Canadian Passport Application

All Canadian passport applicants must provide the following documents with their application:

• Proof of Canadian citizenship
  • This can be a long-form birth certificate or a Canadian citizenship certificate. It must be the original document and not a photocopy.
• A valid Canadian passport or other travel documents (refugee travel document or certificate of identity)
• A document to support your identity
  • This document must include your name, date of birth, photo and signature, such as a driver’s licence or health card
• Two identical passport photos
  • On the back of one of the photos, the applicant must write:
    • Their name
    • Their complete address
    • The date the photos were taken
  • Your guarantor must also sign the back of this photo

Note that you may need to provide additional documents with your application if you:

• Have changed your name
• Are replacing a lost, stolen or damaged passport
• Want to omit your place of birth on your passport
• Are updating the gender identifier on your passport

All documents you submit with your application must be in either English or French. If not, then you must provide an official, certified translation of the document into either one of these languages.

All Canadian passport applicants must use a guarantor and 2 references to certify their application.

A guarantor can be anyone, including a family member or member of your household. However, they must:

• Have known you for at least 2 years
• Be available if they need to be contacted by Canadian authorities
• Be a Canadian citizen 18 or older
• Provide the information needed that’s in their passport
• Have been 16 years of age or older when they applied for their own passport
• Hold a 5-year or 10-year Canadian passport that, on the day you submit your application, is valid or expired for no more than 1 year

Meanwhile, your references cannot be a family member or your guarantor, and they must:

• Be 18 years of age or older
• Have known you for at least 2 years for passport applications
• Agree to you using their name and contact information for your application

If you need a new Canadian passport within 2 business days, you must attend a Canadian Passport Office that offers an urgent pick-up service. Note that there are additional fees to pay if you use this service.

You will need to use the passport office’s walk-service instead of booking an appointment.

Before you get to the passport offices, you will need to ensure that you have:

• Filled in the Adult General Passport Application forms (PPTC 153)
• Gathered all of your supporting documents
• Found a guarantor and 2 references
• Proof that you need the passport. Proof can be:
  • An airline, bus or train ticket or travel itinerary showing proof of payment
  • Proof of illness or death in your family that requires you to travel
  • A written statement explaining the reasons why you need the passport

You will then need to go to your local passport office for their walk-in service, submit your application and pay your fees.

After you apply, you will then be able to pick up your new passport on the date indicated on the receipt given to you by the office.

If you need a new Canadian passport within 3 to 45 business days, you must attend a Canadian Passport Office.

You may make an appointment, or use their walk-in service for this. Note that you will only be able to use the walk-in service if there is capacity at the office.

Before you get to the passport offices, you will need to ensure that you have:

• Filled in the Adult General Passport Application form (PPTC 153)
• Gathered all of your supporting documents
• Found a guarantor and 2 references
• Proof that you need the passport. Proof can be:
  • An airline, bus or train ticket or travel itinerary showing proof of payment
  • Proof of illness or death in your family that requires you to travel
  • A written statement explaining the reasons why you need the passport

You will then need to go to your local passport office, submit your application and pay your fees.

After you apply, your new passport and original documents will then be mailed to you. If you paid an extra fee for a pickup service, you will be able to pick up your passport on the date indicated on the receipt given to you by the office.

If you need a new Canadian passport in 46 business days or more, you can either go to a Service Canada Centre or apply by mail.

If you go to a Service Canada Centre, you can make an appointment or use their walk-in service.

Before you go to the Service Canada Centre or mail your application, you will need to ensure that you have:

• Filled in the Adult General Passport Application form (PPTC 153)
• Gathered all of your supporting documents
• Found a guarantor and 2 references

If you’re applying in person, you will need to go to your local Service Canada Centre, submit your application and pay your fees.

If you’re applying by mail, you will have to check the Canadian government website to see where you need to send your application. Where you send your application will depend on which province you’re located in.

After you apply, your new passport and original documents will then be mailed to you. If you paid an extra fee for a pickup service, you will be able to pick up your passport on the date indicated on your receipt.

If you’ve applied for urgent processing, you should receive your new passport at the end of the next business day.

If you’ve applied for express processing, you should receive your passport in around 2 to 9 business days.

If you’ve applied for standard processing at a Service Canada Centre, you should receive your passport in around 10 business days, although this may take up to 2 weeks during busy periods.

If you’ve applied for standard processing by mail, you should receive your passport in around 20 business days, although this may take up to 13 weeks during busy periods.

Note that these times do not take mailing time into account. There may also be measures in place to manage wait times at busier passport offices, such as prioritizing those who need a passport quickly.