Québec Birth Record for Canadian Citizenship by Descent (Births in the Last 100 Years)
For Québec births within roughly the last 100 years, the record comes from the Directeur de l’état civil. What you need is the copie d’acte de naissance, the full register entry. The short certificate is not the right document.
One rule catches many families: IRCC does not accept Québec birth or marriage certificates issued before January 1, 1994, so an old certificate in a family drawer will not do. Order a fresh copy.
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
- Directeur de l’état civil (Québec)
- What to ask for
- Copie d’acte de naissance (the full register entry, not the short certificate)
- What it costs
- About CA$64 by mail. No surcharge for non-residents.
- How long
- About 90 days to a US address.
How to order it
Non-residents order by mailing the form with two photocopies of ID from different organisations, paid in CAD.
Where people get stuck
- IRCC does not accept Québec birth or marriage certificates issued before January 1, 1994. Order a fresh copy; do not reuse an old family certificate.
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
Whether a descendant can order without first documenting the family link.
More
- Québec Baptism Record for Canadian Citizenship by Descent (BAnQ)
- 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
- 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.