The Canadian Citizenship Ceremony and Oath: What to Expect

The citizenship ceremony is the final step, the moment you actually become a Canadian citizen. By the time you reach it, the hard work is done. Still, it helps to know what the day involves so you can relax into it rather than wonder what comes next. Here is what to expect.

How you get to the ceremony

After IRCC approves your application, it sends you an invitation to a citizenship ceremony. The invitation tells you the date, the time, and whether the ceremony is in person or held by video. It usually arrives a few weeks ahead, and after a typical processing timeline the ceremony tends to follow the approval by a short number of months. Read the invitation carefully, because it lists what you need to bring or prepare and asks you to confirm your attendance.

If you cannot attend on the date offered, contact IRCC to reschedule rather than simply missing it. Not showing up without notice can delay your file.

Who has to take the oath

All new citizens aged 14 and over must take the Oath of Citizenship to become citizens. Children under 14 become citizens without taking the oath, but families are usually invited to attend together. The oath is the legal act that completes the process. You are a citizen from the moment you take it, not before.

What happens during the ceremony

A citizenship ceremony is part formal and part celebratory. A presiding official, often a citizenship judge, leads it. The core of the event is the same whether it is held in a hall or over video:

A welcome and some words about what Canadian citizenship means.
The taking of the Oath of Citizenship, said together by everyone becoming a citizen.
The signing of the oath or affirmation form.
The handing over of the citizenship certificate, your proof of citizenship.
The singing of the national anthem.

The Oath of Citizenship is a pledge of allegiance to the King of Canada and his heirs and successors, a promise to faithfully observe the laws of Canada, including the Constitution, which recognises and affirms the rights of Indigenous peoples, and a commitment to fulfil your duties as a Canadian citizen. You can swear the oath or affirm it, and you may take it in English or French.

In person or by video

Ceremonies are held both in person and by video in 2026. Video ceremonies became common in recent years and remain a regular option. Your invitation tells you which format applies to you. A video ceremony carries the same legal weight as an in-person one. You join from home using a device with a camera, take the oath live with the official and other new citizens, and receive your certificate afterward.

If you have a strong preference for one format, you can sometimes raise it with IRCC, but the format offered depends on availability.

What you receive

The key document you walk away with is your citizenship certificate. It is the official proof that you are a Canadian citizen, and you will need it for things like applying for a passport. Keep it safe, because replacing it takes time and a separate application. For a video ceremony, your certificate is sent to you rather than handed over in the room.

What comes after

Once you are a citizen, a few doors open. You can apply for your first Canadian passport, you gain the right to vote in federal elections, and you can hold certain jobs that are open only to citizens. Becoming a citizen does not require you to give up another nationality, since Canada allows dual citizenship, though you should check whether your other country of nationality has its own rules.

A calm finish to a long process

By ceremony day, the test, the documents, and the waiting are behind you. The ceremony itself asks very little of you beyond showing up, taking the oath, and enjoying the moment. Many people describe it as surprisingly moving. After months of forms and timelines, it is the part of the process that is purely about arriving.

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