ID

1. Gather the important information you will need for your application. If you don’t have this information, you can contact your last social worker, or their office and request a copy (if they have one). This might require you to submit a form, but every CFS Agency has their own policies.  
2. Your last name at birth (this could change because of adoption or marriage) 
3. All your given names (first and middle names) 
4. Your sex at birth, unless you have changed your sex marker to X
5. Date, month and year you were born 
6. What city or town in Manitoba you were born 
7. Both of your parents’ last names at birth or post-adoption. This needs to match the original name on your birth certificate.  
8. Both of your parents’ given names 
9. Both of your parent’s places of birth  

You might only have your mother on your birth certificate. If this is the case, you can select Yes in response to the “Is there only one parent on the birth record?” question in the Father/ Other Parent section.

Apply online:

1. Get $30 to pay for your birth certificate. If you apply online, you will need a credit card or a Visa debit card.  
2. Fill out the online application (opens in new window). 
3. Your birth certificate will be sent by Canada Post. Delivery can take 2 weeks + shipping time unless you ordered an express delivery. 

In Person:

1. Get $30 to pay for your birth certificate. You can pay by debit or cash.  
2. Fill out the application (opens in new window)
3. Bring to a local Vital Statistics office (opens in new window)

Mail:

1. Get $30 to pay for your birth certificate. You can enter credit card information on the application or you can send a cheque or a money order.  
2. Fill out the application (opens in new window) 
3. Mail the completed application to: 

Vital Statistics Branch
254 Portage avenue
Winnipeg, MB
R3C 0B6

Eligibility  

• You are a Manitoba resident  
• You are allowed to be in Canada 
• You don’t have a driver’s license (unless you consent to give up your license) 
• You are 18 or can have a guardian co-sign on your application  

How to apply 

1. Gather important documents. Photocopies will not be accepted. You will be asked to provide one piece of ID that has:  
   • • your legal name,  
     • birth date,  
     • photograph.  
2. proof of Manitoba residency (this can be a rental agreement, hydro bill, Manitoba Health card, internet/cable bill, tax return or electricity bill). MPI will not accept cellphone bills. 
3. Get $20 to pay for your ID card.
4. Take your documents to an Autopac or MPI Service Centre(opens in new window).At the office, you will be registered as an MPI customer.  
5. Your photo will be taken. Once registered the MPI staff will take your photo to attach to your application.  
6. Pay the fee and wait. 
7. Check your mail for your card. It can take up to ten business days to receive your ID.  

If you do not have a piece of ID with a photo on it, you can ask someone to fill out the Declaration of Guarantor for Proof of Identity form (opens in new window). The person filling out this form must meet the following requirements:  

• A Canadian Citizen living in Canada 
• Have known you for at least 2 years 
• Have one of the following jobs: 
  • Social worker 
  • Pharmacist 
  • Teacher or administration staff from an elementary, high or post-secondary school 
  • Professional accountant
  • Band Chief or administration staff from the Band 
  • Parole or probation officer 
  • Dentist 
  • Medical doctor 
  • Chiropractor 
  • Judge 
  • Justice of the Peace 
  • RCMP police officer 
  • Provincial or city (municipal) police officer 
  • Military personnel 
  • Lawyer 
  • City, provincial or federal elected official 

Eligibility  

• Had previously had a Manitoba ID  

How to apply 

1. Gather important documents. Photocopies will not be accepted. You will be asked to provide one piece of ID that has:  
   1. your legal name,  
   2. birth date,  
   3. photograph  
   4. proof of Manitoba residency (this can be a rental agreement, hydro bill, Manitoba Health card, internet/cable bill, tax return or electricity bill). MPI will not accept cellphone bills. 
2. Get $10 to pay for your replacement ID card.
3. Take your documents to an Autopac or MPI Service Centre (opens in new window). At the office, you will be registered as an MPI customer.  
4. Your photo will be taken. Once registered the MPI staff will take your photo to attach to your application.  
5. Pay the fee and wait. 
6. Check your mail for your card. It can take up to 10 business days to receive your ID.  

If you do not have a piece of ID with a photo on it, you can ask someone to fill out the Declaration of Guarantor for Proof of Identity form (opens in new window). The person filling out this form must meet the following requirements:  

• A Canadian Citizen living in Canada 
• Have known you for at least 2 years 
• Have one of the following jobs: 
  • Social worker 
  • Pharmacist 
  • Teacher or administration staff from an elementary, high or post-secondary school 
  • Professional accountant 
  • Band Chief or administration staff from the Band 
  • Parole or probation officer 
  • Dentist 
  • Medical doctor 
  • Chiropractor 
  • Judge 
  • Justice of the Peace 
  • RCMP police officer 
  • Provincial or city (municipal) police officer 
  • Military personnel 
  • Lawyer 
  • City, provincial or federal elected official 

A passport is a document you need to travel outside of Canada. You can pay for a 5-year or a 10-year passport. When your passport expires, you can apply to renew your passport.  

Eligibility  

• You must be a Canadian Citizen. If you are currently a permanent ward in CFS care and don’t have citizenship, ask your worker. It is their responsibility to start this process before you age out.  
• You must be at least 16 years old. If you are under 16, you will have to apply for a child’s passport and it will require a guardian’s signature.  

How to apply  

Gather important documents and information:

• Proof of citizenship. This can be your birth certificate or your citizenship certificate. 
• ID. This can be a photocopy or the original. If you are using a photocopy you will have to get a guarantor to sign it and copy both sides of your ID. Your ID will need to have a photo and it must be issued by the provincial or federal government. 
• Identical passport photos. It is very important that the photographer writes their name, complete address and date when the photo was taken. It’s best to do this at an official passport photo store. 
• The address(es) you have lived at over the last two years. These are addresses where you would have had a bill or mail sent.  
• Job information from the last two years. There are specific boxes for students and unemployed people.
• Emergency contact information. This is in case you need emergency assistance outside of Canada.  

Choose which passport fee you want to pay and secure the funds: 

• 5-year passport = $120 
• 10-year passport = $160 

Find a Guarantor and two references. The Guarantor must meet the following requirements: 

• Known you for at least 2 years 
• Be a Canadian citizen 
• Be at least 18 years old 
• Have their own passport that is valid or expired in the last year 
• Be willing to talk to the Government of Canada, if they need to contact them 

Your References must meet the following requirements: 

• Know you for at least 2 years 
• Cannot be a family member or your Guarantor  

Can’t find a guarantor? You will need to go into a passport service location and ask for a Statutory Declaration in Lieu of a Guarantor form or contact them through email or phone. A Statutory Declaration can only be signed by:  

• a notary public; 
• justice of the peace; 
• or commissioner for oaths. 

Fill out the application (opens in new window). If the application opens in your web browser, try downloading it and opening it with Adobe. This will help you save your application easier and avoid the chance of your information disappearing if the screen refreshes.  

Have your guarantor fill out the section assigned to them, and sign it.  

Book an appointment, visit a Service Canada location or apply by mail.  

Book an appointment (opens in new window) or walk into a Service Canada location (opens in new window)

Mail your application and all required documents to: 

Eligibility  

• You are a Manitoba resident  
• You are allowed to be in Canada 
• Over 18 years old. If you are under 18 your guardian will have to complete the application for you. 

How to apply 

1. Gather important documents. Photocopies will not be accepted. You will be asked to provide one piece of ID that proves you are a citizen, permanent resident or on a work permit.  
   • • Birth Certificate
     • Status Card
     • Permanent Resident card
     • Citizenship card
     • Work Permit  
2. Proof of Manitoba residency (photocopy only)
   • One of the following:
     • Current Employment Confirmation (dated letter from employer on company letterhead)
     • Signed mortgage agreement
     • A letter from the homeowner or leaseholder stating: (1) names of the applicants for Manitoba Health coverage living with them in the residence; and (2) length of stay signed by a Commissioner of Oath or a Notary Public.
     • A letter regarding the applicant’s residence in Manitoba from a Resettlement Assistance Program (RAP) providers or sponsorship agreement holder.
     • A letter from a Newcomer Service Provider confirming residency in the province signed by a Commissioner of Oath or a Notary Public
   • Or two of the following:
     • Utility Bill – telephone, cable/satellite TV, gas, water/sewer (not older than 2 months)
     • Insurance policy (home or tenant)
     • Property Tax Bill (current year)
     • Valid Manitoba Driver’s License
     • Valid Manitoba Motor Vehicle registration
     • Confirmation of attendance from a school, college or university (not older than 2 months)
     • Revenue Canada Income Tax Assessment (current or previous year) showing Manitoba as a residence
     • Social Assistance Benefit Confirmation
     • Employment and Income Assistance Statement of Benefits
     • Child Tax Benefit statement
3. Complete the application (opens in new window). You can either fill out the application online and print or print the application and fill it out.
4. Submit your application with a copy of your ID and proof of being a Manitoba resident.

Mail or Drop off: Manitoba Health Insured Benefits Branch, 300 Carlton St, Winnipeg, MB R3B 3M9. 

Email: insuredben@gov.mb.ca

Your first Manitoba Health card is free. 

You can replace your Manitoba Health card online, in person or over the phone.

Online:

To apply online you will need your Registration number and Personal Health Identification number. If you don’t have these you can call or go in person for a replacement.

Apply by filling out and submitting this form (opens in new window).

Phone:

1. Call the Insured Benefits Branch.
2. Provide your legal name and birthday. 

Phone Numbers:
Voice:  204-786-7101
Toll-Free:  1-800-392-1207
Fax:  204-783-2171
Deaf Access Line TTY/TDD:  204-774-8618

In Person Locations:

Insured Benefits Branch
Manitoba Health

300 Carlton Street
Winnipeg MB  

51 Rogers St
Notre-Dame-de-Lourdes MB

Unit A, 30 Dawson Rd
Ste Anne MB

Recreational Centre on Hwy 6
St. Laurent MB

427 Sabourin St
St-Pierre-Jolys MB

A social insurance number is required in order to work and file your taxes in Canada.  

How to get a SIN number 

1. Make sure you have your identity documents. If the documents are blurry or not 100% readable, they won’t be accepted.  All documents must be valid/ not expired.  
2. Original Canadian birth certificate or Canadian Citizenship.  
3. Secondary ID for those 18 years old or older such as a passport, Manitoba ID, or other Canadian government ID like a Status Card.  
4. Proof of address  
5. Hydro, internet, electricity bill (cannot be a cellphone bill) 
6. A letter from the government, school, non-profit, or landlord confirming your address or a document you received from one of these groups, such as a rental agreement.  
7. Apply online (opens in new window), in person or by mail.

Online: You can provide digital copies of your valid original documents. You can complete the online application at the Government of Canada website.

In-person: You have to bring with you all the original/ actual ID and proof of address. Find the nearest location or book an appointment.  

By mail: You have to submit the application (opens in new window) and your original/ actual ID and proof of address. You cannot send in a copy. If Service Canada loses your ID, they will not replace it. They will send you your ID back, to the address on your application.  

Send your completed application and documents to:  

Service Canada
Social Insurance Registration Office
P.O. Box 7000
Bathurst, NB
E2A 4T1

If your legal name doesn’t match your ID (adoption, marriage) then you will need to provide a document showing you had a legal name change. You will also be asked the following information: 

1. Current last/ family name 
2. What your last/ family name was at birth 
3. What city, town or village you were born (this will be on your birth certificate) 
4. Whether you are part of multiple births (twins, triplets) 

The Canadian Government will not issue replacement SIN cards unless there was fraudulent activity. However, if you don’t remember your number, you can request a Confirmation of your SIN. 

How to get a confirmation of your SIN

1. Make sure you have 2 pieces of ID.  
   • • One of the following:
       • Birth certificate issued by the vital statistics agency in the province or territory of birth
       • Certificate of Canadian Citizenship issued by IRCC or CIC
     • And one of the following:
       • Passport
       • Provincial photo ID
       • Any other
2. Apply online (opens in new window), in person or by mail.

Online:

You can provide digital copies of your valid original documents. You can complete the online application at the Government of Canada website.

In-person:

You have to bring with you all the original/ actual ID and proof of address. Find the nearest location or book an appointment (opens in new window).

By mail:

You have to submit the application (opens in new window) and your original/ actual ID and proof of address. You cannot send in a copy.

If Service Canada loses your ID, they will not replace it. They will send you your ID back, to the address on your application.  

Send your completed application and documents to:  

Service Canada
Social Insurance Registration Office
P.O. Box 7000
Bathurst, NB
E2A 4T1

If your legal name doesn’t match your ID (adoption, marriage) then you will need to provide a document showing you had a legal name change. You will also be asked for the following information: 

1. Current last/ family name 
2. What your last/ family name was at birth 
3. What city, town or village you were born (this will be on your birth certificate) 
4. Whether you are part of multiple births (twins, triplets) 

Status Card holders have certain rights and benefits that may not be available to Non-Status First Nations people, Inuit, or Metis people.

This could include: 

• On-reserve housing 
• Education benefits 
• Health benefits
• Tax exemptions

If your parents or grandparents were registered or eligible to register for the registry and Status card.

The federal government refers to status as either 6.1 or 6.2. This is based on a law made in 1985 that returned status to First Nations women who lost their status due to marrying a non-Indigenous man. This law also made blood quantum a rule for whether you would receive status or not. 

Blood Quantum rule: Registration is only eligible to First Nations people who are not the 3rd or higher generation of people to have children with non-First Nations people.

For example, if your grandmother had your parent with a non-First Nations man, and made your father. Then your father had you with a non-First Nations woman, then you would not be eligible to register. Learn more about your eligibility (opens in new window).

Gather important documents and information: 

• Birth certificate with the names of your biological or adoptive parents on it.  
• A piece of ID with your full name, date of birth, photo and signature such as a Manitoba ID, passport, or driver’s license. 
• SCIS (Status card) number of one or both of your parents.
• Family information. This includes your most recent family member who is also registered. This could include a parent, grandparent or great-grandparent. So if one of your parents is registered and you have their names, that is the minimum you need to apply. 
• Get two identical passport photos. It is very important that the photographer writes their name, complete address and date when the photo was taken. It’s best to do this at an official passport photo store.  
• If you are adopted your will also need a letter from the agency that supported the adoption with the names of your adopted parents, your full name as it appears on the adoption order, and the date and place of your adoption.  
• If possible, provide the Band name of your family members and the names of relatives who are registered as this will speed up the process.

Find a Guarantor and have them fill out the Guarantor form. A Guarantor is someone who meets the following criteria: 

• Known you for at least 2 years 
• 18 or older 
• Registered under the Indian Act or have a job in the following:  
  • First Nations representatives and employees 
  • At an Indigenous organization  
  • City, provincial or federal-appointed official or employee 
  • Justice or public safety officials (judge, lawyer, police or parole officer) 
  • Medical professional  
  • Social Services  
  • Education  
  • Financial professionals 
  • Religious officials  

Decide which band you would like to be affiliated with. You are asked to pick a preference of which band you want to be associated with. Some things to consider when choosing which band you would like to be associated with:

• Do you know people who are part of that band?
• What are the traditional practices of your nation when it comes to family association? 
• Where do you feel closest to?
• What feels right to you?

Provide 2 references who have known you for 2 years or more, 18 or older, not a relative and is ok for the government to contact them to verify your identity.  

Fill out the application (opens in new window).  

Go to an Indigenous Services Canada (opens in new window) office to submit your application and show ID. You can also submit your application by mail, but you will have to send your ID with it and wait for it to return. If you choose to mail it, you can send it to this address: 

National Registration Processing Unit
10 Wellington Street
Gatineau Quebec K1A 0H4

Wait times for this application can be 6 months – 2 years.  

Other things to know:

• If you can’t find a guarantor you will need a Statutory Declaration in Lieu of a Guarantor form (opens in new window). This form can only be signed by a lawyer, a notary public, a justice of the peace or a commissionaire for oaths.
• You can not provide photocopies of your ID.
• If your name is different from your birth certificate, you will also have to provide a Name-linking document such as a marriage certificate or legal name change certificate.

For many folks who have experienced system care (residential schools, orphanages and CFS), their connection to their family and community is often disconnected. Historically, federal and provincial governments purposefully tried to disconnect Indigenous people from their culture, land and resources. 

I am still in care

If you are a permanent ward, your worker is responsible for making sure you have your Status card before you age out. The worker has the responsibility to locate your band and contact them to get to her the information required for registering and getting your card. Your responsibility is to tell your worker that you want one and fill out the paperwork (if you can). 

In the event that your worker is not supporting your request, check out our complaints process page. 

I’ve aged out of care

If you have aged out of care and don’t have your eligible parents’ Status number there are a few things you can do: 

• • If you know which band your ancestry comes from, call the office or go in if you can and provide them with whatever information on your family you have. This could be the names of parents, grandparents, aunties, uncles, cousins etc. Many Bands and Nations have people who are known families to that community. It might take some work and time, but they have records and knowledge passed down through generations. 
  • If you don’t know what band your eligible parent(s) are from you can provide only the genealogy information (parents, grandparents’ names etc). 
  • If you don’t know your grandparent’s information, you can submit the names of other family members you know. 
  • If I don’t know my parents’ names then look at your birth certificate. The names you put on your application have to be the same as the names on your birth certificate. 
  • If you were adopted and don’t know my family history includes a photocopy of the Adoption Order or a photocopy of a letter from the Social Services authorities which confirms the details of the adoption: the names of the adoptive parent(s), your full name as
    it appears on the Adoption Order and the date and place of the adoption.