5(2) — the parent's citizenship or simultaneous application is the key qualifying factor
• Citizenship Act, s 5(1)(d) — the language requirement applies to applicants who are 18 years of age or older on the date of application; minors under 18 are therefore automatically exempt
• Citizenship Act, s 5(1)(e) — the knowledge test requirement applies to applicants between 18 and 54 years of age; minors under 18 are therefore automatically exempt
• Citizenship Act, s 24(3) — a person under 14 years of age is not required to take the oath of citizenship; a person 14 or older must take the oath before citizenship is granted
• IRCC: Minors (under 18) applying for citizenship — canada.ca/citizenship-minors

Two citizenship pathways for minors

A minor under 18 may apply for Canadian citizenship under one of two provisions of the Citizenship Act:

• Subsection 5(2) — minor with a Canadian citizen parent: the most common pathway for minor children; requires at least one parent to be a Canadian citizen or to be applying for citizenship simultaneously; the minor must be a permanent resident of Canada; no separate physical presence count (1,095 days) is required of the minor independently — the parent's citizenship is the qualifying link
• Subsection 5(1) — independent application: the same pathway as the adult citizenship grant; the minor must meet the physical presence requirement (1,095 days in the 5 years before applying), be a permanent resident, and meet the other eligibility criteria — but is still exempt from language testing and the knowledge test; this pathway is typically used where neither parent is Canadian or where the minor is legally independent

Exemptions from language test and knowledge test

All minor applicants under 18 years of age are exempt from:

• The official language proficiency requirement (English or French) — minors are not required to demonstrate language skills at CLB 4 or any other standard
• The citizenship knowledge test — minors are not required to pass the written or online test on Canadian history, values, institutions, and symbols

These exemptions are statutory — they are set out in the Citizenship Act and apply automatically based on the applicant's age at the time of application. A minor who turns 18 after submitting the application but before the grant of citizenship still benefits from the exemptions if they were under 18 at the time of application.

Oath of citizenship — required for ages 14 and over

The requirement to take the oath of citizenship at a citizenship ceremony depends on the minor's age:

• Minors under 14: not required to take the oath; citizenship is granted without a ceremony or oath; the minor receives a citizenship certificate without attending a ceremony
• Minors aged 14 to 17 inclusive: required to attend a citizenship ceremony and take the oath of citizenship before a citizenship judge or presiding official; the ceremony is typically attended with a parent; upon taking the oath, the minor receives their Certificate of Canadian Citizenship

Applying as a family — parent and minor together

A parent and one or more minor children can submit citizenship applications together:

• The parent applies under s 5(1) as an adult meeting the normal eligibility criteria; the minor(s) apply under s 5(2) based on the parent's citizenship or simultaneous application
• Applications submitted together are processed concurrently; if the parent qualifies for citizenship, the minor qualifying under s 5(2) becomes eligible at the same time
• This approach is practical for families where one or both parents are applying for citizenship and wish to include their minor children in the same process

What a minor needs to be eligible under subsection 5(2)

For the subsection 5(2) pathway, the minor must:

• Be a permanent resident of Canada — a minor who is not a permanent resident cannot apply for citizenship under s 5(2); the child must have been lawfully admitted to Canada as a permanent resident
• Have at least one parent who is a Canadian citizen (by birth, descent, or earlier conferral) — OR the parent must be applying for Canadian citizenship simultaneously with the minor under s 5(1), so that the parent's citizenship is granted concurrently
• Not be prohibited from citizenship under the Citizenship Act prohibitions (for example, certain criminal convictions or national security grounds, though these are uncommon for minors)
• Meet the character requirement to the extent applicable to minors

Under s 5(2), there is no separate requirement that the minor personally meet the 1,095-day physical presence count — the pathway is available regardless of how long the minor has been present in Canada as a permanent resident, provided the parent citizenship requirement is met.

Proof of age and identity

Minor citizenship applications require documentation of the child's identity and status. This typically includes:

• The minor's original birth certificate (to establish identity, date of birth, and parentage)
• The minor's permanent resident card or proof of permanent resident status
• The parent's proof of Canadian citizenship (if the parent is already a citizen)
• Two passport photos of the minor

For the full document checklist and application forms (CIT 0003 for minors applying under s 5(2), or CIT 0403 for minors applying under s 5(1)), refer to the IRCC minors citizenship page.

The minor citizenship pathway under s 5(2) is substantially simpler than the adult process — the absence of the physical presence count, language test, and knowledge test means that a permanent resident minor child with a Canadian citizen parent can be granted citizenship relatively straightforwardly compared to the adult pathway. The most common situation is a family where both parents are permanent residents applying for citizenship, and the children are included in the family application under s 5(2). The oath requirement for minors aged 14–17 is sometimes unexpected — families should plan for the minor to attend a citizenship ceremony. For minors under 14, the process is purely administrative. The joint family application approach is generally recommended where eligible, as it simplifies processing and avoids having different family members with different citizenship statuses for an extended period. For application forms, current processing times, and fee amounts for minor citizenship applications, refer to the IRCC minors citizenship page.