Documents to submit when applying for a child’s passport
All Canadian children (15 and younger) need their own passport to travel. After turning 16, they need to apply for an adult passport when their child passport expires.
When you apply for a passport for a child, you also need to submit
- proof of the child’s Canadian citizenship
- proof of custody, decision-making responsibilities, separation or divorce
- proof of parentage
You must include all documentation supporting the application each time you apply, even if the child previously had a passport. We review these each time we get an application for a child.
Proof of the child’s Canadian citizenship
You must submit your child’s original proof of citizenship document. We don’t accept photocopies of proof of citizenship.
If you apply by mail, we’ll return the document to you with the new passport. If you apply in person at a passport office, we’ll review the document and then return it to you.
If your child was born in Canada
Submit 1 of the following:
- a birth certificate from the province or territory where your child was born
- a Canadian citizenship certificate (opens in a new tab)
If your child was born outside Canada
Submit their Canadian citizenship certificate (opens in a new tab).
A laminated proof of citizenship may not be accepted
We accept laminated proof of citizenship documents if they were laminated by the provincial, territorial or federal government agency that issues them.
We do not accept a laminated proof of citizenship document if
- it wasn’t originally laminated when you got it
- it says “void if laminated”
This is because lamination changes and hides the document’s original security features. We need those features to validate the document.
If you need a new proof of Canadian citizenship
- apply for a birth certificate, if you were born in Canada
- apply for a citizenship certificate, if you were born outside Canada
Complete the form below and include it with your application if both
- your child’s proof of Canadian citizenship doesn’t have a sex field and
- their gender identifier isn’t what’s on their most recent passport
How to get a Canadian birth certificate
Contact the vital statistics office (opens in a new tab) in the province or territory where your child was born to ask for a birth certificate.
Certain provinces have different documents that we also accept as proof of Canadian citizenship:
- British Columbia: Certified True Copy of a Registration Document – Registration of Live Birth
- given in cases where the name of the bearer is more than 30 characters for the surname(s) or 30 characters for the given name(s)
- New Brunswick: certified extract of a registration document
- given in cases where the name of the bearer is more than 39 characters for the surname(s) and 30 characters for the given name(s)
- Northwest Territories: Registration of Birth, Certificate of Registration of Birth, or Registration of Live Birth
- given in cases where the surname(s) and given name(s) of the bearer are more than a total of 58 characters
- Nova Scotia: certified photocopy of a Live Birth Registration
- given in cases where the name of the bearer is more than 30 characters for the surname(s) and 38 characters for the given name(s)
- Ontario: certified copy of birth registration
- Quebec: birth certificate or copy of an act of birth issued after January 1, 1994, from the Directeur de l’état civil
Proof of custody, decision-making responsibilities, separation or divorce
When applying for a child’s passport, all parents or legal guardians must
- participate in the passport application
- sign the form
- be ready for us to contact them
If you’re a legal guardian applying for a passport for a child, make sure you submit proof of legal guardianship.
When a court order or agreement exists referring to custody or decision-making responsibilities over the child
- only the person with parental rights can apply for the passport
- If parents have joint custody or joint decision-making responsibilities, either parent can apply for the passport.
- you must provide all documents that refer to
- custody of or decision-making responsibilities over the child
- the child’s mobility
- access or parenting time
If a divorce has been granted, you must provide a copy of the divorce judgment or order.
If you’re worried that someone might apply for a passport for your child without your consent
Find out how to add your child’s name to a special list for their safety.
Proof of parentage
You must provide proof of parentage to confirm the relationship between you and the child, such as
- a detailed (long-form) birth certificate from a Canadian provincial or territorial vital statistics (opens in a new tab) office that includes the name of the parent(s)
- This document is also accepted as proof of Canadian citizenship.
- If the child was born in Ontario, we also accept a certified copy of birth registration.
- If the child was born in Quebec, we also accept a copy of an act of birth.
- This document is also accepted as proof of Canadian citizenship.
- a court-issued adoption order that has the name of the adoptive parent(s)
- a foreign birth certificate that has the name of the parent(s)
If the surname (last name) of a parent on the proof of parentage is different from their surname on the application form, provide a document that shows a link between the 2 surnames, such as
- a marriage certificate
- a common-law relationship certificate
- a legal name change certificate
We may request other documents.
You may not need proof of parentage if
- the child has already had a Canadian passport or travel document and
- the same parents are applying for the new passport
If you don’t need to provide proof of parentage, you still need to submit proof of citizenship. You may submit a wallet-sized birth certificate instead of the detailed (long-form) birth certificate in this case.
Page details
- Date modified: