Renew your passport: How to renew

Renew your passport – adults in Canada

To renew your passport, you must be:

• a Canadian citizen and
• 16 years of age and over.

Before you apply, answer a few questions or read the eligibility requirements to find out if you’re eligible to renew your passport, or if you need to apply for a new passport.

It’s important to know your travel date. If you:

• are not traveling in the next month or so, you can send your application by mail or visit your nearest service location.
• need your passport within the next 20 days, you need to apply in person at your nearest Passport office. Many locations also offer pick-up, express and urgent service for an extra fee.

Your passport:

• must be sent with your application, and
• will be cancelled and cannot be used for travel.

Are you also submitting an application for your child? Find out how to apply for a passport for your child.

1. Complete the application form

   To save time, complete the form on your computer and then print it. Sign each page of the application.

   Complete the Adult Simplified Renewal Passport Application form (PPTC 054) (PDF, 1.87 MB).

   Contact us to get a Braille instruction booklet or large print form sent to you.

   You may not be able to open these forms in your internet browser. Get help opening an application form.

   Does your passport have a valid visa in it?

   If you send a passport for renewal that has a valid visa, tell us on the application form that you want the original passport returned to you and that you still need that visa. If you don’t, the visa could be damaged when the previous passport is cancelled.

2. Gather all necessary documents and get your passport photo

   Include the following documents with your application form:

   • your most recent passport
   • 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. Read the full requirements for more information)

   You may need extra documents if you are:

   • omitting your place of birth on your passport
   • updating the gender identifier in your passport

3. Find two references

   You will also need two references to include on your application. Your references must have known you for at least two years.

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, Quebec K1A 0G3
   Canada

   If using a courier:

   Government of Canada
   Passport Program
   22 de Varennes Street
   Gatineau, Quebec J8T 8R1
   Canada

   Paying your fees

   When applying 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 your application,
   • are refused a 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).

   Only the consular fee, which applies to all adult applications, is refundable if a passport is not issued.

   Find out what the fees are for your passport application.

   If you are applying in person:

   Find a passport office or a Service Canada receiving agent closest to you.

   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 need help to complete the form, someone else can fill it in for you. This person must be 18 years of age or older. It can be a family member or someone you trust.

   If you want to pick up your passport in person, you need to pay the additional fee when you apply.

   Passports may be picked up by a third party if they provide written consent from the applicant, as well as valid identification.

   Paying your fees

   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 a third party.

   You will not receive a refund for the service fee if you:

   • cancel your application,
   • are refused a 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).

   Only the consular fee, which applies to all adult applications, is refundable if a passport is not issued.

   Find out what the fees are for your passport application.

5. Receiving your passport

   If you applied by mail, the passport (and any original documentation you submitted) will be returned to you by mail; and may be in two separate packages.

   If you applied in person and paid for a pick-up service, the pickup date will be indicated on your receipt.

   You can send someone else to pick up your passport if they have valid identification and written authorization from you to do so.

Renew your passport – adults in the United States

Government of Canada consular offices in the United States do not provide passport services. You must send your application by mail.

To renew your passport, you must be a Canadian citizen and be 16 years of age and over. Before you apply, answer a few questions or read the eligibility requirements to find out if you’re eligible to renew your passport, or if you need to apply for a new passport.

If you already have a passport, it will be cancelled and must be submitted with your application. A cancelled passport cannot be used for travel.

Are you also submitting an application for your child? Find out how to apply for a passport for your child.

1. Complete the application form

   To save time, complete the form on your computer and then print it. Sign each page of the application.

   Complete the Adult Simplified Renewal Passport Application form (PPTC 054) (PDF, 1.87 MB).

   Contact us to get a Braille instruction booklet or large print form sent to you.

   Does your passport have a valid visa in it?

   If you submit a passport for renewal that has a valid visa, tell us on the application form that you want the original passport returned to you and that you still need that visa. If you don’t, the visa could be damaged when the previous passport is cancelled.

2. Gather all necessary documents and get your passport photo

   ATTENTION: Residents of the United States – photo

   The requirements for passport photos in the United States are different from those in Canada. Submitting an unacceptable photo will result in your application being rejected and returned to you. Photos must be taken in person by a commercial photographer and must comply with the Passport Program’s requirements listed on this website.

   To avoid any problems, print a copy of the passport photo specifications (PDF, 650 KB) to take with you to the photographer.

   Include the following documents with your application form:

   • your most recent passport
   • 2 identical passport photos
     • The name and the complete address of the photographer and the date the photos were taken must be included on the back of 1 of the photos.
       • Read the full requirements for more information.

   Extra documents may be required if you want to omit your place of birth on your passport.

3. Find 2 references

   You will also need 2 references to include on your application. Your references must have known you for at least 2 years. You can’t use a family member as a reference.

4. Submit your application and pay your fees

   You must mail your application to our office in Canada. Using a certified courier or traceable mail service can reduce the delivery time of your application and help protect your documents.

   By mail:

   Government of Canada
   Passport Program
   Gatineau QC  K1A 0G3
   Canada

   By certified courier:

   Government of Canada
   Passport Program
   22 de Varennes Street
   Gatineau QC  J8T 8R1
   Canada

   Paying your fees

   Your fees depend on what services you’re getting.

   Fees and methods of payment for U.S. applications (opens in a new tab)

   You won’t receive a refund for the service fee if you

   • cancel your application
   • are refused a travel document
   • are issued a passport for a shorter validity period than requested (for example, if you have lost your passport multiple times)

   Only the consular fee, which applies to all adult applications, is refundable if a passport is not issued.

5. Receiving your passport

   The passport and any original documentation you submitted will be mailed to your address in the United States by courier service. They may be in 2 different packages.

Renew your passport – adults outside Canada and the United States

To renew your passport, you must be

• a Canadian citizen
• 16 years old or older

Before you apply, answer a few questions or read the requirements to find out if you’re eligible.

1. Complete the application form

   To complete the application form:

   • Fill out the Adult Abroad Simplified Renewal Passport Application form (PDF, 1.9 MB) on your computer.
     • If you can’t open it in your browser, get help opening an application form.
     • If you need to, contact us or your nearest Canadian embassy or consulate to get a Braille instruction booklet or large print form.
   • Print it.
   • Sign each page.

   Does your passport have a valid visa in it?

   When you apply to renew a passport that has a valid visa in it, use the application form to tell us that you want the original passport returned to you and that you still need the visa. If you don’t, the visa could be damaged when the previous passport is cancelled.

2. Gather all necessary documents and get your passport photo

   Include the following documents with your application form:

   • your most recent passport
   • 2 identical passport photos that show, on the back:
     • the name and the complete address of the photographer
     • the date the photos were taken

3. Find 2 references

   You need 2 references to include on your application.

   They

   • must have known you for 2 or more years
   • can’t be a family member

4. Pay your fees

   You need to pay your fees before you submit your application. Your fees and payment options depend on:

   • the type of passport you’re applying for
   • the services you need

   If you apply for a passport and we refuse your application, we’ll only refund the consular fee. We don’t refund any other fees.

   Find out what the fees are for your passport application and how to pay.

5. Submit your application

   After you pay, include your receipt with your application and submit it to the nearest Canadian embassy or consulate.

6. After you apply

   Are you also submitting an application for your child? Find out how to apply for a passport for your child.

   The office where you applied will let you know when your passport is ready and tell you when and how to pick it up.