This page walks through the Canada Pension Plan (CPP) retirement pension application: who can apply, what to have ready, the online and paper routes, where to mail the form, and what happens next. It is education, not financial advice. Your own contribution record and pension estimate are in My Service Canada Account (MSCA), and they are worth checking before you pick a start date.
How do you apply for CPP?
You apply for CPP in one of two ways: online through My Service Canada Account, or by mailing the paper form ISP-1000 to Service Canada. The pension does not start on its own; Canada.ca is explicit that you must apply to receive it. Before either route, Service Canada asks you to confirm that you qualify and to choose your pension start date.
How to read this table: decision times are Service Canada's published targets from the day it receives your application, not from the day you mail it.
| Method | Who uses it | What you do | Decision letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Online (My Service Canada Account) | Most people living in Canada who apply for themselves | Sign in to MSCA, open the Canada Pension Plan section, choose Apply for Canada Pension Plan retirement pension | Within 28 days of receipt |
| Paper form ISP-1000 by mail | Anyone who cannot or prefers not to apply online, and everyone in the paper-only situations | Complete the Application for a Canada Pension Plan Retirement Pension (ISP-1000) and mail it to the Service Canada address for your province or territory | Within 120 days of receipt |
Source: Canada Pension Plan retirement pension — Apply (plan to apply early); Canada Pension Plan retirement pension — Apply (information to gather); Canada Pension Plan retirement pension — Apply (child-rearing provision information); Canada Pension Plan retirement pension — Apply (disability benefit converts at 65); Canada Pension Plan retirement pension — Apply (applying from outside Canada); Canada Pension Plan retirement pension — Apply (you must apply); Canada Pension Plan retirement pension — Apply (who must use a paper application); Canada Pension Plan retirement pension — Apply (steps in My Service Canada Account); Canada Pension Plan retirement pension — Apply (online decision time); Canada Pension Plan retirement pension — Apply (paper form and helper forms); Canada Pension Plan retirement pension — Apply (consent to communicate form); Canada Pension Plan retirement pension — Apply (applying on someone's behalf); Canada Pension Plan retirement pension — Apply (paper decision time); CPP retirement pension — After you apply (processing times); CPP retirement pension — After you apply (decision letter contents); CPP retirement pension — After you apply (status and reconsideration); CPP retirement pension — After you apply (status in MSCA); CPP retirement pension — After you apply (corrections and changes); CPP retirement pension — Do you qualify; CPP retirement pension — Do you qualify (what counts as a valid contribution); CPP retirement pension — Do you qualify (Post-Retirement Benefit); CPP retirement pension — Do you qualify (working while receiving CPP); CPP retirement pension — Do you qualify (dying before 70 without applying); CPP retirement pension — Do you qualify (dying after 70 before applying); CPP retirement pension — Do you qualify (no estate payment up to 70); CPP retirement pension — When to start your pension (retroactive start date); Contact Canada Pension Plan — Canada.ca (phone numbers); Contact Canada Pension Plan — Canada.ca (hours); Contact Canada Pension Plan — Canada.ca (My Service Canada Account services); Contact Canada Pension Plan — Canada.ca (callback); Contact Canada Pension Plan — Canada.ca (mailing addresses, Atlantic provinces); Contact Canada Pension Plan — Canada.ca (mailing addresses, Nova Scotia and New Brunswick); Contact Canada Pension Plan — Canada.ca (mailing address, Quebec CPP applications); Contact Canada Pension Plan — Canada.ca (mailing addresses, Ontario); Contact Canada Pension Plan — Canada.ca (mailing addresses, Prairies and territories); Contact Canada Pension Plan — Canada.ca (mailing address, British Columbia and Yukon); Contact Canada Pension Plan — Canada.ca (mail from outside Canada). In effect from September 29, 2026; checked September 30, 2026.
Online is faster and lets you track the status in the same account. Paper is required in some situations, listed further down, and is the only option for anyone applying from outside Canada.
Who can apply for the CPP retirement pension?
Anyone who is at least 60 and has made at least one valid contribution to the CPP can apply for the retirement pension. Valid contributions come from work in Canada or from credits split with a former spouse or common-law partner after a divorce or separation.
A few situations change the route:
- You receive a CPP disability benefit. It changes to a retirement pension automatically at 65, so there is nothing to apply for at that point. The CPP disability benefits guide covers that program.
- You worked in Quebec. The Québec Pension Plan (QPP) works alongside CPP. You deal with Retraite Québec instead of Service Canada if you only worked in Quebec, if you worked in Quebec and another province and now live in Quebec, or if you worked in Quebec and now live outside Canada with Quebec as your last province.
- You lived or worked in another country. You may qualify for CPP and a pension from that country under a social security agreement. List the country, your insurance number there and your dates on the application.
When should you apply for CPP?
Apply up to 12 months before the month you want your pension to start. Service Canada recommends applying in advance so the pension starts on your chosen date. A paper application can take up to 120 days to decide, so an application left to the last month risks a later start than planned.
The start date is the bigger decision. CPP can start any month from age 60 to 70. Each month before 65 reduces the pension by 0.6%, to a maximum reduction of 36% at 60, and each month after 65 increases it by 0.7%, up to 42% at 70. The change is permanent. The guide to taking CPP at 60, 65 or 70 compares break-even ages, and the OAS, CPP and GIS planner runs the numbers with your own estimate.
The table below turns the published rules into a planning calendar for one example start date.
| Step | Rule it comes from | Example: pension wanted from July 2027 |
|---|---|---|
| Earliest month to apply | Up to 12 months before the chosen start date | July 2026 |
| Latest sensible date to mail form ISP-1000 | Decision within 120 days of receipt | early March 2027 |
| Latest sensible date to apply online | Decision within 28 days of receipt | early June 2027 |
| First payment | Stated in the approval letter | The date on your approval letter, then the regular CPP payment dates |
The “latest sensible” rows are planning buffers, not official deadlines. Service Canada’s own advice is simply to apply early; leaving more room than the published decision time protects against requests for extra documents. The CPP and OAS payment dates page lists each month’s deposit date.
Can you get back pay if you apply after 65?
Yes, within limits. If you apply after reaching 65, you can ask for a retroactive start date as early as 11 months before the month Service Canada receives your application, but no earlier than the month after your 65th birthday. If you apply in the month of your 65th birthday or earlier, there is no retroactivity.
Two examples show both limits at work:
- Someone who turned 65 in March 2025 and whose application arrives in October 2026 can ask for a start as early as November 2025. The months from April to October 2025 cannot be paid retroactively.
- Someone who turns 65 in June 2026 and whose application arrives in August 2026 can ask for a start as early as July 2026, because back pay never reaches before the month after the 65th birthday.
Waiting past 70 adds nothing, because the late-start increase stops at 42% at age 70. Putting off the application also carries a risk: if someone dies in or before the month of their 70th birthday without having applied, the retirement pension cannot be paid to anyone else. If someone over 70 dies before applying, the estate has one year from the death to apply and can receive the month of death and the 11 months before it, but nothing for the months up to and including the 70th birthday.
What do you need before you apply for CPP?
You need your Social Insurance Number and your direct deposit details, plus extra information if you lived abroad or want the child-rearing provision. Gathering it first keeps the online form to one sitting.
How to read this table: the child-rearing provision can protect your pension from low-earning years spent caring for young children. It is not applied automatically: you ask for it on the application, or later through My Service Canada Account.
| What to have | Needed when |
|---|---|
| Social Insurance Number (SIN) | Everyone |
| Name of your financial institution, branch (transit) number and account number | Everyone, for direct deposit |
| Country name, foreign insurance number, and start and end dates | If you lived or worked in a country other than Canada |
| Child's full name, SIN and date of birth | If you ask for the child-rearing provision |
| Proof of the child's date of entry into Canada (IMM 1000, passport, customs declaration, or airline, bus or ship ticket) | Child-rearing provision, child born outside Canada |
| Dates you did not receive Family Allowance or were not eligible for the Canada Child Benefit, and dates you were not the primary caregiver | Child-rearing provision |
Source: Canada Pension Plan retirement pension — Apply (plan to apply early); Canada Pension Plan retirement pension — Apply (information to gather); Canada Pension Plan retirement pension — Apply (child-rearing provision information); Canada Pension Plan retirement pension — Apply (disability benefit converts at 65); Canada Pension Plan retirement pension — Apply (applying from outside Canada); Canada Pension Plan retirement pension — Apply (you must apply); Canada Pension Plan retirement pension — Apply (who must use a paper application); Canada Pension Plan retirement pension — Apply (steps in My Service Canada Account); Canada Pension Plan retirement pension — Apply (online decision time); Canada Pension Plan retirement pension — Apply (paper form and helper forms); Canada Pension Plan retirement pension — Apply (consent to communicate form); Canada Pension Plan retirement pension — Apply (applying on someone's behalf); Canada Pension Plan retirement pension — Apply (paper decision time); CPP retirement pension — After you apply (processing times); CPP retirement pension — After you apply (decision letter contents); CPP retirement pension — After you apply (status and reconsideration); CPP retirement pension — After you apply (status in MSCA); CPP retirement pension — After you apply (corrections and changes); CPP retirement pension — Do you qualify; CPP retirement pension — Do you qualify (what counts as a valid contribution); CPP retirement pension — Do you qualify (Post-Retirement Benefit); CPP retirement pension — Do you qualify (working while receiving CPP); CPP retirement pension — Do you qualify (dying before 70 without applying); CPP retirement pension — Do you qualify (dying after 70 before applying); CPP retirement pension — Do you qualify (no estate payment up to 70); CPP retirement pension — When to start your pension (retroactive start date); Contact Canada Pension Plan — Canada.ca (phone numbers); Contact Canada Pension Plan — Canada.ca (hours); Contact Canada Pension Plan — Canada.ca (My Service Canada Account services); Contact Canada Pension Plan — Canada.ca (callback); Contact Canada Pension Plan — Canada.ca (mailing addresses, Atlantic provinces); Contact Canada Pension Plan — Canada.ca (mailing addresses, Nova Scotia and New Brunswick); Contact Canada Pension Plan — Canada.ca (mailing address, Quebec CPP applications); Contact Canada Pension Plan — Canada.ca (mailing addresses, Ontario); Contact Canada Pension Plan — Canada.ca (mailing addresses, Prairies and territories); Contact Canada Pension Plan — Canada.ca (mailing address, British Columbia and Yukon); Contact Canada Pension Plan — Canada.ca (mail from outside Canada). In effect from September 29, 2026; checked September 30, 2026.
The bank details are the same numbers printed on a cheque. The guide to finding your transit number shows where each one sits, and a void cheque or your bank’s direct deposit form has all three in one place.
How do you apply for CPP online?
To apply online, sign in to My Service Canada Account, open the Canada Pension Plan section of the dashboard and select Apply for Canada Pension Plan retirement pension. Step by step:
- Go to the CPP retirement pension Apply page on Canada.ca and select Apply using MSCA.
- Sign in to My Service Canada Account, or register if you do not have an account yet.
- On the dashboard, open the Canada Pension Plan section.
- Select Apply for Canada Pension Plan retirement pension.
- Enter your chosen start date, bank details and any foreign work or child-rearing information, then follow the instructions to submit.
- Watch for a decision letter by mail within 28 days. The status also updates in the account once a decision is made.
Who has to use the paper application instead?
Service Canada requires the paper form, not the online application, if any of these apply to you:
- You live outside Canada.
- A third party, such as a power of attorney or a trustee, manages your CPP account.
- Your CPP disability benefit ended before you turned 65.
- You were denied a CPP disability benefit in the past.
- You received a CPP children’s benefit between ages 18 and 25, but it was not paid directly to you.
- You received or were denied a CPP children’s benefit before age 18, and did not receive it after age 25.
- You receive a CPP survivor’s pension under an International Social Security Agreement.
How do you fill out the CPP application form (ISP-1000)?
The paper CPP application form is the Application for a Canada Pension Plan Retirement Pension, ISP-1000. The process has three steps:
- Complete form ISP-1000. Download it from the CPP Apply page on Canada.ca. If the page seems stuck loading, check your Downloads folder; the file has often already saved.
- Add any helper forms you need. These are only for people who want someone else involved (see the table below).
- Mail the forms to the Service Canada address for your province or territory, then allow up to 120 days for a decision.
How to read this table: most applicants only need ISP-1000. The consent form ISP-1603 does not let the other person apply for you; only the administrator forms do.
| Form | Full name | When to use it |
|---|---|---|
| ISP-1000 | Application for a Canada Pension Plan Retirement Pension | The paper application itself |
| ISP-1603 | Consent to Communicate Information to an Authorized Person | Lets someone talk to Service Canada for you; does not let them apply, change your payment address or change tax withholding |
| ISP-3505 | Certificate of Incapability | Completed by a medical professional when someone cannot manage their own benefits |
| ISP-3506 | Agreement to administer benefits by a Private Trustee | An individual applying and managing benefits on someone's behalf |
| ISP-3507 | Agreement to administer benefits by an Agency or Institution | An agency, charitable organization or municipality acting as administrator |
Source: Canada Pension Plan retirement pension — Apply (plan to apply early); Canada Pension Plan retirement pension — Apply (information to gather); Canada Pension Plan retirement pension — Apply (child-rearing provision information); Canada Pension Plan retirement pension — Apply (disability benefit converts at 65); Canada Pension Plan retirement pension — Apply (applying from outside Canada); Canada Pension Plan retirement pension — Apply (you must apply); Canada Pension Plan retirement pension — Apply (who must use a paper application); Canada Pension Plan retirement pension — Apply (steps in My Service Canada Account); Canada Pension Plan retirement pension — Apply (online decision time); Canada Pension Plan retirement pension — Apply (paper form and helper forms); Canada Pension Plan retirement pension — Apply (consent to communicate form); Canada Pension Plan retirement pension — Apply (applying on someone's behalf); Canada Pension Plan retirement pension — Apply (paper decision time); CPP retirement pension — After you apply (processing times); CPP retirement pension — After you apply (decision letter contents); CPP retirement pension — After you apply (status and reconsideration); CPP retirement pension — After you apply (status in MSCA); CPP retirement pension — After you apply (corrections and changes); CPP retirement pension — Do you qualify; CPP retirement pension — Do you qualify (what counts as a valid contribution); CPP retirement pension — Do you qualify (Post-Retirement Benefit); CPP retirement pension — Do you qualify (working while receiving CPP); CPP retirement pension — Do you qualify (dying before 70 without applying); CPP retirement pension — Do you qualify (dying after 70 before applying); CPP retirement pension — Do you qualify (no estate payment up to 70); CPP retirement pension — When to start your pension (retroactive start date); Contact Canada Pension Plan — Canada.ca (phone numbers); Contact Canada Pension Plan — Canada.ca (hours); Contact Canada Pension Plan — Canada.ca (My Service Canada Account services); Contact Canada Pension Plan — Canada.ca (callback); Contact Canada Pension Plan — Canada.ca (mailing addresses, Atlantic provinces); Contact Canada Pension Plan — Canada.ca (mailing addresses, Nova Scotia and New Brunswick); Contact Canada Pension Plan — Canada.ca (mailing address, Quebec CPP applications); Contact Canada Pension Plan — Canada.ca (mailing addresses, Ontario); Contact Canada Pension Plan — Canada.ca (mailing addresses, Prairies and territories); Contact Canada Pension Plan — Canada.ca (mailing address, British Columbia and Yukon); Contact Canada Pension Plan — Canada.ca (mail from outside Canada). In effect from September 29, 2026; checked September 30, 2026.
Where do you mail the CPP application form?
Mail form ISP-1000 to the Service Canada address for the province or territory where you live. If you live outside Canada, use the address for the province or territory where you last lived.
How to read this table: Quebec and Alberta, the Northwest Territories and Nunavut have a separate address for CPP applications; the one shown is that CPP address, not the OAS or disability one. Quebec residents usually apply to Retraite Québec for the QPP instead.
| Where you live (or last lived) | Mailing address (add CANADA if mailing from abroad) |
|---|---|
| Newfoundland and Labrador | Service Canada, PO Box 9430 Station A, St. John's NL A1A 2Y5 |
| Prince Edward Island | Service Canada, PO Box 8000 Station Central, Charlottetown PE C1A 8K1 |
| Nova Scotia | Service Canada, PO Box 1687 Station Central, Halifax NS B3J 3J4 |
| New Brunswick | Service Canada, PO Box 250 Station A, Fredericton NB E3B 4Z6 |
| Quebec (CPP applications) | Service Canada, PO Box 250 Station A, Fredericton NB E3B 4Z6 |
| Ontario, postal codes starting with L, M or N | Service Canada, PO Box 5100 Station D, Scarborough ON M1R 5C8 |
| Ontario, postal codes starting with K or P | Service Canada, PO Box 2013 Station Main, Timmins ON P4N 8C8 |
| Manitoba and Saskatchewan | Service Canada, PO Box 818 Station Main, Winnipeg MB R3C 2N4 |
| Alberta, Northwest Territories and Nunavut (CPP applications) | Service Canada, PO Box 818 Station Main, Winnipeg MB R3C 2N4 |
| British Columbia and Yukon | Service Canada, PO Box 1177 Station CSC, Victoria BC V8W 2V2 |
Source: Canada Pension Plan retirement pension — Apply (plan to apply early); Canada Pension Plan retirement pension — Apply (information to gather); Canada Pension Plan retirement pension — Apply (child-rearing provision information); Canada Pension Plan retirement pension — Apply (disability benefit converts at 65); Canada Pension Plan retirement pension — Apply (applying from outside Canada); Canada Pension Plan retirement pension — Apply (you must apply); Canada Pension Plan retirement pension — Apply (who must use a paper application); Canada Pension Plan retirement pension — Apply (steps in My Service Canada Account); Canada Pension Plan retirement pension — Apply (online decision time); Canada Pension Plan retirement pension — Apply (paper form and helper forms); Canada Pension Plan retirement pension — Apply (consent to communicate form); Canada Pension Plan retirement pension — Apply (applying on someone's behalf); Canada Pension Plan retirement pension — Apply (paper decision time); CPP retirement pension — After you apply (processing times); CPP retirement pension — After you apply (decision letter contents); CPP retirement pension — After you apply (status and reconsideration); CPP retirement pension — After you apply (status in MSCA); CPP retirement pension — After you apply (corrections and changes); CPP retirement pension — Do you qualify; CPP retirement pension — Do you qualify (what counts as a valid contribution); CPP retirement pension — Do you qualify (Post-Retirement Benefit); CPP retirement pension — Do you qualify (working while receiving CPP); CPP retirement pension — Do you qualify (dying before 70 without applying); CPP retirement pension — Do you qualify (dying after 70 before applying); CPP retirement pension — Do you qualify (no estate payment up to 70); CPP retirement pension — When to start your pension (retroactive start date); Contact Canada Pension Plan — Canada.ca (phone numbers); Contact Canada Pension Plan — Canada.ca (hours); Contact Canada Pension Plan — Canada.ca (My Service Canada Account services); Contact Canada Pension Plan — Canada.ca (callback); Contact Canada Pension Plan — Canada.ca (mailing addresses, Atlantic provinces); Contact Canada Pension Plan — Canada.ca (mailing addresses, Nova Scotia and New Brunswick); Contact Canada Pension Plan — Canada.ca (mailing address, Quebec CPP applications); Contact Canada Pension Plan — Canada.ca (mailing addresses, Ontario); Contact Canada Pension Plan — Canada.ca (mailing addresses, Prairies and territories); Contact Canada Pension Plan — Canada.ca (mailing address, British Columbia and Yukon); Contact Canada Pension Plan — Canada.ca (mail from outside Canada). In effect from September 29, 2026; checked September 30, 2026.
Keep a copy of every page you send and note the date you mailed it. Service Canada counts its 120 days from the day it receives the application, so tracked mail makes it easier to follow up.
How long does a CPP application take?
Service Canada aims to send a decision within 28 days of receiving an online application and within 120 days of receiving a paper one. Processing takes longer when documents are missing or when Service Canada writes to ask for more information.
The decision letter arrives by mail and says one of three things:
- Approved: the amount you will receive each month and the date of your first payment.
- Denied: the reason the application was denied.
- More information needed: what Service Canada still needs to finish processing.
For scale, the maximum CPP retirement pension for someone starting at 65 in January 2026 is $1,507.65 a month, and the average new pension at 65 was $858.34 in July 2026. The amount on your letter depends on your contribution record and start age; the Old Age Security guide explains how CPP and OAS fit together as retirement income.
What if your CPP application is delayed, denied or wrong?
Call the CPP line at 1-800-277-9914 from Canada or the United States, Monday to Friday from 8:30 am to 4:30 pm local time. From other countries, call 1-613-957-1954 collect (Eastern Time). The TTY number is 1-800-255-4786. The automated line runs around the clock.
- Waiting longer than the published time: allow the full 28 or 120 days from receipt before following up. If you applied by mail, registering for My Service Canada Account lets you check the status online after a decision is made.
- You disagree with the decision: you have 90 days from the date you receive the decision letter to ask for a reconsideration.
- A detail is wrong: call to correct the application or update your direct deposit, mailing address or phone number.
- You would rather not wait on hold: the eServiceCanada Service Request Form asks for a call back, which Service Canada aims to make within 2 business days.
Common mistakes when applying for CPP
- Assuming CPP starts automatically at 65. It does not. OAS often does, which is where the confusion comes from.
- Applying too close to the start date. A paper form mailed a month before the chosen start is unlikely to be decided in time, and before 65 there is no back pay.
- Leaving the application too long. There is no increase after 70, and a pension never applied for by someone who dies in or before the month of their 70th birthday cannot be paid to anyone else.
- Skipping the child-rearing provision. It is not automatic. Parents with low-earning years while caring for a young child have to ask for it, and the application is the simplest place to do that.
- Using the online form when the paper form is required. Check the paper-only list above first, especially if a trustee or power of attorney manages your affairs.
- Sending a Quebec-only work history to Service Canada. Retraite Québec handles the QPP for people who only worked in Quebec.
Related tools and next steps
Once the application is in, the next questions are usually about timing and the rest of your retirement income. The retirement income planning guide covers how CPP, OAS, RRIF withdrawals and workplace pensions combine, and the planner linked above estimates the effect of different start ages. Check your own figures in My Service Canada Account before choosing a start date.