Apply for British Passport from Canada in 2026

The steps you need to take in order to obtain a UK passport from Canada will differ based on whether or not you have already obtained a certificate of British citizenship.

There are two main ways you will apply for a UK passport from Canada. One is if you already have British citizenship and just need to obtain your first British passport. The other, if you don’t yet have British citizenship, will be a long process.

In the latter case, you must apply for UK citizenship first. You can only do this if you qualify for British citizenship by birth, descent, or naturalisation (through having a settled status or indefinite leave to remain with adequate time spent in the UK).

UK Passport Application When You Have Canadian-British Dual Citizenship?

If you already have Canadian-British dual citizenship you don’t have a passport, it is likely that you have recently finished the process of naturalisation or registration as a British citizen. During your British citizenship ceremony, you would have been given your certificate of naturalisation. If you attended a digital ceremony this certificate would have been mailed to you. You will require the certificate along with other supporting documents to apply for a UK passport.

To apply for your UK passport from Canada, you will have to first visit the relevant page on the Home Office website to start the online application process. Along with the required evidence of your UK citizenship, you must have your digital photo, someone who can confirm your identity, and a credit or debit card to pay the required fees.

When you are ready to apply for the new British passport, you will need to take the following steps:

• Get a digital passport photo
• Fill in application details online
• Gather your supporting documents
• Pay your passport fees using a debit or a credit card

After you have completed the online form and pay the required fees, someone must be able to confirm your identity. HM Passport Office will send them an email with instruction. Accordingly, they will have to confirm your identity online.

Post this confirmation, you will receive detailed instruction via email regarding what supporting documents you must provide and where to send them. You may also be asked to attend a video interview online.

You may also apply via post using a paper form called the OS application form, but the whole process will take longer than online, more so considering you are applying from outside the UK.

Passport Photo Requirements

We recommend going to a photo booth or shop to get a digital photo, since they are professionals experienced in capturing passport photos and are usually well aware of the UK passport photo guidelines. However, you might also have someone to help you take a photo at home using your own device.

If you want to take a photo at home using your own device, keep in mind that your passport photo must be:

• Clear and in focus
• A color photo
• Unaltered by any computer software (e.g., photoshop)
• At least 750 pixels tall and 600 pixels wide
• At least 50 KB in file size (but no more than 10 MB)

Additionally, your digital photo must:

• Be taken against a plain, light-coloured background
• Be in clear contrast to the background
• Not have any other objects or people
• Not have ‘red eye’
• Include your head, shoulders and upper body
• Not be cropped

You must also be facing forwards and looking straight at the camera in your digital photo as well as have a neutral expression with your mouth closed. Your eyes must be open and visible, with no hair or such in front of your eyes. You should also not wear a headgear, unless for religious or medical purposes, or have anything covering your face.

There should also not be any shadows on your face or behind you. It is also recommended not to wear glasses while having your photo taken. If you must, then ensure they are not sunglasses or tinted glasses, and your eyes are not covered by the frames or any glare, reflection or shadow.

UK Passport Application If You Don’t Have Canadian-British Dual Citizenship

If you don’t yet have Canadian-British Dual Citizenship, then you will need to obtain British nationality before you can apply for a new passport.

Before you apply, keep in mind that if you are applying for British citizenship by naturalisation, you will first have to obtain indefinite leave to remain (ILR). For most eligible settlement visas, you have to lawfully live in the UK for at least five years continuously before you can apply for ILR.

The required stay comes down to three years for those who are married to a British citizen or are residing in the UK on an Innovator Founder visa. Certain Global talent visa holders can also apply after three years. Once you get ILR, you must wait for at least 12 months before applying for British citizenship. This waiting period does not apply for citizenship by marriage applicants.

If you are applying for UK citizenship by descent, neither the residence requirement nor the waiting period applies to you.

Apply for British Citizenship Online

• Start with creating an account on the Home Office website with an email ID
• Have all your supporting documents and other relevant information ready with you so as to answer the questions on the online form completely and accurately
• Fill in Form AN for all British citizenship applications through the naturalisation route, including the ones by marriage
• Submit the completed form online along with scanned copies of your supporting documents
• Pay the fees online (unless you are eligible to apply for a fee waiver) using a debit or a credit card
• Book an appointment with a UK Visa and Citizenship Application Services (UKVCAS) service point to provide your biometric details

You may either upload your documents into the UKVCAS online service or have them scanned at your UKVCAS appointment.

Apply for British Citizenship by Post

• Download the latest version of Form AN, the paper form to be used by those applying on or after 29 January 2025, from the Home Office website
• Fill in the paper form with complete and accurate information
• Send the same along with payment slip (including the fee) and supporting documents to UKVI at the following postal address:

Department 1
UK Visas and Immigration
The Capital Building
New Hall Place
Liverpool
L3 9PP

Before you are filling in the form, we recommend you to read the Guide AN, to ensure that you understand the criteria for naturalisation before submitting your application so as to minimise the risk of a refusal.

You can also take professional help from an agent or representative who is registered with the Immigration Advice Authority (IAA), or from solicitors or barristers registered with one of the approved organisations.

Apart from proving your eligibility for British citizenship though one of the available routes, you must also be able to meet certain additional requirements, such as:

1. You will have to prove that you are of good character and sound mind. Measures of your character include financial and criminal records. These will be examined by UKVI along with other details of your background
2. You may be required to prove your knowledge of English by passing a test at level B1, or by presenting evidence of a higher education degree taught or researched in English. Canadian citizens are, however, exempt
3. You will have to meet the residency requirement, if applicable, to apply for UK citizenship. Generally, you will need to have been present in the UK on a continuous basis for five years before applying for citizenship. During the five years, you should not have been abroad for more than 450 days, or 90 days in the year before you apply.

As part of your application for British citizenship, you may need to provide personal details and documents including:

• Your full name and date of birth
• Expired passports and prior travel or immigration information
• Two standard passport-sized photos
• Details of criminal convictions if applicable
• Evidence supporting your claim for citizenship, such as your parents’ marriage certificate
• A current and valid passport
• Proof that you meet the residency requirement, if applicable
• Proof that you will be able to support yourself financially without the use of public funds, such as bank statements and payslips from your employer
• Birth certificate or adoption certificate, if applicable
• Evidence of any name changes for you or your family that are associated with your application such as a marriage certificate
• Certified translated copies of all documents that were not originally in English such as birth certificate, adoption certificate, marriage certificate

You can also apply for your child’s first British passport from Canada if they have never had a UK passport or was only included in yours. You will generally follow the same procedure as applying for an adult passport. However, before you apply, confirm that they are British nationals so as to be eligible for a UK passport.

Someone with parental responsibility must apply on behalf of a child aged 15 or less. You must have the following ready with you before you begin the online application process:

• The child’s digital passport photo
• Supporting documents
• A debit or a credit card to pay the processing fees

After you have completed the online form and pay the required fees, ask someone to confirm your child’s identity (in the same procedure as mentioned above for adult applicants). You may also apply by post using a paper form called the OS application form. Your child must sign Section 6 on this form if they are 12 or more. You will also have to sign the form.

If you apply online, you will receive detailed instruction via email regarding what supporting documents you must provide and where to send them. If you apply by post, you must send the following:

• Two new photos of the child
• Their full birth or adoption certificate with the parent’s details
• Proof of their British nationality
• Any valid foreign passports they may hold
• Any court orders relating to them, where applicable

Passport Photo Requirements

The passport photo requirements are the same as for an adult applicant. However, there are certain relaxation of rules, such as:

• Children under 12 months might not have their eyes open, and you can support their head with your hand (although your hand should not be visible in the photo)
• Children under six years of age do not require to be looking straight at the camera or have a neutral expression

Ensure that the child is on their own in the picture and not holding toys or using dummies. Children under 12 months should lie on a plain, light-coloured sheet, and the photo should be taken from above.

British passports are typically valid for up to 10 years for adults and up to five years for children under 16. You will be required to renew your (or your minor child’s) UK passport if it is expiring soon or has expired. There is no need to go to the UK or to your nearest UK embassy/consulate in Canada to renew your British passport as you can do so online.

To renew your old British passport, you will require the following:

• A digital photo (taken as per the guidelines already discussed in this article)
• Your previous UK passport
• Any other valid passport(s) you might hold from a different country
• A credit or debit card to pay the required fees
• Any related court orders relating to your child if you are renewing their passport

You may apply to renew your expired UK passport if it expired within 10 years. If it has expired for more than 10 years, you will have to make a fresh UK passport application instead. Likewise, you must apply for a new passport for your child If their name or other personal details have changed instead of a renewal.

Online UK Passport Renewal Process

The standard online renewal process for a British passport consists of three steps:

• Getting a digital photo
• Filling in the online renewal application form and paying the required fees
• Sending your old passport to the Home Office

Even if your or your child’s appearance has not changed much since your previous passport, you will have to get a digital photo, taken no more than one month before the date of your passport renewal application.

Once your application is complete, the Home Office website page will instruct you on how to send your previous passport to the processing office in London by mail. After processing your application, they will send you back your old passport along with your new British passport via Royal Mail or an international courier service to your Canadian residential address.

Replacing a UK Passport

You cannot, however, follow the standard passport renewal process online if:

• Your passport is lost, stolen or damaged, or
• You have had a name or gender change, or
• Your appearance has significantly changed (so much so that you cannot be recognised from your existing passport photo anymore)

If your passport is lost or stolen, you must cancel it first before you can ask for a replacement. You can submit a replacement application online or by post.

A UK passport application from Canada usually takes 3-4 weeks to be processed. This timeline might vary due to seasonal demand, or if the Home Office asks you for additional information or advises you to submit a fresh digital photo, or if you have submitted an incomplete application or there are document verification issues, etc.

You will also have to allow some time for any international shipment delays on both ends.

A standard online application for an adult passport will cost you £102. The cost be £115.50 if you apply through the paper form.

The cost for a child’s passport will be £66.50 and £80, respectively, depending on whether you apply online or via post.