Get Your Passport/Travel Document – Canada Resumes Issuing Passports

As of the beginning of August 2020, Passport services in Canada are being resumed on a staged basis.

As of the beginning of August 2020, Passport services in Canada are being resumed on a staged basis.

Canadian Passport Services Resumed July 31, 2020

As of July 31, 2020, Canadian citizens can apply by mail for a passport if they do NOT need the passport for more than 30 days.

If you have an immediate need for a passport and/or are travelling within 30 days, you can apply for an in-person appointment at www.canada.ca/passport. You must provide as proof of your travel within 30 days, one of the following:

• An airline, bus, or train ticket
• A written declaration, if you are travelling by car
• A travel itinerary which shows proof of travel payment
• A proof of illness or death in the family requiring immediate travel
• Any other proof that may be needed depending on the reasons for your immediate need to travel.

Please note that there are still NO walk-in services at Service Canada Centres. You must have booked an appointment online in order to be served in-person. See below for more information on finding your local Service Canada Centre.

If you have no need for a passport (within at least a year or two for example) then please do not apply for a new one. This will help lessen delays for those who need a passport in the very short term or for whom their passport is about to expire or both.

If your current passport expired on or after February 1, 2019 you now have an additional year to renew it using the simplified passport renewal form. This form requires less documentation. You now have 2 years from the date of your passport’s expiration date to renew it, as long as it expired on or after February 1, 2019.

Please remember that in order to renew your passport, your current passport must:

• Not be damaged
• Not have been reported lost or stolen
• Have been issued for a period of 5 years or 10 years
• Have been issued when you were at least 16 years old
• Have the following identical to what you want on your new passport:
  • Your name
  • Your date of birth
  • Your place of birth
• Have the same gender identifier you want on your new passport (printed or on the observation sticker)
• Have expired on or after February 1, 2019.

If you are not sure whether or not you can renew your passport, you can go here and answer a few questions to see whether your passport is eligible for renewal.

If you are applying to renew the passport of a child less than 16 years old, you must be one of the following:

• One of the child’s parents and you must provide proof of your parentage
• The child’s legal guardian and you must provide proof of your guardianship
• The custodial parent in the case of separation or divorce and you must provide the related legal documents.

 

Refugee Travel Document & Certificate of Identity Services

Additionally, in the case of urgent travel, you may be able to obtain Refugee Travel Document services or Certificate of Identity services. To do so, you must have a valid urgent travel reason including:

• For a medical reason due to a serious illness
• Due to the serious illness or death of someone you know
• Due to financial problems you will face as the result of a loss of job or business
• To support an essential service
• For humanitarian reasons – including a letter from your organization that lists the reasons why you urgently need to travel.

Please note that loss of airfare or travel expenses are NOT valid reasons for urgent travel.

It is suggested you do NOT apply if:

• You do not meet one of the above reasons for urgent travel
• You have symptoms such as coughing, difficulty breathing, or a fever
• You are in isolation due to possible COVID-19 symptoms.

 

Go here to fill in an IRCC Web form and initiate the process of applying for Refugee Travel Document and Certificate of Identity services.

Go here to answer a few questions and find out how to apply for a Passport. Depending on your location – the US, abroad, or in Canada – you will see the steps to follow in order to apply for a passport.

Go here to find your nearest Service Canada Centre and to see if it is open in the case of requiring an appointment due to urgent travel needs.