Honorary Canadian citizenship (French: Citoyenneté honoraire) is an honour wherein Canadian citizenship is bestowed by the Governor General of Canada, with the approval of parliament, blank">Citizenship and Immigration Canada; Canadian Immigration and Citizenship Indexing Terms - H on foreigners of exceptional merit. It is a symbolic honour; the recipient does not take the Oath of Citizenship, and thus does not receive any rights, privileges or duties typically held by a Canadian citizen.
As of 2008, four people have had this honour bestowed upon them:
| Name | Distinction | Year |
|---|---|---|
| _Raoul Wallenberg | Swedish diplomat and Holocaust hero | 1985 (posthumously awarded) |
| Nelson Mandela | Anti-apartheid activist and former president of South Africa | 2001 |
| Tenzin Gyatso | The 14th Dalai Lama | 2006 |
| Aung San Suu Kyi | Burmese pro-democracy activist and political prisoner | 2007 |
