How many days do I need in Canada to apply for citizenship?

At least 1,095 days (3 years) in the 5 years before you sign your application. At least 730 of those days must be as a permanent resident.

Do I need to be a permanent resident?

Yes. You need valid permanent resident status, with no removal order and no unmet conditions on that status.

Do I need to file taxes?

If the law asks you to file, you must have filed Canadian income taxes for at least 3 of the 5 years before you apply.

Who takes the citizenship test and shows language skills?

Adults aged 18 to 54 when they sign the application. People aged 55 and over do not.

Does time as a student or worker count?

Some of it. Each day as a temporary resident in the 5 year period counts as half a day, up to 365 days of credit.

Canadian citizenship requirements 2026: the full list in plain English

Last updated October 31, 2026

The requirements in short

To apply for Canadian citizenship as an adult in 2026, you need permanent resident status, at least 1,095 days in Canada in the last 5 years, and your taxes filed if the law asks for them. If you are aged 18 to 54, you also show English or French skills and take the citizenship test. Each rule is below.

Last checked: 31 October 2026.

This is general information to help you prepare. IRCC decides your own case.

1. Permanent resident status

You must be a permanent resident. Your status must be valid. You cannot have a removal order, and you must have met every condition on your status, such as a medical check.

You can apply with a valid or an expired PR card. The card itself is not the rule. The status is.

2. Days in Canada

You need at least 1,095 days (3 years) in Canada during the 5 years before you sign your application. The 5 years end on the day you sign.

Two details matter:

At least 730 of the 5 years must be as a permanent resident.
Time in prison, on parole or on probation does not count. Time spent waiting for a decision on a refugee claim does not count either.

IRCC suggests you apply with more than 1,095 days, in case your count is off by a few days.

Time before you became a permanent resident

Some days before PR still help. Each day as a temporary resident counts as half a day. This covers visitors, students, workers and people with a temporary resident permit. You can get credit for up to 365 days, which equals 730 calendar days.

Protected persons have a special rule. Their time counts only from the day their claim was approved until the day before they became a permanent resident.

Crown servants working outside Canada, and their spouses, partners and children, have their own rule. Each day outside Canada counts as a day in Canada.

How to check your own days

Count carefully, because mistakes here cause returned applications. IRCC has its own guide to the count. Use it to check your own days: How to calculate your physical presence.

3. Filing taxes

If you must file income taxes, you need to have filed them for at least 3 of the 5 years before you apply.

4. Language skills, ages 18 to 54

If you are 18 to 54 on the day you sign, you must show English or French at level 4 on the Canadian Language Benchmarks (CLB), or NCLC in French, for speaking and listening. You show this with a diploma, a transcript, a language test or another accepted document. Read the full details in our guide to the citizenship language requirement.

5. The citizenship test, ages 18 to 54

Adults aged 18 to 54 on the day they sign the application take the citizenship test. It has 20 questions, and you need 15 correct. The topics are the rights and responsibilities of citizens, history, geography, government, laws, the economy and symbols. See the Canadian citizenship test for how it works.

People under 18 and people aged 55 and over do not take it.

6. The oath

If your application is approved and you are 18 or older, you take the oath at a ceremony. You become a citizen when you take it.

What can stop an application

Some criminal or security matters can block approval. Some of these last for a set time only. If one may apply to you, IRCC decides how it affects you.

What does not count

Days in prison, on parole or on probation.
Days waiting for a refugee claim decision.
More than 365 days of temporary resident credit.
Days that fall outside the 5 years before you sign.

Ready to prepare?

Meeting the rules is step one. Next comes the test. Try our free 20-question practice test, or see prices when you want more.

Questions people ask

How many days do I need in Canada to apply for citizenship?: At least 1,095 days (3 years) in the 5 years before you sign your application. At least 730 of those days must be as a permanent resident.
Do I need to be a permanent resident?: Yes. You need valid permanent resident status, with no removal order and no unmet conditions on that status.
Do I need to file taxes?: If the law asks you to file, you must have filed Canadian income taxes for at least 3 of the 5 years before you apply.
Who takes the citizenship test and shows language skills?: Adults aged 18 to 54 when they sign the application. People aged 55 and over do not.
Does time as a student or worker count?: Some of it. Each day as a temporary resident in the 5 year period counts as half a day, up to 365 days of credit.