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Applying for a passport

Top questions about passports

See more questions in the Help Centre

Renewing a passport

When should I renew my passport?

This depends on whether you need a passport for travel or to use as identification.

Renewing for travel

Each country has its own entry requirements. Always check the entry and exit requirements for all countries you plan to visit. Then check your passport to see when it expires. This will tell you if you need to renew your passport before your trip.

Renewing to use as identification

Your passport is valid until its expiry date. You should renew it before then. You can check our service standards to see approximately how long it may take us to process your application.

If you plan to apply by mail, remember that you’ll need to submit your passport with your application. As a result, you won’t have it to use as identification while we process your renewal application.

If you apply in person, you’ll be able to keep your current passport after submitting your application.

If you apply to renew your passport more than a year before it expires

We’ll ask you for the reason for your early renewal. If you’re submitting your application by mail, include a written explanation.

Submitting an adult passport application

Who can submit a passport application in person on my behalf?

If you want to submit your application in person, but can’t go yourself, you can ask someone else to submit it for you.

However, if it’s an urgent or express application, you do have to go yourself. You can’t have someone else submit the urgent or express application for you.

The person who submits your application must

  • show a piece of ID
  • be 16 or older
  • be related to you in one of the following ways:
    • parent
    • child
    • parent’s spouse or common-law partner
    • child’s spouse or common-law partner
    • brother or sister
    • half-brother or half-sister
    • stepbrother or stepsister
    • spouse or common-law partner
    • relatives of your spouse or common-law partner, including their
      • parent
      • child
      • parent’s spouse or common-law partner
      • child’s spouse or common-law partner
      • brother or sister
      • half-brother or half-sister
      • stepbrother or stepsister
  • either
    • live at the same address as you, or
    • bring a written statement signed by you that says they can apply on your behalf

Any other relative living at your address can also submit an application on your behalf if they

  • are 16 or older
  • show ID that lists their address
    • If their ID doesn’t have an address, they need to show another form of proof that they live at the same address as you.

The person who submits your application must be able to verify the information on your application with us. If they can’t, we can refuse your application.

What your written statement needs to say

Your written statement must note that you’re allowing this person to submit your passport application on your behalf. It should include the following information:

  • your full name
  • their full name
  • their relationship to you
  • your signature and the date you signed it

Example:

I, (your full name), hereby authorize (their full name), my (their relationship to you), to submit this passport application on my behalf.

(Your signature and the date you signed it)

I live in the US, but I plan to come to Canada. Can I submit my passport application in person in Canada?

Most people in the US apply for a passport by mail. This is because Government of Canada offices in the US don’t offer regular passport services.

However, if you plan to be in Canada, you or an acceptable third party can submit the application in Canada at a Service Canada Centre (opens in a new tab). If you do, we normally send you the new passport by courier to your address in the US.

You cannot ask a third party to submit an urgent or express application for you.

If you want the passport mailed to a Canadian address

You have to

  •  submit your application in person
  •  confirm you will be in Canada to get the passport

You also need to

If you want to pick up the passport in Canada

I live outside Canada and the US, but I’m coming to Canada. Can I submit my passport application in person while I’m in Canada?

Most people apply at the nearest Government of Canada office that provides passport services. To do so, follow the steps to apply from abroad for

However, you or an acceptable third party can also submit the application in Canada at a passport office (Service Canada Centre – Passport Services) (opens in a new tab) if you want. However, there are some conditions to this.

If you choose to submit your application in Canada

  •  You must pick it up at the passport office when it’s ready.
  •  You can’t have a third party submit an urgent or express application for you.
  •  You can’t authorize anyone else to pick up the passport for you.
  •  We can’t mail the passport to you.

Submitting a child’s passport application

What should I do if I don’t know where the other parent is?

Please contact us.

What should I do if the other parent is deceased?

If the other parent is deceased, you should include the following with the application:

  • death certificate
  • child's long-form birth certificate with the names of both parents
I live in the US, but I plan to come to Canada. Can I submit a child passport application in person in Canada?

Most people in the US apply for a passport by mail. This is because Government of Canada offices in the US don’t offer regular passport services.

However, if you plan to be in Canada, you or an acceptable third party can submit the application in Canada at a Service Canada Centre (opens in a new tab). You cannot ask a third party to submit an urgent or express application for you.

If the child is in the US

We’ll send the passport by courier to your address in the US.

If the child is in Canada with you

You have the option of either

  • picking it up in person (extra fees apply)
  • having it mailed to a Canadian address

If the child isn’t in Canada with you

  •  We can’t send the passport to a Canadian address.
  •  You can’t pick it up in person.

If you want to pick up the passport in Canada

If you want the passport mailed to a Canadian address

You have to

  •  submit your application in person
  •  confirm the child will be in Canada to get the passport

You also need to

I live outside Canada and the US, but I’m coming to Canada. Can I submit a child passport application in person while I’m in Canada?

Most people just apply at the nearest Government of Canada office (opens in a new tab) that provides passport services. To do so, follow the steps to apply from abroad for a child passport (opens in a new tab).

However, you or an acceptable third party may also submit the application in Canada at a passport office (Service Canada Centre – Passport Services) (opens in a new tab) if you want. However, there are some conditions to this.

Requirements to submit a child passport application in Canada if living abroad

  •  You must pick it up at the passport office when it’s ready.
  •  The child must be with you when you pick it up.
  •  You can’t have a third party submit an urgent or express application for you.

If the child isn’t with you, you can’t apply in Canada.

Documents to support identity

The name on my proof of citizenship is different from the name on my identification. Which name can I use on my passport?

The name printed in the passport will be the name on your proof of citizenship except if you

  • want to drop or invert a given name from the name displayed on your proof of citizenship
    • In this case, the name you want in your passport must match the name on your supporting ID
  • adopted or resumed a last name due to a marriage, divorce, common-law relationship or end of a common-law relationship
    • If so, you must
      • provide supporting ID showing your new surname
      • submit your marriage/divorce/common-law certificate with your application
  • changed your name following an adoption, a court decision or a legal name change and have not obtained a new proof of citizenship with your or your child’s new legal name
    • In this case, you will need to submit
      • your or your child’s proof of citizenship in the old name
      • supporting ID showing your new given name(s) and last name, if applying as an adult
      • the original or a copy of your or your child’s legal name change certificate, adoption order or court order displaying the old name and the new name
Learn more about reclaiming an Indigenous name on your passport or other travel document.

Proof of Canadian citizenship

What if my citizenship card only shows the year of issue?If your citizenship card only shows the year of issue, enter only the year in the date of issue field of the application form.
Can I get a Canadian passport if I also hold the citizenship of another country?Yes, if you’re a Canadian citizen and meet our passport application requirements, you can get a Canadian passport.

Application forms

Why won’t my application form let me save my information or digitally sign it?

We use an Adobe certificate in our forms that lets you

  • save your information
  • digitally sign them
  • generate bar codes

This certificate needs to be renewed after several years to keep those features working. If you use an old form instead of downloading the most recent one, those features may not work as of January 6, 2023. This is because that’s when the old certificate expires.

If you have issues with any of those features, download a new copy of the form. You should then be able to save and sign the form.

What are the benefits of having a bar code on the application form?

The bar code is a digital version of the personal information you enter in section one of the passport application. It allows us to:

  • speed up data entry
  • reduce the number of errors
What information is in the bar code?

The information in the bar code includes your:

  • surname (last name)
  • given name(s)
  • surname (last name) at birth
  • date of birth
  • place of birth
  • address of permanent residence
  • mailing address
Why does the bar code change into a big grey box?

The bar code changes into a big grey box when you enter more data than the bar code can hold.

If this happens, continue to fill out the form, print and submit the application. We will enter the information manually.

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