This guide covers the process of getting a Canadian passport: which form to use, the documents and photos you need, who can be your guarantor, where to apply, and how long it takes. What each passport and service level costs is in the Canadian passport cost guide.
Renewing an adult passport uses the simplified renewal form (PPTC 054): no guarantor and no birth certificate, but you need new photos and two references who aren’t family members, and eligible adults can renew online. First-time applicants and parents applying for a child need a guarantor who has known them for at least two years. Processing takes 10 to 20 business days or more for a standard application, not counting mail time; express and urgent service are available in person at some locations. Many countries require your passport to stay valid for several months after you arrive, so the expiry date matters for trips as well as for renewal timing (see the validity rules by destination). This guide is part of the consumer guides for Canadians.
Processing Times and Service Levels
| Service Level | Processing Time | How to Apply |
|---|---|---|
| Standard | 10 to 20 business days or more, plus mail time | In person, mail, or online (adult renewals) |
| Express | 2 to 9 business days | In person at a location that offers it |
| Urgent | By the end of the next business day | In person at a passport office |
Express and urgent service cost extra on top of the passport fee; the amounts, and the fee for each passport type in and outside Canada, are in the passport cost guide.
How to Apply: New Passport (First-Time or Child)
First-time applicants apply in person at a Service Canada Centre or passport office, or by mail; online applications are for adult renewals. The guarantor requirement is a common stumbling block: your guarantor must have known you for at least two years and hold a 5-year or 10-year Canadian passport that is valid or expired for no more than one year. The guarantor section below has the full list.
| Step | Action | Details |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Download the application form | PPTC 153 (adult first-time) or PPTC 155 (child) |
| 2 | Get passport photos taken | 50mm × 70mm, plain white or light-coloured background, taken within 6 months |
| 3 | Find a guarantor | Canadian citizen 18 or older with an eligible passport, who has known you 2+ years |
| 4 | Have guarantor sign | Back of one photo and the declaration on the form |
| 5 | Gather supporting documents | Birth certificate or citizenship certificate + government photo ID |
| 6 | Complete the application form | Print clearly in black ink; sign only where and when the form instructs |
| 7 | Submit and pay | In person (card, certified cheque or money order) or by mail (credit card, certified cheque or money order) |
| 8 | Receive your passport | In person at the counter, or by registered mail |
For child passports (under 16): a parent or legal guardian applies for the child, and parents who are separated or divorced may need to include legal documents about custody. The parent or guardian submitting the application can’t also sign as the child’s guarantor, but the other parent or guardian can if they meet the guarantor requirements. Child passports are valid for up to 5 years.
How to Renew: Adult Passport (Simplified Process)
Adult renewal is significantly simpler than a new application: no guarantor, no birth certificate, and you can often complete the entire process online. The simplified renewal form (PPTC 054) is available if your previous passport was a regular (blue) adult passport valid for 5 or 10 years, issued within the last 15 years, and issued when you were 16 or older. Your previous passport is cancelled when you renew; whether you hand it over depends on how you apply (see the steps below).
| Step | Action | Details |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Check online eligibility | Previous passport must be a regular 5- or 10-year adult passport, issued in the last 15 years, with no change to name, date of birth, place of birth or gender identifier (renewing online also needs the passport to expire within 6 months or already be expired) |
| 2 | Choose application method | Online, in person, or by mail (fees in the passport cost guide) |
| 3 | Complete form PPTC 054 | No guarantor required |
| 4 | Get new passport photos and 2 references | Photos must meet current specifications (old photos are not accepted); references must be 18 or older, have known you at least 2 years and not be family members or your guarantor |
| 5 | Submit your application | By mail, include your previous passport; in person, you keep it while the application is processed |
| 6 | Pay the fee | In person: credit, prepaid or debit card, or a certified cheque or money order. By mail: credit card or a certified cheque or money order (no debit). Online renewals are paid online |
| 7 | Receive new passport | 10 to 20 business days or more for standard service; previous passport cancelled |
Online renewal: online renewal runs through the IRCC portal, and you upload a digital photo instead of mailing printed ones.
Required Documents
Getting your documents right before you go to Service Canada saves a return trip. An incomplete application delays processing, since the clock starts only once IRCC has the form, all supporting documents and payment. Proof of citizenship usually has to be an original, though a copy is accepted for a citizenship certificate issued on or after February 1, 2012; ID can be a photocopy of both sides signed and dated by your guarantor.
| Applicant | Documents Required |
|---|---|
| Canadian-born (new application) | Provincial or territorial birth certificate (long-form or short-form) + government photo ID + 2 passport photos + guarantor declaration |
| Naturalized citizen (new application) | Certificate of Canadian Citizenship + government photo ID + 2 passport photos + guarantor declaration |
| Adult renewal (simplified) | 2 new passport photos + 2 references (the previous passport goes with a mail application) |
| Child (under 16) | Proof of the child’s citizenship (such as a birth certificate) + proof of parentage + 2 photos of the child + signatures of all parents or legal guardians |
| Replacing lost or stolen | If the passport is still valid: declaration form PPTC 203 and the extra replacement fee, plus the usual new-application documents; if it has expired, the main application form is enough |
Note on birth certificates: For an adult application, IRCC accepts either a long-form or a short-form birth certificate from the province or territory of birth. A child’s application also needs proof of parentage, which can be a detailed (long-form) birth certificate naming the parents, a court-issued adoption order or a foreign birth certificate naming the parents. To get a new birth certificate, contact the vital statistics office in the province or territory of birth.
Guarantor Requirements
The guarantor requirement trips up many first-time applicants. For an application submitted in Canada, IRCC’s references and guarantors page sets out who qualifies.
A guarantor must:
- Be a Canadian citizen aged 18 or older
- Have known the applicant for at least two years
- Hold a 5-year or 10-year Canadian passport that is valid or expired for no more than one year
- Be available if passport officials need to contact them
A guarantor can be anyone who meets these requirements, including a family member or someone who lives with you. The separate references on the form follow their own rules, listed on the same IRCC page.
What the guarantor does:
- Writes “I certify this to be a true likeness of” and your name on the back of one of your two passport photos, then signs it
- Signs the guarantor section of the application form
- Provides their Canadian passport number on the form
Common guarantor choices include a relative, neighbour, longtime friend or coworker. The guarantor signs the form and the back of one photo, and for an adult application also signs and dates each photocopy of your ID.
Passport Photo Requirements
Photos are a common reason for application rejection. Getting them right the first time avoids delays. Photos must be taken in person by a commercial photographer or photo studio and professionally printed; photos printed at home are not accepted.
| Requirement | Specification |
|---|---|
| Size | 50mm × 70mm (approximately 2" × 2¾") |
| Background | Plain white or light-coloured, with no shadows |
| Age of photo | Taken within the last 6 months |
| Expression | Neutral, mouth closed, eyes open |
| Head position | Face and shoulders centred and squared to the camera, not tilted, looking straight at the camera |
| Glasses | Allowed if your eyes are clearly visible and there is no glare on the lenses; sunglasses and tinted glasses (including tinted prescription lenses) are not |
| Head covering | Only if worn daily for religious or medical reasons; full face must be clearly visible, with no shadows from the covering |
| Print quality | Professionally printed on plain, high-quality photographic paper (not at home); no shadows, red-eye or editing, including filters |
IRCC’s passport photo requirements page has the full specification, with examples of acceptable and unacceptable photos.
Where to Apply
Choosing the right application channel saves time and money. In person is required for anyone needing express or urgent service. Mail suits people who can wait 20 business days or more, and mail time comes on top of that.
| Channel | Who Can Use It | Processing Speed | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Service Canada Centre (in person) | Most applicants | Standard only (10 or 20 business days, depending on the location) | Some take walk-ins, some appointments; the locator shows which |
| Passport office (major cities) | All applicants | Standard, express, or urgent | Urgent (next-day) available here only |
| All except urgent | Standard only, plus mail time | Meant for 20 business days or more; if you have already applied and need it sooner, you can contact the Passport Program | |
| Online | Adult renewals only | Standard | Digital photo upload, no printing needed |
Busy periods: wait times at passport offices and some Service Canada Centres are longer in peak travel season, and booking an appointment online, where available, avoids a long walk-in queue. Service Canada’s office locator on canada.ca shows which locations offer passport services.
Travel Passport Validity Rules by Destination
Many Canadians are caught off guard by destination-specific validity requirements. Even if your passport technically doesn’t expire before your trip, some countries require it to be valid for 3 to 6 months beyond your arrival or departure date. Airlines will often refuse boarding if your passport doesn’t meet the destination’s requirements.
| Destination | Minimum Passport Validity Required |
|---|---|
| United States | Valid for the duration of your stay |
| Mexico | Valid for duration of stay |
| United Kingdom | Valid for duration of stay |
| Europe (Schengen area) | Valid 3+ months beyond your return date |
| Australia | Valid on the day you enter |
| Japan | Valid for duration of stay |
| Southeast Asia | Usually 6+ months, counted from arrival in some countries and from departure in others |
| Other destinations | Varies by country: some need 6+ months, others only the length of your stay (check the country’s entry requirements on travel.gc.ca) |
A common rule of thumb is six months: a passport that expires within six months of the return date is renewed before the trip, since standard renewal takes 10 to 20 business days or more. Entry rules are set by each country, and the Government of Canada’s travel advice page for your destination lists its passport requirements. Travel plans also raise the question of whether you need travel insurance, since provincial health plans cover little outside Canada, and when to book flights.
Common Mistakes That Delay Applications
These are the most frequent reasons Canadian passport applications are returned or delayed:
- Wrong birth certificate: submitting a photocopy of a birth certificate instead of the original from the province or territory where you were born
- Photo problems: tinted glasses, glare on the lenses, or a photo that doesn’t reflect how you look now
- Guarantor doesn’t qualify: they haven’t known you for two years, or their passport expired more than a year ago
- Applying by mail when time is short: mail applications suit people who can wait 20 business days or more, and mail time comes on top of processing
- Not submitting original documents: photocopies of a birth certificate are not accepted, and a citizenship certificate issued on or before January 31, 2012 must also be the original
- Missing custody documents on a child application: separated or divorced parents may need to include them
- Using the wrong form after a passport expires: an expired passport can still be renewed with the simplified form (PPTC 054) as long as it meets the simplified renewal criteria
Key Takeaways
- Adult renewals can be done online, in person or by mail, with no guarantor
- First-time applicants apply in person or by mail; online is for adult renewals only
- Guarantors can be family members, but must be Canadian citizens 18 or older who have known you for two years and hold an eligible passport
- Glasses are fine in photos if your eyes are clearly visible with no glare; tinted lenses are not
- Mail applications suit people who can wait 20 business days or more; express and urgent service are for people who apply in person
- Standard processing takes 10 to 20 business days or more, plus mail time
- Validity rules vary by destination, and several months of remaining validity is a common requirement
Related Guides
- Canadian Passport Cost
- Best Travel Insurance in Canada
- Best No-Foreign-Transaction-Fee Credit Cards
- Cross-Border Shopping Guide: Canada to US
- Canadian Snowbird Guide
→ Back to: Consumer Guides