New Brunswick records for Canadian citizenship by descent: who holds them, what they cost and how long they take
Checked against IRCC's pages on 21 October 2026.
New Brunswick did not require anyone to register a birth until 1888. If your ancestor was born before then, there may be no birth registration at all, and the record you need is in a church register.
The second thing to know is the wait. The Provincial Archives of New Brunswick now says it may take at least 6 months before an archivist even starts on a citizenship request.
So the order of your search matters. Most of the archives' records are searchable online for free. If you find the entry yourself first, your request can name the exact record and its reference number.
IRCC's guide asks for documents "issued by the original authority" for each person in your line. It also says: "Your application cannot be supported solely by third-party records." For New Brunswick, the original authority is the Provincial Archives, Service New Brunswick's Vital Statistics office, or the church that kept the register.
Who holds which years
| The record | Provincial Archives of New Brunswick | Vital Statistics, Service New Brunswick |
|---|---|---|
| Births | 1800 to 1929 | 1930 to today |
| Marriages | 1847 to 1975 | 1976 to today |
| Deaths | 1815 to 1975 | 1976 to today |
These years come from the archives' own pages, checked on 21 October 2026.
The archives' records before 1888 are patchy. Registration was voluntary until the 1887 law took effect, and the archives says the odds of finding a registration go up again from 1920, when the Department of Health took over the job.
Born before 1930: the Provincial Archives
Start with the archives' vital statistics search. It covers births registered before 1930, plus marriages and deaths registered before 1976, and searching costs nothing.
A New Brunswick birth registration lists the child's name and date of birth, the father's name and occupation, and the mother's maiden name. Those parents' names are the link between one generation and the next in your application.
When you find the entry, you can order a certified copy straight from the record with its "contact us" button. Have the person's name, the date of the event and the reference number from the entry.
A certified copy is signed by the Provincial Archivist or someone they designate. The archives says that copy "may be used to satisfy legal requirements."
Born before 1888: church records
If there is no registration, look for a baptism. The archives holds some church records for Anglican, Baptist, Lutheran, Methodist, Presbyterian, Roman Catholic and United congregations.
Two things to know before you count on them:
- Churches in New Brunswick are not required to hand their records to the archives, so many registers are still with the parish or the diocese.
- Some sacramental records at the archives are restricted and need staff help to see.
The archives' county genealogical guides list its church records by denomination, parish, event type and year, with the microfilm number for each. If you find your ancestor's parish there, put those details in your request. The archives says it helps them find the record faster.
Other records at the archives can fill a gap before 1888:
- County council marriage records, 1789 to 1887
- Marriage bonds, 1810 to 1932
- The Daniel F. Johnson collection of birth, marriage and death notices from New Brunswick newspapers, 1784 to 1896
A newspaper notice or a marriage bond can point you to the right parish. On its own, it is not the original birth or baptism record IRCC asks for.
Not sure which parish or which year to search?
Start with a Gen 0 Check, $49.
We look for your Canadian-born ancestor's birth or baptism record, then tell you which office holds it and how to order it. You receive the results within 3 business days.
Born in 1930 or later: Vital Statistics
Births from 1930 on are with the Vital Statistics office of Service New Brunswick. Ask for the long form birth certificate.
The long form names the parents and the province or country where each was born. The short form names neither parent, so it does not link your ancestor to the next generation.
Vital Statistics lists who may apply. For someone who has died, the applicant must send proof of death. The application also asks for the parents' names (the mother's maiden name included), your relationship to the person and why you want the certificate.
A birth certificate costs $40 online or $45 by mail or in person.
What the archives charges
| Item | Fee (Canadian dollars) |
|---|---|
| Certified copy of a record, shipping included | $11.00 |
| Each extra page | $1.00 |
The archives takes Visa or Mastercard, and its staff contact you to take payment. Copies go by ground mail with no tracking.
The archives also says the cost of certified copies "will be increasing soon," so check the page before you budget.
How long it takes
The archives' citizenship page says it may take at least 6 months for an archivist to begin processing a request, because demand is higher than usual. After that, the time depends on the record. One that is only on microfilm takes longer than one in the digital collection.
Once you pay, most copies arrive within 2 to 4 weeks.
Want to know which record to ask for before you join the line?
Start with a Gen 0 Check, $49.
We look for your Canadian-born ancestor's birth or baptism record, then tell you which office holds it and how to order it. You receive the results within 3 business days.
What to send with a request
If the record is not online, archives staff will do a limited search for you through the contact form. You need:
- First and last names of the person
- A date, or a 3 to 5 year range
- The county, city, town or community
- The family's religion
A maiden name helps for women, and the parents' names help with baptisms.
If you are missing most of this, the archives points to Library and Archives Canada census records, newspaper obituaries, Find a Grave, the New Brunswick Genealogical Society and family papers like letters and family Bibles.
Questions people ask
Can I order from the U.S.?
The archives says delivery time "varies on where the record is being sent," and its fee includes shipping. It does not list a separate rate for addresses outside Canada, so ask when staff contact you about payment.
Is the archives copy the same as a birth certificate?
No. Vital Statistics issues birth certificates for recent births. The archives issues a certified copy of the original registration, which shows the parents' names as they were written at the time.
My ancestor was Acadian. Where do I look?
Acadian families in New Brunswick were mostly Roman Catholic, so a baptism before 1888 is most likely in a Catholic parish register. Check the county guide for the parish, then ask the archives whether it holds that register or whether it is still with the diocese.
The archives says a request may wait 6 months or more, so you want to send the right one the first time.
Start with a Gen 0 Check, $49.
We look for your Canadian-born ancestor's birth or baptism record, then tell you which office holds it and how to order it. You receive the results within 3 business days.
Canadian Roots Found does record research. We are not lawyers, and nothing here is legal or immigration advice. Checked against IRCC's pages and the New Brunswick offices' pages on 21 October 2026.
Sources:
- IRCC, Guide CIT 0001, section 3: https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/application/application-forms-guides/guide-0001-online-application-citizenship-certificate-adults-minors-proof-citizenship-section-3.html
- Provincial Archives of New Brunswick, Requesting records for Canadian citizenship by descent: https://www.gnb.ca/en/topic/your-gov/data-records/archives/citizenship.html
- Provincial Archives of New Brunswick, Vital statistics introduction: https://archives.gnb.ca/en-ca/vital-statistics/introduction
- Service New Brunswick, Birth certificate: https://www.gnb.ca/en/topic/family-home-community/vital-statistics/birth-certificate.html