Records guide
Ontario Birth Certificate, 1920 and Later, for Citizenship by Descent (ServiceOntario)
For Ontario births from about 1920 onward, certified copies of the birth registration come from ServiceOntario, the Office of the Registrar General. For a deceased person, copies are issued to next of kin, which includes grandchildren.
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
- ServiceOntario (Office of the Registrar General)
- What to ask for
- Certified copy of the birth registration
- What it costs
- About CA$35 regular online or CA$65 premium.
- How long
- About 15 business days regular, 5 business days premium, or 6 to 8 weeks by mail.
How to order it
Certified copies for a deceased person are issued to next of kin, which includes grandchildren.
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.
What we have not confirmed yet
Open question: whether the online order accepts a US address and card.
Want help ordering it?
For $149 USD, we fill in the request forms for you and go over them on a 30-minute call, so you order the right version the first time.
More records guides
- Ontario Birth Registration, 1869 to 1919, for Citizenship by Descent (Archives of Ontario)
- Québec Baptism Record for Canadian Citizenship by Descent (BAnQ)
- Québec Birth Record for Canadian Citizenship by Descent (Births in the Last 100 Years)
- 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 and Labrador Birth Certificate, 1949 and Later, for Citizenship by Descent
- Newfoundland Birth Records Before Confederation (1891 to 1948) and Citizenship by Descent
Fees and times are approximate, checked against official pages on 2026-10-01. Confirm with each office before ordering. This is a records research service, not legal advice.