Honorary Canadian citizenship (French: Citoyenneté canadienne honoraire) is an honour wherein Canadian citizenship

Canadian nationality law

Canadian citizenship is typically obtained by birth in Canada, birth abroad when at least one parent is a Canadian citizen and was born or naturalized in Canada, or by adoption abroad by at least one Canadian citizen. It can also be granted to a permanent resident who lives in Canada for three out...

 is bestowed by the Governor General of Canada

Governor General of Canada

The Governor General of Canada is the federal viceregal representative of the Canadian monarch, Queen Elizabeth II...

, with the approval of parliament

Parliament of Canada

The Parliament of Canada is the federal legislative branch of Canada, seated at Parliament Hill in the national capital, Ottawa. Formally, the body consists of the Canadian monarch—represented by her governor general—the Senate, and the House of Commons, each element having its own officers and...

, on foreigners of exceptional merit. It is a symbolic honour; the recipient does not take the Oath of Citizenship

Oath of citizenship (Canada)

The Oath of Citizenship, or Citizenship Oath , is a statement recited and signed by candidates who wish to become citizens of Canada...

, and thus does not receive any rights, privileges or duties typically held by a Canadian

Canada

Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...

 citizen

Citizenship

Citizenship is the state of being a citizen of a particular social, political, national, or human resource community. Citizenship status, under social contract theory, carries with it both rights and responsibilities...

.

To date, the following people have had this honour bestowed upon them:

1. Raoul Wallenberg
   Raoul Wallenberg
   Raoul Wallenberg was a Swedish businessman, diplomat and humanitarian. He is widely celebrated for his successful efforts to rescue thousands of Jews in Nazi-occupied Hungary from the Holocaust, during the later stages of World War II...
   
   , Swedish
   Sweden
   Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
   
    diplomat and Holocaust hero; awarded posthumously in 1985.
2. Nelson Mandela
   Nelson Mandela
   Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela served as President of South Africa from 1994 to 1999, and was the first South African president to be elected in a fully representative democratic election. Before his presidency, Mandela was an anti-apartheid activist, and the leader of Umkhonto we Sizwe, the armed wing...
   
   , anti-apartheid activist, former President of South Africa
   President of South Africa
   The President of the Republic of South Africa is the head of state and head of government under South Africa's Constitution. From 1961 to 1994, the head of state was called the State President....
   
    and recipient of the 1993 Nobel Peace Prize
   Nobel Peace Prize
   The Nobel Peace Prize is one of the five Nobel Prizes bequeathed by the Swedish industrialist and inventor Alfred Nobel.-Background:According to Nobel's will, the Peace Prize shall be awarded to the person who...
   
   ; awarded in 2001.
3. Tenzin Gyatso, the 14th Dalai Lama
   Dalai Lama
   The Dalai Lama is a high lama in the Gelug or "Yellow Hat" branch of Tibetan Buddhism. The name is a combination of the Mongolian word далай meaning "Ocean" and the Tibetan word bla-ma meaning "teacher"...
   
    and recipient of the 1989 Nobel Peace Prize
   Nobel Peace Prize
   The Nobel Peace Prize is one of the five Nobel Prizes bequeathed by the Swedish industrialist and inventor Alfred Nobel.-Background:According to Nobel's will, the Peace Prize shall be awarded to the person who...
   
   ; awarded in 2006.
4. Aung San Suu Kyi
   Aung San Suu Kyi
   Aung San Suu Kyi, AC is a Burmese opposition politician and the General Secretary of the National League for Democracy. In the 1990 general election, her National League for Democracy party won 59% of the national votes and 81% of the seats in Parliament. She had, however, already been detained...
   
   , prime minister-elect
   Prime Minister-elect
   Prime Minister-designate is the term used to refer to a person who is expected to succeed an incumbent as Prime Minister as the result of a general election, but has not yet taken office. The term can be misleading, as a prime minister is usually appointed by the head of state, and not elected to...
   
    of Burma and recipient of the 1991 Nobel Peace Prize
   Nobel Peace Prize
   The Nobel Peace Prize is one of the five Nobel Prizes bequeathed by the Swedish industrialist and inventor Alfred Nobel.-Background:According to Nobel's will, the Peace Prize shall be awarded to the person who...
   
   ; awarded in 2007.
5. His Highness the Aga Khan
   Aga Khan IV
   Prince Karim, Aga Khan IV, NPk, NI, KBE, CC, GCC, GCIH, GCM is the 49th and current Imam of the Shia Imami Nizari Ismaili Muslims. He has held this position under the title of Aga Khan since July 11, 1957, when, at the age of 20, he succeeded his grandfather, Sultan Mahomed Shah Aga Khan...
   
   , 49th Imam of the Shia Ismaili Muslims
   Ismaili
   ' is a branch of Shia Islam. It is the second largest branch of Shia Islam, after the Twelvers...
   
   ; awarded in 2009.