Records guide
Québec Baptism Record for Canadian Citizenship by Descent (BAnQ)
If your Canadian-born ancestor was born in Québec more than about 100 years ago, there is usually no government birth certificate to order. The record that shows their birth is the baptism act in the Catholic parish register, and BAnQ (Bibliothèque et Archives nationales du Québec) holds those registers.
This guide covers what to ask BAnQ for, what it costs, and what we have not been able to confirm yet. It 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
- BAnQ (Bibliothèque et Archives nationales du Québec)
- What to ask for
- Certified reproduction of the baptism act (Catholic parish register)
- What it costs
- About CA$350 for the first copy and CA$100 for each additional copy (non-resident rate).
- How long
- No official estimate. Regular Canada Post shipping.
How to order it
Order through the BAnQ online request form. Free image viewing of the registers is available, but those images are not certified.
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 IRCC treats a BAnQ certified reproduction under its pre-1994 Québec rule.
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
- 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 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.