How many days do I need for Canadian citizenship?

1,095 days (3 years) physically in Canada during the 5 years right before the date you sign your application. Days as a permanent resident count in full; days before PR as a worker, student, visitor or protected person count as half, up to 365 days.

Does the day I leave Canada count as a day in Canada?

Yes. IRCC counts both the day you leave and the day you come back as days in Canada, so only the full days in between are absences. A same-day trip to the US costs you nothing, and a trip from 1 to 6 July costs 4 days.

Does time on a work or study permit count toward citizenship?

Yes, at half value. Each day in Canada with temporary resident status in the 5-year window counts as half a day, and the total from those days is capped at 365. So you always need at least 730 days as a permanent resident.

When can I apply for Canadian citizenship?

On the first day you have 1,095 credited days in the 5 years before that day, and you also meet the other requirements: taxes filed for 3 of the 5 years if you had to, and, if you are 18 to 54, CLB/NCLC 4 in listening and speaking plus the citizenship test. The calculator above finds that date for you.

What French level do I need for citizenship?

CLB/NCLC 4 or higher in listening and speaking, if you are 18 to 54. A TCF Canada or TEF Canada certificate is accepted proof. See French for Canadian citizenship for the exact scores, and the TCF/TEF guide for citizenship.

Is this calculator official?

No. It follows IRCC's published counting rules, but IRCC's own online physical presence calculator is the authority, and IRCC asks you to include its printout with your application. Use this page to plan and the official one before you apply.

Did Bill C-3 change the 1,095-day rule?

Not for permanent residents applying for citizenship. Bill C-3 (in force 15 December 2025) changed citizenship by descent for people born abroad, and it uses a 1,095-day test for Canadian parents born abroad who pass on citizenship to a child born after that date.

Citizenship calculator

Canadian citizenship calculator: count your 1,095 days

You need 1,095 days in Canada in the 5 years before you sign your application. Enter your PR date and your trips, and see your credited days and the earliest date you can apply.

Your dates

Four quick steps. Results update as you type.

1. Date you became a permanent resident

The date on your Confirmation of Permanent Residence (COPR) or PR card.

2. I lived in Canada before PR

As a worker, student, visitor or protected person. Each of those days counts as half a day, up to 365 days.

3. Trips outside Canada

List every trip in the last 5 years, even day trips to the US. The day you leave and the day you come back count as days in Canada. Add planned trips too.

No trips yet. If you never left Canada, you can skip this step.

4. Date you'll sign your application

Today by default. Pick a future date to see where you'll be then.

Saved on this device only, so you can come back and add trips.

Your physical presence

Enter the date you became a permanent resident to see your days.

Not sure how it works? Tap “Try an example” to see a filled-in case.

This is a planning estimate. IRCC asks you to confirm with its official physical presence calculator and to print the result with your application.

Your citizenship checklist

0 of 6 done

Physical presence is one of six requirements for adults. Tick the others as you sort them; your ticks are saved on this device.

1,095 days in Canada in the last 5 yearsEnter your PR date above to check this one.
Taxes filed for 3 of the last 5 yearsIf you had to file Canadian income tax returns, you need to have filed for at least 3 years in the 5 years before you apply.
French or English at CLB/NCLC 4 (ages 18–54)Proof of listening and speaking at CLB/NCLC 4 or higher, such as a TCF Canada or TEF Canada certificate. Not needed if you are under 18 or over 54 when you sign.What French you need Check your TCF/TEF scores Convert scores to NCLC Free 10-question level check
Citizenship test (ages 18–54)A test on rights and responsibilities, and on Canada's history, geography, government, laws and symbols. Study with IRCC's free guide, Discover Canada.
No prohibitions, and no time in prison, on parole or on probation countedTime in prison, on parole or on probation doesn't count as days in Canada, and some criminal or security situations stop you from becoming a citizen. If this applies to you, get advice before applying.
Days confirmed with IRCC's official calculatorBefore you submit, run your dates through IRCC's physical presence calculator and print the result for your application.Open IRCC's calculator

How it works

How IRCC counts your 1,095 days

The rules come from the Citizenship Act and IRCC's own counting form. Here is what the calculator does, step by step.

Your window is the 5 years before you sign
If you sign on 1 April, the window runs from 1 April five years earlier to 31 March. The day you sign doesn't count: you must already meet the requirement the day before.
Every day in Canada as a PR counts in full
From the date you became a permanent resident, each day you were physically in Canada counts as one day. You need at least 730 of them, because pre-PR credit can't cover more than 365.
Days before PR count as half
Days in Canada as a worker, student, visitor or protected person, inside the 5-year window, count as half a day each, up to 365 credited days. So up to two years in Canada before PR can shorten your wait by up to a year.
Trips remove only the full days abroad
The day you left and the day you came back count as days in Canada. Leave on 1 July and return on 6 July: 4 days abroad. A same-day trip to the US: 0.

Worked example

Priya's dates, counted

An illustrative example, not a real applicant.

Priya came to Canada on a work permit on September 1, 2022 and became a permanent resident on March 15, 2025. She took three trips home over the winter and summer: 58 full days abroad in all.

Counting only her days as a PR, the earliest date she could sign would be April 21, 2028.

Adding her 906 work-permit days at half value (the credit is capped at 365), she gets 365 extra days and can sign on April 22, 2027.

That is 365 days sooner. Her trips before PR still cost her half a day each, and her trips after PR a full day each.

Tap “Try an example” in the calculator to load Priya's dates and play with them.

Requirement 3 of 6

Check the language requirement now

Adults aged 18 to 54 need CLB/NCLC 4 in listening and speaking. Enter your TCF Canada or TEF Canada scores to check, or take the free level check if you haven't sat a test yet.

Citizenship language checker

Enter your listening and speaking scores. These are the two skills IRCC checks for citizenship.

Your exam

Listening · Compréhension orale

/699

Needs 300 or more

Speaking · Expression orale

/20

Needs 6 or more

Enter both scores to see your result.

Applicants aged 18 to 54 need proof of language. Expired TCF Canada or TEF Canada results are accepted.

Last verified Oct 5, 2026Sources:IRCC: proof of language for citizenship(opens in a new tab)

Independent tool, not affiliated with IRCC. Confirm on canada.ca before you apply.

Choosing a test? Read TCF or TEF for citizenship: which French test to take, then sit a free full TCF or TEF mock test to see where you stand.

Watch out

Days that don't count

The calculator assumes every day not inside a trip was spent in Canada with valid status. Take these out yourself before you rely on the date.

Time in prison, on parole or on probation.
Time before PR without valid temporary status, including work or study permits issued while a refugee claim or PRRA was pending.
Time as a protected person before you received a positive decision.
Days outside Canada, unless you were outside as a Crown servant (for example the Canadian Armed Forces or the federal public service) or living abroad with a spouse, partner or parent who was one.
Anything outside the 5-year window: older days simply drop out.

2025 law change

Bill C-3 changed citizenship by descent, not this rule

Since 15 December 2025, Bill C-3 has removed the first-generation limit on citizenship by descent in most cases. A Canadian parent who was born abroad can now pass citizenship to a child born abroad after that date if the parent spent at least 1,095 days in Canada before the birth. For permanent residents applying for a grant of citizenship, the 1,095-day rule on this page is unchanged.

Last verified Oct 6, 2026Sources:IRCC: who can apply for citizenship(opens in a new tab)IRCC form CIT 0407: how to calculate physical presence(opens in a new tab)IRCC physical presence calculator(opens in a new tab)IRCC: proof of language for citizenship(opens in a new tab)IRCC: 2025 changes to citizenship rules(opens in a new tab)