How long does it take to get citizenship in Canada?

The naturalization process in Canada takes 7–29 months on average (14.5 months typical). You need 3 years (1095 days) as PR in last 5 years before applying.

What are the steps to get Canada citizenship?

1. Application submission (0–1 months). 2. IRCC processing (5–18 months). 3. Citizenship test + interview (1–4 months). 4. Oath ceremony (1–6 months)

What is the residency requirement for Canada citizenship?

You need 3 years (1095 days) as PR in last 5 years to be eligible for naturalization in Canada. Must pass citizenship knowledge test.

Overview Salaries Tax Cost of Living Housing Visa Routes PR & Citizenship Healthcare Education Passport Happiness Retirement Safety

Immigration Tracker

Canada — Citizenship Timeline

3 years (1095 days) as PR in last 5 years → 4 processing steps → passport

Average Total

14.5mo

Range

7–29mo

Speed Rank

#10 of 19

Residency Req.

3 years (1095 days) as PR in last 5 years

Processing Steps

1Application submission0.5mo avg (0–1 months)

2IRCC processing10mo avg (5–18 months)

Background check, knowledge test scheduling

3Citizenship test + interview2mo avg (1–4 months)

4Oath ceremony2mo avg (1–6 months)

Total processing time

Moderate14.5 months average

Important Notes

Must pass citizenship knowledge test. CLB 4 language requirement. Dual citizenship allowed.

Express Entry Streams

PR processing times by immigration stream.

Stream	Full Name	Avg	Range	Data Points
CEC	Canadian Experience Class	4.5mo	3–6mo	400
FSW	Federal Skilled Worker	7mo	6–12mo	250
PNP	Provincial Nominee Program	8mo	6–12mo	150
FST	Federal Skilled Trades	7mo	5–10mo	30

How Canada compares

Average naturalization processing time, all 19 countries. Canada highlighted.

Key Insight

CEC stream fastest at 3–6 months to PR

Based on 10,816 community-tracked data points.

Source: IRCC official processing times, myimmitracker.com · Last updated: 2026-01

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