Special or diplomatic passport (adult): How to apply for an official passport if you have a regular (blue) passport

1. Get your documents ready

You need to include these documents with your application if you have a regular (blue) passport:

• 2 identical passport photos.
  • You don’t need a guarantor.
  • On the back of one photo, the photographer must indicate:
    • the photographer’s name, address, and postal code
    • the date the photo was taken
• Detailed flight itinerary, if available.
• Any additional forms you need to apply for a visa for the country you’re travelling to (if applicable).
  • If you need a foreign visa:
    • Add 3 to 45 business days to the 15 business days (depending on the country) it takes for us to process your passport application. Each country sets its own visa requirements and processing times. We have no influence over the time it takes a foreign mission to issue a visa.
    • Complete the Visa Facilitation form (PPTC 639) (PDF, 1.6MB).
• One of the following:
  • a copy of the signed Travel Authority and Advance form
  • the Posting Confirmation Form (PCF)
  • a signed letter from your department, or the forms created for clients from National Defence.
• You may need extra documents if:
  • you’re from National Defence or the Canadian Armed Forces
  • you’re being posted abroad
  • you’re replacing a lost, stolen or damaged passport
  • you’re changing the gender identifier on your passport
  • you changed your name

2. Find out if you need a visa

If you’re travelling to a country that requires a visa, add 3 to 45 business days to the 15 business days it takes for us to process your passport application. Each country sets its own visa requirements and processing times. We have no influence over the time it takes a foreign mission to issue a visa.

Find out if you need a visa

3. Complete the application form

Download the adult simplified renewal special or diplomatic application form (PPTC 638) (PDF, 3.3 MB)

If your application is incomplete, we’ll return it to you without processing it. This may cause travel delays.

4. Pay the fees

If you’re applying to travel on official government business or you’re representing the Government of Canada abroad for

• a federal department or agency, complete and include the
  • passport information billing form [PPTC 467] (PDF, 64 KB)
• a Crown corporation or you’re paying with a credit card other than a departmental credit card, complete and include the
  • credit card payment authorization form [PPTC 084] (PDF, 98 KB)
• the Department of National Defence (DND) and you’re not being posted somewhere, complete and include the
  • requisition form for official passports [PPTC 455] (PDF, 50 KB)
• the Department of National Defence (DND) and you’re being posted somewhere, complete and include the
  • Department of National Defence posting confirmation [PPTC 458] (PDF, 50 KB)