Dual citizenship in Canada: how it works
Canada has allowed dual citizenship since 1977, so becoming Canadian does not mean giving anything up. The complication is always the other country. This guide explains the Canadian rule, which countries let you keep your original citizenship, the passport rule for flying into Canada that catches dual citizens every year, and the practical points on taxes, military service and children.
Key takeaways
Canada recognises dual citizenship with no application or extra document. Whether you can keep your original citizenship depends on that country's law. Dual citizens must use a Canadian passport to fly to Canada, Canada taxes on residence not citizenship, and citizenship is only lost by renunciation or revocation for fraud.
- Dual and multiple citizenship has been legal in Canada since 1977; nothing to apply for.
- The restriction, if any, comes from the other country: check its law before you take the oath.
- Fly into Canada on a Canadian passport; an eTA cannot be issued to a Canadian citizen.
- Canada taxes residents, not citizens abroad; the United States is the main country that taxes its citizens worldwide.
- Canadian citizenship is lost only by voluntary renunciation or revocation for fraud, never by acquiring another one.
Does Canada allow dual citizenship?
Yes, without qualification. The Citizenship Act that came into force on 15 February 1977 removed the rule that a Canadian who acquired another citizenship automatically lost Canadian status, and it placed no condition on new Canadians renouncing anything. Since then, Canada has recognised that a person can hold two or more citizenships at once. When you take the citizenship oath you swear allegiance to the King of Canada and to Canadian law; you are not asked to give up any other allegiance, and IRCC does not notify your other country.
People who became Canadian before 1977 and lost another citizenship as a result, or who lost Canadian citizenship by naturalising elsewhere before that date, fall under the “lost Canadians” provisions that have been amended several times, most recently through the changes to the first-generation limit. Our guide to citizenship by descent covers those situations.
How do you get dual citizenship in Canada?
There is no dual-citizenship application because dual citizenship is not a status; it is simply holding two. You arrive at it one of three ways.
- Naturalising as a Canadian while keeping your first citizenship. Meet the citizenship requirements, apply, pass the test, take the oath. If your home country allows it, you now hold both.
- Being born in Canada to foreign parents. The child is Canadian by birth and usually inherits the parents' citizenship too, often after registration at their consulate.
- Being born abroad to a Canadian parent. The child may be Canadian by descent, subject to the first-generation rules, and a citizen of the country of birth. A citizenship certificate is the proof.
Which countries allow dual citizenship with Canada?
Canada's position is identical for every country. The question is whether your other country cancels your citizenship when you naturalise in Canada, or refuses to recognise the second one. The table summarises the general position for the countries our clients most often come from; every one of these has exceptions and rules change, so confirm with the relevant consulate before you take the oath, not after.
| Country | Dual citizenship with Canada | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom | Allowed | No notification needed; British citizenship is unaffected by naturalising in Canada |
| United States | Allowed | US citizens keep citizenship; US tax filing continues worldwide |
| Ireland | Allowed | Irish citizenship by descent is common; both passports can be held |
| Australia | Allowed | Since 2002 Australians no longer lose citizenship by naturalising abroad |
| New Zealand | Allowed | No restrictions |
| France | Allowed | France recognises multiple nationality |
| Germany | Allowed since June 2024 | The 2024 nationality reform removed the general requirement to renounce |
| Philippines | Allowed | Filipinos who naturalised abroad can retain or reacquire citizenship under RA 9225 |
| Nigeria | Allowed | Nigerian citizens by birth may hold another citizenship |
| Mexico, Brazil, Colombia | Allowed | Recognised in each country's law |
| Pakistan | Allowed with Canada | Canada is on Pakistan's list of countries with a dual nationality arrangement |
| India | Not allowed | Indian citizenship ends on acquiring another; the OCI card gives residency rights but is not citizenship |
| China | Not allowed | Chinese nationality is automatically lost on voluntary acquisition of another |
| Japan | Generally not allowed | Adults acquiring another citizenship are expected to choose |
| Singapore, Malaysia | Not allowed | Naturalising elsewhere leads to loss of citizenship |
| United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia | Generally not allowed | Permission is required and rarely given |
| Netherlands | Restricted | Dutch citizens generally lose citizenship on naturalising abroad unless an exception applies, such as marriage to a Canadian |
| South Korea | Restricted | Allowed in defined cases with a pledge not to exercise the foreign nationality in Korea |
Check before the oath, not after
The passport rule that catches dual citizens
Since November 2016, every Canadian citizen boarding a flight to Canada must present a valid Canadian passport. The electronic travel authorization that visa-exempt travellers use cannot be issued to a Canadian citizen, so a dual citizen who tries to fly on a British or Australian passport is refused boarding. The one exception is a Canadian-American dual citizen, who may travel on a valid US passport. At a land border the rule is different: a Canadian can enter with other acceptable proof of citizenship, though a passport is still the document that avoids questions. New citizens should apply for a Canadian passport as soon as they receive their certificate after the ceremony, and before any foreign travel.
Taxes, military service and other practical points
- Tax. Canada taxes on residence. A dual citizen living in Canada files Canadian returns on worldwide income; one living abroad generally does not, unless they keep Canadian residential ties. The United States taxes its citizens wherever they live, so Canadian-Americans file in both countries, with foreign tax credits and the tax treaty preventing double taxation in most cases. This is accountancy, not immigration; get cross-border advice.
- Military and national service. Canada has no conscription. Some countries impose service obligations on their citizens regardless of where they live, and a few refuse to recognise Canadian citizenship while you are inside their borders, which limits what a Canadian consulate can do for you there. Travel on the passport of the country you are entering where its law requires it.
- Consular help. Canada may not be able to assist you in the other country of your citizenship if that country treats you solely as its own national.
- Children. A child born in Canada is Canadian and usually inherits the parents' citizenship too. Register the child with the other country if its law requires it; a child born abroad to a Canadian parent is subject to the first-generation rules.
- Voting and public office. Dual citizens vote and can run for office in Canada. Some countries restrict voting or office for their citizens who hold another nationality.
Can you lose Canadian citizenship?
Only two ways. You can renounce it voluntarily by application, which some people do when a country of choice forbids dual citizenship or for tax reasons; renunciation is final in practice, though resumption is possible in limited circumstances. Or, for naturalised citizens, it can be revoked if the application that granted it involved fraud or misrepresentation, including hiding a criminal record or lying about physical presence. Acquiring another citizenship, living abroad for decades, or holding a foreign passport does not affect Canadian status.
Dual citizenship and the route to becoming Canadian
For most readers the question behind “dual citizenship” is simply whether they will have to choose. If your country is in the allowed group, you will not, and the only work left is the citizenship application itself: 1,095 days of physical presence in the five years before you apply, tax filing for three of those years, the knowledge test for ages 18 to 54, and a complete file. Our guide to how to apply for Canadian citizenship covers the forms and the fee, and the citizenship processing time page sets out the 12-month timeline IRCC currently publishes.
Compliance note. Wild Mountain Immigration is a licensed RCIC practice (CICC R706497) and advises on Canadian immigration and citizenship law only. Whether another country permits dual citizenship, and the tax consequences of holding two, are questions for that country's authorities and a qualified accountant respectively.
Frequently asked questions
Does Canada allow dual citizenship?
Yes. Canada has recognised dual and multiple citizenship since 15 February 1977. Becoming a Canadian citizen does not require you to give up your existing citizenship, and a Canadian who acquires another citizenship does not lose Canadian status. There is no application for dual citizenship and no separate document; you simply hold both.
How do I get dual citizenship in Canada?
By becoming a Canadian citizen while keeping your original one, or by being born a Canadian citizen while also holding another citizenship through a parent or birthplace. From Canada's side there is nothing extra to do. The only question is whether your other country allows it, because some countries automatically cancel citizenship when a person naturalises elsewhere.
Which countries do not allow dual citizenship with Canada?
Canada's rules are the same for every country; the restriction comes from the other side. Countries that generally do not permit their citizens to hold a second citizenship include India, China, Japan, Singapore, Malaysia, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Austria (with exceptions), Nepal and several others. Rules change and often have exceptions, so confirm with the other country's consulate before you take the Canadian oath.
Can a dual citizen enter Canada on a foreign passport?
Not by air. Since 2016, Canadian citizens, including dual citizens, must present a valid Canadian passport to board a flight to Canada; an eTA cannot be issued to a Canadian. The exception is Canadian-American dual citizens, who may use a valid US passport. At land borders a Canadian can enter with other proof of citizenship, but a Canadian passport is the document that avoids delays.
Do dual citizens pay tax in both countries?
Canada taxes on residence, not citizenship, so a dual citizen who lives abroad generally does not file Canadian returns on foreign income. The notable exception is the United States, which taxes its citizens wherever they live; a Canadian-American files with both, with credits and a treaty to prevent double taxation. Get advice from a cross-border accountant; this is not immigration law.
Can I lose Canadian citizenship by becoming a citizen of another country?
No. Since 1977, acquiring another citizenship has no effect on Canadian status. Canadian citizenship can only be lost by voluntary renunciation or, for naturalised citizens, by revocation for fraud or misrepresentation in the application that granted it.
Does my child born in Canada have dual citizenship?
A child born in Canada is a Canadian citizen (with narrow exceptions for children of foreign diplomats), and may also hold the parents' citizenship depending on those countries' rules. Many countries pass citizenship by descent automatically; others require registration at a consulate. Check both sides at birth so the child holds the documents for each.
Do I need to tell IRCC I hold another citizenship?
You declare all citizenships on citizenship and immigration forms, and you must use your Canadian passport to enter Canada by air. There is no requirement to renounce anything and no ongoing reporting. What you must never do is misrepresent a citizenship or use a foreign passport to hide a Canadian one at the border.
Ready to add Canadian to your citizenship?
A licensed RCIC checks your physical-presence count and application before you file, so the only surprise is the ceremony date.