A passport is a travel document that lets you move across international borders. Only Canadian citizens are eligible for a Canadian passport.
There are two types of Canadian passports: adult passports and children passports.
Note that renewing a passport is a different process than applying for a passport.
Adult passport applications
To get an adult passport, you must:
- be a Canadian citizen,
- be 16 years old or older,
- have a guarantor and two references,
- submit a passport application form along with various supporting documents and photos, and
- pay your application fees.
You can apply for a regular (blue) passport from inside or outside Canada. The procedure and requirements may vary slightly depending on your application is from inside or outside Canada.
A guarantor is someone who knows you well and who the government considers trustworthy. They must be available if the government wants to contact them. A guarantor must be a Canadian citizen and over the age of 18.
If you are applying from inside Canada, your guarantor may be anyone, including a family member or a member of your household, who meets all the other requirements of a guarantor.
If you are applying from outside Canada, your guarantor can be anyone who meets the basic requirements set by the government. They can be a family member or member of your household, or someone working in an occupation such as a judge, dentist, medical doctor, police officer, lawyer, notary public, or head of a post-secondary institution.
A reference must be over the age of 18 who has known you for 2 years or more. You cannot use family members as references
Children passport applications
You can apply for a Canadian passport on behalf of your child, including adopted children.
To apply for a child passport, you need:
- proof of the child’s Canadian citizenship
- passport photos
- proof of parentage
- any other documents that relate to child custody, mobility, or access to the child.
You also need a guarantor to apply for a child passport.
Passport applications are usually submitted by mail..