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The eligibility criteria, steps, documents, fee/timing, worksheet, and glossary source links below are drawn from official government sources, reproduced under the licence(s) above. Vibistic's own commentary (the freshness notes and "what changed" entries) is separate and not government content.

Apply for a first adult passport

Canada citizens

Vibistic last checked the official guidance behind this checklist on 2026-09-20. It last changed on 2026-09-12.

What changed

Updated 2026-08-06

  • Initial content for a Canada first adult passport application (by-mail route), verified live against canada.ca/.../new-adult-passport and its sub-pages, including the March 2026 fee increase. Vibistic clarification

Preparing for: Me

Each traveler's checked steps and document readiness are tracked separately here to help you prepare. Depending on official guidance, each traveler may need a separate application, fee, or evidence: check the relevant official guidance for each person. Tracking preparation here does not change how any application is actually handled.

Print blank checklist

"Print or save as PDF" includes your current checked-off progress. "Print blank checklist" opens a copy with nothing checked, for sharing. Check "Print all travelers" above (when tracking more than one) to include everyone in either option.

Fee and timing

Official application fee
CAD 163.50: 10-year first adult passport (by mail, living in Canada)

Source: Fee Changes Passport· Open Government Licence – Canada 2.0 · last verified 2026-08-06 · Check the live official figure

Earliest you can apply
No published minimum notice period.
Published processing time
By-mail applications take about 10 to 20 business days to process, plus mail time both ways — check current service standards before you apply.

Source: Apply Submit Fees· Open Government Licence – Canada 2.0 · last verified 2026-08-06 · Check the live official figure

Information you'll need to apply

A worksheet for what the official online application is likely to ask for, so you can have it ready before you start: this isn't the application form itself, and nothing you note here is saved or sent anywhere.

You'll be asked for this

  • Proof of Canadian citizenship (birth or citizenship certificate)
  • A document to support your identity
  • 2 identical passport photos
  • A guarantor
  • 2 references who are 18+ and have known you for at least 2 years

Depending on your circumstances, you might also need this

  • Any Canadian passport or travel document you still hold, if it's valid

Source: Required Documents Photos · Open Government Licence – Canada 2.0

Documents to prepare

0 of 10 preparation items resolved

Documents: 0/6 · Application steps: 0/4

  1. Required

    1. A birth certificate or citizenship certificate. If you have a paper certificate, it must be the original — not a photocopy. If you have a citizenship e-certificate, attach a printed copy.

      Form: Copy or Original document

      proof-of-canadian-citizenship

    2. Can be a photocopy or the original. If you use a photocopy, show both sides and have it signed and dated by your guarantor or signing official.

      Form: Copy or Original document

      a-document-to-support-your-identity

    3. On the back of one photo, the photographer must write or stamp their studio name, address, and the date it was taken. Your guarantor also needs to sign one photo.

      Form: Original document

      passport-photo-requirements

    4. Must be 18+, a Canadian citizen, have known you for at least 2 years, and hold (or have held, expired no more than a year) a valid 5- or 10-year Canadian passport issued to them at 16 or older. Signs your application form, one photo, and all copies of your identity documents.

      Form: Upload

      what-your-guarantor-needs-to-do-and-who-can-be-one

    5. Must be 18+, have known you for at least 2 years, and agree to you using their name and contact information. Can't be your guarantor or your immediate/extended family — see canada.ca's own full list for other excluded relationships.

      Form: Upload

      who-can-be-a-reference-for-you

  2. Conditional

    1. Only if you have a Canadian passport or other travel document and it's still valid — you need to send it with your application.

      Form: Original document

      what-you-need-to-apply-for-a-passport

Steps

0 of 4 completed

  1. Proof of citizenship is your birth certificate or citizenship certificate — an original paper certificate, or a printed copy if you only have an e-certificate. You also need a document supporting your identity (original or photocopy).

    Go →

    Source: Required Documents Photos · Open Government Licence – Canada 2.0

  2. Your guarantor must be 18+, a Canadian citizen, have known you for at least 2 years, and hold (or have held, expired no more than a year) a valid 5- or 10-year Canadian passport issued to them at 16 or older. They sign your form, one photo, and all your ID copies. Your 2 references must be 18+, have known you for at least 2 years, and can't be your guarantor or immediate/extended family.

    Go →

    Source: Required Documents Photos · Open Government Licence – Canada 2.0

  3. Fill it out on a computer using Adobe Reader — the form doesn't work properly in a phone/tablet browser. Say whether you want a 5- or 10-year passport in section 6.

    Go →

    Source: Get Application Form · Open Government Licence – Canada 2.0

  4. Processing by mail takes about 10 to 20 business days, plus mail time both ways.

    Go →

    Source: Apply Submit Fees · Open Government Licence – Canada 2.0

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