Long-form birth certificate Canada: how to order in every province

If you're applying for Canadian citizenship by descent, you almost certainly need a long-form birth certificate from a Canadian province or territory — usually for the Canadian-born ancestor in your family tree. The wallet-sized "short-form" certificate won't work. This guide walks through what the long form is, why IRCC requires it, and how to order one from each of the thirteen provincial and territorial vital statistics agencies.

Why the long-form (and not the short-form) is required

The CIT 0001 application — the step-by-step form you mail to IRCC — needs to prove a chain of descent. For a Bill C-3 grandparent claim, that chain runs from you, through your parent, to your Canadian-born grandparent. To trace it, IRCC has to see who that grandparent's parents were on a government-issued document.

The short-form certificate (sometimes called a "wallet card" or "birth certificate") only lists the registered person's name, date and place of birth, and registration number. It does not list parents. That's not enough.

The long-form certificate — also called a "birth certification," "certified copy of registration," or in Quebec a copie d'acte de naissance — does include parents' names. That's what IRCC needs. If you submit a short-form by mistake, your application will be returned, costing you months.

What the long-form actually shows

A Canadian long-form birth certificate typically contains:

• The registered person's full name at birth
• Date of birth
• Place of birth (city/town and province)
• Sex
• Both parents' full names (including mother's maiden name)
• Registration number and registration date
• The seal or stamp of the issuing vital statistics agency

It's the document that proves not just that someone was born, but who they were born to. That parental link is the single most important piece of evidence in a citizenship-by-descent file.

How to order — the general process

Every province and territory runs its own vital statistics office. The general flow is the same:

1. Identify the agency for the province where the birth was registered (not where the person later lived).
2. Apply online through the agency's website where possible, or by mail using a downloadable form.
3. Provide identification — your own ID, plus details of the registered person (full name at birth, date, place, parents' names if you know them).
4. Prove your relationship if the person is deceased or if you are not the registered person.
5. Pay the fee (typically CAD $20–$75 depending on province and rush level).
6. Wait — anywhere from a few days (rush) to several weeks (standard).

If your grandparent is deceased — which is common for Bill C-3 applicants — you'll usually need to provide a copy of their death certificate and a document showing your relationship (your parent's birth certificate, plus your own, to establish the chain). Some agencies accept a sworn statement; others require certified copies. Check the specific province's "applicant relationship" rules before ordering.

Province-by-province

Ontario — ServiceOntario

Ontario births are handled by ServiceOntario (Office of the Registrar General, based in Thunder Bay). Order online through the ServiceOntario website; you can also apply by mail. Ask specifically for the Long Form Birth Certificate (sometimes labelled "Certified Copy of Birth Registration"). Standard processing is typically 2–4 weeks; premium and online options are faster. Fees range roughly $35–$75 depending on speed. If the registered person is deceased, expect to provide proof of death and your relationship.

Quebec — Directeur de l'état civil

Quebec is unique. The Directeur de l'état civil (DEC) issues a copie d'acte de naissance — the long-form document IRCC accepts. There are three formats (certificate, attestation, copy of act); you want the copy of the act ("copie d'acte"). Order online through the DEC's website. Standard processing is typically longer than other provinces — often 6–10 weeks — with an accelerated option for an extra fee. See the Quebec translation note below; this trips up most applicants.

British Columbia — Vital Statistics Agency

The BC Vital Statistics Agency issues long-form (also called "framed" or "certified") certificates. Order online or by mail. Standard processing is typically 2–4 weeks; rush service is available. Fees are typically in the $35–$80 range. For deceased relatives, BC requires proof of death and your relationship to the deceased.

Alberta — Service Alberta / Vital Statistics

Alberta vital statistics are administered by Service Alberta, but you don't order directly — you apply through any registry agent (private offices that handle government services). Ask for a Birth Certificate – Certified Copy (the long form), not the wallet card. Processing is typically 2–4 weeks. Fees vary by registry agent on top of the base provincial fee.

Saskatchewan — eHealth Saskatchewan

Saskatchewan births are managed by eHealth Saskatchewan's Vital Statistics Registry. Order online or by mail. Ask for a Birth Certificate (Long Form). Standard processing is typically 2–4 weeks. For a deceased registered person, you'll need to demonstrate your relationship and pay the standard fee.

Manitoba — Vital Statistics Branch

The Vital Statistics Branch (a special operating agency of the Manitoba government) issues long-form certificates. Order online or by mail. Specify the long-form birth certificate when ordering. Typical processing is 2–6 weeks; faster service is available.

New Brunswick — Service New Brunswick

Service New Brunswick handles vital statistics. Order online through the SNB website or in person at a Service New Brunswick centre. Ask for the long-form birth certificate. Processing is typically 2–4 weeks.

Nova Scotia — Vital Statistics Nova Scotia

The Nova Scotia Vital Statistics office (under Service Nova Scotia) issues long-form certificates. Order online, by mail, or in person at an Access Nova Scotia centre. Standard processing is typically 2–4 weeks.

Prince Edward Island — Vital Statistics PEI

Vital Statistics PEI (under the Department of Health and Wellness) issues long-form certificates. PEI is small and applications can move quickly, but online ordering options are more limited — many applicants apply in person or by mail. Typical processing is 1–4 weeks.

Newfoundland and Labrador — Vital Statistics Division

The Vital Statistics Division of Service NL issues long-form certificates. Order online or by mail. Note that records before 1892 (and for some communities, later) may be incomplete — see the records section below if you can't find your ancestor.

Yukon — Vital Statistics, Yukon

The Yukon Vital Statistics Office issues long-form certificates. Yukon's online ordering options are limited; most applicants order by mail or in person in Whitehorse. Processing is typically 2–4 weeks.

Northwest Territories — Vital Statistics NWT

Vital Statistics NWT (based in Inuvik) issues long-form certificates. Online and mail-in options are both available. Allow extra time for mail to and from the territory; processing is typically 3–6 weeks total.

Nunavut — Vital Statistics Nunavut

Vital Statistics Nunavut (based in Rankin Inlet) issues long-form certificates. Mail-in is the most common route. Processing is typically 4–8 weeks; allow extra mail time.

Fees and timelines change. Always confirm the current fee, the exact name of the long-form product, and any rush options on the provincial agency's own website before paying. A few extra minutes of checking can save you weeks if you order the wrong document.

The Quebec translation requirement

If your ancestor was born in Quebec, the copie d'acte de naissance will almost always be in French. IRCC requires that all documents submitted with the CIT 0001 be in English or French — so a French Quebec document is fine on the language front. But if you're filing in English and IRCC officers reading your file want a quick reference, you can submit it as is.

The catch is that if any supporting document is in a language other than English or French — for example, an old church baptismal record in Latin or Italian — you must include both the original (or a certified copy) and a translation. The translation must be done by a certified translator who is a member of a provincial translators' association in good standing, accompanied by an affidavit. A family member's translation will not be accepted, even if it's accurate.

For the Quebec long-form itself, no translation is needed when filing with IRCC. The confusion usually comes from applicants who think the entire file must be in English; it doesn't.

What if the records are old or hard to find

Sometimes you hit a wall: the agency has no record, the registration was never completed, or the person was born so long ago that the file has been transferred to provincial archives. Some options:

• Check provincial archives. Each province has an archive that holds older birth, marriage, and death records — Library and Archives Canada's online catalogue is a good starting point, and most provinces have indexed pre-1920 records online.
• Use church records. Pre-civil-registration births (varies by province, but generally pre-1900s) were often recorded by churches. A baptismal certificate from the parish where the ancestor was baptised can serve as secondary evidence.
• Look for a delayed registration. Some Canadians, especially those born in remote areas in the early 20th century, had their births registered years after the fact. The vital stats office will usually still have a record under "delayed registrations."
• Census records. The 1921 and 1931 Canadian census records (now public) can place an ancestor in Canada at a specific date, which helps support the claim even if the birth certificate itself is missing.
• Contact IRCC directly. The Sydney, Nova Scotia citizenship office that processes proof-of-citizenship applications can sometimes accept a "secondary evidence" package — a sworn statement of facts plus whatever supporting documents exist (church records, census, family photos, school records). This is case-by-case and not guaranteed; if you're in this position, consider getting an opinion from an RCIC (Regulated Canadian Immigration Consultant) or Canadian immigration lawyer before submitting.

For the broader context on who qualifies and what evidence IRCC accepts, see our overview of citizenship by descent in 2026 and the Bill C-3 explainer.

Order early, file once

The single biggest cause of delay in a Bill C-3 application is documentary: a wrong-format birth certificate, a missing parent's name, or an old record that takes the province two months to track down. Order the long-form versions of every Canadian birth certificate you'll need before you start drafting the CIT 0001. By the time the form is ready, your documents will be too.

If you'd like a checklist tailored to your specific family situation — which provinces you'll need to order from, whose long-form is required, and what supporting documents IRCC expects — start with our free eligibility check at /check. It takes about three minutes and outputs a custom document list.