Order of priority: Documents for date of birth
This section contains policy, procedures and guidance used by IRCC staff. It is posted on the department’s website as a courtesy to stakeholders.
The following table illustrates which documents should be used to establish a date of birth record by line of business, in descending order of priority where 1 is the top document to be used.
Note: This table does not apply to requests for a correction of date of birth. See Managing existing date of birth records for more information on correcting dates of birth.
Order of priority of documentary evidence for establishing a date of birth record by business class
| Temporary resident (VR, WP, SP, TRP)Footnote i | Permanent residence application (including first time PR card) | Permanent resident card renewal | Refugee claimant/ protected person | Citizenship grant applicant – adult [5(1) of the CA] or minor [5(2)(a) of the CA] | Citizenship discretionary grant [5(4] of the CA] | Citizenship grant for stateless person [5(5) of the CA] | Citizenship grant for adopted person [5.1 of the CA] | Resumption of citizenship [11(1) of the CA] | Proof of citizenship applicant (born outside Canada) | Proof of citizenship applicant (born in Canada) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Birth certificate issued by Canadian province or territory | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | 1 | N/A | N/A | 1 | N/A | 1Footnote ii |
| Adoption order | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | 1 | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Foreign passport | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | N/A | 3 | N/A | 2Footnote iii | 2 | 2 | N/A |
| Travel document | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | N/A | 4 | 1 | N/A | 3 | 3 | N/A |
| Immigration document issued by IRCC | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | 1 | 2 | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Referral document from international bodyFootnote iv | N/A | N/A | N/A | 3 | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Identity document issued outside Canada | 3 | 3 | N/A | 4 | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | 4 | N/A |
| Foreign birth certificate | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | 5Footnote v | 2 | 2Footnote iii | N/A | 1 | N/A |
| Statutory declaration as per IRPR 178 | N/A | 4 | N/A | 5 | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Legal change of date of birth document issued in Canada | N/A | N/A | 3 | N/A | 2 | N/A | N/A | 3 | 4 | N/A | 2 |