The first thing to note is that if you spot a mistake on your certificate within 90 days of receiving it, IRCC will send you a replacement certificate for free. So here is what to do:
- Send the citizenship certificate with the mistake along with a note explaining what the mistake is to the following.
- Also include the Statutory Declaration form IRM0005
- If you are in Canada or the United States:
Regular mail sends it to:
CPC-Sydney
P.O. Box 10000
Sydney NSF
B1P 7C1
Courier, send it to:
CPC-Sydney
49 Dorchester Street
Sydney NS
B1P 5Z2
Tip: Need to contact the government about your mistake on your certificate? Click the link to learn how.
Tip: Need more information about the mailing address?
Need an easier way to get a replacement citizenship certificate?
Why not get some support?
1. We make sure everything is perfect! No returned applications.
2. We track and deal with the government for you. Try calling IRCC yourself. It’s a mess.
3. Need your document fast? Again, we can help.
If you are outside Canada and the USA, send it to the embassy, consulate, or high commission where you applied on paper. If you applied online to the embassy, consulate, or high commission, you choose to have your certificate sent.
IRCC will either send you a replacement certificate with the error corrected, or they will send you a note saying that the mistake was not made by them, and as a result, you need to apply again to have the correction taken care of.
For any of the above situations (in Canada/US; or outside those countries), if your request is Urgent, you should:
- Write Urgent in bold dark letters on the envelope.
- Enclose a written explanation of why your case is urgent.
- Enclose any supporting documents necessary to prove your urgency.
If it has been more than 90 days since you received your certificate, you’ll have to resubmit your application (on paper) for a replacement certificate and pay the fees.
The top mistake on citizenship certificates?
Usually, the spelling of your name or your birth date is prone to be reproduced with mistakes.
How do I change my name on my Canadian citizenship certificate (card)?
Go here to learn how to change your name on your certificate.
FAQs
If I mistake my citizenship application, will this reflect on my certificate?
Yes, it may very well result in your certificate having incorrect information. This is why it is crucial to fill in form cit0001 carefully and entirely and constantly review your work to spot any errors.
The government made an error on my citizenship certificate – what can I do to fix it?
Scroll up a few pixels to the top of this page and read our easy 3 steps to fixing mistakes on your certificate.
Fix a Citizenship Typo
You can fix an error on your citizenship card or certificate. PLEASE NOTE: Fixing your date of birth will cause massive delays in processing time, unless you fix your landing paper first. This is because your Record of Landing/Landing Paper/Confirmation of Permanent Residence is the source of the information on your citizenship certificate (or card).
Fixing Error on Citizenship Card
If your Canadian Citizenship Card has a mistake on it, you really should fix it, as IRCC (formerly CIC) stopped issuing the cards in 2012 and there’s no telling where the mistake has made its way to. A mistake on your citizenship card could have made its way onto the following IDs:
- your driver’s license
- your passport
- your health card
- your SIN Card
- any employment or student IDs you’ve had
- and more.
An issue with your ID could cause problems properly identifying you as the person in the ID.
You should double check your other identification to make sure the error on your citizenship card hasn’t found its way onto your other identification.
In order to fix an error on your citizenship card, you will have to complete the replacement citizenship certificate application, the same form you would submit if you lost your card or certificate. Every ID you submit must have the correct information on it. If even one of the IDs you submit contains the same error, you new certificate may be issued with the error still on it.
If the error on your citizenship card resulted from an error on your landing paper, you need to fix that error first. Fix the error on your landing paper. You will need to submit your correct verification of status as part of the application.
You will be issued a citizenship certificate, as the card is no longer issued. If you are amending your birth certificate, you can expect to wait 2 years or more for the new certificate, unless you amend your record of landing first.
Fixing an Error on Citizenship Certificate
If there’s a mistake on your Canadian Citizenship Certificate, it is likely because there is a mistake on your Record of Landing or Confirmation of Permanent Residence, and you need to fix that first.
If the mistake on your certificate is not on your landing paper or COPR then you can just apply for an amendment of your certificate by completing the same application as you would to replace a lost one. You will need to provide identification that has your correct information on it, and you should make sure that you provide a copy of your landing paper or COPR that has your correct information on it just in case the error is in CIC’s system.
If you are amending an error relating to your date of birth, it could take over 2 years to receive your new certificate, unless you fix your landing paper first.
Need an easier way to get a replacement citizenship certificate?
Why not get some support?
1. We make sure everything is perfect! No returned applications.
2. We track and deal with the government for you. Try calling IRCC yourself. It’s a mess.
3. Need your document fast? Again, we can help.
Allard Keeley has been a published writer on immigration policy since 2013. Has written for publications like The Federalist. Fluent in Spanish and English. BA Honors Economics Queen’s University in Kingston, Ontario.
