Do I lose my original citizenship when I become Canadian?

Aman
2025/03/04

2 Min Read

By birth Naturalized in Canada Citizenship in Canada

Dual Citizenship as a Canadian

You need to understand that holding multiple citizenships while being Canadian is permitted by Canada, but not all countries share same policy. Some may even consider dual citizenship illegal.

Do I even have Multiple Citizenships?

You could be a dual citizen if you were born abroad, have a parent from another country, or applied for citizenship elsewhere. Interestingly, you might not even realize (happens more often than you think) you have another citizenship if one of your parents is a foreign citizen—some countries automatically consider you their citizen regardless of your Canadian status.

Key things to understand while Traveling

If you're planning to visit a country where you hold citizenship:

Understand what the country's dual citizenship requirements
Contact their embassy or consulate in Canada for guidance
Review Travel Advisories for country-specific information from https://travel.gc.ca/travelling/advisories

Issues/ Challenges Abroad

You need to understand that when visiting a country where you're also a citizen, different rules may apply to you:

You might need that country's passport to enter or exit, require an exit visa, or need to register your Canadian citizenship. Some countries might impose exit bans during investigations or disputes or require parental permission to leave depending on your age or gender.
Other obligations might include mandatory military service, tax payments, or registering your Canadian-born children with local authorities.

Limited Canadian Protection

Perhaps most importantly, your dual citizenship could limit Canada's ability to help you. Local authorities might legally prevent Canadian officials from assisting you during emergencies or deny your request for consular services altogether.

Returning to Canada

Remember that even if you're traveling with your other passport, you'll need a valid Canadian passport to return to Canada by air—even when just passing through or when the other country requires you to use their passport.