Newfoundland and Labrador Birth Certificate, 1949 and Later, for Citizenship by Descent
Newfoundland joined Canada on April 1, 1949. For births from that date onward, Newfoundland and Labrador Vital Statistics issues the birth certificate. It costs about CA$30 online or CA$35 by mail, plus courier outside Canada.
This is the Canadian-side record for one ancestor. Citizenship by descent needs a record for every generation in your line, from you back to that ancestor.
The short answer
- Who has it
- Newfoundland and Labrador Vital Statistics
- What to ask for
- Birth certificate
- What it costs
- About CA$30 online or CA$35 by mail, plus courier outside Canada.
- How long
- Up to 5 business days, plus delivery.
How to order it
Births over 100 years old can only be ordered by mail.
What IRCC wants for every document
- IRCC asks for authentic, verifiable documents for every generation, from you back to the Canadian-born ancestor. Repeat this lookup for each link in the chain.
- If an official birth certificate does not exist, IRCC may accept a baptismal, hospital, census or boat-manifest record, with a written explanation of why the certificate is unavailable.
- Records not in English or French need a translation with the translator’s sworn statement.
- Family-tree website printouts are not accepted as proof.
More
- Québec Baptism Record for Canadian Citizenship by Descent (BAnQ)
- Québec Birth Record for Canadian Citizenship by Descent (Births in the Last 100 Years)
- Ontario Birth Registration, 1869 to 1919, for Citizenship by Descent (Archives of Ontario)
- Ontario Birth Certificate, 1920 and Later, for Citizenship by Descent (ServiceOntario)
- Nova Scotia Long-Form Birth Certificate, 1924 and Later, for Citizenship by Descent
- Nova Scotia Birth Registrations from the Archives (1864 to 1877 and 1908 to 1923)
- New Brunswick Birth Certificate, 1888 and Later, for Citizenship by Descent
- Newfoundland Birth Records Before Confederation (1891 to 1948) and Citizenship by Descent
- Manitoba Birth Record, Births Over 100 Years Old, for Citizenship by Descent
- Manitoba Birth Record, Births in the Last 100 Years, for Citizenship by Descent
- Saskatchewan Birth Record, Births Over 100 Years Old, for Citizenship by Descent
- Saskatchewan Birth Certificate, Births in the Last 100 Years, for Citizenship by Descent
- Alberta Birth Registration, Births Over 120 Years Old, for Citizenship by Descent
- Alberta Birth Document, Births in the Last 120 Years, for Citizenship by Descent
Fees and times are approximate, checked against official pages on 2026-10-01. Confirm with each office before ordering. Legal questions go to a licensed Canadian lawyer or consultant.