Canada has permitted dual and multiple citizenship since 1977. This means Canadian citizens can acquire foreign citizenship without losing their Canadian citizenship, and people who become Canadian citizens do not need to renounce their original nationality under Canadian law. Dual citizenship is not formally applied for or registered — it arises automatically when a person holds citizenship in more than one country simultaneously. While Canada's law is straightforward on dual citizenship, the other country's law may not be — some countries automatically revoke citizenship when a national naturalises elsewhere. This page explains how dual citizenship works in Canada, the travel and consular implications for dual nationals, the countries that restrict dual citizenship, and the 2025 Bill C-3 change to citizenship by descent.

For current information on Canadian citizenship rules, refer to the IRCC Canadian citizenship page.

• Citizenship Act, RSC 1985, c C-29 — does not require renunciation of other citizenship when granting Canadian citizenship; does not provide for loss of citizenship on acquisition of foreign citizenship (since 1977)
• Citizenship Act, s 9 — renunciation of Canadian citizenship (voluntary); not required when acquiring another citizenship
• Bill C-3, An Act to amend the Citizenship Act (2025) — removes the first-generation limit on citizenship by descent; in effect from 19 December 2025
• IRCC: What is dual citizenship? — ircc.canada.ca/dual-citizenship
• IRCC: I am a citizen of another country — will I lose it if I become Canadian? — ircc.canada.ca/lose-other-citizenship
• IRCC: Changes to citizenship rules 2025 — canada.ca/citizenship-rules-2025

Canada's dual citizenship policy

Canada has recognised dual and multiple citizenship since amendments to the Citizenship Act took effect in 1977. Before 1977, Canadians who voluntarily acquired a foreign citizenship automatically lost Canadian citizenship under the old Act. Under the current Act:

• A Canadian citizen who becomes a citizen of another country retains their Canadian citizenship — there is no notification requirement to IRCC when this happens
• A foreign national who becomes a Canadian citizen is not required under Canadian law to renounce their original citizenship — Canada does not require renunciation at the citizenship ceremony
• There is no formal registration or certificate for dual citizenship — dual status arises automatically from the citizenship laws of both countries

Entering and exiting Canada as a dual national

Canadian citizens — including dual nationals — must use their Canadian passport to enter and exit Canada. Key points:

• Using a foreign passport to board a flight to Canada as a Canadian citizen may cause issues — Canadian law requires Canadian citizens to identify themselves as such at the Canadian border
• A dual national who arrives at a Canadian airport or border on a foreign passport may be required to demonstrate their Canadian citizenship status and may face delays
• When travelling outside Canada, a dual national can use either their Canadian or foreign passport depending on what is required by the destination country

Consular access for dual nationals

A significant limitation of dual citizenship is reduced consular access in the territory of the other country of citizenship. Canada's ability to provide consular services to a Canadian dual national in the country of their other citizenship is limited because:

• That other country may not recognise the person's Canadian citizenship for consular purposes — it may treat the person solely as its own national
• Canada's ability to demand access, provide assistance, or intervene on behalf of a detained or arrested dual national is limited when that person is in the other country's territory
• This is particularly relevant for nationals of countries where the legal and human rights environment makes detention or arrest a real risk

This limitation is not unique to Canada — it reflects the general rule of international law that a state has primary jurisdiction over its own nationals in its own territory, regardless of their other citizenship.

When the other country does not permit dual citizenship

While Canada permits dual citizenship, many countries do not. Applicants for Canadian citizenship who hold citizenship in another country should check whether their home country allows retention of citizenship after naturalisation elsewhere. Consequences of not checking can include:

• Automatic loss of home country citizenship: some countries (including many in Europe, the Middle East, and Asia) automatically revoke citizenship when a national voluntarily acquires foreign citizenship — this happens by operation of the home country's law, without notice or application
• Application required to retain: some countries permit dual citizenship but require an application for permission to retain it before naturalising elsewhere — missing this step can result in loss of the home country citizenship
• Fines or penalties: in a small number of countries, acquiring foreign citizenship without authorisation may result in administrative penalties

The prospective Canadian citizen should contact the embassy or consulate of their home country before applying for Canadian citizenship to understand the home country's rules on dual nationality. Canada cannot advise on another country's citizenship law.

2025 Bill C-3 — citizenship by descent change

On 19 December 2025, Bill C-3 (An Act to amend the Citizenship Act) came into effect, removing the first-generation limit on Canadian citizenship by descent. Under the previous rule (in effect since 2009), Canadians born outside Canada could pass citizenship to a child born outside Canada only if they themselves had lived in Canada for a specified period before the child's birth — this was the "first-generation limit."

Under the 2025 change, Canadians born abroad can now pass citizenship to their children born abroad regardless of the generational limit, subject to a physical presence requirement for the parent. This change particularly affects:

• Children of Canadian citizens who were born abroad but who themselves had not been born in Canada — previously considered "second-generation" Canadians who could not transmit citizenship
• Canadians living long-term outside Canada who previously could not pass citizenship to children born abroad

For details on how Canadian citizenship by descent works and the impact of the 2025 changes, see the citizenship by descent page.

Renouncing Canadian citizenship voluntarily

A Canadian citizen who wishes to give up Canadian citizenship can apply to renounce it under s 9 of the Citizenship Act. Renunciation is voluntary — Canada does not revoke citizenship merely because a Canadian holds or acquires another nationality. For information on renunciation and revocation, see the citizenship renunciation and revocation page.

The most common practical issue with dual citizenship is the risk of home country citizenship loss — applicants who have citizenship in a country that does not permit dual nationality may inadvertently lose their original citizenship when they become Canadian. There is no general list of "countries that do and do not permit dual citizenship" that is authoritative and current — rules change, and exceptions (for marriage, children, or specific categories) may apply. The safest approach is to obtain written advice from the home country's embassy before applying for Canadian citizenship, and to maintain a record of that advice. For dual nationals who divide time between Canada and another country, the consular access limitation is a genuine consideration — if arrested or detained in the other country, Canadian consular assistance may be limited. For the current citizenship rules, Bill C-3 implementation details, and the renunciation process, refer to the IRCC citizenship page.