Canadian citizenship can be lost in two ways: voluntarily through renunciation (the citizen chooses to give up citizenship), or involuntarily through revocation (the government cancels citizenship because it was obtained by fraud or misrepresentation). The two mechanisms are distinct in both purpose and process. Renunciation is generally permitted for citizens who hold (or will hold) citizenship of another country. Revocation is limited to cases where citizenship was obtained through fraud — since the 2017 repeal of provisions introduced by Bill C-24, citizenship cannot be revoked for security offences or other misconduct. This page covers both mechanisms and how they interact.

For current eligibility and process for renunciation, refer to the IRCC renounce citizenship page. For revocation proceedings, refer to the IRCC revocation page.

• Citizenship Act, RSC 1985, c C-29, s 9 — renunciation of Canadian citizenship
• Citizenship Act, s 10 — revocation of citizenship for fraud, false representation, or knowing concealment of material circumstances
• Citizenship Act, s 10.1–10.5 — revocation process, Federal Court and Minister decision-maker options
• Bill C-6 — An Act to amend the Citizenship Act (2017) — repealed the Bill C-24 (2014) provisions that had allowed revocation for security offences; restored the current fraud-only revocation framework
• IRCC: Renounce Canadian citizenship — canada.ca/renounce-citizenship
• IRCC: Revoking citizenship — canada.ca/revoking-citizenship
• Form CIT 0302 — Application to Renounce Canadian Citizenship Under Subsection 9(1)

Part 1 — Renunciation (voluntary)

Who can renounce

A Canadian citizen may apply to renounce citizenship under section 9(1) of the Citizenship Act. To be eligible, the applicant must:

• Be a Canadian citizen (including by birth, by conferral, or by descent)
• Be a citizen of another country, or establish that they will become a citizen of another country if the renunciation application is approved — this condition prevents statelessness (Canada cannot create a stateless person by accepting a renunciation)
• Not be subject to ongoing revocation proceedings under section 10 or 10.1 of the Citizenship Act — a person cannot renounce while IRCC is trying to revoke their citizenship
• Be of full age (18 or older) and have the capacity to understand the nature of renunciation

The renunciation application (Form CIT 0302)

To renounce citizenship, a Canadian citizen submits Form CIT 0302 (Application to Renounce Canadian Citizenship Under Subsection 9(1)) to IRCC, along with:

• A valid Canadian citizenship certificate or other proof of Canadian citizenship
• Evidence of citizenship of another country (or evidence that citizenship of another country will be acquired if the renunciation is approved)
• The application fee of $100

A separate provision — section 7.1 of the Citizenship Regulations — provides a no-fee renunciation pathway for persons who acquired citizenship automatically due to legislative changes and wish to renounce it. For details on the section 7.1 pathway, refer to the IRCC renounce citizenship page.

Effect of renunciation

If the renunciation application is approved:

• The person ceases to be a Canadian citizen from the date the renunciation is accepted
• The Canadian citizenship certificate is cancelled
• The former citizen loses all rights and privileges of Canadian citizenship — including the right to vote, to hold a Canadian passport, and the right to enter and remain in Canada as a citizen
• To enter Canada after renunciation, the former citizen would need a visa, Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA), or other immigration status, just like any foreign national
• Renunciation is not automatically reversible — to regain citizenship, the former citizen would generally need to immigrate to Canada as a permanent resident and then apply for citizenship by conferral

Part 2 — Revocation (involuntary)

The fraud-only revocation framework

The Government of Canada can revoke Canadian citizenship under section 10 of the Citizenship Act, but only on the grounds of fraud:

• Fraud in obtaining citizenship
• False representation made in a citizenship application or related process
• Knowingly concealing material circumstances — providing misleading or incomplete information that materially affected the citizenship grant

This fraud-based framework was restored in 2017 by Bill C-6, which repealed provisions introduced by Bill C-24 (2014) that had briefly (2015–2017) allowed revocation of citizenship for certain serious criminal offences, including terrorism and treason. Since Bill C-6, security-based revocation is no longer possible — citizenship can only be revoked for fraud in how citizenship was acquired.

The revocation process

The revocation process under sections 10–10.5 of the Citizenship Act involves:

1. Notice to the person: IRCC notifies the person that it is considering revocation and provides the reasons
2. Choice of decision-maker: the person can choose between having the matter decided by the Federal Court (a judge makes a declaration) or by the Minister (the Minister renders the revocation decision)
3. Hearing and assessment: the person can make submissions and present evidence before the revocation decision is made
4. Revocation order: if revocation is ordered, the citizenship is cancelled; the date of revocation is the date of the Federal Court declaration or the Minister's decision

Consequences of revocation

If citizenship is revoked:

• The person is no longer a Canadian citizen — they become a foreign national or, if they hold a PR visa, a permanent resident
• The person may be found inadmissible and subject to removal proceedings under IRPA
• The person is barred from re-acquiring Canadian citizenship for 10 years from the date of revocation
• After the 10-year bar, the person may apply for citizenship through the normal naturalisation process if they re-establish the required residence as a permanent resident

Dual citizenship — Canada's position

Canada has recognised and permitted dual (and multiple) citizenship since 1977. A Canadian citizen who acquires the citizenship of another country does not automatically lose Canadian citizenship — Canada will continue to recognise them as a citizen. However, Canada generally treats dual nationals as Canadian citizens when in Canada, regardless of any other nationality they hold. For dual nationals of countries that do not recognise dual citizenship, the person's status under their other country's law is governed by that country's law — Canada does not intervene in or regulate that.

Renunciation is relatively rare in practice and is most often requested by persons who have acquired another citizenship that requires them to give up Canadian nationality (e.g., some Middle Eastern countries and some Asian countries prohibit dual citizenship and require renunciation of foreign citizenship). Revocation is also rare and is reserved for the most serious cases of fraud — typically where a person obtained citizenship by concealing an inadmissibility ground (criminality, security, misrepresentation in the PR application) that would have prevented them from ever becoming a permanent resident or citizen. The 2017 repeal of security-based revocation was controversial but reflected the principle that all citizens — not just natural-born Canadians — should have equal and secure citizenship status. For current renunciation eligibility, the application guide (CIT 0302), processing times, and revocation proceedings, refer to the IRCC renounce citizenship page and the IRCC revocation page.