Canadian citizenship ceremony: what to expect in 2026

What is the Canadian citizenship ceremony?

The citizenship ceremony is the last step before you become a Canadian citizen. You take the oath, sign a form and get your certificate. It can be in person or online, and the date comes in your invitation.

Last checked: 31 October 2026

How do you get invited?

IRCC invites you after your application is approved. The invitation comes at least 1 week before the date. It usually arrives by email. If IRCC has no email for you, it may call, and if it cannot reach you, it sends it by mail. The wait depends on current processing times and your case, and there is no fixed time. Read more on what happens after the citizenship test.

The invitation shows:

• the date and time
• the format, online or in person
• a video link or a place
• the language: mostly English, mostly French, or both

You cannot choose the date. You can ask to reschedule, for example for illness, travel, child care or a different format. Send your request within 30 days after the date in your invitation. You can change the format only once, and you get a new date. If you miss a ceremony without asking, IRCC reschedules you once. After a second miss, it can close your application.

What happens at the ceremony?

Both formats last a few hours. Check your invitation for the arrival time. They usually include:

• registration and short instructions
• speeches, the oath, congratulations and the national anthem
• videos and photos
• information about your certificate and your passport

Large ceremonies can have over 100 people.

In person

You go to the registration table. IRCC checks who you are and asks a few questions to confirm nothing stops you from becoming a citizen. It collects your permanent resident card and your signed photo consent form. You wait in the room until everyone is registered. Then you take the oath, sign the Oath or Affirmation of Citizenship form and get your certificate if you chose paper.

Online

You join by the video link. Use your seat number as your screen name. At a large ceremony you may wait up to 30 minutes to be let in. IRCC meets you in private to check your identity and cut up your permanent resident card with scissors, so have a pair ready. After the oath, you sign the form on the same day and send it back by email, as the invitation explains.

What do you bring?

For both formats:

• your ceremony invitation
• your permanent resident card, even if it expired, or your Confirmation of Permanent Residence
• 2 pieces of ID if you are an adult. One must show your photo and signature.

Online only: your seat number and scissors. You may also need a signed photo consent form if your invitation includes one.

In person, you also bring the signed photo consent form from your invitation. You can bring a holy book if you want to swear the oath, and a phone or camera for a photo.

What do you wear?

Business attire that fits the occasion. Traditional, religious or ceremonial clothing, head coverings, and the colours red and white are fine. In person, do not wear perfume or cologne. If you wear a face covering, you remove it for a moment during registration, and you can ask for a private room.

Online ceremony rules

Pick a quiet room. Keep your head and shoulders in view. Sit through the whole ceremony, even during the oath and O Canada. Use a plain background, a Canadian flag or red and white, but no virtual backgrounds. Do not share the link or record. Do not drive or do anything else.

Family can sit in the same room, but they must not join on another device.

What do you say?

You take the oath of citizenship and sing O Canada. IRCC encourages you to practise both first.

What do you get after?

You get a certificate showing the date you became a citizen. You chose paper or electronic.

• Paper, in person. You get it at the ceremony.
• Paper, online. It arrives by mail 2 to 4 weeks after IRCC gets your signed form.
• Electronic. It is ready within 5 business days after IRCC gets your signed form, and IRCC emails you how to download it.

Do not laminate the certificate. You can apply for a passport only after you have the certificate. The certificate is not a travel document, so wait for your passport before you leave Canada.

What about guests and children?

Children under 14 do not take the oath, but they can attend. In person, check your invitation for how many guests you can bring. Online, guests can sit with you.

Next step

While you wait for the invitation, you can still try our free practice test or look at the prices.