Ministry of Citizenship and Immigration
Ministry of Citizenship and Immigration
Republic of Newfoundland
We administer citizenship, passports, immigration pathways, settlement support, and records that connect Newfoundlanders at home and abroad with the Republic.
Our Mandate
- Protect the integrity of Newfoundland citizenship and national identity records.
- Administer citizenship confirmation, registration, and naturalisation.
- Provide policy oversight for Newfoundland passports and identity standards.
- Support lawful immigration, settlement, and diaspora services.
Primary services: citizenship, Foreign Births Register, passport eligibility, immigration, settlement, and naturalisation.
Citizenship
Citizenship of the Republic of Newfoundland formally recognises a person as a national of the Republic. It connects a person to the rights and responsibilities of national life and allows eligible citizens to apply for a Newfoundland passport.
- Citizenship by birth where the conditions set out in Newfoundland citizenship law are met.
- Citizenship confirmation for people who believe they are already citizens.
- Naturalisation for eligible lawful residents with a genuine connection to Newfoundland.
Foreign Births Register
A person born outside the Republic may apply for citizenship by descent through the Foreign Births Register if one of the following applies:
- one of the applicant’s grandparents was born in Newfoundland or Labrador; or
- one of the applicant’s parents was a citizen of the Republic of Newfoundland at the time of the applicant’s birth, even if that parent was not born in Newfoundland or Labrador.
Once a person is entered on the Foreign Births Register, that person is recognised as a citizen of the Republic of Newfoundland and may apply for a Newfoundland passport.
Future generations: citizenship by descent should be registered before it can pass to the next generation. If a parent was born outside the Republic and is eligible through descent, that parent should be entered on the Foreign Births Register before the birth of a child in order for the child to claim citizenship through that parent.
Documents normally required
- completed and witnessed application form;
- applicant’s civil birth certificate showing parental details;
- proof of identity and proof of address;
- civil birth, marriage, change-of-name, or death certificates needed to prove the parent and grandparent line;
- recent colour photographs witnessed by an approved professional.
Immigration and Settlement
The Ministry supports lawful immigration that strengthens families, communities, and the national economy. Immigration programmes are administered with attention to labour needs, humanitarian obligations, regional settlement, and the Republic’s capacity to welcome newcomers successfully.
- family reunification and returning Newfoundlander pathways;
- skilled worker and strategic sector immigration streams;
- student and graduate transition pathways;
- settlement support, language access, and civic orientation.
Contact
For citizenship, Foreign Births Register, passport eligibility, and immigration enquiries, contact the Government of the Republic of Newfoundland through the official contact channels listed on this site.