Nova Scotia Naturalization and Citizenship

Online Records

 * 1849-1917 - Naturalization papers, Nova Scotia, ca. 1849-1917
 * 1915-1951 - Canadian Naturalization, 1915-1951

History

 * Until 1947, British immigrants from England, Scotland, Wales, and Ireland automatically became citizens of Canada; they did not need naturalization.
 * Non-British immigrants, however, were required to make oaths of allegiance before receiving land grants. Files containing these oaths and petitions for citizenship covering the years 1817 to 1846 are found at the Provincial Archives.

Writing for Records
Requests for searches of naturalization/citizenship indexes and records from 1854 to the present should be signed and mailed to:
 * Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) Access to Information and Privacy Division Ottawa, ON K1A 1L1 Canada

Please note that the following conditions apply:

The application for copies of records should indicate that it is being requested under Access to Information. It must be submitted by a Canadian citizen or an individual residing in Canada. For non-citizens, you can hire a freelance researcher to make the request on your behalf. Fee: $5.00, payable to the Receiver General for Canada. The request must be accompanied by a signed consent from the person concerned or proof that he/she has been deceased 20 years. Proof of death can be a copy of a death record, a newspaper obituary or a photograph of the gravestone showing name and death date.


 * Please note that IRCC requires proof of death regardless of the person’s year of birth.
 * Your request should include the full name, date and place of birth, and if possible, the Canadian citizenship number or naturalization certificate number.
 * Only Canadian citizens and permanent residents can make a request for information under the Access to Information Act and the Privacy Act. However, you may ask a Canadian citizen or a permanent resident to submit an Access to Information request on your behalf. Keep in mind that the records will be mailed to the requester within Canada. It is also important to note that we require written consent (signed and dated) or proof of executorship, if the individual whose personal information is being sought has been deceased for less than 20 years.

Nova Scotia Archives
Nova Scotia Archives 6016 University Avenue Halifax, Nova Scotia B3H 1W4 Canada Telephone: (902)424-6060 Email: archivesnovascotia.ca
 * Record Group 18, series A in the Nova Scotia Archives contains many oaths of allegiance taken between 1862 and 1915.
 * Record Group 49 in the Nova Scotia Archives contains citizenship records after 1900 for seven counties.