If you are on the path to immigration to Canada, or you are considering the country as a future home, the Canadian passport will already be on your radar. It is one of the strongest travel documents in the world, and it does more than get you through an airport: it comes with mobility, security and a set of rights that permanent residence does not carry. This guide covers the types of Canadian passport, what the application involves, what it costs and how long it takes.
Types of Canadian passport
Canada issues several types of passport to its citizens, depending on the purpose of travel. Each has its own eligibility rules, uses and validity period.
1. Regular passport
The regular passport, issued in blue, is for Canadian citizens travelling for ordinary reasons such as holidays or business. It contains 36 pages, and its validity depends on the holder’s age. Applicants aged 16 and over can choose a 5-year or a 10-year passport. Children under 16 receive a passport valid for up to 5 years.
2. Diplomatic passport
This is issued to diplomats, senior Canadian government officials and delegations sent abroad on official diplomatic business. Holders use it to travel to foreign postings or to attend conferences and international bodies in a diplomatic capacity. Validity is set by the issuing office.
3. Special passport
The special passport is for senators, members of Parliament and public servants travelling on official but non-diplomatic business, or serving at a post abroad. Validity is again set by the issuing authority.
4. Temporary passport
Canadian government offices abroad can issue a temporary passport in an emergency. It is used when a citizen has an urgent, documented need to travel while waiting for a regular, special or diplomatic passport. A temporary passport is valid for no more than one year, with the exact period set by the issuing office.
Read more: questions asked on arrival in Canada
Where does the Canadian passport rank?
The Canadian passport consistently ranks among the strongest in the world in the Henley Passport Index. The index ranks passports by the number of destinations the holder can enter without a visa or with a visa on arrival, and the Canadian passport gives access to roughly 185 destinations, a figure it usually shares with a handful of European countries.
Canada has recently ranked above the United States on that index, having slipped a few places itself since the middle of the last decade. The index is republished several times a year, so treat any specific position as a snapshot rather than a fixed fact.
Benefits of holding a Canadian passport
The Canadian passport is a strong travel document, but the advantages of Canadian citizenship go well beyond easier travel.
- Canadian citizens have wide travel freedom and can enter more than 180 destinations without a visa, including the United States, Mexico, the United Kingdom, the Schengen area, Australia and Japan.
- Citizenship is permanent and carries no residency obligation, unlike permanent residence. It can be passed to children, subject to the rules on citizenship by descent, and it can only be revoked in narrow circumstances such as fraud in the original application.
- New Canadian citizens can apply for one year of free access to national parks, museums and cultural sites through the Canoo programme run by the Institute for Canadian Citizenship.
- A Canadian passport opens up wider employment options and access to international labour markets.
- Citizens have the right to vote, to stand for election and to hold public office.
- The Canadian government provides consular assistance to its citizens in emergencies and legal difficulties abroad.
Documents required for a Canadian passport
To complete a passport application you need all of the following:
1. Proof of Canadian citizenship
A Canadian birth certificate or a citizenship certificate. If the document is on paper, the original must be submitted; photocopies are not accepted. If you hold an electronic citizenship certificate, include a printed copy.
2. Identity document
This can be an original or a photocopy. If you send a copy, both sides must be visible, and it must be signed and dated by your guarantor or by an authorised signatory.
3. Two identical passport photos
The back of one photo must be stamped or written on by the photographer with the studio or company name, the full address and the date the photo was taken. Your guarantor must sign one of the photos.
For the exact photo specifications, read the official passport photo guide.
4. A guarantor
5. Two references
If you hold a Canadian passport or another travel document that is still valid, it has to be sent in with the application.
Read more: biometrics and fingerprinting for Canada
How to apply for a Canadian passport
If you are a Canadian citizen applying for a first passport or renewing an existing one, knowing the steps and the paperwork in advance keeps the process straightforward.
Confirm your citizenship
You must be a Canadian citizen. That may be by birth in Canada, through a Canadian parent, or by naturalising after immigrating. Without citizenship, a Canadian passport is not available; permanent residents travel on the passport of their country of nationality.
Choose the right application form
Depending on your circumstances, you complete one of the following:
- PPTC 040: adults applying for the first time or whose passport has expired.
- PPTC 482: simplified renewal for adults.
- PPTC 042: children under 16.
Name a guarantor and references
For a first application, or an application for a child, you need a guarantor: someone who has known you for at least two years and holds a valid Canadian passport. If no one qualifies, complete the statutory declaration in lieu of a guarantor and supply references. A simplified renewal does not need a guarantor, but two references are still required.
Assemble the supporting documents
- Original proof of citizenship (Canadian birth certificate or citizenship certificate), plus a copy
- One valid photo identity document bearing your signature
- Two recent passport photos meeting the published specifications
- Extra documents where your name has changed, a passport has been lost, or you are asking for the place of birth to be omitted
Pay the fee
- Adult 5-year passport: 120 CAD
- Adult 10-year passport: 163.50 CAD
- Child under 16: 57 CAD
Fees are higher if you apply from outside Canada, and urgent or express service costs extra.
Submit the application
- Inside Canada: hand the application in at a passport office or a Service Canada centre, or send it by mail.
- Outside Canada: apply through the nearest Canadian embassy or consulate.
Processing and delivery
Standard processing generally takes up to 20 business days. Urgent and express service is available for an additional fee. The finished passport is mailed to you or collected in person.
Getting a Canadian passport is a straightforward but exacting process. Prepare the documents, use the correct form and follow the steps, and it moves without difficulty.
Read more: how to get a Social Insurance Number (SIN) in Canada
Canadian passport fees
What you pay depends on where you are applying from: inside Canada, from the United States, or from elsewhere. The figures below are the standard Passport Program fees. Most passport fees were increased on 31 March 2026, so confirm the current amounts on the official fee list before paying.
Fees for applicants in Canada and the United States
- Adult 5-year passport (16 and over): 120 CAD
- Adult 10-year passport (16 and over): 163.50 CAD
- Child passport (0 to 15): 57 CAD
Additional service and administrative fees
- Urgent service (pickup by the next business day): 110 CAD
- Express service (2 to 9 business days): 50 CAD
- Pickup at a passport office (10 business days or more): 20 CAD
- Emergency service for travel on a weekend or statutory holiday: 335 CAD
- Replacing a lost or stolen passport: 45 CAD
- Certified true copy of a passport page (1 to 3 copies): 45 CAD
- Transferring a file to another passport office: 45 CAD
Fees for applicants outside Canada and the United States
- Adult 5-year passport (16 and over): 190 CAD
- Adult 10-year passport (16 and over): 260 CAD
- Child passport (0 to 15): 100 CAD
Other administrative fees
- Replacing a lost or stolen passport: 45 CAD
- Certified true copy of a passport page (1 to 3 copies): 45 CAD
How long a Canadian passport takes
Demand for new and renewed passports rises and falls, and processing times move with it. At busy periods the published times lengthen, sometimes considerably.
The Government of Canada publishes a tool for checking current passport processing times. As a general guide, for applications made inside Canada:
- Standard service: 10 to 20 business days
- Urgent and express service: 2 to 9 business days, and in urgent cases the passport may be ready by the end of the next business day.
If you are planning to travel outside Canada, start the application well before your departure date rather than close to it.
Renewing a Canadian passport
You can renew online if your current passport was issued within the past 15 years, you were at least 16 when it was issued, and none of your information needs to change. If any of those conditions is not met, you apply in person or by mail instead. Either way, have the necessary documents ready: your current passport, two passport photos and two references.
Read more: police certificates for Canada
Frequently asked questions
- Does marrying a Canadian citizen make me a citizen? No. Marriage does not confer Canadian citizenship. You go through the normal process, which starts with permanent residence.
- How long do I have to live in Canada before applying for citizenship? You must have been physically present in Canada for at least 1095 days (3 years) in the 5 years before you apply, and meet the other requirements, including tax filing.
- Can my Canadian spouse make me a citizen without permanent residence? No. You need permanent residence first, then you can apply for citizenship once you meet the residency and other requirements.
