Canadian permanent residence and citizenship: what Brits need to know

Permanent residence is the hard part. After that it's mostly about counting days, and you never have to choose between the maple leaf and the Union Jack.

The short version

• As a permanent resident (PR), you must spend at least 730 days in Canada in every five years to keep your status. They don't have to be in one go [1].
• Your PR card proves your status. You need it to fly back into Canada, or a permanent resident travel document (PRTD) instead [1].
• For citizenship you need 1,095 days physically in Canada in the five years before you apply, plus tax returns where required, an English test result and the citizenship test if you're 18 to 54 [2].
• The adult citizenship fee is CAD 653 (about £346) [5].
• Both countries allow dual citizenship, so you can keep your British passport [6][7].

Pound conversions use the Bank of England spot rate of 5 November 2026 (£1 = CAD 1.89).

Life as a permanent resident

Once you land with your Confirmation of Permanent Residence, you're a PR. You can live, work and study anywhere in Canada, get most of the social benefits citizens get, and apply for citizenship later [1]. You must pay tax and follow the law like anyone else.

What you can't do is vote or stand in Canadian elections, or take some jobs that need high-level security clearance [1]. That's quite a change if you're used to voting at the village hall back home. You can still vote in UK elections: the votes-for-life rules mean British citizens abroad can register as overseas voters wherever they live.

The PR card

Your PR card proves your status. If you travel abroad and come back on a plane, train, bus or boat, you must show your PR card and your passport [1]. If your card has expired or is lost, apply for a PRTD from abroad before you fly back [1]. Both the PR card and the PRTD cost CAD 50 (about £27) [5].

An expired card doesn't mean you've lost PR status. You only lose it after an official decision, if you renounce it, if a removal order takes effect, or when you become a citizen [1]. But an expired card can make getting home a faff, so renew it in good time.

The 730-day residency obligation

To keep PR status, you must have been in Canada for at least 730 days in the last five years [1]. Some points worth knowing:

• The days don't need to be continuous. Two long summers in Cornwall are fine if you're in Canada the rest of the time.
• Some time outside Canada can count, for example in certain cases when you're with a Canadian citizen partner. IRCC has a page on which time abroad counts [1].
• If you fall short, you stay a PR until an officer decides otherwise, but you may face a formal check when you return or when you apply for a PRTD [1].

Sources: IRCC [1][2].

Keep a simple log of every trip abroad, with dates. IRCC has a travel journal for this, and you'll need the dates for your citizenship application anyway.

Becoming a Canadian citizen

Who can apply

As an adult, you must [2]:

1. Be a PR with no unmet conditions or removal order. An expired PR card is fine for applying.
2. Have been physically in Canada for at least 1,095 days (three years) in the five years before you sign your application. Time as a PR must make up at least 730 of those days. Each day you spent in Canada on a work or study permit before you got PR counts as half a day, up to a maximum of 365 days. IRCC suggests applying with a margin above 1,095 in case of a counting error.
3. Have filed Canadian tax returns where you had to, for at least three years in those five.
4. Prove your English or French at CLB 4 if you're 18 to 54. For British applicants, an accepted certificate or qualification will do.
5. Pass the citizenship test if you're 18 to 54.
6. Take the oath of citizenship at a ceremony.
7. Not be under a prohibition, such as some criminal records.

If you were in Canada on a working holiday or work permit before getting PR, those half days add up. Our guide to Canada's working holiday for Brits explains that route.

The citizenship test

Most people take it online, within 30 days of the invitation, with a webcam watching [4]. The test [3]:

• has 20 questions, multiple choice or true or false
• lasts 45 minutes, in English or French
• needs 15 correct answers (75%) to pass
• gives you three chances

It covers the rights and responsibilities of citizens, and Canada's history, geography, economy, government, laws and symbols [3]. Everything comes from the free official study guide, Discover Canada [3]. Expect questions about Confederation, the provinces and how Parliament works. Your knowledge of the Tudors won't get you far.

The oath, and the King

At the ceremony, you take the oath of citizenship. It includes a promise of allegiance to the King, Canada's head of state, so it's one part of the process most Brits find familiar.

Fees

Source: IRCC fee list [5].

Keeping your British passport

You don't have to choose. Canada recognises dual citizenship, so you don't need to give up British citizenship to become Canadian [7]. The UK allows it too: you can apply for foreign citizenship and keep your British citizenship [6].

A few practical points for dual citizens:

• Travelling to the UK: use your British passport (or a certificate of entitlement) [6][7]. Keep it renewed. Our guide to renewing a British passport from abroad explains how.
• Travelling to Canada: once you're a citizen, get a Canadian passport. Canada expects its citizens to enter on a Canadian passport, so don't rely on your British one for the flight back to Pearson.
• Consular help: as a dual national, you can't get diplomatic help from the British government while you're in Canada, the other country whose citizenship you hold [6].
• Your children: children born in Canada are usually Canadian, and they may also be British by descent. Our guide to registering a child born abroad covers the UK side.

Getting citizenship doesn't change your UK tax position. Where you're resident does. Our Canadian taxes for Brits guide explains how the two systems fit together.

A simple timeline

1. Day 1: you land as a PR. Start counting days and keep your travel log.
2. Within weeks: your PR card arrives by post at your Canadian address.
3. Each tax year: file your Canadian return on time, as it matters for citizenship.
4. About year three: check your days with IRCC's physical presence calculator. Remember the half days from any time on a work permit.
5. When you're comfortably over 1,095 days: apply online, study Discover Canada and sit the test.
6. After the ceremony: apply for a Canadian passport and keep your British one up to date.

Our community group for Brits in Canada has plenty of people who've been through each step, and you can join here.

Sources

1. IRCC: Understand permanent resident status (modified 9 April 2026)
2. IRCC: Canadian citizenship for adults and minor children – who can apply
3. IRCC: Study for the citizenship test
4. IRCC: How the citizenship test works
5. IRCC: Fee list (modified 21 September 2026)
6. GOV.UK: Dual citizenship
7. GOV.UK (FCDO): Living in Canada (updated 11 December 2025)

Keep reading

• Express Entry for Brits: points and provincial nominations
• Moving to Toronto as a Brit: visa and residence routes
• Voting from abroad: votes for life
• Renewing a British passport from abroad