Apply for a child’s passport in Canada
It’s important to know your travel date. If you are not traveling in the next month or so, you can submit the application by mail or visit one of the Passport offices or Service Canada receiving agent locations. If you need your child’s passport in the next 20 days, you need to apply in person at one of the Passport office locations. Many locations also offer pick up, express and urgent service for an extra fee.
If you already have a passport for your child, it will be cancelled and must be submitted with the application. A cancelled passport cannot be used for travel.
1. Complete the application form
To save time, complete the form on your computer and then print it.
Sign each page of the application. Each parent or legal guardian should sign the application form. We may contact the other parent/legal guardian.
Complete the Child application form
2. Gather all necessary documents and get your child’s passport photo
Include the following documents with your child’s application form:
Proof of your child’s Canadian citizenship (long-form birth certificate or citizenship certificate) (original document only).
Two identical passport photos (the name and address of the photographer and the date the photos were taken must be included on the back of one of the photos.
Proof of parentage or proof of legal guardianship (if applicable).
All documents that refer to the custody of, mobility of, or access to the child.
Any valid Canadian passport or travel document issued in the child’s name.
Supporting documentation if requesting a change in sex.
All documents must be submitted in either French or English. If a document is in another language, an official translation must be provided.
3. Find a guarantor
When you apply for a passport for your child, you will need to find a guarantor to sign the application and one of the passport photos. The guarantor must have known you (the parent or legal guardian who is applying on behalf of the child) personally for at least two (2) years and must have knowledge of the child.
4. Submit your application and pay your fees
If you are applying by mail:
Use a certified courier or traceable mail service to reduce the delivery time of your application and help protect your documents.
Address for mail:
Government of Canada
Passport Program
Gatineau QC K1A 0G3
Canada
If using a courier:
Government of Canada
Passport Program
22 de Varennes Street
Gatineau QC J8T 8R1
Canada
Pay your fees by mail
When sending the application by mail, you can pay by:
- Visa, MasterCard, American Express credit card (prepaid cards are accepted), or
- Certified cheque or money order (postal or bank) in Canadian funds, made payable to the “Receiver General for Canada”. The exact fee must be specified.
Debit cards (INTERAC® Online, Visa Debit or Virtual Debit) are not accepted for applications submitted by mail or by a third party.
You will not receive a refund for the service fee if you:
- Cancel the application,
- Are refused a passport or travel document, or
- Are issued a passport for a shorter validity period than requested (for example, in cases where an individual has had multiple losses).
If you are applying in person:
When applying in person, you should submit your application yourself. If this is not possible, it may be submitted in person by someone else unless it is an urgent or express request (you must apply in person yourself for urgent or express service).
If you want to pick up your child’s passport in person, you need to make arrangements and pay the additional fee when you apply.
Pay your fees in person
When applying in person, you can pay by:
- Credit card or prepaid card (Visa, MasterCard, American Express)
- Debit card (INTERAC® Online)
- Certified cheque or money order (postal or bank) in Canadian funds, made payable to the “Receiver General for Canada”. The exact fee must be specified.
We do not accept cash or personal cheques.
Debit cards (INTERAC® Online, Visa Debit or Virtual Debit) are not accepted for applications submitted by mail or by a third party.
You will not receive a refund for the service fee if you:
- Cancel the application,
- Are refused a passport or travel document, or
- Are issued a passport for a shorter validity period than requested (for example, in cases where an individual has had multiple losses).
5. Receiving your child’s passport
If you applied by mail, the passport (and any original documentation you submitted) will be returned to you by traceable mail and may be in two separate packages.
A child’s passport may be picked up by a third party if they provide written consent from the applicant, as well as valid identification.
If you applied in person and paid for a pick-up service, the pickup date will be indicated on your receipt.
A child’s passport may be picked up by a third party if they provide written consent from the applicant and valid identification. The child must be present when the passport is picked up in Canada.